Tire with electric power generation device

• US 7,781,942 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2006
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yokohama Rubber Company Limited
• Inventors: Hatano, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Benson; Walter
• Assistant Examiner(s): Addison; Karen B
• Application Number:
  US11/815,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20090072661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,658 Days
• Field of Search: 310/339, 310/800, 310/338, 310/328, 290/1.R
• US Class Current: 310/339
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 2030/0094 Tyres been capable of generating, e.g. recovering, energy
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 30/0061 Accessories, details or auxiliary operations not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 19/00 Tyre parts or constructions not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/041 Means for supplying power to the signal- transmitting means on the wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0493 for attachment on the tyre
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/0641 Motors; Energy harvesting or waste energy recovery
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/08 recovering energy derived from swinging, rolling, pitching or like movements, e.g. from the vibrations of a machine
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 7/081 recovering energy from moving road or rail vehicles, e.g. collecting vehicle vibrations in the vehicle tyres or shock absorbers
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 1/08 with conductive charge carrier, i.e. capacitor machines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 310/80 Piezoelectric polymers, e.g. PVDF

Abstract

The invention provides a tire with an electric power generation device for supplying sufficient electric power which has a simple and small-sized construction. An electric power generation device for converting strain occurring in a tire into electric energy includes at least one electric power generation element and a device body. The electric power generation element has at least two stretchable electrodes and a dielectric elastomer, arranged between the electrodes, and producing a potential difference between the electrodes according to the strain applied from the tire. The device body has an electrical condenser for accumulating electric energy produced by the electric power generation element. The length, in the circumferential direction of the tire, of the electric power generation element is set so that strain by contraction and strain by expansion that are caused by the rotating tire coming into contact with the ground surface are not simultaneously applied to the single power generation element.

Claims

1. A tire comprising an electric power generation device for converting strain occurring in the tire into electric energy,

wherein the electric power generation device includes:

at least one electric power generation element having at least two stretchable electrodes and elastic polymer, arranged between the electrodes, and producing a potential difference between the electrodes according to strain applied from the tire; and

an electrical condenser for accumulating electric energy produced by the electric power generation element, and

wherein the length, in a circumferential direction of the tire, of the electric power generation element is set so that strain by contraction and strain by expansion that are cause by the rotating tire coming into contact with the ground surface are not simultaneously applied to the single electric power generation element.

2. The tire according to claim 1, wherein the electric power generation device supplies the electric energy accumulated in the electrical condenser to another device included in the tire.

3. The tire according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the electric power generation elements are arranged on a circle around the rotation axis of the tire on at least one side face in the interior of the tire.

4. The tire according to claim 1, wherein the electrical condenser is constituted of a secondary battery.

5. The tire according to claim 1, wherein the electrical condenser is constituted of a large-capacitance capacitor.

6. The tire according to claim 1, wherein the electrodes are each composed of conductive polymer.