Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F03—MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS; WIND, SPRING, OR WEIGHT MOTORS; PRODUCING MECHANICAL POWER OR A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F03G—SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS; MECHANICAL-POWER PRODUCING DEVICES OR MECHANISMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR OR USING ENERGY SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • F03G1/00—Spring motors
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
  • H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
  • H02J7/00—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
  • H02J7/32—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries for charging batteries from a charging set comprising a non-electric prime mover rotating at constant speed

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a portable device for converting mechanical energy, supplied manually by a user, into electrical energy.
• Manual chargers for supplying an electric bulb.
• Such chargers include a handle operable by a user.
• the handle has a notched rod that can rotate an input shaft of a speed multiplier connected to the rotor of an electric generator.
• the generator is connected to the external electrical load to be supplied.
• the notched rod When the user squeezes the handle, the notched rod is set in motion and moves from an initial position to a final position and drives the shaft in rotation.
• An object of the present invention is to provide a portable device for converting mechanical energy supplied manually by a user into electrical energy to supply a supply of a regulated load in voltage and current and of suitable power.
• the present invention provides a portable device for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy to power a load, comprising a mechanical system using a manual action of a user for the rotation of the rotor of a generator. supplying the load via an electrical circuit, the device being contained in a box which can be grasped by the user in one hand, the mechanical system comprising a drop-down link wound around a winding shaft, the user can unwind the drop-down link to drive the generator rotor in a first direction of rotation, the mechanical system further comprising elastic return means adapted to wind the drop-down link again around the winding shaft, when the user stops pulling the drop-down link, and driving the rotor in a second direction of rotation, opposite to the first direction of rota tion, the electric voltage produced by the generator being rectified and regulated by the electric circuit.
• the drop-down link is fixed at one end to the winding shaft and is connected at the opposite end to a gripping means which can be grasped by the user or hung on a support outside.
• the elastic return means comprise a spiral spring, one end of which is fixed to the winding shaft, and the other end is fixed to the housing supporting the winding shaft.
• the mechanical system further comprises a speed multiplier comprising a first toothed wheel mounted coaxially on the winding shaft meshing a first pinion of an intermediate shaft, a second toothed wheel mounted on 1 intermediate shaft meshing with a pinion mounted on the generator rotor.
• the housing is included in a rectangular parallelepiped of which three concurrent edges are respectively less than 100 millimeters, 70 millimeters and 50 millimeters.
• the electric circuit comprises a rectifier and clipper circuit for rectifying and limiting the voltage supplied by the electric generator, a storage capacitor and, a chopper and straightener circuit drawing from the storage capacitor to provide a regulated output voltage.
• the chopping and smoothing circuit comprises a chopping circuit which controls a transistor making it possible to open or close a discharge current path between the storage capacitor and the input of a smoothing circuit. , the output of which is connected to an output connector, a resistor being inserted in series on the discharge current path and in that the opening or closing of the transistor is controlled as a function of the output voltage and of the current passing through resistance.
• the reference voltage has two possible levels, corresponding to a desired output voltage, which can be selected by a control signal.
• a light-emitting diode and a switch in series are inserted between the output socket and the ground and in that an electric circuit enabling the reference voltage of the chopper circuit to be changed is activated when the switch is closed.
• the chopper circuit controls the opening or closing of the transistor depending on whether the voltage between two resistors in series forming a divider bridge between the output socket and the ground is greater than or less than a voltage internal reference of the chopper circuit, the output voltage being able to be regulated to a different voltage by putting an external resistance to the electric circuit in parallel on one of the resistors of the divider bridge, the intensity of the discharge current being able to be modified by putting a resistor external to the electrical circuit in parallel with the resistor inserted on the path of the discharge current.
• FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the device according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention
• Figure 2 is a perspective view from above of an embodiment of the device according to the invention
• Figure 3 is an electrical diagram of an exemplary embodiment of an electrical circuit included in the device 1 according to the invention
• Figure 4 is an electrical diagram of an alternative embodiment of the electrical circuit of the device 1 according to the invention
• FIG. 5 is an electrical diagram of another alternative embodiment of the electrical circuit of the device according to the invention.
• FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention.
• the main elements are represented in the form of functional blocks.
• FIG. 2 represents a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the invention showing all the elements of Figure 1 and to assess the relative dimensions of the different elements.
• the device 1 comprises a housing 2, only a half housing being shown in FIG. 2.
• a winding system 10 which drives a speed multiplier 20.
• the multiplier 20 is coupled to an electric generator 30, for example direct current, which feeds an electrical circuit 40.
• the output of the electrical circuit 40 is connected to an output socket 50.
