Energy extracting mechanism having a magnetic spring

• US 6,232,689 B1
• Filed: 03/30/1998
• Issued: 05/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Delta Tooling Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Delta Tooling Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Fujita, Etsunori, Kawasaki, Seiji, Enoki, Yoshimi, Nakahira, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TRAN N
• Application Number:
  US09/050,088
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 310/152, 310/156, 310/12, 310/80, 310/103, 310/23, 310/24, 310/35, 310/34, 310/46
• US Class Current: 310/103
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/03 using magnetic or electromagnetic means F16F9/53, F16F15/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 6/005 using permanent magnets only

Abstract

An energy converting mechanism includes at least two permanent magnets spaced from each other with the same magnetic poles opposed to each other, and a magnetic spring formed by the at least two permanent magnets. The magnetic spring provides negative damping characteristics or changes static magnetic energy by changing an opposing area of the at least two permanent magnets so that an output is extracted from one of the at least two permanent magnets by applying an input to the other.

Claims

1. A magnet-spring apparatus comprising:

only one first movable permanent magnet having a magnetic pole of a first polarity and a magnetic pole of a second polarity, operable to receive an input;

only one second movable permanent magnet, having a magnetic pole of the first polarity and a magnetic pole of the second polarity, spaced from said first permanent magnet and oriented such that the magnetic pole of the first polarity of said second permanent magnet is opposed to the magnetic pole of the first polarity of said first permanent magnet so as to exhibit a magnetic field between said first permanent magnet and said second permanent magnet; and

an overlap area changing device operable to change an overlapping area of said first and second permanent magnets so as to effect a change in magnetic energy of the magnetic field between said first and second permanent magnets;

wherein said second permanent magnet is operable to produce a reciprocating movement output in response to both the input received by said first permanent magnet and the change in magnetic energy of the magnetic field between said first and second permanent magnets.

2. A magnet-spring apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first permanent magnet is operable to be rotated by the input and said second permanent magnet is operable to slide vertically in response to both the input received by said first permanent magnet and the change in magnetic energy of the magnetic field between said first permanent magnet and said second permanent magnet.

3. A magnet-spring apparatus comprising:

only one first movable permanent magnet having a magnetic pole of a first polarity and a magnetic pole of a second polarity, operable to receive an input;

only one second movable permanent magnet having a magnetic pole of the first polarity and a magnetic pole of the second polarity spaced from said first permanent magnet and oriented such that the magnetic pole of the first polarity of said second permanent magnet is opposed to the magnetic pole of the first polarity of said first permanent magnet so as to exhibit a magnetic field between said first permanent magnet and said second permanent magnet; and

an overlap area changing device operable to change an overlapping area of said first and second permanent magnets so as to effect a change in magnetic energy of the magnetic field between said first and second permanent magnets;

wherein said second permanent magnet is operable to produce an output in response to both the input received by said first permanent magnet and the change in magnetic energy of the magnetic field between said first and second permanent magnets;

a driving device operable to apply a load to said first permanent magnet, so as to impart a potential energy onto said second permanent magnet, and oscillate said first permanent magnet at a balanced position with respect to said second permanent magnet; and

a flywheel coupled to said second permanent magnet;

wherein each of said first and second permanent magnets is disc-shaped and has an eccentric round hole defined therein, and said second permanent magnet is operable to rotate continuously via a force acting on said second permanent magnet tending to return said second permanent magnet to a position where a potential energy of said second permanent magnet is minimum, via a kinetic energy of the magnetic field between said first permanent magnet and said second permanent magnet, and via an inertial moment of said flywheel.

4. A magnet-spring apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said first permanent magnet is operable to be slid by the input.