ELEMENT AND ELECTRIC GENERATOR

• US 20160336505A1
• Filed: 05/06/2016
• Published: 11/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Junichiro Natori, Mizuki Otagiri, Takahiro Imai, Tomoaki Sugawara, Tsuneaki Kondoh, Yuko Arizumi
• Inventors: ARIZUMI, Yuko, KONDOH, Tsuneaki, OTAGIRI, Mizuki, IMAI, Takahiro, SUGAWARA, Tomoaki, NATORI, Junichiro
• Granted Patent: US 10,305,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 1/04 Friction generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 1/08 with conductive charge carrier, i.e. capacitor machines
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/18 producing electrical output from mechanical input, e.g. generators for measurement devices G01
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/30 with mechanical input and electrical output, e.g. functioning as generators or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/308 Membrane type
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/85 Piezoelectric or electrostrictive active materials

Abstract

An element including: electrodes; and intermediate layers, each being sandwiched between any pair of the electrodes, wherein the intermediate layers comprise at least two selected from the group consisting of: intermediate layer that can be elongated and deformed in direction that is not parallel to direction in which external force is applied, when the external force is applied to the intermediate layer; intermediate layer that can be compressed and deformed in direction that is parallel to direction in which external force is applied, when the external force is applied to the intermediate layer; and intermediate layer that can be elongated and deformed in direction that is not parallel to direction in which external force is applied, and can be compressed and deformed in direction that is parallel to the direction in which the external force is applied, when the external force is applied to the intermediate layer.

Claims

1. An element comprising:

a plurality of electrodes; and

a plurality of intermediate layers, each of the plurality of intermediate layers being sandwiched between any pair of the plurality of electrodes, wherein the plurality of intermediate layers comprise at least two selected from the group consisting of;

(i) an intermediate layer that can be elongated and deformed in a direction that is not parallel to a direction in which an external force is applied, when the external force is applied to the intermediate layer;

(ii) an intermediate layer that can be compressed and deformed in a direction that is parallel to a direction in which an external force is applied, when the external force is applied to the intermediate layer; and

(iii) an intermediate layer that can be elongated and deformed in a direction that is not parallel to a direction in which an external force is applied, and can be compressed and deformed in a direction that is parallel to the direction in which the external force is applied, when the external force is applied to the intermediate layer.

2. The element according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of intermediate layers has elasticity.

3. The element according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the intermediate layer of the (i) and the intermediate layer of the (iii) can be elongated and deformed in an oblique direction relative to the direction in which the external force is applied.

4. The element according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the intermediate layer of the (i) and the intermediate layer of the (iii) can be elongated and deformed in a vertical direction relative to the direction in which the external force is applied.

5. The element according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of the intermediate layers comprises a silicone rubber composition containing silicone rubber.

6. The element according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of intermediate layers is subjected to a surface modification treatment.

7. The element according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of electrodes has flexibility.

8. The element according to claim 1, wherein a space is disposed between each of the plurality of intermediate layers and at least one of the pair of the electrodes sandwiching the intermediate layer.

9. The element according to claim 1, further comprising a supporting member.

10. An electric generator comprising

an element, which comprises:

a plurality of electrodes; and

a plurality of intermediate layers, each of the plurality of intermediate layers being sandwiched between any pair of the plurality of electrodes, wherein the plurality of intermediate layers comprise at least two selected from the group consisting of;

an intermediate layer that can be elongated and deformed in a direction that is not parallel to a direction in which an external force is applied, when the external force is applied to the intermediate layer;

an intermediate layer that can be compressed and deformed in a direction that is parallel to a direction in which an external force is applied, when the external force is applied to the intermediate layer; and

an intermediate layer that can be elongated and deformed in a direction that is not parallel to a direction in which an external force is applied, and can be compressed and deformed in a direction that is parallel to the direction in which the external force is applied, when the external force is applied to the intermediate layer.

11. The electric generator according to claim 10, wherein the electric generator is used for at least one of footwear, flooring materials, and wearing products.