WEARABLE GENERATOR DEVICE

• US 20110285146A1
• Filed: 05/19/2010
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Kozinsky, Inna, Luschas, Susan
• Granted Patent: US 8,723,342 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/1.R
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 5/06 other than of endless-walk type
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 5/062 driven by humans
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 35/02 with moving magnets and stationary coil systems

Abstract

A wearable generator system in one embodiment includes a plurality of coils, each of the plurality of coils extending within a respective one of a plurality of planes, a magnet for generating a magnetic field, and a support attached to a support anchor point and to the magnet, and suspending the magnet at a position whereat the magnet is not frictionally engaged with a fixed surface, the support having a length selected such that the magnetic field is movable across each of the plurality of coils.

Claims

1. A wearable generator system comprising:

a plurality of coils, each of the plurality of coils extending within a respective one of a plurality of planes;

a magnet for generating a magnetic field; and

a support attached to a support anchor point and to the magnet, and suspending the magnet at a position whereat the magnet is not frictionally engaged with a fixed surface, the support having a length selected such that the magnetic field is movable across each of the plurality of coils.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a tether anchor point located below the height of the support anchor point; and

a tether attached to the magnet and to the tether anchor point.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the support and the tether is resiliently stretchable.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein none of the plurality of planes is coplanar with another of the plurality of planes.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein:

the plurality of coils define a coil volume; and

the magnet is suspended within the coil volume.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of coils comprises a first group of at least two coils and a second group of at least two coils;

each of the coils in the first group of coils extends within a first plane;

each of the coils in the second group of coils extends within a second plane; and

the first plane intersects the second plane.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the plurality of coils comprises a third group of at least two coils;

each of the coils in the third group of coils extends within a third plane; and

the third plane intersects the first plane and the second plane.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the plurality of coils comprises a third group of at least two coils and a fourth group of at least two coils;

each of the coils in the third group of coils extends within a third plane;

each of the coils in the fourth group of coils extends within a fourth plane; and

the third plane intersects the first plane and the fourth plane.

9. A wearable generator system comprising:

at least one first coil, each of the at least one first coils extending within a respective one of at least one first plane;

a first magnet for generating a first magnetic field; and

a first support having a first portion fixedly positioned with respect to the at least one first coil and a second portion spaced apart from the first portion, the second portion fixedly attached to the first magnet at a location lower than the first portion.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

at least one second coil, each of the at least one second coils extending within a respective one of at least one second plane;

a second magnet for generating a second magnetic field; and

a second support having a third portion fixedly positioned with respect to the at least one second coil and a fourth portion spaced apart from the third portion, the fourth portion fixedly attached to the second magnet at a location lower than the third portion.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a first tether having a third portion fixedly positioned with respect to the at least one first coil at a location lower than the first portion and a fourth portion spaced apart from the third portion, the fourth portion fixedly attached to the first magnet.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first support and the first tether is resiliently stretchable.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the at least one first coil comprises a plurality of first coils; and

none of the plurality of first coils is coplanar with another of the plurality of first coils.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the plurality of first coils define a coil volume; and

the first magnet is suspended within the coil volume.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the at least one first coil comprises a first group of at least two coils and a second group of at least two coils;

each of the coils in the first group of coils extends within a first plane;

each of the coils in the second group of coils extends within a second plane; and

the first plane intersects the second plane.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the at least one first coil comprises a third group of at least two coils;

each of the coils in the third group of coils extends within a third plane; and

the third plane intersects the first plane and the second plane.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the at least one first coil comprises a third group of at least two coils and a fourth group of at least two coils;

each of the coils in the third group of coils extends within a third plane;

each of the coils in the fourth group of coils extends within a fourth plane; and

the third plane intersects the first plane and the fourth plane.