Vibration Energy Harvest Device

The present invention relates to a vibration energy harvest device. In the present invention, the vibration energy harvest device is provided for being used to recycle the mechanical energy and thermal energy generated during the vibration, and effectively to improve the power generation efficiency with newly added hydraulic motor and electricity generating unit. Wherein by using an ameliorating valve module and removing the damping hole in the prior art, no matter the damping oil flows from inner cylinder module through hydraulic motor to outer cylinder module or the contrary direction, the flowing damping oil could avoid the hydraulic motor from reciprocating to improve the power generation efficiency.

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Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a harvest device, and more particularly to a vibration energy harvest device able to recycle the mechanical energy and thermal energy generated during the vibration, and effectively to improve the power generation efficiency.

2. Description of Related Art

Dampers are wildly used in many field, and more particularly to be used in the all kinds of vehicles or machinery which would produce vibration. When using in the vehicles, the dampers could buffer the vibration caused by the rough road surface or braking When using in machinery which would produce vibration could avoid the vibration which may affect the operation.

However, there is still a shortcoming by using the general dampers, the shortcoming is that the general dampers comprises a piston and filled with high viscosity of the damping oil, and the piston would pressurize the damping oil through a valve with a small aperture to generate a compressive or tensile resistance for absorbing vibration energy. In this case, the dampers would generate heat by mechanical energy caused by repeating shocks of the dampers. Thus the damping oil temperature would be raised. If the heat could not be effectively dissipated, the function of dampers would be affected.

Accordingly, in view of the conventional dampers body still have a shortcoming, the inventor of the present application has made great efforts to make inventive research thereon and eventually provided a vibration energy harvest device.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a vibration energy harvest device for being used to recycle the mechanical energy and thermal energy generated during the vibration, and effectively to improve the power generation efficiency with newly added hydraulic motor and electricity generating unit. Wherein by using an ameliorating valve module and removing the damping hole in the prior art, no matter the damping oil flows from inner cylinder module through hydraulic motor to outer cylinder module or the contrary direction, the flowing damping oil could avoid the hydraulic motor from reciprocating to improve the power generation efficiency.

Thus, for achieving the objective of the present invention, the inventors of the present invention propose a vibration energy harvest device, comprising: an outer cylinder module, having a cover on one side itself; an inner cylinder module, being disposed in the outer cylinder module, wherein there is a first storage space formed between the outer cylinder module and the inner cylinder module, and there is an opening formed on the inner cylinder module; a valve module, being coaxially connected to the other side of the outer cylinder module and the inner cylinder module; a moveable piston, being disposed in the inner cylinder module, wherein there is a second storage space formed between the moveable piston and the valve module; a piston rod module, being and disposed in the inner cylinder module, wherein the piston rod module comprises: a piston rod, being extended through the cover and there is a third storage space formed between the piston rod and the inner cylinder module, wherein the third storage space is connected to the first storage space by the opening; and a fixed piston, being disposed in the inner cylinder module, and connected to the piston rod, wherein there is a accumulating chamber formed between the moveable piston and the fixed piston; a hydraulic motor, being coaxially connected to the valve module from outside of the inner cylinder module, and disposed in the outer cylinder module; and an electricity generating unit, being connected to the hydraulic motor from the outside of the outer cylinder module.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention as well as a preferred mode of use and advantages thereof will be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a structure diagram of a vibration energy harvest device according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a first operation diagram of the vibration energy harvest device according to the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a second operation diagram of the vibration energy harvest device according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

To more clearly describe a vibration energy harvest device according to the present invention, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings hereinafter.

First of all, the structure of the vibration energy harvest device will be described. With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a structure diagram of the vibration energy harvest device according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the vibration energy harvest device consists of an outer cylinder module 1, an inner cylinder module 2, a valve module 3, a moveable piston 4, a piston rod module 5, a hydraulic motor 6, and an electricity generating unit 7.

In this vibration energy harvest device, the outer cylinder module 1 has a cover 11 on one side itself; the inner cylinder module 2 is disposed in the outer cylinder module 1, wherein there is a first storage space (A) formed between the outer cylinder module 1 and the inner cylinder module 2, and there is an opening 21 formed on the inner cylinder module 2; the valve module 3 is coaxially connected to the other side of the outer cylinder module 1 and the inner cylinder module 2, wherein the valve module 3 is a disc structure, and has a plurality of shuttle valves in the internal thereof; the moveable piston 4 disposed in the inner cylinder module 2, wherein there is a second storage space (B) formed between the moveable piston 4 and the valve module 3; a piston rod module 5 is disposed in the inner cylinder module 2, wherein the piston rod module 5 comprises: a piston rod 51, which is extended through the cover 11 and there is a third storage space (C) formed between the piston rod 51 and the inner cylinder module 2, wherein the third storage space (C) is connected to the first storage space (A) by the opening 11; and a fixed piston 52, which is disposed in the inner cylinder module 2, and connected to the piston rod 51, wherein there is a accumulating chamber (D) formed between the moveable piston 4 and the fixed piston 52, wherein the accumulating chamber (D) is an enclosure space, and the enclosure space could be filled with air or nitrogen for regulating pressure ; the hydraulic motor 6 is coaxially connected to the valve module 3 from outside of the inner cylinder module 2, and disposed in the outer cylinder module 1; the electricity generating unit 7 is connected to the hydraulic motor 6 from the outside of the outer cylinder module 1.