• the housing 2 is contained in a parallelepiped whose dimensions are of the order of 70 mm by 50 mm by 30 mm.
• the device 1 has an average weight of less than about 80 grams.
• the winding system 10 further comprises a winding shaft 11, mounted to rotate freely on flanges 3 integral with the housing 2, and a return spring 12, one end of which is connected to the winding shaft 11, and the another end is fixed to the housing 2.
• the spring 12 is for example a spiral spring.
• the winding shaft 11 carries a reel 13 to which is attached one end of a drop-down link 14 (not shown in FIG. 2), the other end of the drop-down link 14 being connected to a gripping means, for example a ring 15, which can be grasped by a user, or fixed on a support.
• the drop-down link 14 can be a cord or a strap.
• the reel 13 comprises a cylindrical body 16, around which the drop-down link 14 is wound at rest, which is limited at one end by a flange 17 preventing contact between the drop-down link 14 and the spring 12.
• the speed multiplier 20 may include first and second gear wheels 21, 22.
• the first wheel 21 of the multiplier 20 is mounted coaxially on the winding shaft 11.
• the second gear wheel 22 and a pinion 23 are fixed on a shaft intermediate 24 mounted to rotate freely on the flanges 3.
• the first wheel 21 is coupled to the pinion 23 of the intermediate shaft 24.
• the second wheel 22 is coupled to a pinion 31 which is mounted on a projecting end of the rotor 32 inserted in the stator 33 of the generator 30.
• the first toothed wheel 21 delimits with the flange 17 of the reel precisely the winding region of the drop-down link 14 around the reel 13.
• the drop-down link 14 can be wound around the reel 13 on three superimposed levels, with three loops per level.
• the electric circuit 40 supplied by the electric generator 30 is composed of a rectifier and clipper circuit 41, a storage capacitor 42 and a chopping and straightening circuit 43.
• the electric circuit 40 can be made in the form of a printed circuit 44 on which are fixed, inter alia, discrete components 45 (for example diodes or transistors) and the storage capacitor 42.
• the operation of the device is as follows.
• the winding shaft 11 is rotated and drives the first wheel 21 in a first direction of rotation.
• the first wheel 21 of the multiplier 20 meshes with the pinion 23 and consequently drives in rotation the second wheel 22.
• the latter drives via the pinion 31 the rotor 32 of the electric generator 30 in the first direction of rotation.
• the return spring 12 While the user pulls the drop-down link 14 and drives the multiplier in the first direction of rotation, the return spring 12 is energized and stores energy. When the user releases the ring 15, the return spring 12 is released and drives the winding shaft 11 in the direction of rotation opposite to the first direction of rotation, thus rewinding the pull-down link 14 around 1 ' reel 13.
• the first wheel 21 rotates in a second direction of rotation opposite to the first direction of rotation driving, via the multiplier 20, the rotor 32 of the generator 30 in the opposite direction of rotation. The sign of the voltage supplied by the generator 30 is reversed.
• the dimensions of the housing 2 are such that the user can easily grasp the housing 2 in one hand and pull the ring 15 with the other hand. The user can thus carry out a large gesture to provide the highest possible mechanical power.
• the housing 2 can also be hung by the ring 15 on a fixed support. The user then grabs the box 2 and pulls in order to unroll the drop-down link 14.
• the present device 10 is designed so that the user can exert traction on the drop-down link 14 at a substantially constant speed.
• the average power supplied during pulling of the drop-down link 14 is greater than 16 W.
• the arrangement of the drop-down link 14 on several levels around the reel 13 allows, while maintaining a pulling speed of the drop-down link 14 substantially constant, increasing the speed of rotation of the winding shaft as the user pulls on the drop-down link 14. This makes it possible to gradually increase the speed of rotation of the rotor 32 of the generator 30, which is preferable for the proper functioning of the generator 30.
• the present device is designed so that the winding speed of the drop-down link 14 around the reel 13, under the action of the spring 12, is substantially constant and of the same order as the speed at which the user unwound the link drop-down 14 so as to obtain regular unwinding and winding movements of the drop-down link 14.
• FIG. 3 represents the electrical circuit 40 comprising two input terminals A and B connected to the generator electrical 30.
• the terminals A and B are connected to the two input terminals of a rectifier and clipper circuit 41 composed of a full-wave rectifier bridge XI, of a clipping diode Dl, for example a Zener diode, and of a capacitor Cl mounted in parallel between a node C and the ground.
• a rectifier and clipper circuit 41 composed of a full-wave rectifier bridge XI, of a clipping diode Dl, for example a Zener diode, and of a capacitor Cl mounted in parallel between a node C and the ground.
