Piezoelectric energy generator

• US 5,341,062 A
• Filed: 02/01/1993
• Issued: 08/23/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Measurement Specialties Limited (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Original Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Inventors: Thompson, Mitchell L., Hann, Joseph K. II, Cero, Joseph T. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Budd, Mark O.
• Application Number:
  US08/013,489
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 310/317, 310/319, 310/328, 310/338, 310/339, 310/366, 310/800
• US Class Current: 310/339
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/18 producing electrical output from mechanical input, e.g. generators for measurement devices G01
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 310/80 Piezoelectric polymers, e.g. PVDF

Abstract

A ballistic fuse, which converts mechanical energy derived from the initial firing to stored electrical energy used to energize a later detonation, having piezoelectric polymer film strip with oppositely polarized layers on opposite surfaces, is pre-folded end to end before pleating and stacking in order to place both halves of a surface layer of one polarity into mutually contacting relationship, thereby reducing the risk of short circuits, and furthermore to double the bend radius required for pleating, thereby decreasing the risk of hinge failure due to bending stress at the pleated folds, and the continuous pattern of circles joined side by side in each layer is printed with conductive silver ink on the polymer film to eliminate the necessity of joining surfaces of like polarity with individual leads.

Claims

1. A piezoelectric energy storage and generation device comprising:

(a) an elongated strip of piezoelectric polymer film having metalized first and second layers of opposite polarity on the respective opposite sides thereof;

(b) said strip being pre-folded end to end to double thickness, thereby placing one end half of said first layer into mutually contacting relationship with the other end half of said first layer;

(c) said pre-folded strip being pleated end to end in a zigzag pattern a plurality of times, with adjacent folds in said second layer being paired and placed in mutually contacting relationship; and

(d) end plates at the respective opposite ends of said pre-folded and pleated strip, assembled therewith in stacked relationship, and electrically connected respectively to said first and second layers;

wherein said metallized first and second layers are each patterned as a series of abutting circles extending longitudinally of said strip, overlying one another in said strip, and when said strip is pre-folded, pleated, stacked and assembled.

2. A device according to claim 1 further including a diode having cathode and anode terminals connected to the respective first and second layers of piezoelectric polymer from.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein said pre-folded, pleated strip is assembled with said diode in said stacked relationship and the assembly is coated with potting material.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein said circles are formed respectively about a longitudinal series of holes in said strip.

5. A device according to claim 1 wherein the patterning of said layers is a metalized deposit.

6. A device according to claim 1 wherein the patterning of said layers is the remainder of an etched coating.

7. A device according to claim 1 wherein the patterning of said layers id printed in metal ink.

8. A device according to claim 1 further including joints of silver adhesive providing the electrical connection between the respective end plates and said first and second layers.

9. A time-delay fuse in accordance with the device of claim 1 for use in a projectile to convert mechanical energy derived from the initial firing into electrical energy stored for later use in energizing a detonation, approximately 0.360 inches in diameter and 0.156 inches in length.