Micromachines

• US 5,428,961 A
• Filed: 07/19/1993
• Issued: 07/04/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishida, Satoshi, Terakawa, Akira, Kuwahara, Takashi, Nakane, Ikuro, Hosokawa, Hiroshi, Hirano, Hitoshi, Kuramoto, Keiichi, Izu, Hiroaki, Sano, Keiichi, Nishio, Koji, Sakakibara, Takahisa, Domoto, Yoichi, Yamamoto, Yasuaki, Kiyama, Seiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEYMAN, LEONARD
• Application Number:
  US08/095,770
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 60/721, 60/698, 290/1 R
• US Class Current: 60/698
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/28 Constructional aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/465 with solar battery as charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/15 using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/30 using light, e.g. lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 10/10 including a supplementary source of electric power, e.g. hybrid diesel-PV energy systems combinations with gas-turbine plants F02C6/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The body of a micromachine has a plurality of energy-power converting means for receiving different forms of energy including rays, microwaves and sound waves and converting the different forms of energy to electric power, i.e., photoelectromotive devices, a microwave-power converter and an acousto-electromotive device. The electric power obtained by these means is supplied to a drive system and an operation system incorporated in the machine body.

Claims

1. A micromachine having an operation system driven by electric power, said micromachine comprising:

a plurality of independent energy power-converting means for receiving each of different forms of energy and converting each of the different forms of energy to electric power, respectively;

said energy-power converting means being selected from the group consisting of a photovoltaic device operative to convert light energy to electric power, an antenna and a microwave-power converter operative to convert microwave energy to electric power, an acousto-electromotive device operative to convert sound energy to electric power, and a secondary winding operative to convert lines of magnetic force to electric power; and

means for supplying the electric power to said operation system.

2. A micromachine as defined in claim 1 which further comprises means for accumulating the electric power obtained from each of the energy-power converting means.

3. A micromachine as defined in claim 1 which has a body comprising a tubular trunk portion and a tapered portion projecting from a front end or rear end of the trunk portion coaxially therewith, one of the energy-power converting means comprising photovoltaic devices arranged over and covering at least the surface of the tapered portion of the machine body.

4. A micromachine as defined in claim 3 wherein the photovoltaic devices are arranged over and cover the surface of the tapered portion of the machine body and a surface of the trunk portion thereof, and the machine body has optical means projecting therefrom whereby light rays traveling toward a space between the surface of the trunk portion and the inner wall of a pipe axially of the pipe are deflected toward the photovoltaic devices over the trunk portion surface.

5. An electric power system for a micromachine having a body and an operation system incorporated in the body and operative to impart movement to said micromachine inside a pipe, the electric power system comprising:

a plurality of independent energy-power converting means mounted on the machine body for receiving each of different forms of energy and converting each of the different forms of energy to electric power, respectively;

said energy-power converting means being selected from the group consisting of a photovoltaic device operative to convert light energy to electric power, an antenna and a microwave-power converter operative to convert microwave energy to electric power, an acousto-electromotive device operative to convert sound energy to electric power, and a secondary winding operative to convert lines of magnetic force to electric power;

a first energy transmitting source arranged at an inlet of the pipe and for transmitting energy of light rays and/or microwaves which advance inside the pipe while being reflected on an inner wall surface of the pipe, and/or, a second energy transmitting source arranged at an intermediate portion of the exterior of said pipe and for transmitting energy of magnetic force lines and/or sound waves which penetrate through a pipe wall into the pipe; and

means mounted on the machine body for supplying the electric power to said operation system.

6. A micromachine having a body and an electronic circuit incorporated therein for executing a predetermined operation involving travel of said micromachine through a constricted portion, the micromachine comprising:

photovoltaic devices covering an outer peripheral surface of the body for receiving transmitted energy waves and for converting said energy waves to an electromotive force;

means for supplying said electromotive force to the electronic circuit; and

a heat sink provided on an outer peripheral portion of the machine body and having a base end in contact with a heat generating portion inside the machine and an outer end projecting outward from the machine to contact a wall surface defining the constricted portion.

7. A micromachine as defined in claim 6 wherein the heat sink comprises a plurality of drive legs at spaced locations along said body and means for extending and retracting said drive legs in a predetermined sequence for moving the machine body by sequentially engaging the wall surface defining the constricted portion.

8. A micromachine having a body and an electronic circuit incorporated therein for executing a predetermined operation, the micromachine being characterized in that it comprises photovoltaic devices covering an outer peripheral surface of the body, and chemical cells provided inside the body in back-to-back relation on the rear side of the respective photovoltaic devices, and means for supplying an electromotive force from the photovoltaic devices and the chemical cells to the electronic circuit.

9. A micromachine as defined in claim 8 wherein the chemical cells are secondary cells and charged with the electromotive force of the photovoltaic device.