Piezo-electricity generation device

• US 5,801,475 A
• Filed: 03/06/1997
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Seiki Co. Ltd. (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Mitsuteru Kimura, Ricoh Seiki Co. Ltd. (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Inventors: Kimura, Mitsuteru
• Primary Examiner(s): Budd, Mark O.
• Application Number:
  US08/812,070
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• Field of Search: 310/329, 310/338, 310/339, 310/324, 310/319, 310/800, 310/331-332
• US Class Current: 310/319
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/00 Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement electric switches H01H; counting moving objects G06M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0922 of the bending or flexing mode type
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/084 the mass being suspended at more than one of its sides, e.g. membrane-type suspension, so as to permit multi-axis movement of the mass
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/181 Circuits; Control arrangements or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/306 Cantilevers
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/308 Membrane type

Abstract

A piezo-electricity generation device without an external power supply unit includes a rectifying means which rectifies an AC voltage generated by the vibration of at least one piezo-electric plate. An accumulating means accumulates an electric charge outputted through the rectifying means. A voltage setting means provides a prespecified voltage. A transmission means transmits substantially all of the electric charge accumulated in the accumulating means to a signal output means when the output voltage of the accumulating means exceeds the prespecified voltage set by the voltage setting means. A timing setting means may also or alternatively be provided for setting a prespecified timing such that the transmission means transmits substantially all of the electric charge stored in the accumulating means at the prespecified timing set by said timing setting means.

Claims

1. A signal generator, including a piezo-electricity generation device having a rectifying means for rectifying an AC voltage generated by free-vibration of at least one piezo-electric plate and an accumulating means for accumulating therein electric charge outputted through said rectifying means, comprising:

a voltage setting means, powered only by the piezo-electricity generation device, for setting a prespecified voltage and generating a signal when the electric charge accumulated in the accumulating means exceeds the prespecified voltage; and

a signal output means, powered only by the piezo-electricity generation device, for receiving substantially all of the electric charge accumulated in said accumulating means when an output voltage of said accumulating means exceeds the prespecified voltage set by said voltage setting means and applying only the received charge to generate a signal.

2. A piezo-electricity generation device according to claim 1, wherein said signal is in the form of an electric wave, a sound or a light.

3. A piezo-electricity generation device according to claim 1, wherein said rectifying means is a Schottky diode.

4. A piezo-electricity generation device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one piezo-electric plate is a combination of piezo-electric plates and three-dimensional vibration can be decomposed into respective components and each of said components vibrates a different one of said piezo-electric plates.

5. A piezo-electricity generation device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one piezo-electric plate includes multiple piezo-electric plates arranged with respect to each other so that voltages from the piezo-electric plates can be combined and a synthesized electric charge can thereby be accumulated in said accumulating means irrespective of a direction of vibration within a three-dimensional coordinate system.

6. A piezo-electric generation device according to claim 1, wherein a weight is added to a vibrating section of said at least one piezo electric plate.

7. A piezo-electricity generation device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one piezo-electric plate is attached to a silicon single crystal substrate.

8. A piezo-electricity generation device according to claim 7, wherein said rectifying means is a diode formed on said silicon single crystal substrate.

9. A signal generator, including a piezo-electricity generation device having a rectifying means for rectifying an AC voltage generated by free-vibration of at least one piezo-electric plate and an accumulating means for accumulating therein an electric charge outputted through said rectifying means, comprising:

means, powered only by the piezo-electricity generation device, for setting a prespecified time period and releasing the electric charge accumulated in the accumulating means when the accumulated electric charge exceeds a preset voltage for the prespecified time period; and

a signal output means, powered only by the piezo-electricity generation device, for receiving substantially all of the electric charge accumulated in said accumulating means after the accumulated electric charge exceeds the present voltage for the prespecified time period and applying only the received charge to generate a signal.

10. A piezo-electricity generation device according to claim 9, wherein said signal is in the form of an electric wave, a sound or a light.

