Linear generator

• US 4,924,123 A
• Filed: 12/16/1988
• Issued: 05/08/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.), Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Inaguma, Yukio, Hamajima, Takanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Salce, Patrick R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jones, Judson H.
• Application Number:
  US07/285,666
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 310/190, 310/191, 310/209, 310/12, 310/15, 310/30, 322/3, 290/1 R
• US Class Current: 310/15
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 35/02 with moving magnets and stationary coil systems

Abstract

A linear generator according to the present invention is adapted to generate a voltage proportional to the speed of a movable member or rotor and enable the movable member to be smoothly moved. The linear generator includes a first part having permanent magnets fixed to a yoke which are magnetized to the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of a shaft, and a second part having a coil wound around the bobbins and a housing enclosing the coil. A plurality of magnetic poles are provided between the magnets and coils.

Claims

1. A linear generator comprising a first part which has a yoke fixed to a shaft and a plurality of permanent magnets substantially positioned along the longitudinal direction of said shaft and fixed to the surface of said yoke and in which said permanent magnets are magnetized in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said shaft and each of adjacent permanent magnets has a polarity opposite to each other;

and a second part which has a plurality of magnetic poles facing oppositely to said permanent magnets with clearance between said poles and said permanent magnets and said poles are spaced from each other by a specified distance therebetween, coils wound around bobbins made of non-magnetic material and a housing enclosing said coils, wherein said plurality of magnetic poles are provided between said permanent magnet and said coils.

2. A linear generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the longitudinal length of each magnetic pole is shorter than that of each permanent magnet by said clearance between said magnetic poles.

3. A linear generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the area of the opposed surface of said magnetic poles to said permanent magnet is substantially constant in accordance with reciprocation of first part and second part.

4. A linear generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said clearance between said magnetic poles is opposed to said coils.

5. A linear generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of the permanent magnets is less than that of the magnetic poles, and the overall length of the permanent magnets is shorter than that of the magnetic poles by the stroke of reciprocation of one part relative to the other part, so that the permanent magnets are always facing oppositely to the magnetic poles.

6. A linear generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of permanent magnets is more than that of the magnetic poles and the overall length of the permanent magnet is longer than the overall length of the magnetic poles at least by the stroke of reciprocation of one part relative to the other part, so that a part of the permanent magnets will not face oppositely to the magnetic poles.

7. A linear generator as claimed in claim 3, wherein said shaft is connected to the rod fixed to the piston of a stirling engine.

8. A linear generator as claimed in claim 4, wherein the respective clearance between said spaced magnetic poles is located opposedly facing substantially to the central portion of the respective permanent magnets when the generator is in a neutral position.

9. A linear generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shaft is reciprocated with a substantially constant stroke, said first part constitutes the movable member and said second part constitutes the stator.

10. A linear generator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ratio of the distance spacing the respective magnetic poles in the longitudinal direction to the width of the surface of the respective magnetic poles facing oppositely to the permanent magnets is 0.05 to 0.2.

11. A linear generator comprising a first part which has a yoke fixed to a shaft and a plurality of permanent magnets fixed to the outer surface of said yoke and in which said permanent magnets are magnetized in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said shaft and each of adjacent permanent magnets has a polarity opposite to each other;

and a second part which has a plurality of magnetic poles facing oppositely to said permanent magnets with clearance between said poles and said permanent magnets and said poles are spaced from each other by a specified distance therebetween, coils located outside of said magnetic poles and wound around the bobbins made of non-magnetic material and a housing enclosing said coils, wherein at least one of said first and second parts has a means for minimizing the change of opposed area of said magnetic poles and said permanent magnets.