Thermal power generation portable device and power generation control method for thermal power generation portable device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9543491-B2
Application number	US-201214343677-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2012
Priority date	Sep 12, 2011
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A portable thermal power generation device generates power using heat produced by a living body. A thermal power generation member generates power on the basis of a temperature difference between a temperature at a heat source-side position and a temperature at a heat release destination-side position between the living body that is a heat source and a heat release destination of heat released from the portable thermal power generation device. A movable member is configured to change a thermal resistance of at least part of a heat transfer path between the living body and the heat release destination.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A thermal power generation portable device configured to be mounted to a living body and capable of generating power with the heat of the living body, the thermal power generation portable device comprising:
a thermal power generating member that generates power on the basis of a temperature difference between a temperature at a heat-source-side position and a temperature at a heat release destination-side position between the living body that is a heat source and a heat release destination of heat released from the thermal power generation portable device; and
thermal resistance changing means for changing the thermal resistance of at least a portion of a heat transfer path between the living body and the heat release destination.

2. The thermal power generation portable device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the thermal resistance changing means is capable of switching a state where the thermal resistance of at least a portion of the heat transfer path becomes a first thermal resistance and a state where the thermal resistance of at least a portion of the heat transfer path becomes a second thermal resistance different from the first thermal resistance.

3. The thermal power generation portable device according to claim 1 , wherein the thermal resistance changing means comprises a movable member mounted to undergo rotation around a rotational shaft or undergo sliding movement in a predetermined direction, the movable member being configured to change the thermal resistance of at least a portion of the heat transfer path as the presence or absence of interference with the heat transfer path or a change in the position of the interference with the heat transfer path in accordance with the rotation or the sliding movement.

4. The thermal power generation portable device according to claim 3 , wherein the movable member comprises a plate-shaped member configured to intersect the heat transfer path.

5. The thermal power generation portable device according to claim 4 , wherein the movable member is mounted to undergo rotation around the rotational shaft and has a shape that is point-symmetrical with respect to an axial center of the rotational shaft.

6. The thermal power generation portable device according to claim 4 , wherein the movable member is mounted to undergo rotation around the rotational shaft and has a shape that is non-point-symmetrical with respect to an axial center of the rotational shaft.

7. The thermal power generation portable device according to claim 6 , further comprising at least any one of clocking means for performing a clocking operation to count time, voltage detecting means for detecting a power generation voltage of the thermal power generation member, power storage means for storing the power generated by the thermal power generation member, and power storage amount detecting means for detecting the amount of power stored by the power storage means; wherein the thermal resistance changing means includes drive means for automatically driving the movable member in accordance with the at least any one of a clocking operation of the clocking means, a detection result of the voltage detecting means, and a detection result of the power storage amount detecting means.

8. The thermal power generation portable device according to claim 7 , wherein the at least any one of the clocking means, the voltage detecting means, the power storage means, and the power storage amount detecting means comprises the clocking means; wherein the clocking means comprises hand drive means for driving at least one of a second hand indicating seconds of time, a minute hand indicating minutes of time, and an hour hand indicating hours of time; and wherein the member drive means automatically drives the movable member according to a clocking operation of the clocking means in an interlocking manner with at least any one of the second hand, the minute hand, and the hour hand.

9. The thermal power generation portable device according to claim 6 , wherein the thermal resistance changing means comprises a manual operation member configured for manually operating the movable member.

10. The thermal power generation portable device according to claim 9 , wherein the thermal resistance changing means changes the thermal resistance of at least any one out of between the living body and the thermal power generating member in the heat transfer path and between the heat release destination and the thermal power generating member in the heat transfer path.

11. The thermal power generation portable device according to claim 10 , wherein the thermal resistance changing means changes the thermal resistance between the living body and the thermal power generating member in the heat transfer path by changing the thermal resistance of a member that comes into contact with the living body.

12. The thermal power generation portable device according to claim 10 , wherein the thermal resistance changing means changes the thermal resistance between the heat release destination and the thermal power generating member in the heat transfer path by changing the thermal resistance of a member that is provided between the heat release destination and the thermal power generating member in the heat transfer path and that comes into contact with the thermal power generating member.

13. The thermal power generation portable device according to claim 10 , wherein the thermal resistance changing means changes the thermal resistance between the heat release destination and the thermal power generating member in the heat transfer path by changing the thermal resistance of a heat release region between a housing provided between the heat release destination and the thermal power generating member in the heat transfer path.

14. A power generation control method comprising:
a first step of providing a thermal power generation portable device configured to be mounted to a living body and capable of generating power with the heat of the living body, the thermal power generation portable device comprising:
a thermal power generating member that generates power on the basis of a temperature difference between a temperature at a heat-source-side position and a temperature at a heat release destination-side position between the living body that is a heat source and a heat release destination of heat released from the thermal power generation portable device;
thermal resistance changing means for changing the thermal resistance of at least a portion of a heat transfer path between the living body and the heat release destination; and

a second step of changing the thermal resistance of at least a portion of the heat transfer path during generation of power by the thermal power generating member; and
a third step of changing, after the changing of the thermal resistance in the second step, the thermal resistance of at least a portion of the heat transfer path toward a value before changing of the thermal resistance in the second step.

15. A portable thermal power generation device for generating power using heat produced by a living body, the portable thermal power generation device comprising:
a thermal power generation member that generates power on the basis of a temperature difference between a temperature at a heat source-side position and a temperature at a heat release destination-side position between the living body that is a heat source and a heat release destination of heat released from the portable thermal power generation device; and
a movable member configured to change a thermal resistance of at least part of a heat transfer path betwe

Assignees

• Uchiyama Takeshi
• Oumi Manabu
• Shinohara Yoko
• Kimura Fumio
• Seiko Instr Inc

Inventors

• Uchiyama Takeshi
• Oumi Manabu
• Shinohara Yoko
• Kimura Fumio

Classifications

• G04G19/00

  Electric power supply circuits specially adapted for use in electronic time-pieces · CPC title

• G04C10/00 Primary

  Arrangements of electric power supplies in time-pieces {(Mounting, assembling of components G04C3/008)} · CPC title

• H01L35/02 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L35/30

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H10N10/13

  characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction · CPC title