Electrical generator having an oscillator containing a freely moving internal element to improve generator effectiveness
First Claim
1. An apparatus for generating electrical energy in response to repetitive external motion applied thereto, comprising:
- a support structure;
a pivot element, disposed within said support structure, and pivotably connected thereto;
a rigid oscillating weight, disposed within said support structure, having a first side, a second side, a top portion connected to said pivot element, and a bottom portion, said oscillating weight being configured and operable to achieve oscillating motion in an angular range perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said pivot element, in response to the repetitive external motion applied to said support structure, said pivot element being operable to produce a reciprocating radial motion thereof, in response to said oscillating motion of said oscillating weight;
a mobile system, disposed within said oscillating weight, operable to initiate said oscillating motion in response to the repetitive external motion, and to extend a duration of said oscillating motion when the repetitive external motion is not applied to said support structure, comprising;
an internal cavity defined within said oscillating weight between said first and second sides and between said top and bottom portions, said internal cavity having a first region proximal to said first side, a second region proximal to said second side, and a central region defined between said first and second regions; and
at least one mobile element movably disposed within said cavity, said at least one mobile element operable to freely move within said cavity, through said central region and between said first and second regions, in response to the repetitive external motion applied to said support structure, such that a likelihood and duration of said reciprocating radial motion of said pivot element is increased, thereby increasing a likelihood of rotational motion;
motion conversion means, connected to said pivot element, for translating said reciprocating radial motion into a rotational motion of a first velocity; and
electromechanical transducer means, connected to said motion conversion means, for generating electrical energy in response to said rotational motion applied by said motion conversion means thereto.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for providing electrical energy to an electrical device by deriving the electrical energy from motion of the device. In one embodiment, the inventive apparatus includes a novel kinetic electrical power generator (KEPG) consisting of an inventive oscillating weight having an internal cavity with a freely movable acceleration element disposed therein, resulting in improved acceleration and oscillation capabilities and lower motion threshold for the weight, a system for converting the weight'"'"'s oscillating motion into rotational motion, and an electromechanical transducer system for generating electrical energy from the rotational motion. The novel KEPG includes components for modifying the electrical energy for storing and/or feeding the modified electrical energy to the electrical device. Optional components may be included for using the modified electrical energy to recharge one or more rechargeable batteries used in an electric device. Alternate advantageous embodiments of the inventive apparatus include, but are not limited to: a KEPG with multiple inventive oscillating weights to increase velocity and frequency of desirable rotational motion, and a KEPG system utilizing multiple electrically coupled KEPG sub-systems.
-
Citations
42 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for generating electrical energy in response to repetitive external motion applied thereto, comprising:
-
a support structure; a pivot element, disposed within said support structure, and pivotably connected thereto; a rigid oscillating weight, disposed within said support structure, having a first side, a second side, a top portion connected to said pivot element, and a bottom portion, said oscillating weight being configured and operable to achieve oscillating motion in an angular range perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said pivot element, in response to the repetitive external motion applied to said support structure, said pivot element being operable to produce a reciprocating radial motion thereof, in response to said oscillating motion of said oscillating weight; a mobile system, disposed within said oscillating weight, operable to initiate said oscillating motion in response to the repetitive external motion, and to extend a duration of said oscillating motion when the repetitive external motion is not applied to said support structure, comprising; an internal cavity defined within said oscillating weight between said first and second sides and between said top and bottom portions, said internal cavity having a first region proximal to said first side, a second region proximal to said second side, and a central region defined between said first and second regions; and at least one mobile element movably disposed within said cavity, said at least one mobile element operable to freely move within said cavity, through said central region and between said first and second regions, in response to the repetitive external motion applied to said support structure, such that a likelihood and duration of said reciprocating radial motion of said pivot element is increased, thereby increasing a likelihood of rotational motion; motion conversion means, connected to said pivot element, for translating said reciprocating radial motion into a rotational motion of a first velocity; and electromechanical transducer means, connected to said motion conversion means, for generating electrical energy in response to said rotational motion applied by said motion conversion means thereto. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
-
-
33. An apparatus for generating electrical energy in response to repetitive external motion applied thereto, comprising:
-
a housing; a plurality of kinetic electrical generators, disposed within said housing, each said plural kinetic electrical generator comprising; a support structure; a pivot element, disposed within said support structure, and pivotably connected thereto; a rigid oscillating weight, disposed within said support structure, having a first side, a second side, a top portion connected to said pivot element, and a bottom portion, said oscillating weight being configured and operable to achieve oscillating motion in an angular range perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said pivot element, in response to the repetitive external motion applied to said support structure, said pivot element being operable to produce a reciprocating radial motion thereof, in response to said oscillating motion of said oscillating weight; a mobile system, disposed within said oscillating weight, operable to initiate said oscillating motion in response to the repetitive external motion, and to extend a duration of said oscillating motion when the repetitive external motion is not applied to said support structure, comprising; an internal cavity defined within said oscillating weight between said first and second sides and between said top and bottom portions, said internal cavity having a first region proximal to said first side, a second region proximal to said second side, and a central region defined between said first and second regions; and at least one mobile element movably disposed within said cavity, said at least one mobile element operable to freely move within said cavity, through said central region and between said first and second regions, in response to the repetitive external motion applied to said support structure, such that a likelihood and duration of said reciprocating radial motion of said pivot element is increased, thereby increasing a likelihood of rotational motion; motion conversion means, connected to said pivot element, for translating said reciprocating radial motion into a rotational motion of a first velocity; electromechanical transducer means, connected to said motion conversion means, for generating electrical energy in response to said rotational motion applied by said motion conversion means thereto; and electrical output means for transferring said generated electrical energy from said electromechanical transducer means; and an electrical energy aggregation unit, connected to said electrical output means of each said plural kinetic electrical generator, operable to aggregate said electrical energy received from each said electrical output means. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
-
-
42. A method for generating electrical energy in response to repetitive external motion applied thereto, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) providing a support structure, at least one pivot element disposed within said support structure, and pivotably connected thereto, at least one rigid oscillating weight, disposed within said support structure, each said at least one said oscillating weight having a first side, a second side, a top portion, connected to a corresponding said at least one pivot element and a bottom portion, (b) applying the repetitive external motion to said support structure; (c) producing, by said at least one oscillating weight, oscillating motion in an angular range perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of said at least one pivot element, in response to said repetitive external motion, wherein each said at least one oscillating weight is provided with an internally disposed mobile system, operable to initiate said oscillating motion in response to the repetitive external motion, and to extend a duration of said oscillating motion when the repetitive external motion is not applied to said support structure, said mobile system comprising; an internal cavity defined within said oscillating weight between said first and second sides and between said top and bottom portions, said internal cavity having a first region proximal to said first side, a second region proximal to said second side, and a central region defined between said first and second regions; and at least one mobile element movably disposed within said cavity, said at least one mobile element operable to freely move within said cavity, through said central region and between said first and second regions, in response to the repetitive external motion applied to said support structure, such that a likelihood and duration of said reciprocating radial motion of said pivot element is increased, thereby increasing likelihood of said rotational motion; (d) producing, by said at least one pivot element, reciprocating radial motion along said longitudinal axis thereof, in response to said oscillating motion of said at least one oscillating weight; (e) translating, by a motion conversion unit connected to said at least one pivot element, said reciprocating radial motion into a rotational motion of a first velocity; and (f) generating, by an electromechanical transducer connected to said motion conversion unit, electrical energy in response to said rotational motion applied by said motion conversion unit thereto.
-
Specification