Electricity-generating element unit, electric generator, footwear, and flooring material

• US 9,893,652 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2016
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Otagiri, Mizuki, Kondoh, Tsuneaki, Sugawara, Tomoaki, Arizumi, Yuko, Natori, Junichiro, Imai, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuevas, Pedro J
• Application Number:
  US15/152,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20160344309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 290 1 R, 36141
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/38 with power sources
• CPC Class Codes: F03G 5/06 other than of endless-walk type
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/18 producing electrical output from mechanical input, e.g. generators for measurement devices G01
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/852 Composite materials, e.g. having 1-3 or 2-2 type connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/877 Conductive materials

Abstract

An electricity-generating element unit including a plurality of electricity-generating elements, each of the plurality of electricity-generating elements including a first electrode, an intermediate layer, and a second electrode disposed with the intermediate layer being between the first electrode and the second electrode, and a coupling unit coupling the plurality of electricity-generating elements to each other, wherein when an external force is applied to at least one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements to bring the first electrode and the second electrode of the at least one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements close to each other, a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode of the electricity-generating element or each of the electricity-generating elements to which an external force is not applied is increased by the coupling unit.

Claims

1. An electricity-generating device comprising:

a plurality of electricity-generating elements, each of the plurality of electricity-generating elements comprising a first electrode, an intermediate layer, and a second electrode disposed with the intermediate layer being between the first electrode and the second electrode; and

a coupling structure coupling the plurality of electricity-generating elements to each other,

wherein when an external force is applied to a first one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements to bring the first electrode and the second electrode of the first one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements close to each other, the coupling structure is configured to transmit a force, in response to the external force, to a second one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements to move the first electrode and the second electrode of the second one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements away from each other.

2. The electricity-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the coupling structure is configured to transmit the force that is in a parallel and opposite direction relative to a direction of the external force applied to the first one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements to the second one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements using a center of gravity of the coupling structure as a fulcrum.

3. The electricity-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the electricity-generating device comprises a plurality of regions, each of the plurality of regions comprising a respective electricity-generating element and a housing member housing the respective electricity-generating element, and the plurality of regions are coupled to each other by the coupling structure in a manner that a fluid can move among the plurality of regions, and

wherein when the external force is applied to a first one of the plurality of regions to bring the first electrode and the second electrode of the respective electricity-generating element in the first one of the plurality of regions close to each other, the fluid is moved through the coupling device to a second one of the plurality of regions to which the external force is not applied, to increase a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode of the respective electricity-generating element in the second one of the plurality of regions.

4. The electricity-generating device according to claim 3, wherein the housing member is a member in which the fluid is sealed.

5. The electricity-generating device according to claim 4, wherein the housing member is a bag made of resin.

6. The electricity-generating device according to claim 3, wherein the coupling structure contains a hollow part through which the fluid is movable.

7. The electricity-generating device according to claim 3, wherein the coupling structure has flexibility.

8. The electricity-generating device according to claim 7, wherein the coupling structure comprises a silicone rubber tube.

9. The electricity-generating device according to claim 3, wherein the fluid comprises a gas or a liquid.

10. The electricity-generating device according to claim 9, wherein the fluid comprises a gas.

11. The electricity-generating device according to claim 10, wherein the gas comprises nitrogen or air.

12. The electricity-generating device according to claim 1, wherein when a distance between the first electrode and the second electrode of the second one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements is increased, a space is formed between the intermediate layer and the first electrode or between the intermediate layer and the second electrode of the second one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements.

13. The electricity-generating device according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate layer of the first one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements is at least one selected from the group consisting of ceramics, electret dielectric, and rubber.

14. The electricity-generating device according to claim 13, wherein the rubber comprises a silicone rubber composition.

15. An electric generator comprising

an electricity-generating device, the electricity-generating device comprising:

a plurality of electricity-generating elements, each of the plurality of electricity-generating elements comprising a first electrode, an intermediate layer, and a second electrode disposed with the intermediate layer being between the first electrode and the second electrode; and

a coupling structure coupling the plurality of electricity-generating elements to each other,

wherein when an external force is applied to a first one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements to move the first electrode and the second electrode of the first one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements close to each other, the coupling structure is configured to transmit a force, in response to the external force, to a second one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements to move the first electrode and the second electrode of the second one of the plurality of electricity-generating elements away from each other.

16. Footwear comprising

the electric generator according to claim 15.

17. A flooring material comprising

the electric generator according to claim 15.