ELECTROMECHANICAL ENERGY CONVERTER

• US 20120062049A1
• Filed: 09/08/2011
• Published: 03/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Minebea Company Limited (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minebea Company Limited (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Inventors: Popov, Vladimir V., Schmid, Guido, Schwamberger, Stefan, Trietz, Thomas, Baur, Daniel, Blocher, Bernhard, Karpen, Werner
• Application Number:
  US13/227,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20120062049A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/28
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 35/02 with moving magnets and stationary coil systems

Abstract

An electromechanical energy converter (1) is provided that can convert mechanical vibration energy into electrical energy. For this purpose, the energy converter (1) has a housing (2) in which a coil (12) and a permanent magnet (15) are disposed moveable with respect to each other, the coil (12) lying within the magnetic field of the magnet (15). To fully utilize the entire field intensity of the magnet (15), flux guides (18) are disposed at the poles of the magnet (15) that divert the magnetic flux lines (17) substantially in the direction of the coil (12).

Claims

1. An electromechanical energy converter for converting mechanical vibration energy into electrical energy, comprising at least one coil (12) and at least one permanent magnet (15) having magnetic poles, the coil (12) and the magnet (15) being disposed such that on movement of the energy converter, a relative movement between the magnet (15) and the coil (12) is adapted to take place, thus causing a current to be induced in the coil (12), a flux guide (18) is disposed on each of the magnetic poles of the permanent magnet (15), the flux guides (18) are adapted to concentrate the magnetic flux lines (17) substantially in a direction of the coil (12).

2. The electromechanical energy converter according to claim 1, wherein the at least one coil (12) is fixedly attached to a housing (2) and the at least one permanent magnet (15) is disposed on a vibrating arm (5) connected to the housing (2).

3. The electromechanical energy converter according to claim 1, wherein the coil (12) is a flat coil that is substantially oblong in shape.

4. The electromechanical energy converter according to claim 2, wherein the vibrating arm (5) has at least two fingers (14), and one of the magnets (15) is disposed on each of the fingers (14) and the coil (12) is disposed between the fingers (14).

5. The electromechanical energy converter according to claim 4, wherein the flux guides (18) are disposed at end faces of the poles of the magnets (15).

6. The electromechanical energy converter according to claim 2, wherein the flux guides (18) are aligned such that when the vibrating arm (5) is at a standstill, the flux lines (17) are concentrated substantially at a middle of long sides (13) of the coil.

7. The electromechanical energy converter according to claim 2, wherein the vibrating arm (5) has more than two fingers (14), one of the magnets (15) being disposed on each of the fingers (14) and the coils (12) are disposed on the housing (2) between all of the fingers (14).

8. The electromechanical energy converter according to claim 1, wherein a magnetic back yoke (23;

24) is disposed on a side of the coil (12) facing away from the magnet (15).

9. The electromechanical energy converter according to claim 8, wherein the energy converter (1) provides that the magnet (15) is moveably disposed between two stationary ones of the coils (12) and the magnetic back yoke (23;

24) is disposed on a side of the coil (12) facing away from the magnet.

10. The electromechanical energy converter according to claim 2, wherein the vibrating arm (5) is has a tongue-like shape and is firmly fixed at one end to the housing (2).

11. The electromechanical energy converter according to claim 2, wherein the vibrating arm (5) is at least partially made of spring steel.

12. The electromechanical energy converter according to claim 8, wherein the magnetic back yoke is made up of an E-core (24), at least one of the coils (12) is wound on a back (25) or around a limb (26) of the E-core (24).

13. The electromechanical energy converter according to claim 4, wherein the magnets (15) and the flux guides (18) are disposed on the fingers (14) of the vibrating arm (5) and that the coils (12) are stationary.

14. The electromechanical energy converter according to claim 1, wherein the coils (12) are fixed to a vibrating arm (5) and the magnets (15) as well as the flux guides (18) are stationary.

15. A voltage supply (27) having an energy converter (1), a voltage converter (29) and an energy storage unit (28) and having an electromechanical energy converter (1) according to claim 1.

16. An electric device having a voltage supply according to claim 15.