• the full-wave rectifier bridge XI conventionally comprises four diodes D2, D3, D4 and D5.
• the anode of diode Dl is connected to ground and the cathode to node C
• a first electrical voltage of constant sign develops at the input of the electrical circuit 40 between terminals A and B.
• the electrical potential at node A is, for example, greater than the electrical potential at node B.
• the electrical potential at node C increases, causing the storage capacitor 42 to charge.
• a second electrical voltage of opposite sign to the first electrical voltage develops at the input of the circuit electrical 40 between terminals A and B.
• the electrical potential at node A is then lower than the electrical potential at node B.
• the voltage is rectified by the full-wave rectifier bridge XI so that the electrical potential at node C continues to increase.
• the voltage across the storage capacitor 42 may increase excessively. In order to preserve the components of circuit 40, this voltage is limited by the clipping diode D1.
• the voltage is clipped to a value corresponding to the avalanche voltage of the diode Dl.
• the capacity of the capacitor C1 is of small value compared to the capacity of the capacitor 42.
• the capacitor Cl makes it possible to smooth the voltage coming from the full-wave rectifier bridge XI.
• the chopper and straightener circuit 43 further comprises a chopper circuit X2, for example a conventional chopper circuit comprising four input terminals Y1, Y2, Y3, Y4, an output terminal Y5 and a terminal Y6 connected to ground.
• Terminal Y2 is used to select the value of the output regulation voltage. " In the example described, the chopper circuit X2 makes it possible to regulate the output voltage at 3 V or 5 V and the intensity of the output current. When the input voltage of terminal Y2 is less than a threshold value, the regulation voltage selected is 3 V. When the input voltage of terminal Y2 is higher than the threshold value, the regulation voltage selected is 5 V.
• the voltage on the terminal Y2 of the chopping circuit X2 is equal to the voltage across the storage capacitor 42.
• the voltage on terminal Y2 is greater than the threshold value previously defined and the output voltage is regulated at 5 V.
• Terminal Y5 controls the gate of a P-channel MOS transistor Tl which operates as a switch
• the source of transistor Tl is connected to the first terminal of a resistor RI, the second terminal being connected to node C
• the terminals Y3 and Y4 are connected es across the resistor R.
• the value of the resistance RI makes it possible to fix the intensity of the output current regulated by the chopper circuit X2.
• the intensity of the output current is regulated to 350 mA.
• the drain of the transistor Tl is connected to a node D.
• the terminal Yl is connected to an output node E, and represents an observation input of the output in order to produce a feedback loop to regulate the output voltage.
• the node D is the input of a smoothing circuit X3 composed of a Schottky diode D6, a coil Ll and a capacitor C2.
• the cathode of diode D6 is connected to node D and the anode of diode D6 is connected to ground.
• the first terminal of the coil L1 is connected to the node D and the second terminal of the coil is connected to the node E.
• the capacitor C2 is connected between the node E and the ground.
• the outlet 50 has two connection terminals R, S.
• the outlet 50 is intended to be connected to a tip of a power cord whose opposite end is connected to a load that one wishes to supply .
• the connection terminal S is connected to ground.
• the connection terminal R is connected to the anode of a protection diode D7.
• the cathode of diode D7 is connected to node C
• Chopper circuit X2 controls closing or
• the chopper circuit X2 has at the terminal Yl the voltage at the node E, and between the terminals Y3 and Y4 the voltage at the terminals of the resistor RI.
• the capacity of the storage capacitor 42 is determined so that the capacitor takes over from the generator 30 when the generator 30, during normal use of the device according to the invention, does not supply voltage at the terminals A and B. Such a situation arises produced when the drop-down link 14 is at the end of its travel, that is to say completely unwound or completely wound around the reel 13.
• Diode D7 ensures that the voltage at node E is not excessively higher than the voltage at node C, when, for example, there is a possible overvoltage external to the circuit, so as to protect the chopping circuit X2.
• FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the electrical circuit described in FIG. 3 to which a lighting circuit 46 has been added. This lighting circuit 46 makes it possible, by means of a switch II, to light a light-emitting diode D8 .
• a first terminal of switch II is connected to ground.
• the second terminal of the switch is connected to the cathode of the diode D8.
• the anode of diode D8 is connected to node E.
• the cathode of diode D8 is also connected to terminal Y2 of the chopper circuit X2 and to a first terminal of a resistor R2.
• the second terminal of the resistor R2 is connected to the node C With respect to FIG. 4, the node C is no longer directly connected to the terminal Y2.
