JP2004104994A - Apparatus equipped with converter of thermal energy - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To quickly and surely fetch energy of utilizable form, even if it has a slow temperature change. <P>SOLUTION: The converter of thermal energy is provided with a thermal converter comprising a medium receiving part (10) not substantially generating a change of capacity and a changing part (11) with the capacity changeable, an operating part constituted by a piston (13), a turn lever (15), and a drive lever (16), a first conversion accumulating part constituted by a barrel wheel (21), and a second conversion accumulating part constituted by a generator (30). When an ambient temperature is changed, a heat medium received in the medium receiving part (10) causes a change of volume, the capacity of the changing part (11) is changed to operate the piston (13). Operation of the piston (13) is accumulated in a spiral spring in the barrel wheel (21) through the turn lever (15) and the drive lever (16), further with power generation performed in the generator (30). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

The present invention relates to a thermal energy conversion device, a device including the same, and a thermal energy conversion method, and in particular, a thermal energy device configured to extract energy based on a pressure change or a volume change of a heat medium based on a temperature change. The structure of the conversion device.

ジ ャ As a clock that obtains operating energy by using fluctuations in outside temperature, there is a clock called Atmos by Jaeger-LeCoultre. In this clock, a deformable sealed container enclosing ethyl chloride as a heat medium in a mixed state of a gas phase and a liquid phase is provided inside the body, and when the internal pressure of the sealed container fluctuates due to a change in air temperature, the sealed container is closed. Is deformed, and the spring is wound up by this deformation, so that energy for driving the hands is stored.

On the other hand, similar to the table clock described above, Patent Literatures 1 and 2 disclose techniques configured to convert heat energy into kinetic energy by fluctuations in ambient temperature to obtain driving energy for the clock. Each of them has a structure in which a liquid and a gas are accommodated as a heat medium in a sealed container having an extendable bellows, and an operation lever is connected to the sealed container. When the sealed container expands and contracts due to a change in the outside air temperature, the operation lever also reciprocates, and the gear engaged with the operation lever causes a rotational movement. When this rotational motion is transmitted to the rotor of the generator directly or through a spring, power is generated in the generator, and the generated electric energy is stored by a capacitor, a secondary battery, or the like.

JP-A-6-341371 JP-A-10-14265

However, in each of the above techniques, since the change in the outside air temperature is generally relatively slow, the deformation operation of the sealed container is extremely slow, and as a result, it is difficult to efficiently extract kinetic energy from the deformation operation of the sealed container. There is a problem.

That is, in the above Atmos clock, the elastic force of the coil spring for holding the sealed container is increased, and the amount of deformation of the sealed container is reduced to increase the pressure resistance of the sealed container. And energy cannot be taken out even if the outside temperature fluctuates only slightly.

Further, in the technology described in each of the above publications, in order to efficiently convert thermal energy, deformation of the sealed container is suppressed until the outside air temperature changes to a certain degree, and the amount of temperature change is set to a predetermined value. When the pressure exceeds the limit, the sealing force is released at a time to rapidly and largely deform the sealed container to generate kinetic energy. By doing so, the efficiency of energy conversion in the generator can be improved, but on the other hand, when a sudden rise and fall in temperature (for example, a sudden rise in temperature followed by a sudden fall in temperature) occurs, sealing is performed. No kinetic energy can be gained because the temperature returns before the container is released. Also, in situations where temperature fluctuations are slow, it takes a very long time to be able to extract thermal energy, and if the temperature rises and falls before thermal energy can be extracted, Also, even if heat flows into and out of the sealed container as the temperature drops, kinetic energy cannot be extracted based on the heat flow. Therefore, in the conventional method, much of the energy that should be originally obtained is not wasted but wasted.

The present invention aims to solve various problems that occur in each of the above technologies.

That is, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus or a method capable of quickly or reliably extracting usable form of energy even with a slow temperature change such as a temperature change. .

Another object of the present invention is to be able to sufficiently respond to a sudden change in the ambient temperature, and to reliably extract energy even when a temperature rise and a temperature drop occur one after another in a short time. To provide an apparatus or a method that can

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for extracting energy efficiently with a high degree of responsiveness to an ambient temperature variation mode, such as being able to extract energy with high efficiency over a wide range of ambient temperature fluctuation speed. It is to provide a device or a method which can be performed.

