Piezoelectric energy harvester and wireless switch including the same

• US 9,876,445 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2015
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Jeong, In Wha, Park, Jong Heum, Kim, Hugh
• Primary Examiner(s): San Martin, J.
• Application Number:
  US14/842,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20160065096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 200181, 310339
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/076 Key stroke generating power
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/03 Application domotique, e.g. for house automation, bus connected switches, sensors, loads or intelligent wiring
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/18 producing electrical output from mechanical input, e.g. generators for measurement devices G01
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/306 Cantilevers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/14 Protecting elements, switches, relays or circuit breakers

Abstract

Provided are a piezoelectric energy harvester and a wireless switch including the piezoelectric energy harvester. The wireless switch uses energy generated in a piezoelectric energy harvester as a source of driving power, thereby transmitting communications signals to an external electronic device without requiring a battery. In addition, the piezoelectric energy harvester generates displacement in a piezoelectric element through a magnetic force generated in a magnet, thereby generating a constant level of energy when generating the driving power.

Claims

1. A piezoelectric energy harvester comprising:

a plate that is elastically deformable;

a piezoelectric element situated on the plate;

a magnet situated to be spaced apart from the plate; and

an insulator movably situated between the plate and the magnet,

wherein the plate is elastically deformed by a magnetic force of the magnet.

2. The piezoelectric energy harvester of claim 1, wherein one end of the plate is a fixed end, and

another end of the plate is a free end.

3. The piezoelectric energy harvester of claim 2, wherein the magnet is situated to face a portion of the plate that is adjacent to the other end of the plate.

4. The piezoelectric energy harvester of claim 1, further comprising a support to which one end of the plate is fixed.

5. The piezoelectric energy harvester of claim 1, wherein the plate is formed of a magnetic material or a metal.

6. The piezoelectric energy harvester of claim 1, further comprising a pressing member connected to the insulator and configured to move the insulator.

7. The piezoelectric energy harvester of claim 6, wherein a magnetic attractive force is generated between the plate and the magnet, depending on the movement of the insulator by the pressing member.

8. The piezoelectric energy harvester of claim 6, wherein the pressing member comprises:

a manipulator connected to the insulator;

a fixed plate situated between the insulator and the manipulator and having an insertion hole into which the manipulator is inserted; and

an elastic body that elastically supports the manipulator.

9. The piezoelectric energy harvester of claim 8, wherein the pressing member further comprises a connection member that penetrates through the insertion hole and that is fixed to the manipulator and to the insulator.

10. The piezoelectric energy harvester of claim 8, wherein a diameter of a side of the insertion hole that is adjacent to the insulator is smaller than that of a side of the insertion hole that is adjacent to the manipulator.

11. The piezoelectric energy harvester of claim 8, wherein the manipulator is inserted into one side of the insertion hole to thereby be movable, and the manipulator is limited in its external protrusion from the insertion hole through the other side of the insertion hole.

12. A piezoelectric energy harvester comprising:

a plate that is elastically deformable;

a piezoelectric element situated on the plate;

a magnet situated to be spaced apart from the plate; and

an insulator movably situated to allow magnetic force of the magnet to have an influence on the plate or to block the magnetic force of the magnet acting on the plate.

13. The piezoelectric energy harvester of claim 12, further comprising a pressing member connected to the insulator and configured to move the insulator.

14. The piezoelectric energy harvester of claim 13, wherein the pressing member comprises:

a manipulator connected to the insulator;

a fixed plate situated between the insulator and the manipulator and having an insertion hole into which the manipulator is inserted; and

an elastic body that elastically supports the manipulator.