Therefore, through above descriptions, the structure of the vibration energy harvest device has been introduced completely and clearly. Next, the flow direction of the damping oil and the function of energy recycle would be explained. As shown in FIG. 2, which is a first operation diagram of the vibration energy harvest device according to the present invention. As the dotted arrow shown in FIG. 2, when the piston rod module 5 is applied an external thrust, the piston rod 51 would push the accumulating chamber (D), the accumulating chamber (D) would push the moveable piston 4, and the moveable piston 4 finally push the damping oil in the second storage space (B) to the valve module 3. In this time, the pressure of the inner cylinder module 2 is more than the outer cylinder module 2, so the damping oil flows into the valve module 3, and flows out of an opening 31 by switching of the Shuttling valve 33. Thus, the damping oil would also drive the hydraulic motor 6 to generate electricity for electricity generating unit 7. Then, the damping oil would flow into an opening 32, through the first storage space (A), and the opening 21, finally to the third storage space (C).

Then, as shown in FIG. 3, which is a second operation diagram of the vibration energy harvest device according to the present invention. As the dotted arrow shown in FIG. 3, when the piston rod module 5 is applied an external pulling force, the piston rod 51 would push the damping oil in the third storage space (C) from the opening 21 to the first storage space (A). In this time, the pressure of the outer cylinder module 1 is more than the inner cylinder module 2, so when the damping oil flows into the opening 31 of the valve module 3 by switching of the Shuttling valve 33. Thus, the damping oil would also drive the hydraulic motor 6 to generate electricity for electricity generating unit 7. Then, the damping oil would flow into the opening 32, through the second storage space (B).

Therefore, through above descriptions, when the piston rod 51 in the vibration energy harvest device is pushed and pulled to make the damping oil flow to the hydraulic motor 6 to drive the rotor of the hydraulic motor 6. In this case, if there is no valve module 3, the rotor would turn clockwise rotation to counter-clockwise rotation, and the rotation of the rotor would slow down, stop, and restart, thus it would reduce the efficiency of electricity generation, and the rotor would be susceptible to damage. So the vibration energy harvest device according to the present invention is newly added the valve module 3, when the piston rod 51 in the vibration energy harvest device is pushed and pulled, the damping oil would always drive the rotor of the hydraulic motor 6 in the same rotation direction to improve the efficiency of electricity generation.

So that, according to above descriptions, the present invention has been completely and clearly disclosed; and in summary, the main advantage of the present invention is that with newly added hydraulic motor and electricity generating unit, the mechanical energy and thermal energy generated during the vibration could be recycled, and the power generation efficiency could be effectively improve. Moreover, by using an ameliorating valve module and removing the damping hole in the prior art, no matter the damping oil flows from inner cylinder module through hydraulic motor to outer cylinder module or the contrary direction, the flowing damping oil could avoid the hydraulic motor from reciprocating to improve the power generation efficiency.

The above description is made on embodiments of the present invention. However, the embodiments are not intended to limit scope of the present invention, and all equivalent implementations or alterations within the spirit of the present invention still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vibration energy harvest device, comprising:

an outer cylinder module, having a cover on one side itself;
an inner cylinder module, being disposed in the outer cylinder module, wherein there is a first storage space formed between the outer cylinder module and the inner cylinder module, and there is an opening formed on the inner cylinder module;
a valve module, being coaxially connected to the other side of the outer cylinder module and the inner cylinder module;
a moveable piston, being disposed in the inner cylinder module, wherein there is a second storage space formed between the moveable piston and the valve module;
a piston rod module, being disposed in the inner cylinder module, wherein the piston rod module comprises:
a piston rod, being extended through the cover and there is a third storage space formed between the piston rod and the inner cylinder module, wherein the third storage space is connected to the first storage space by the opening; and
a fixed piston, being disposed in the inner cylinder module, and connected to the piston rod, wherein there is an accumulating chamber formed between the moveable piston and the fixed piston;
a hydraulic motor, being coaxially connected to the valve module from outside of the inner cylinder module, and disposed in the outer cylinder module; and
an electricity generating unit, being connected to the hydraulic motor from the outside of the outer cylinder module.

2. The vibration energy harvest device of claim 1, wherein there is anti-vibration oil flowing through in the first storage space, the second storage space, and third storage space.

3. The vibration energy harvest device of claim 1, wherein the accumulating chamber is an enclosure space, and the enclosure space is filled with the group consisting of: air or nitrogen.

4. The vibration energy harvest device of claim 1, wherein when the piston rod module is applied an external thrust, the anti-vibration oil would flow from the valve module, through the hydraulic motor, the first storage space to the third storage space, and when the anti-vibration oil flows through the hydraulic motor, the anti-vibration oil would drive the hydraulic motor to generate electricity for electricity generating unit.

5. The vibration energy harvest device of claim 1, wherein when the piston rod module is applied an external pulling force, the anti-vibration oil would flow from the third storage space, through the first storage space, the valve module, the hydraulic motor, to the second storage space, and when the anti-vibration oil flows through the hydraulic motor, the anti-vibration oil would drive the hydraulic motor to generate electricity for electricity generating unit.

6. The vibration energy harvest device of claim 1, wherein the valve module 3 is a disc structure, and having a plurality of shuttle valves in the internal thereof, wherein the plurality of shuttle valves would adjust the flowing direction of the anti-vibration oil according to the pressure of the first storage space and the second storage space, and keep the rotor of the hydraulic motor rotates in the same direction.

7. The vibration energy harvest device of claim 1, wherein the electricity generating unit is a generator.

Patent History
Publication number: 20140060316
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 13, 2013
Publication Date: Mar 6, 2014
Inventors: Chuen-An Chen (Longtan/Taoyuan), Che-Pin Chen (Longtan/Taoyuan), Yao-Ming Huang (Longtan/Taoyuan), Chieh Tung (Longtan/Taoyuan), Ming-Hua Shih (Longtan/Taoyua), Te-Ming Yeh (Longtan/Taoyuan)
Application Number: 13/966,272
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: For Double-acting Motor (91/462)
International Classification: F01B 1/01 (20060101);