Apparatus for supplying power to a sensor

• US 7,005,778 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2003
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: EnOcean GmbH
• Original Assignee: EnOcean GmbH
• Inventors: Pistor, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Schuberg, Darren
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADDISON, KAREN B
• Application Number:
  US10/629,949
• Publication Number:
  US 20040055293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 310/8.3, 310/328, 310/330, 310/332, 310/339, 605/27
• US Class Current: 310/328
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/076 Key stroke generating power
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/18 producing electrical output from mechanical input, e.g. generators for measurement devices G01

Abstract

An apparatus for supplying power, for example, to a sensor, has a passive piezoelectric transducer that can be deformed by a mechanical energy storage device. The transducer supplies a corresponding electrical voltage to operate the sensor. The piezoelectric transducer can be bent by deformation work that is emitted from the energy storage device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for supplying power, comprising:

a mechanical energy storage device;

a deformable piezoelectric transducer for supplying an electrical voltage upon being bent by deformation work emitted by said mechanical energy storage device;

a contact surface separate from said mechanical energy storage device; and

said transducer being bendable along said contact surface, forming a bend in said transducer being defined by said contact surface.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transducer is a rod with a first end that is fixedly held and a second end that can be bent with respect to said first end.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transducer is a rod with a first end that is fixedly held and a second end that can be bent in two opposite directions with respect to said first end.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transducer is formed from at least two piezoelectric partial elements that are connected in series.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transducer is formed from at least two piezoelectric partial elements that are connected in parallel.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transducer is bendable between two end positions.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said energy storage device stores available process energy.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said energy storage device has a storage capacity and when said storage capacity of said energy storage device is exceeded, said transducer is supplied with said deformation work as energy emitted by said energy storage device.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said storage capacity of said energy storage device defines a switching point.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said deformation work is transferred from said energy storage device to said transducer in a short time.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said energy storage device is a spring.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said spring has a dead point.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

said transducer is bendable between two end positions;

one of said end positions located on one side of said dead point; and

another one of said end positions located on another side of said dead point.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, in combination with a sensor being supplied with the power from the apparatus.