11. A piezo-electricity generation device according to claim 9, wherein said rectifying means is a Schottky diode.

12. A piezo-electricity generation device according to claim 9, wherein said at least one piezo-electric plate is a combination of piezo-electric plates and three-dimensional vibration can be decomposed into respective components and each of said components vibrates a different one of said piezo-electric plates.

13. A piezo-electricity generation device according to claim 9, wherein said at least one piezo-electric plate includes multiple piezo-electric plates arranged with respect to each other so that voltages from the piezo-electric plates can be combined and a synthesized electric charge can thereby be accumulated in said accumulating means irrespective of a direction of vibration within a three-dimensional coordinate system.

14. A piezo-electric generation device according to claim 9, wherein a weight is added to a vibrating section of said at least one piezo-electric plate.

15. A piezo-electricity generation device according to claim 9, wherein said at least one piezo-electric plate is attached to a silicon single crystal substrate.

16. A piezo-electricity generation device according to claim 15, wherein said rectifying means is a diode formed on said silicon single crystal substrate.

17. A signal generator, including a piezo-electricity generation device having a rectifying means for rectifying an AC voltage generated by free-vibration of at least one piezo-electric plate and an accumulating means for accumulating therein electric charge outputted through said rectifying means, comprising:

a voltage setting means, powered only by the piezo-electricity generation device, for setting a prespecified voltage and generating a signal when the electric charge accumulated in the accumulating means exceeds the prespecified voltage;

a timing setting means, powered only by the piezo-electricity generation device, for setting a prespecified timing; and

a signal output means for receiving substantially all of the electric charge stored in said accumulating means when an output voltage of said accumulating means exceeds the prespecified voltage set by said voltage setting means and at the prespecified timing set by said timing setting means and applying only the received charge to generate a signal.

18. A piezo-electricity generation device according to claim 17, wherein said signal is in the form of an electric wave, a sound or a light.

19. A piezo-electricity generation device according to claim 17, wherein said rectifying means is a Schottky diode.

20. A piezo-electricity generation device according to claim 17, wherein said at least one piezo-electric plate is a combination of piezo-electric plates and three-dimensional vibration can be decomposed into respective components and each of said components vibrates a different one of said piezo-electric plates.

21. A piezo-electricity generation device according to claim 17, wherein said at least one piezo-electric plate includes multiple piezo-electric plates arranged with respect to each other so that voltages from the piezo-electric plates can be combined and a synthesized electric charge can thereby be accumulated in said accumulating means irrespective of a direction of vibration within a three-dimensional coordinate system.

22. A piezo-electric generation device according to claim 17, wherein a weight is added to a vibrating section of said at least one piezo-electric plate.

23. A piezo-electricity generation device according to claim 17, wherein said at least one piezo-electric plate is attached to a silicon single crystal substrate.

24. A piezo-electricity generation device according to claim 23, wherein said rectifying means is a diode on said silicon single crystal substrate.

25. A signal generator, including a piezo-electric generation device having a rectifying means for rectifying voltage generated by free-vibration of at least one piezo-electric plate and an accumulation means for accumulating therein an electric charge outputted through said rectifying means, located on a small animal for transmitting a signal to determine the location and identity of the small animal, comprising:

a voltage setting means, powered only by the piezo-electricity generation device, for setting a prespecified voltage and generating a signal when the electric charge accumulated in the accumulating means exceeds the prespecified voltage; and

a signal output means, powered only by the piezo-electricity generation device, for receiving substantially all of the electric charge accumulated in said accumulating means when an output voltage of said accumulating means exceeds the prespecified voltage set by said voltage setting means and applying only the received charge to generate the signal.

26. The signal generator according to claim 25, wherein the signal is transmitted as a coded identification number enabling a receiver of the signal to identify the location and identity of the small animal.

27. The signal generator according to claim 26, wherein the small animal is a migratory bird.