JP2002005948A - Electronic weather vane - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance the directional response to a change in the direction of the wind, of an electronic weather vane equipped with an electricity generating mechanism and a light emitting part. SOLUTION: A moving-weight case 32 swinging according to the rotation of a windmill is equipped with a moving weight 34 that can be freely reciprocated by the swinging motion, Piezoelectric elements 36a and 36b are provided at both ends of the reciprocation of the moving weight 34. As the weight case 32 swings, the gravitational force acting on the moving weight 34 causes it to reciprocate within the weight case 32 and to collide with the piezoelectric element 36a or 36b, thereby generating electric power. Since the electricity generating mechanism can be made simple and lightweight, the directional response of this weather vane to the direction of the wind is enhanced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic weathercock having a light-emitting portion and a power generation mechanism, and more particularly to generation of light-emitting power.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Some weather vanes not only have a function of informing the wind direction, but also have an added value such as improving the appearance of buildings and gardens by devising shapes and colors.

[0003] As a weathercock having such added value, an electronic weathercock having a light-emitting portion disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-319031 has been conventionally known. In this weathercock, the light-emitting portion emits light by electric power generated by a rotary generator or a solar cell that generates electricity by rotation of a windmill, thereby facilitating visual recognition of the wind direction at night. The rotary generator includes a relatively rotating coil and a magnet, and generates electric power according to a rotation speed, that is, a wind speed.

[0004]

However, since such a rotary generator has a complicated structure and a heavy weight, an electronic weathercock provided with the rotary generator has a problem.
There is a problem that the directional response to a change in the wind direction is deteriorated.

[0005]

An electronic weathercock according to the present invention includes a main body rotatably supported by a support shaft, a wind-off portion provided on the main body to direct the main body in a wind direction, and the main body. A wind turbine rotatably supported by the wind turbine and rotating by receiving wind, and a movable weight case having a movable weight supported by the main body so as to freely swing by the rotation of the wind turbine and internally reciprocating with the swing. A piezoelectric element that is provided at a moving end of a moving weight inside the moving weight case and generates power by collision with a moving weight that moves with the swing of the moving weight case; and a light emitting unit that emits light by the power. , Is provided.

The electronic weathercock according to the present invention swings the movable weight case by the rotation of the windmill, and the movable weight in the movable weight case collides with the piezoelectric element due to gravity to generate electric power. Since such a power generation mechanism is provided, the directional response to a change in the wind direction can be improved.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an electronic weathercock according to the present embodiment.

The electronic weathercock 1 includes, for example, a main body 10 rotatably supported by a support shaft 12 extending in a vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the main body 10 is manufactured so as to resemble a bird. Further, the main body 10 is provided with a wind-off section 11 for directing in a wind direction.
It functions as a weathercock. In the present embodiment, the entire outer frame 11 of the main body 10 forms a wind-cut portion. For example, the shape of the outer shape of the outer frame 11 is adjusted so that the aerodynamic center of the outer frame 11 is behind the center of rotation (that is, the tail side of the bird), whereby the front of the main body 10 (that is, the head side of the bird) is windward. To be oriented.

The electronic weathercock 1 further includes a windmill 16 rotatably supported by the main body 10 and rotated by wind. In the present embodiment, the wind turbine 16 is configured to rotate in a substantially vertical plane behind the main body 10. The rotation of the wind turbine 16 is transmitted to a power generation mechanism 30 provided inside the main body 10 via a rotation shaft 22, and the power generated by the power generation mechanism 30 causes the outer frame 11 of the main body 10 to rotate.
The light emitting section 14 provided in the LED emits light. A plurality of the light emitting units 14 are provided symmetrically in the outer frame 11, for example, and two of them are connected in parallel to the power generation mechanism 30 by wiring (not shown).

FIG. 2 is a view showing the internal structure of the main body 10. Inside the main body 10, an inner frame 18 as a part thereof is provided. The inner frame 18 includes a rectangular bottom plate 18a which is elongated in the front-rear direction, and support plates 18b and 18c which are respectively provided upright at the front end and the rear end of the bottom plate 18a. A rotatable shaft 22 extending vertically through the supporting plates 18b and 18c is rotatably supported on the support plates 18b and 18c, and the windmill 16 is attached to a rear end of the rotatable shaft 22.

