Sound wave operated energy corverter for producing different forms of movement

• US 5,317,876 A
• Filed: 12/23/1992
• Issued: 06/07/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Nishida, Koji, Nakagawa, Katsumi, Kuwabara, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Look, Edward K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HOANG M
• Application Number:
  US07/995,680
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 60/532, 60/519, 60/389, 416/6, 416/223 R, 91/DIG. 1, 91/DIG. 4, 91/1, 92/5 R
• US Class Current: 60/532
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 21/125 by means of a rotating valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 91/01 Digital

Abstract

An energy converter for converting a sound energy into a kinetic energy is comprised of a source device for radiating the sound energy, and a body having a cover member for absorbing the sound energy and a reflecting member mounted thereon with the cover member in such a manner that the sound energy after passing through the cover member reaches the reflecting member so as to be tangential thereto.

Claims

1. An energy converter for converting sound energy into kinetic energy comprising:

source means for radiating an acoustic radiation pressure; and

a body having a cover member and a reflecting member which are arranged in layers, the body receiving the acoustic radiation pressure such that the acoustic radiation pressure passes through the cover member and is transmitted to the reflecting member along a tangential direction thereof.

2. An energy converter as recited in claim 1, wherein the source means includes a pair of resonators mounted in opposing relation with respect to the body.

3. An energy converter as recited in claim 1, wherein the source means includes a first pair of resonators mounted in opposing relation with respect to the body for moving the body in one direction and another pair of resonators mounted in opposing relation with respect to the body for moving the body in an opposite direction.

4. An energy converter as recited in claim 1, wherein a vibration frequency of the source means is not less than 1 MHz.

5. An energy converter as recited in claim 1, wherein a vibration frequency of the source means is 10 MHz or less.

6. An energy converter as recited in claim 1, wherein a vibration frequency of the source means ranges from 1 MHz through 10 MHz.

7. An energy converter as recited in claim 1, wherein the source means includes a pair of electrodes each of which is obtained by CVD method.

8. An energy converter as recited in claim 1, wherein the source means includes a pair of electrodes each of which is obtained by sputtering manner.

9. An energy converter as recited in claim 1, wherein said source means comprises two spaced apart resonators, one of said resonators radiating an acoustic radiation pressure to cause the body to move in one direction and the other resonator radiating an acoustic radiation pressure to cause the body to move in an opposite direction.