Spring motor powered electricity generation system actuated by reciprocating natural forces

• US 6,825,574 B1
• Filed: 09/13/2002
• Issued: 11/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jon Mooring
• Original Assignee: Jon Mooring
• Inventors: Mooring, Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): Ponomarenko, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cuevas, Pedro J.
• Application Number:
  US10/244,169
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 290/1.R
• US Class Current: 290/1.00R
• CPC Class Codes: F03D 1/00 Wind motors with rotation axis substantially parallel to the air flow entering the rotor controlling thereof F03D7/02
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 1/02 characterised by shape or material of spring, e.g. helical, spiral, coil
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2210/16 Air or water being indistinctly used as working fluid, i.e. the machine can work equally with air or water without any modification
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/72 Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction

Abstract

An electricity generation system that has the ability to generate clean electrical power by mechanically capturing the tremendous power of large trees as they sway in the wind. The system utilizes a modular unit that is mounted on a frame assembly covered by a housing. A plurality of spring motors are mounted in a spring motor housing that is journaled on an elongated spring-motor secondary winding axle. The inner end of each spring motor metal band is secured to the spring-motor secondary winding axle. The spring motor housing is releasably connected to a stationary retention plate to prevent rotation of the spring motor housing until the spring motors are wound a sufficient amount. A cable tether member has one end attached a tree trunk adjacent its upper area and the other end of the tether line is secured to the front end of a ratcheting arm. When the wind force bends the tree from it static upright position, the ratcheting arm is pulled downwardly causing a winding drive spur gear to rotate causing the spring motors to be wound incrementally each time the wind blows the tree from it static upright position. An electricity generator is mounted on the frame assembly and there is rotation transmission structure connected to the power generation drive shaft of the electricity generator. When the spring motor assembly has been sufficiently wound, a timing gear assembly releases the motor spring housing assembly allowing it to rotate freely to dissipate its stored energy and drive the electricity generator. This cycle is repeated throughout the day to generate electricity when the wind is blowing. A modified electricity generation system utilizes the wave motion of a natural body of water by tethering the ratchet arm to a floating buoy.

Claims

1. A spring motor powered electricity generation system actuated by reciprocating natural forces comprising:

a) at least one spring motor connected to an elongated spring motor secondary winding axle having a front end, a rear end and a longitudinally extending X-axis;

b) winding means for winding said at least one spring motor using the reciprocating arcuate rotational motion of a tree that is being intermittently bent from a static position by the force of the wind;

c) an electrical generator having a power generation driveshaft;

d) transmission means for transferring stored energy that is in said at least one spring motor after having been properly wound, to said power generation driveshaft of said electricity generator to produce electrical current; and

e) said winding means comprising;

an elongated spring-motor primary winding axle having a front end, a rear end and said same longitudinally extending X-axis;

a winding-drive spur gear is rigidly mounted on said spring-motor primary winding axle;

an elongated ratcheting arm having a front end, a rear end and a transversely extending longitudinal Y-axis;

said rear end of said ratcheting arm being secured to a ratcheting arm mounting assembly that is journaled on said spring-motor primary winding axle;

said ratchet arm mounting assembly having a winding-drive spur ratchet pawl that engages said winding-drive spur gear as it attempts to rotate in one direction and releases from said winding-drive spur gear as it rotates in an opposite direction.

2. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said system is a modular unit.

3. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 2 wherein said modular unit is mounted on a concrete pad.

4. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a frame assembly and said spring motor, said winding means and said electricity generator are mounted on said frame assembly.

5. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 4 wherein said frame assembly is covered by a housing.

6. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said winding means further comprises first spring means connected to said ratchet arm mounting assembly to return bias said ratchet arm to a static position.

7. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 6 wherein said winding means further comprises an elongated tether member having a front end and a rear end;

said rear end being connected to said ratcheting arm adjacent said front end.

8. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 7 wherein said winding means further comprises means on said front end of said tether member for connection to a portion of a tree that is being bent from a static position by the force of the wind.

9. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of spring motors connected to said spring-motor secondary winding axle.

10. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 9 wherein said transmission means comprises at least one flywheel.

11. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 9 wherein said spring motors are located in a spring motor housing.

12. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 1 wherein said winding means further comprises a one-way sprague coupling that is connected to said rear end of said spring-motor primary winding axle to allow said spring motors to be wound in a first direction;

said one-way sprague coupling is also connected to said front end of said spring-motor secondary winding axle thereby allowing said spring motor secondary winding axle to rotate freely in said first direction after said at least one spring motor has released said stored energy after having been properly wound.

13. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 1 further comprising counting means for keeping track of the number of times said at least one spring motor is wound a predetermined number of rotations.

14. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 13 further comprising unlatching means for releasing said at least one spring motors, after they have been wound a predetermined number of rotations, so that they can power said electricity generator.

15. A spring motor powered electricity generation system actuated by reciprocating natural forces comprising:

a) at least one spring motor connected to an elongated spring motor secondary winding axle having a front end, a rear end and a longitudinally extending X-axis;

b) winding means for winding said at least one spring motor using the reciprocating wave motion of a natural body of water;

c) an electrical generator having a power generation driveshaft;

d) transmission means for transferring stored energy that is in said at least one spring motor after having been properly wound, to said power generation driveshaft of said electricity generator to produce electrical current; and

e) said winding means comprising;

an elongated spring-motor primary winding axle having a front end, a rear end and said same longitudinally extending X-axis;

a winding-drive spur gear is rigidly mounted on said spring-motor primary winding axle;

an elongated ratcheting arm having a front end, a rear end and a transversely extending longitudinal Y-axis;

said rear end of said ratcheting arm being secured to a ratcheting arm mounting assembly that is journaled on said spring-motor primary winding axle;

said ratchet arm mounting assembly having a winding-drive spur ratchet pawl that engages said winding-drive spur gear as it attempts to rotate in one direction and releases from said winding-drive spur gear as it rotates in an opposite direction.

16. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 15 wherein said system is a modular unit.

17. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 16 wherein said modular unit is mounted on a concrete pad.

18. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 15 further comprising a frame assembly and said spring motor, said winding means and said electricity generator are mounted on said frame assembly.

19. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 18 wherein said frame assembly is covered by a housing.

20. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 15 wherein said winding means further comprise first spring means connected to said ratchet arm mounting assembly to return bias said ratchet arm to a static position.

21. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 20 wherein said winding means further comprises an elongated tether member having a front end and a rear end;

said rear end being connected to said ratcheting arm adjacent said front end.

22. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 21 wherein said winding means further comprises means on said front end of said tether member for connection to a buoy, floating on a body of water, that floating on a that is being moved from a static position by wave motion.

23. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 15 wherein there are a plurality of spring motors connected to said spring-motor secondary winding axle.

24. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 23 wherein said transmission comprises at least one flywheel.

25. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 23 wherein said spring motors are located in a spring motor housing.

26. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 15 wherein said winding means further comprises a one-way sprague coupling that is connected to said rear end of said spring-motor primary winding axle to allow said spring motors to be wound in a first direction;

said one-way sprague coupling is also connected to said front end of said spring-motor secondary winding axle thereby allowing said spring-motor secondary winding axle to rotate freely in said first direction after said at least one spring motor has released said stored energy after having been properly wound.

27. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 15 further comprising counting means for keeping track of the number of times said at least one spring motor is wound a predetermined number of rotations.

28. A natural forces powered electricity generation system as recited in claim 27 further comprising unlatching means for releasing said at least one spring motor, after they have been wound a predetermined number of rotations, so that they can power said electricity generator.