Bistable piezoelectric generator

• US 8,174,167 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2009
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Helios Vocca, Luca Gammaitoni, Paolo Amico
• Original Assignee: Helios Vocca, Luca Gammaitoni, Paolo Amico
• Inventors: Gammaitoni, Luca, Vocca, Helios, Amico, Paolo
• Primary Examiner(s): DOUGHERTY, THOMAS M
• Application Number:
  US12/541,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20100207491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 998 Days
• Field of Search: 310/319, 310/329, 310/330, 310/339
• US Class Current: 310/339
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/186 Vibration harvesters
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/304 Beam type
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/306 Cantilevers

Abstract

The invention concerns a bistable piezoelectric generator comprising at least one element in piezoelectric material, with at least one end fixed at a base and having the other end with a mass capable of making oscillations between two distinct positions, respectively a first equilibrium position and a second position opposed to the first, said at least one element being subjected to nonlinear bistable oscillations, the kinetic energy of such bistable oscillations being converted into electric energy and transformed through an electronic circuit in a suitable form for the powering of electric and/or electronic devices.

Claims

1. A piezoelectric bistable generator containing at least one element of piezoelectric material, with at least one end fixed at a base and having the other end with a mass capable of making oscillations between two distinct positions, respectively a first equilibrium position and a second position opposed to the first, said at least one element being subjected to nonlinear bistable oscillations, the kinetic energy of such bistable oscillations being converted into electric energy and transformed through an electronic circuit in a suitable form for the powering of electric and/or electronic devices.

2. A piezoelectric bistable generator according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the at least one element is of piezoelectric material and is a rod or a bar whose shape is approximately a parallelepiped.

3. A piezoelectric bistable generator according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said mass is attached at one free end of said element in piezoelectric material as opposed to the other end fixed at the base.

4. A piezoelectric bistable generator according to claim 3, characterized by a plurality of elements in piezoelectric material, all of them having one end fixed to the same or different base and each with a mass attached at the other free end, the various electrical potential differences of every element being collected and transformed by an electronic circuit in a suitable form for the powering of electric and/or electronic devices.

5. A piezoelectric bistable generator according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said at least one element in piezoelectric material having both ends fixed each at its own base, the mass positioned on the piezoelectric element in a position approximately centered on the element, between the two ends.

6. a piezoelectric bistable generator according to claim 5, characterized by a plurality of elements in piezoelectric material with both ends fixed each at its own base, the mass positioned on the piezoelectric element in a position approximately centered on the element, between the two ends.

9. a piezoelectric bistable generator according to claim 1, characterized by a plurality of elements in piezoelectric material, oriented in ordered or random manner and electrically connected in a series or in parallel with the nearby element.

10. a piezoelectric bistable generator according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that said piezoelectric bistable generator is based on the exploitation of the bistable oscillations of the dynamic system composed of the elements in piezoelectric material.

7. A piezoelectric bistable generator comprising at least one element of piezoelectric material, with at least one end fixed at a base and having the other end with a mass capable of making oscillations between two distinct positions, respectively a first equilibrium position and a second position opposed to the first, said at least one element being subjected to nonlinear bistable oscillations, the kinetic energy of such bistable oscillations being converted into electric energy and transformed through an electronic circuit in a suitable form for the powering of electric and/or electronic devices, characterized by the fact that said at least one element in piezoelectric material, at one end of the piezoelectric element, opposed to the end fixed at the said base, is attached to a permanent magnet, being present a fixed structure that, at due distance from the said magnet, holds in place another permanent magnet or an electro-magnet, with inverted magnetic polarities respect to said permanent magnet at the end of the piezoelectric element.

8. A piezoelectric bistable generator according to claim 7, characterized by a plurality of elements in piezoelectric material with one permanent magnet at one end.