On the support plates 18b and 18c, a swing shaft 26 extending in a horizontal direction above the rotary shaft 22 is supported rotatably. Support plate 18b
In front of the rotary shaft 22 penetrating the support plate 18b
The swing shaft 26 is rotatably connected to both the swing shaft 26 and converts the rotation of the rotating shaft 22 into, for example, a vertical reciprocating motion. A link arm 24 is provided as a motion conversion mechanism that converts the motion into swing. This link arm 2
Numeral 4 is rotatably supported on the rotating shaft 22 at a position radially separated from the center of rotation of the rotating shaft 22 by a distance r1.
6 is rotatably supported at a position radially away from the center of rotation by a distance r2. Then, by setting the distance r2 to a value larger than the distance r1, conversion from rotation to swing is realized. The larger the ratio of the distance r2 to the distance r1, the smaller the swing angle.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the power generating mechanism 30. The principle of power generation in the present embodiment will be described below with reference to this drawing. FIG. 3A shows a neutral state in which a component in the moving direction of gravity does not act on the moving weight 34, and FIGS. 3B and 3C show moving weight cases 32 on one side and the other side.
Indicates the maximum rocking state in which each rocked the most. A movable weight 34, for example, a cylindrical movable weight case 32 that accommodates a movable weight 34, for example, a steel ball therein, is fixed to the swing shaft 26. The movable weight case 32 is in a swinging state in which the movable weight 34 is reciprocated between one side and the other side by gravity due to the swing thereof.
It is fixed to the swing shaft 26. That is, the pivoting direction and the moving direction of the movable weight 34 are fixed so as to intersect (for example, perpendicularly intersect), and the vertical relationship between the two moving ends is reversed by the oscillation (FIG. 3 ( b) and FIG.
(C)) It is fixed. At this time, the vertical distance d between the moving ends is changed between a state where the swing is maximum on one side (FIG. 3B) and a state where the swing is maximum on the other side (FIG. 3C). To be equal. For example, in the present embodiment, the posture of the movable weight case 32 in the two maximum swinging states is configured to be axially symmetric with respect to a vertical axis passing through the swing center.

In the movable weight case 32, for example, piezoelectric elements 36a and 36b are provided at both movable ends of the movable weight 34 (both ends in the longitudinal direction of the cylinder, that is, both bottoms in this embodiment). In the swinging state of FIG. 3B, the movable weight 34 collides with the piezoelectric element 36a on one end, and in the swinging state of FIG. 3C, the movable weight 34 collides with the piezoelectric element 36b on the other end. .

When the moving weight 34 collides, the piezoelectric elements 36a,
36b generates electric power, and the electric power generates the piezoelectric element 36a.
The light emitting unit 14 connected to the wirings 36b and 36b by a wiring (not shown) emits light. The power generated per collision is the wind turbine 1
6, the piezoelectric element 36 of the moving weight 34
a, 36b, that is, the swing angle of the movable weight case 32. This power is a value determined by the device configuration without depending on the rotation speed. When the movable weight case 32 is in a swinging state having a predetermined angle, the movable weight 34 can be moved even when the rotation speed of the windmill 16 is low. Piezoelectric elements 36a, 36b
To generate power, and the light emitting unit 14 emits light.

The frequency of collision of the movable weight 34 with the piezoelectric elements 36a and 36b depends on the rotation speed of the windmill 16. In this embodiment, since the piezoelectric elements 36 a and 36 b are directly connected to the light emitting unit 14, the light emission frequency of the light emitting unit 14 is proportional to the rotation speed of the windmill 16. Incidentally, in this embodiment, the light emission frequency is twice per one rotation of the windmill 16. According to the present embodiment, since the light emission frequency changes according to the rotation speed of the windmill 16, that is, the wind speed, the light emitting unit 14 indicates that when the light emission interval is short, the wind speed is high, and when the light emission interval is long. Can easily recognize that the wind speed is low.

In this embodiment, the upper and lower distances between the two moving ends are equal in the two states (FIG. 3 (b) and FIG. 3 (c)) where the swing is maximum. Accordingly, in these two states, the swing angle of the movable weight case 32 becomes equal, and the power generated when the movable weight 34 collides with the piezoelectric element 36a and the power generated when the movable weight 34 collides with the piezoelectric element 36b are different. They have the same size, and the light emission intensity of the light emitting unit 14 according to each state can be made equal.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Because the power generation mechanism can be configured simply and lightly,
Directional response to a change in wind direction is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an electronic weathercock according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the inside of an electronic weathercock according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating power generation by a power generation mechanism of the electronic weathercock according to the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 electronic weathercock, 10 main body, 11 outer frame (wind cut section), 12 support shaft, 14 light emitting section, 16 windmill, 18
Inner frame, 22 rotation shaft, 24 link arm (motion conversion mechanism), 26 swing shaft, 30 power generation mechanism, 3
2 Moving weight case, 34 Moving weight, 36a, 36b Piezoelectric element.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A main body rotatably supported by a support shaft, a wind-off portion provided on the main body to direct the main body in a wind direction, and a rotatably supported by the main body to receive wind and rotate. A movable weight case having a movable weight supported by the main body so as to be freely swingable by the rotation of the windmill and reciprocating with the swing, and movement of the movable weight inside the movable weight case An electronic weathercock, comprising: a piezoelectric element provided at an end, which generates electric power by collision with a movable weight that moves with the swinging of the movable weight case; and a light emitting unit that emits light by the electric power.