Self-sustainable triboelectric energy case for powering devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12424950-B2
Application number	US-202418893552-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2024
Priority date	Nov 5, 2020
Publication date	Sep 23, 2025
Grant date	Sep 23, 2025

Abstract

A power and/or electricity generating source and/or component that is TENG-based, and that may be configured as an assembly and/or component for powering one or more electronic devices, is disclosed, a case, carrier or other carrying container, for example a case for a cell phone, ipad, electronic tablet, personal computer, or any similar device, that provides an electricity source to power the cell phone, ipad, electronic tablet, is disclosed. The energy generating carriers and/or containers and configurations thereof, also provide an electricity energy storage source, such as a capacitor. This electronic energy storage source may be incorporated within an electronic device itself, or may be incorporated within the case and/or covering. A bridge rectifier is also provided in some embodiments of the case. Upon walking or touching a surface of an electronic device, the power generating source will harness mechanical energy, and provide for the generation of electricity with the one or more TENG components (TESTEC) that comprise the energy generating unit. Metal particles (silver, copper, etc. nanoparticles) incorporated within and/or on polymeric layers and/or a film of the carrier and/or container assembly, are also provided, and provide for enhanced energy generating capacity of the energy generating and storage components described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A triboelectricity powered electronic device assembly comprising a front part ( 200 ), a metal cover ( 50 ) and a back part ( 400 ), wherein:
the front part ( 200 ) comprises:
a first triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) ( 550 ), said first TENG comprising a single electrode TENG; and

the metal cover ( 50 ) comprises a first end ( 90 ) and a second end ( 95 ), wherein the first end ( 90 ) is attached to the front part ( 200 ) of the assembly or a polymeric layer placed on a touch pad suitable for receiving a tapping mechanical input; and
the back part 400 comprises a second triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) ( 600 ), a rubber material layer ( 32 ), a polymeric layer ( 28 ), a metal film ( 30 ) and a spacer layer ( 34 ),

wherein the metal film ( 30 ) is placed in the center of the back part ( 400 ) and is in communication with the metal cover ( 50 ),
the polymeric layer ( 28 ) of the back part is placed over the metal film ( 30 ), and the spacer layer ( 34 ) is located between the rubber material layer ( 32 ) and the polymeric layer ( 28 ) of the back part,
wherein outside contact with the polymeric layer ( 28 ) of the first part covering the touch screen receives mechanical energy, said first TENG ( 550 ) generating electrical energy from said mechanical energy, said electrical energy being delivered to an electronic device placed in the assembly, and
wherein frictional contact between the layers of the back part ( 400 ) produces motion generated energy, and the second TENG ( 600 ) generates electrical energy from said motion generated energy, said electrical energy being delivered to an electronic device placed in the assembly.

2. The triboelectricity powered electronic device assembly of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric layer ( 28 ) of the front part comprises a film layer of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

3. The triboelectricity powered electronic device assembly of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric layer of the front part comprises gold, silver, silicon, copper, or any combination of gold, silver, silicon, or copper particles.

4. The triboelectricity powered electronic device assembly of claim 1 , further defined as a stepping and tapping initiated triboelectricity powered assembly.

5. The triboelectricity powered electronic device assembly of claim 1 , further defined as a cell phone case, an iPhone™ case, an iPad™ case, or an energy generator component for a touch screen operated device kiosk.

6. The triboelectricity powered electronic device assembly of claim 3 , wherein the polymeric layer of the front part comprises a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film with silver nanoparticles.

7. The triboelectricity powered electronic device assembly of claim 1 , wherein the spacer layer ( 34 ) between the polymeric layer of the back part comprising a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film, and the NBR layer provides an air gap, and comprises a rectangular-shaped spacer foam.

8. A triboelectricity powered case or carrier for an electronic device or touch screen operated device, comprising:
a front part ( 200 ), a side area ( 300 ), and a back part ( 400 ), wherein:
the front part ( 200 ) comprises a first triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) ( 550 ), said first TENG comprising a single electrode TENG, a durable polymeric layer ( 28 ), said polymeric layer ( 28 ) being in the form of a film and comprising a transparent area configured to cover a touch screen of an electronic device,
the side area ( 300 ) comprises a copper cover ( 50 ) and a polymeric layer ( 28 ), wherein said side area is configured to conform with a side of an electronic device, and the copper cover ( 50 ) comprises a first end ( 90 ) and a second end ( 95 ), wherein the first end ( 90 ) is attached to the transparent area of the polymeric layer ( 28 ) as a film, and the second end ( 95 ) is configured to cover the side area ( 300 ) of the electronic device, and
the back part ( 400 ) comprise a second triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) ( 600 ), a rubber material layer ( 32 ), a polymeric layer ( 28 ), a metal film ( 30 ) and a spacer layer ( 34 ), and the metal film ( 30 ) is placed in the center of the back part and is in communication with the metal cover ( 50 ) of the side area, the polymeric layer of the back part is placed over the metal film ( 30 ), and the spacer layer ( 34 ) is between the rubber material layer ( 32 ) and the polymeric layer ( 28 ) of the back part,

wherein contact with the transparent area of the polymeric layer ( 28 ) generates mechanical energy, said first TENG generates electrical energy from said mechanical energy, and said electrical energy is delivered to the electronic device placed in the case or carrier, and
wherein frictional contact between the layers of the back part ( 400 ) produces motion generated energy, and the second TENG ( 600 ) generates electrical energy from said motion generated energy, said electrical energy being delivered to an electronic device placed in the case or carrier.

9. The triboelectricity powered component of claim 8 , wherein the polymeric layer ( 28 ) of the front part comprises a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film, and wherein the PET film comprises gold, silver, silicon, copper, or any combination of gold, silver, silicon, or copper particles.

10. The triboelectricity powered component of claim 9 , wherein the PET film comprises silver nanoparticles.

11. An internally integrated triboelectricity powered electronic device assembly for an electronic device, the assembly comprising:
a front part ( 200 ) comprising
a first triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) ( 550 ), said first TENG comprising a single electrode TENG; and
a durable polymeric film ( 28 ); and

a side area ( 300 ) comprising a metal component ( 50 ) and a polymeric layer ( 28 ), wherein said metal component ( 50 ) comprises a first end ( 90 ) and a second end ( 95 ), wherein the first end ( 90 ) is attached to a transparent area of the polymeric film ( 28 ).

12. The triboelectricity powered electronic device assembly of claim 11 , wherein the polymeric film comprises PET.

13. The triboelectricity powered electronic device assembly of claim 11 , further defined as a stepping and tapping initiated triboelectricity powered assembly.

14. The triboelectricity powered electronic device assembly of claim 12 , wherein the polymeric layer comprises a PET film, and wherein the PET film comprises silver nanoparticles.

15. The triboelectricity powered energy generating component of claim 11 further comprising an energy storage component, wherein said energy storage component comprises a capacitor ( 800 ).

16. The triboelectricity powered energy generating component of claim 15 wherein the energy storage component comprises a bridge rectifier ( 112 ).

Assignees

• Univ Texas

Inventors

• Uddin Mohammed Jasim
• Abdullah Abu Musa
• Flores Alejandro

Classifications

• H04B1/3888 Primary

  Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers · CPC title

• H02N1/04 Primary

  Friction generators · CPC title