Power generation device and rotating portion support structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10077762-B2
Application number	US-201414894838-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2014
Priority date	Jun 10, 2013
Publication date	Sep 18, 2018
Grant date	Sep 18, 2018

Abstract

A power generation device includes a main shaft rotated by an external force, a speed-up gear, a high-speed shaft, a rolling bearing, a power generator, and a one-way clutch disposed between the output gear and the high-speed shaft. In a state where the main shaft is rotating in a positive direction, the one-way clutch integrally rotatably connects the output gear and the high-speed shaft to each other if a rotational speed of the output gear exceeds a rotational speed of the high-speed shaft, and breaks connection between the output gear and the high-speed shaft if the rotational speed of the output gear becomes lower than the rotational speed of the high-speed shaft.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power generation device comprising:
a main shaft rotated by an external force;
a speed-up gear comprising a rotation transmission mechanism that increases a speed of rotation of the main shaft, and an output gear that outputs the rotation increased in speed by the rotation transmission mechanism;
a high-speed shaft that is rotatable by receiving a rotational force of the output gear;
a rolling bearing that rotatably supports the high-speed shaft;
a power generator which comprises a drive shaft that rotates by receiving rotation of the high-speed shaft and a rotor that rotates integrally with the drive shaft, and which generates electric power in accordance with rotation of the rotor; and
a one-way clutch which is disposed between the output gear and the high-speed shaft, and in a state where the main shaft is rotating in a positive direction, integrally rotatably connects the output gear and the high-speed shaft to each other if a rotational speed of the output gear exceeds a rotational speed of the high-speed shaft, and breaks connection between the output gear and the high-speed shaft if the rotational speed of the output gear becomes lower than the rotational speed of the high-speed shaft.

2. The power generation device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the output gear is a ring-shaped gear which is provided coaxially with the high-speed shaft on an outer circumferential side of the high-speed shaft such that the one-way clutch is sandwiched by the ring gear and the high-speed shaft, and
wherein the one-way clutch comprises a first clutch section provided on an inner circumferential side of the output gear and rotating integrally with the output gear, a second clutch section rotating integrally with the high-speed shaft, and an engaging element disposed between the first clutch section and the second clutch section.

3. The power generation device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the one-way clutch further comprises a clutch rolling bearing section that relatively rotatably supports the first clutch section and the second clutch section.

4. The power generation device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the clutch rolling bearing section comprises an outer ring portion, an inner ring portion and a cylindrical roller that is disposed between the outer ring portion and the inner ring portion and that rolls on an inner circumferential surface of the outer ring portion and an outer circumferential surface of the inner ring portion, and
wherein the first clutch section and the second clutch section are relatively movable along an axial direction.

5. A power generation device comprising:
a main shaft rotated by an external force;
a speed-up gear comprising a rotation transmission mechanism that increases a speed of rotation of the main shaft, and an output gear that outputs the rotation increased in speed by the rotation transmission mechanism;
a high-speed shaft that is rotatable by receiving a rotational force of the output gear;
a rolling bearing that rotatably supports the high-speed shaft; and
a power generator which comprises a drive shaft that rotates by receiving rotation of the high-speed shaft and a rotor that rotates integrally with the drive shaft, and which generates electric power in accordance with rotation of the rotor,
wherein the high-speed shaft comprises a first shaft section that rotates integrally with the output gear, a second shaft section supported by the rolling bearing, and a connecting section provided between the first shaft section and the second shaft section, and
wherein the connecting section is a one-way clutch, and in a state where the main shaft is rotating in a positive direction, the one-way clutch integrally rotatably connects the first shaft section and the second shaft section to each other if a rotational speed of the first shaft section exceeds a rotational speed of the second shaft section, and breaks connection between the first shaft section and the second shaft section if the rotational speed of the first shaft section becomes lower than the rotational speed of the second shaft section.

6. The power generation device according to claim 5 ,
wherein one of the first shaft section and the second shaft section comprises a cylindrical portion located at a shaft end thereof, and the other of the first shaft section and the second shaft section comprises a center shaft portion located at a shaft end thereof and disposed on a radially inner circumferential side of the cylindrical portion, and
wherein the one-way clutch comprises a first clutch section that is provided inside the cylindrical portion and that rotates integrally with the cylindrical portion, a second clutch section that rotates integrally with the center shaft portion, and an engaging element provided between the first clutch section and the second clutch section.

7. The power generation device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the one-way clutch further comprises a clutch rolling bearing section that relatively rotatably supports the first clutch section and the second clutch section.

8. The power generation device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the clutch rolling bearing section comprises an outer ring portion, an inner ring portion and a cylindrical roller that is disposed between the outer ring portion and the inner ring portion and that rolls on an inner circumferential surface of the outer ring portion and an outer circumferential surface of the inner ring portion, and
wherein the first clutch section and the second clutch section are relatively movable along an axial direction.

9. The power generation device according to claim 6 ,
wherein relative movement of the first clutch section and the second clutch section along an axial direction is allowed, and a maximum allowable amount of the relative movement is set to be larger than amounts of movement along the axial direction of the first shaft section and the second shaft section.

10. A rotating portion support structure for a power generation device, the power generation device comprising:
a speed-up gear comprising a rotation transmission mechanism that increases a speed of rotation of a main shaft rotated by an external force, and an output gear that outputs the rotation increased in speed by the rotation transmission mechanism; and
a power generator which comprises a drive shaft that rotates by receiving an output from the speed-up gear and a rotor that rotates integrally with the drive shaft, and which generates electric power in accordance with rotation of the rotor,
said rotating portion support structure comprising:
a high-speed shaft that is rotatable by receiving a rotational force of the output gear and that transmits the rotational force to the drive shaft;
a rolling bearing that rotatably supports the high-speed shaft; and
a one-way clutch that is provided between the output gear and the high-speed shaft, and in a state where the main shaft is rotating in a positive direction, integrally rotatably connects the output gear and the high-speed shaft to each other if a rotational speed of the output gear exceeds a rotational speed of the high-speed shaft, and breaks connection between the output gear and the high-speed shaft if the rotational speed of the output gear becomes lower than the rotational speed of the high-speed shaft.

11. A rotating portion support structure for a power generation device, the power generation device comprising:
a speed-up gear comprising a rotation transmission mechanism that increases a speed of rotation of a main shaft rotated by an external force, and an output gear that outputs the rotation increased in speed by the rotation transmission mechanism;

Assignees

• Jtekt Corp

Inventors

• Fujiwara Hideki
• Takaki Takeshi

Classifications

• F03D11/02 Primary

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F16D41/073

  each member comprising at least two elements at different radii · CPC title

• F16D2041/0608

  Races with a regular polygon shape · CPC title

• F03D15/10 Primary

  using gearing not limited to rotary motion, e.g. with oscillating or reciprocating members · CPC title

• F16D41/067

  and the members being distributed by a separate cage encircling the axis of rotation · CPC title