POWER GENERATING DEVICE

• US 20170170749A1
• Filed: 11/16/2016
• Published: 06/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Otagiri, Mizuki, Araumi, Mayuka, Kitamura, Megumi, Natori, Junichiro, Sugawara, Tomoaki, Arizumi, Yuko, Kondoh, Tsuneaki, Imai, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 10,541,628 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 1/004 in which a body is moved along a path due to interaction with an electric field travelling along the path
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 1/04 Friction generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/18 producing electrical output from mechanical input, e.g. generators for measurement devices G01
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/183 using impacting bodies high voltage generators in spark lighters F23Q
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/02047 Treatment of substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/01 Manufacture or treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/30 with mechanical input and electrical output, e.g. functioning as generators or sensors

Abstract

A power generating device is provided. The power generating device includes an element and a moving member. The element is deformable and generates power when deforming. The moving member moves when receiving a vibration, and contacts the element when moving. When the moving member contacts the element, the element deforms into another state or returns to a previous state.

Claims

1. A power generating device comprising:

an element being deformable, that generates power when deforming; and

a moving member that moves when receiving a vibration, configured to contact the element when moving,

wherein, when the moving member contacts the element, the element deforms into another state or returns to a previous state.

2. The power generating device of claim 1, wherein the element includes:

a pair of electrodes; and

an intermediate layer having elasticity, disposed between the electrodes in a thickness direction of the element.

3. The power generating device of claim 2,

wherein the intermediate layer includes at least one of a rubber and a rubber composition, and

wherein the intermediate layer has a first side and a second side opposite the first side in the thickness direction of the element, and the first side has been subjected to at least one of a surface modification treatment and an inactivation treatment, which causes the first side and the second side to deform to different degrees of deformation when the same deformation imparting force is applied thereto and causes the first side to store charge.

4. The power generating device of claim 3, wherein, when the element deforms, triboelectric charge or peeling charge is caused between the first side of the intermediate layer and one of the pair of electrodes facing the first side.

5. The power generating device of claim 4, further comprising a spacer disposed between the first side of the intermediate layer and one of the pair of electrodes facing the first side.

6. The power generating device of claim 3, wherein the intermediate layer includes a silicone rubber.

7. The power generating device of claim 6,

wherein the intermediate layer includes an organosiloxane bond, and

wherein the intermediate layer has an oxygen concentration profile that increases from the first side toward inward while exhibiting a local maximum value, and a carbon concentration profile that decreases from the first side toward inward while exhibiting a local minimum value.

8. The power generating device of claim 2, further comprising a cover member having flexibility.

9. The power generating device of claim 8, wherein the cover member covers one of the electrodes contactable with the moving member.

10. The power generating device of claim 1, wherein the moving member includes a plurality of moving members.

11. The power generating device of claim 10, wherein the moving members are made of different materials.

12. The power generating device of claim 10, wherein the moving members have different shapes.

13. The power generating device of claim 10, wherein the moving members have different sizes.