ELECTRONIC APPARATUS

• US 20090085359A1
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirano, Hitoshi, Mabuchi, Katsuji, Matsubara, Naoteru
• Application Number:
  US12/239,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20090085359A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 290/1.R
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 35/02 with moving magnets and stationary coil systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/1876 with reciprocating, linearly oscillating or vibrating parts

Abstract

An electronic apparatus includes a power generator including a movable portion displaced by kinetic energy acting on an electronic apparatus body and a conversion portion converting displacement of the movable portion to electric energy, wherein the movable portion of the power generator is arranged on or below a gravity center of the electronic apparatus body in a state where the electronic apparatus body is supported in a used state.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a power generator including a movable portion displaced by kinetic energy acting on an electronic apparatus body and a conversion portion converting displacement of said movable portion to electric energy, wherein

said movable portion of said power generator is arranged on or below a gravity center of said electronic apparatus body in a state where said electronic apparatus body is supported in a used state.

2. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said power generator supplies electric power to at least one electronic component in said electronic apparatus body.

3. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said electronic apparatus body includes a front surface portion having an operating portion and a rear surface portion, and

said movable portion is arranged on a side of said rear surface portion of said electronic apparatus body.

4. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said movable portion is arranged at a position in said electronic apparatus body, corresponding to a portion grasped by a hand of a human in the used state.

5. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said electronic apparatus body is provided with a gripper having a nonslip structure, and

said movable portion is arranged at a position corresponding to a region provided with said nonslip structure.

6. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said movable portion is arranged below said gravity center of said electronic apparatus body in the state where said electronic apparatus body is supported in the used state.

7. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said movable portion is arranged on a lower portion of said electronic apparatus body in the state where said electronic apparatus body is supported in the used state.

8. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said electronic apparatus body is used in a state of being supported by a user or being mounted, and

said movable portion is so formed as to generate power by displacement due to kinetic energy acting on said electronic apparatus body resulting from movement of the user.

9. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said electronic apparatus body includes a front surface portion and a rear surface portion, and

said movable portion is so formed as to move in a direction along a surface of said front surface portion or said rear surface portion of said electronic apparatus body.

10. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said movable portion is so formed as to linearly vibrate, and

said movable portion is so arranged as to vibrate on a line passing said gravity center of said electronic apparatus body.

11. The electronic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

said electronic apparatus body includes a front surface portion and a rear surface portion, and

said movable portion is so arranged as to vibrate on a line extending in a vertical direction passing said gravity center of said electronic apparatus body as viewed from a side of said front surface portion, in a direction along a surface of said front surface portion or said rear surface portion of said electronic apparatus body.

12. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said movable portion is so formed as to linearly vibrate, and

a motion direction of said movable portion is in the range of an inclined angle of 45 degrees from a vertical direction in the state where said electronic apparatus body is supported in the used state.

13. The electronic apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

said movable portion is so formed as to vibrate in a substantially vertical direction in the state where said electronic apparatus body is supported in the used state.

14. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said movable portion is so arranged as to vibrate on a centerline extending in a vertical direction of said electronic apparatus body in the state where said electronic apparatus body is supported in the used state.

15. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said electronic apparatus body is so formed that a shape thereof is changeable between a first state where said electronic apparatus is used and a second state where said electronic apparatus is not used, and

said movable portion is arranged on or below said gravity center of said electronic apparatus body in a state where said electronic apparatus body is supported in said first state.

16. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said electronic apparatus body includes any of a portable telephone, a remote control, a pedometer and a pager.

17. The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a fixed portion corresponding to and relatively movable to said movable portion, wherein

said conversion portion is so formed as to convert the kinetic energy acting on said electronic apparatus body to electric energy by relative movement of said movable portion to said fixed portion.

18. The electronic apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

either one of said movable portion or said fixed portion includes a permanent magnet,

either the other of said movable portion or said fixed portion includes a coil, and

said power generator is so formed as to allow power generation by electromagnetic induction resulting from relative movement of said permanent magnet and said coil.

19. The electronic apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

either one of said movable portion or said fixed portion includes an electret film,

either the other of said movable portion or said fixed portion includes a collector, and

said power generator is so formed as to allow power generation by electrostatic induction resulting from relative movement of said electret film and said collector.