Miniature electrical generators and power sources

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9590474-B2
Application number	US-201514752961-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2015
Priority date	Jul 17, 2014
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

A power source for generating electrical power. The power source including: a shaft rotatably disposed relative to a structure; an elastic element having one end attached to the shaft and another end attached to the structure for storing potential energy upon rotation of the shaft in a first angular direction; a generator operatively coupled relative to the shaft; and a retaining mechanism movable between an engaged position for retaining the shaft from rotating in a second angular direction opposite to the first angular direction and a power generating position permitting the shaft to rotate in the second angular direction. Wherein, when the retaining mechanism is moved to the power generating position, the stored potential energy in the elastic element is converted to kinetic energy to rotate the shaft which in turn rotates the generator coupled to the shaft so as to produce electrical power.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A power source for generating electrical power, the power source comprising:
a shaft rotatably disposed relative to a structure;
an elastic element having one end attached to the shaft and another end attached to the structure for storing potential energy upon rotation of the shaft in a first angular direction;
a generator operatively coupled relative to the shaft; and
a retaining mechanism movable between an engaged position for retaining the shaft from rotating in a second angular direction opposite to the first angular direction and a power generating position permitting the shaft to rotate in the second angular direction;
wherein when the retaining mechanism is moved to the power generating position, the stored potential energy in the elastic element is converted to kinetic energy to rotate the shaft which in turn rotates the generator coupled to the shaft so as to produce electrical power.

2. The power source of claim 1 , wherein:
the shaft comprises a first shaft having an endpiece, the endpiece having a recess;
the generator comprises a second shaft having an end accommodated in the recess; and
clutch disposed between the end of the second shaft and the recess for coupling rotation of the first and second shafts when the first shaft is rotated in the second angular direction.

3. The power source of claim 2 , further comprising a flywheel disposed on the second shaft.

4. The power source of claim 1 , wherein the elastic element is a torsional spring.

5. The power source of claim 1 , wherein the retaining mechanism comprises a locking mechanism for preventing an unintended movement from the engaging position to the power generating position.

6. The power source of claim 1 , wherein the retaining mechanism comprises:
at least first and second links rotatably coupled to each other;
wherein one of the at least first and second links has a first free end coupled to the shaft and another of the first and second links has a second free end upon which a force is exerted to transfer a resulting motion of the second free end to a motion of the first free end, the motion of the first free end de-coupling the first free end from the shaft.

7. The power source of claim 6 , wherein the second free end is biased into a position in which the second free end resists application of the force.

8. The power source of claim 6 , further comprising a biasing element for biasing the first free end from being re-coupled to the shaft after being de-coupled.

9. The power source of claim 5 , wherein the retaining mechanism comprises a locking mechanism for preventing an unintended movement from the engaging position to the power generating position, the locking mechanism comprising:
a first member attached to the structure;
a second member attached to the second free end; and
a locking member for restraining relative movement between the first and second members.

10. The power source of claim 9 , wherein the locking member is a locking pin disposed in a hole provided in each of the first and second members.

11. The power source of claim 1 , wherein the retaining mechanism comprises a retaining member movable between a retaining position in which an end of the retaining member is coupled with the shaft to prevent relative rotation between the shaft and the structure and a free position in which the shaft is free to rotate relative to the structure.

12. The power source of claim 2 , wherein the retaining member is biased into the retaining position.

13. The power source of claim 1 , wherein the elastic element is preloaded to store the potential energy.

14. The power source of claim 1 , further comprising a potential energy loading mechanism for storing the potential energy in the elastic element prior to moving the restraining mechanism to the power generating position to permit the shaft to rotate in the second angular direction.

15. The power source of claim 14 , wherein the potential energy loading mechanism comprises:
an actuating lever coupled to the shaft for rotating the shaft to store the potential energy in the elastic element, the actuating lever having a first portion engagable with a second portion of the restraining mechanism;
wherein after a predetermined amount of rotation of the shaft, the first portion engages with the second portion to move the restraining mechanism into the power generating position to permit the shaft to rotate in the second angular direction.

16. A power source for generating electrical power, the power source comprising:
a translating member slidably disposed in a structure;
a shaft operatively coupled to the translating member;
a conversion means for converting a translation of the translating member to a rotation of the shaft upon an application of a force to the translating member;
a generator having an input shaft engageable with the shaft; and
a clutch for engaging the input shaft of the generator with the shaft only when the shaft rotates in a predetermined rotational direction.

17. The power source of claim 16 , further comprising a flywheel connected to the shaft through the clutch.

18. The power source of claim 17 , further comprising a coupling for engaging one of the shaft and the flywheel to the input shaft.

19. The power source of claim 16 , further comprising a biasing element for biasing the translating element against the application of the force.

20. A power source for generating electrical power, the power source comprising:
a translating member slidably disposed in a structure;
a rotating member operatively coupled to the translating member;
a conversion means for converting a translation of the translating member to a rotation of the rotating member upon an application of a force to the translating member;
a generator having an input shaft at least indirectly engageable with the rotating member; and
a clutch for engaging the input shaft of the generator with the rotating member only when the rotating member rotates in a predetermined rotational direction.

21. The power source of claim 20 , wherein the rotating member is engageable with the input shaft through gearing.

22. The power source of claim 20 , further comprising a biasing element for biasing the translating element against the application of the force.

Assignees

• Rastegar Jahangir S
• Omnitek Partners Llc

Inventors

• Rastegar Jahangir S

Classifications

• H02K7/1853 Primary

  driven by intermittent forces · CPC title