ELECTRICITY-GENERATING ELEMENT UNIT, ELECTRIC GENERATOR, FOOTWEAR, AND FLOORING MATERIAL

• US 20160344309A1
• Filed: 05/11/2016
• Published: 11/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Junichiro Natori, Mizuki Otagiri, Takahiro Imai, Tomoaki Sugawara, Tsuneaki Kondoh, Yuko Arizumi
• Inventors: OTAGIRI, Mizuki, KONDOH, Tsuneaki, SUGAWARA, Tomoaki, ARIZUMI, Yuko, NATORI, Junichiro, IMAI, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,893,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/38 with power sources
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 5/06 other than of endless-walk type
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/18 producing electrical output from mechanical input, e.g. generators for measurement devices G01
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/852 Composite materials, e.g. having 1-3 or 2-2 type connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/877 Conductive materials in general H01B1/00

Abstract

An electricity-generating element unit including a plurality of electricity-generating elements, each of the plurality of electricity-generating elements including a first electrode, an intermediate layer, and a second electrode disposed with the intermediate layer being between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a coupling unit coupling the plurality of electricity-generating elements to each other, wherein when an external force is applied to at least one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements to bring the first electrode and the second electrode of the at least one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements close to each other, a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode of the electricity-generating element or each of the electricity-generating elements to which an external force is not applied is increased by the coupling unit.

Claims

1. An electricity-generating element unit comprising:

a plurality of electricity-generating elements, each of the plurality of electricity-generating elements comprising a first electrode, an intermediate layer, and a second electrode disposed with the intermediate layer being between the first electrode and the second electrode; and

a coupling unit coupling the plurality of electricity-generating elements to each other,

wherein when an external force is applied to at least one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements to bring the first electrode and the second electrode of the at least one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements close to each other, a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode of the electricity-generating element or each of the electricity-generating elements to which an external force is not applied is increased by the coupling unit.

2. The electricity-generating element unit according to claim 1, wherein the coupling unit is a unit configured to transmit a force that is in a parallel and opposite direction relative to a direction of the external force applied to one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements, to another electricity-generating element or other electricity-generating elements in the plurality of electricity-generating elements using a center of gravity of the coupling unit as a fulcrum.

3. The electricity-generating element unit according to claim 1, wherein the electricity-generating element unit comprises a plurality of regions, each of the plurality of regions comprising the electricity-generating element and a housing member housing the electricity-generating element, and the plurality of regions are coupled to each other by the coupling unit in a manner that a fluid can move through the plurality of regions, and

wherein when an external force is applied to at least one of the plurality of regions to bring the first electrode and the second electrode of the electricity-generating element of the at least one of the plurality of regions close to each other, the fluid is moved by the coupling unit to the region or each of the regions to which an external force is not applied, to increase a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode of the electricity-generating element of the region or each of the regions.

4. The electricity-generating element unit according to claim 3, wherein the housing member is a member in which the fluid can be sealed.

5. The electricity-generating element unit according to claim 4, wherein the housing member is a bag made of resin.

6. The electricity-generating element unit according to claim 3, wherein the coupling unit contains a hollow part through which the fluid can move.

7. The electricity-generating element unit according to claim 3, wherein the coupling unit has flexibility.

8. The electricity-generating element unit according to claim 7, wherein the coupling unit comprises a silicone rubber tube.

9. The electricity-generating element unit according to claim 3, wherein the fluid comprises a gas or a liquid.

10. The electricity-generating element unit according to claim 9, wherein the fluid comprises a gas.

11. The electricity-generating element unit according to claim 10, wherein the gas comprises nitrogen or air.

12. The electricity-generating element unit according to claim 1, wherein when the distance between the first electrode and the second electrode of one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements is increased, a space is formed between the intermediate layer and the first electrode or between the intermediate layer and the second electrode.

13. The electricity-generating element unit according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer of the electricity-generating element is at least one selected from the group consisting of ceramics, electret dielectric, and rubber.

14. The electricity-generating element unit according to claim 13, wherein the rubber comprises a silicone rubber composition.

15. An electric generator comprising an electricity-generating element unit, the electricity-generating element unit comprising:

a plurality of electricity-generating elements, each of the plurality of electricity-generating elements comprising a first electrode, an intermediate layer, and a second electrode disposed with the intermediate layer being between the first electrode and the second electrode; and

a coupling unit coupling the plurality of electricity-generating elements to each other,

wherein when an external force is applied to at least one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements to bring the first electrode and the second electrode of the at least one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements close to each other, a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode of the electricity-generating element or each of the electricity-generating elements to which an external force is not applied is increased by the coupling unit.

16. Footwear comprising

the electric generator according to claim 15.

17. A flooring material comprising

the electric generator according to claim 15.