Patents by Inventor Motoki Ujihara

Motoki Ujihara has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Energy harvesting by means of thermo-mechanical device utilizing bistable ferromagnets
    Patent number: 7800278
    Abstract: An inventive energy harvesting apparatus may include a ferromagnetic material and/or a shape memory alloys to convert thermal energy to mechanical energy to electrical energy. The apparatus is subjected to a thermal gradient to cause beams to bend thus creating stress/strain in a piezoelectric material, or creating magnetic flux in a magnetic path. The charges created in this process can be transferred to electrical batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Motoki Ujihara, Dong Gun Lee, Gregory P. Carman
  • ENERGY HARVESTING BY MEANS OF THERMO-MECHANICAL DEVICE UTILIZING BISTABLE FERROMAGNETS
    Publication number: 20090315335
    Abstract: An inventive energy harvesting apparatus may include a ferromagnetic material and/or a shape memory alloys to convert thermal energy to mechanical energy to electrical energy. The apparatus is subjected to a thermal gradient to cause beams to bend thus creating stress/strain in a piezoelectric material, or creating magnetic flux in a magnetic path. The charges created in this process can be transferred to electrical batteries.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Applicant: Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Motoki Ujihara, Dong-Gun Lee, Gregory P. Carman