In order to solve the above problems, the thermal energy conversion device of the present invention has a closed container containing a heat medium whose volume changes due to a temperature change, and the closed container does not substantially change in volume. The heat exchanger includes a medium accommodating section, a heat converter provided with a variable section which is in communication with the medium accommodating section and whose volume can be changed, and an operating section which operates in accordance with the volume change of the variable section. According to the present invention, in the heat converter, the volume changing portion that is capable of changing the volume is communicated with the medium housing portion whose volume does not substantially change, so that the heat medium in the medium housing portion and the outside can be connected. When heat is exchanged, a volume change of the heat medium occurs, causing a volume change in the variable portion. At this time, since the volume of the medium accommodating portion does not substantially change, the action caused by the change in the volume of the heat medium in the medium accommodating portion is concentrated in the variable portion, so that the volume of the variable portion can be largely changed. As a result, extremely slow and slight temperature changes such as daily outside air temperature, or going out of the room and returning to the room again, or removing the device from the state in which the device is in close contact with the skin and once again bringing it in close contact with the skin In response to a sudden temperature change that occurs at times, the fluctuating portion can be deformed quickly and sensitively and taken out as the kinetic energy of the operating portion. Further, as described in the above publication, even if the operation of the operation section is not temporarily suppressed, or even if the temperature change width for restricting the operation is relaxed (the temperature range for releasing the operation suppression (temperature difference Even if the set value of ()) is reduced), energy can be efficiently extracted due to a large change in volume of the fluctuation portion.

In the above-described heat converter, the description that the volume of the medium storage section does not substantially change means that the volume change of the medium storage section is smaller than that of the fluctuation section that changes in volume according to the volume change of the heat medium. This indicates that the volume change of the medium accommodating portion may occur within a small range. In addition, the above-described operating unit refers to a part that operates according to a volume change of the changing unit, and when a storage unit for storing operating energy of the operating unit is connected to the operating unit, the operating unit is referred to as the changing unit. It refers to all of the operating parts that mechanically connect to the storage means. Therefore, the operating part may be constituted by a single member, or may be constituted by a plurality of connected members.

Alternatively, the medium storage section and the variable section may be formed separately and connected to each other, or both may be formed integrally. In the case of being formed integrally, for example, the medium accommodating portion has a large thickness and the volume of the heat medium accommodated in the medium accommodating portion expands or contracts due to temperature fluctuation. Is formed so as not to substantially change.On the other hand, the variable portion is formed such that its thickness is formed thin and its volume is easily changed by the above-described expansion or contraction of the heat medium, so that it is easily deformed. Good.

The material of the medium storage portion may be any material as long as it is substantially rigid and has a high thermal conductivity. For example, an aluminum alloy, a copper alloy, a silver alloy, a gold alloy, or the like as described later is preferable. Further, the material of the fluctuating portion may be any material as long as its volume is apt to fluctuate as the heat medium expands or contracts due to temperature fluctuation, such as rubber, plastic, and thin elasticity as described later. High elastic materials such as metals are preferred.

Further, the heat medium may be any medium that expands or contracts due to a temperature change to generate a volume change, and it is generally preferable to use a substance that is a gas or a liquid at normal temperature and normal pressure, for example, ammonia, carbon dioxide, ethylene chloride. Is preferable, and may be oxygen, nitrogen, or air, or may be an elastic solid having a large deformation amount due to a temperature change, or at least two or more of a gas, a liquid, and a solid It may be a mixed substance.

Here, it is preferable that the surface of the medium accommodating portion is formed in an uneven shape. Since the surface area of the medium accommodating portion is increased by the uneven shape, heat exchange between the heat medium and the outside is promoted. Further, heat exchange can be further promoted by providing a penetrating portion penetrating the medium accommodating portion.

に お い て In the present invention, it is preferable that the volume of the fluctuation unit is smaller than the volume of the medium storage unit. Since the volume of the variable portion is smaller than the volume of the medium accommodating portion, the volume change amount (deformation amount) of the variable portion can be greatly amplified, so that the responsiveness to a temperature change can be further improved and the temperature can be further improved. Sensitivity to changes can be increased.

に お い て In the present invention, it is preferable that the medium accommodating portion is formed in an extended shape. Since the medium storage section has an extended shape, the ratio of the surface area to the volume of the medium storage section can be increased, so that the amount of heat entering and exiting the medium storage section increases, and the responsiveness and sensitivity to temperature changes are further improved. be able to. In this case, it is particularly preferable to use a pipe-shaped (tubular) medium storage section. Here, it is desirable to form an integrated structure in which the outer surfaces of the elongated medium accommodating portions are densely arranged in order to make the medium accommodating portion compact.