• the lighting circuit 46 thus makes it possible to change the level of regulation of the output voltage, for example from 5 V to 3 V.
• the voltage value of 3 V corresponds to the voltage required for the correct operation of the light-emitting diode D8 and the voltage value of 5 V corresponds to the voltage required to supply a load, connected to the output socket 50, such as a cell phone or camera battery.
• FIG. 5 is an electrical circuit diagram representing a variant of the circuit 40 described in FIG. 3.
• a chopper circuit X4 is used in which the setting of the desired output voltage is obtained differently.
• the chopper circuit X4 triggers the opening of the transistor Tl by means of a command on the terminal Y5.
• the chopper circuit X4 triggers the closing of transistor Tl. Terminal Yl is not connected.
• the desired regulation voltage is adjusted by means of a divider bridge 47 composed of two resistors R2 and R3. Resistor R2 is connected between ground and terminal Y2 and resistance R3 is connected between terminal Y2 and node E. Compared to the diagram in Figure 3, node C is no longer connected to terminal Y2 of the circuit but is only connected to the resistance RI.
• the values of resistors R2 and R3 will be chosen so that the intermediate voltage at input of terminal Y2 corresponds to the reference voltage of circuit X4 when the voltage at node E is equal at the desired output voltage.
• the reference voltage of the chopper circuit X4 can be 1.25 V and the desired output voltage of 5 V.
• resistor R2 10 K ⁇ and a resistor R3 of 30 K ⁇ .
• the output voltage can be modified by placing another resistor R4 on the resistor R2 in parallel.
• the output socket 50 may include two terminals of connection T and U connected to the terminals of the resistor R2.
• the resistor R4 can then be integrated into the end of the power cord of the external load and be connected between the terminals T and U when mounting the end piece on the output socket 50.
• One can for example pass the output voltage from 5 V to around 8.75 V by adding a resistor R4 of 10 K ⁇ .
• the output current can be limited by the resistance RI. Indeed, the output current increases when the value of RI decreases and vice versa.
• the value of the resistance RI can be reduced by putting a resistance R5 in parallel with the resistance RI.
• the resistor R5 can be integrated in the end piece and be connected, when the end piece is mounted on the output socket, with two connection terminals V and with the output socket 50 connected to the terminals of resistance RI.
• the resistor R5 is connected in parallel to the resistor R4, and when the output voltage is 5 V, the resistor R5 is not connected, or a very high resistor R5 is connected in parallel on resistor R4.
• the DC generator can be replaced by an alternator. It is then possible to use, in place of the diode bridge with four diodes of the rectifier and clipper circuit, a full-wave rectifier with center tap.
• a rectifier comprises two diodes which are connected to the terminals of the armature of the alternator, and a central plug connected directly to the armature of the alternator.
• This variant makes it possible to reduce the number of diodes in the rectifier and clipper circuit.
• the present invention has many advantages. Firstly, the device according to the invention makes it possible to obtain a manual electrical charging device which is light and compact, and can be easily transported by the user. One can, for example, imagine that a user carries in a single bag a mobile phone, or a camera, and the device according to the invention.
• the use of a drop-down link makes it possible to directly drive the winding shaft at high rotational speeds. This makes it possible to reduce the speed multiplication ratio which the speed multiplier must achieve. It is therefore possible to use a simple speed multiplier, having a small number of stages, which exhibits good efficiency and occupies a reduced volume.
• the use of a drop-down link, unrolled by the user, and wound under the action of the return spring allows the user to carry out wide movements of the arms.
• the device is designed so that the drop-down link is unwound and wound up at substantially constant and similar speeds. The regular back and forth movement thus obtained is particularly pleasant to perform for a user.
• the present device therefore makes it possible to provide significant power while requiring efforts that are acceptable to the user.
• the present device is therefore suitable for any type of user.
• the device according to the invention makes it possible to charge a portable telephone or any other device operating on battery for which the electrical supply must imperatively be regulated and stable during all the charging period.
• the output voltage supplied by the device can be adapted as a function of the load to be supplied.
• the gripping means may be in the form of a hook to facilitate attachment to a support, or of a strap which the user attaches around the wrist, etc.
• the speed multiplier can comprise several stages of multiplication, and possibly be produced by a belt system.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Power Engineering (AREA)
• Charge And Discharge Circuits For Batteries Or The Like (AREA)
• Control Of Eletrric Generators (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8871170

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (5)

Family Cites Families (9)

• 2002
  • 2002-01-04 FR FR0200100A patent/FR2834591B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2002-12-30 EP EP02801184A patent/EP1468482A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2002-12-30 WO PCT/FR2002/004586 patent/WO2003061100A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events