に お い て In the present invention, it is preferable that the medium accommodating portion is formed in a state where its extended shape is bent. The extended medium storage section is formed in a bent state, so that the apparatus can be configured compactly and can be configured in an appropriate shape according to the structure of the device, so that it can be used in various installation situations. It can respond flexibly and can be used for small devices and portable devices. In this case, particularly in the case of a pipe-shaped (tubular) medium storage portion, it is preferable that the medium storage portion is formed in a wound state. Here, it is desirable to form an integrated structure in which the outer surfaces of the medium accommodating portion are densely formed by bending the extended-shaped medium accommodating portion in order to make the medium accommodating portion compact.

In the present invention, the variable portion protrudes from the medium accommodating portion, and a cross-sectional area of the variable portion cut along a plane perpendicular to a protruding direction of the variable portion is a flat surface in a region connected to the variable portion. It is preferable that the cross-sectional area is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the medium accommodating portion cut in the step (a). In other words, from the medium accommodating section toward the variable section, in the change of the area of the cross section when cut along a plane orthogonal to the direction toward the variable section, the area of the cross section when entering the variable section from the medium accommodating section is Reduction is preferred. Since the variable portion protrudes from the medium storage portion to the outside and has a smaller cross-sectional area than the medium storage portion, the amount of deformation of the variable portion based on the volume change can be further increased in the protruding direction. The kinetic energy that can be transmitted to the part can be further increased. In this case, it is more preferable that the variable portion is configured to be deformable (or expandable / contractible) only in the protruding direction in order to increase the amount of energy that can be extracted.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the movable section is configured to be able to expand and contract along a predetermined direction, and that the operating section is configured to be able to reciprocate in the predetermined direction in accordance with expansion and contraction of the movable section. By making the moving part extendable and contractible in a predetermined direction and making the operating part reciprocable in the predetermined direction, the kinetic energy generated by the amount of deformation based on the volume change of the moving part can be extracted only in the predetermined direction. Since the operation stroke of the operation section can be made larger, energy can be more efficiently extracted.

に お い て In the present invention, it is preferable to have a storage unit for storing kinetic energy of the operation unit. At this time, it is preferable that the storage unit converts the kinetic energy of the operation unit into another energy form and stores the converted energy. In the case where the operation mode of the operation unit is not suitable for continuous energy supply, by storing the energy extracted from the operation unit by the storage unit, the stored energy can be continuously supplied. Become. The accumulating means uses elastic members such as a mainspring, a coil spring, and a torsion spring to convert kinetic energy into distortion energy of these elastic members, and accumulates the potential energy. There is a type that converts the energy into electric energy and stores it by using a flywheel or the like, and a type that converts electric energy into electric energy using a generator or a piezoelectric element and accumulates the electric energy.

In the present invention, the storage unit includes a first storage unit that temporarily stores kinetic energy of the operating unit, and a second storage unit that converts and stores energy output from the first storage unit. Is preferred. By converting the kinetic energy of the operating unit operating according to the volume change of the changing unit and temporarily storing the kinetic energy in the first storage unit, and storing the energy output from the first storage unit again in the second storage unit, It is difficult for the operation mode of the operation unit to increase the conversion efficiency of energy conversion, such as when the operation of the operation unit that occurs in response to a change in temperature is irregular, or the time variation of the operation amount is large. Even in the case of the first storage unit, energy can be temporarily stored in the first storage unit which can correspond to the operation mode of the operation unit or is suitable for the operation mode of the operation unit in terms of conversion efficiency. Since the energy output from the first storage unit can be re-converted into a desired energy form or an energy form that is easier to use and stored, the energy extraction efficiency can be improved. And the upper, it is possible to achieve both the expansion of selection range of energy forms.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the energy conversion characteristic of the first storage unit is configured such that the conversion characteristic of the conversion efficiency with respect to the magnitude of the input energy amount is gentler than the energy conversion characteristic of the second storage unit. . Since the change characteristic of the conversion efficiency with respect to the magnitude of the input energy amount in the first storage unit is more gradual than that of the second storage unit, the input energy amount due to a rapid temperature change or the input due to a gradual temperature change is increased. It is possible to widely cope with a decrease in the amount of energy, and it is possible to increase the efficiency of taking in energy. Further, since the energy is again converted by the second storage unit, the range of choice of the energy conversion storage means is expanded. be able to.

In the present invention, it is particularly preferable that the energy conversion characteristic of the first storage unit is configured to have a higher conversion efficiency for a low energy amount than the energy conversion characteristic of the second storage unit. Since the daily change in environmental temperature is generally very slow, the amount of energy input to the first storage unit is usually very small. Therefore, by using the first storage unit having a high conversion efficiency for a low energy amount, Since even a small amount of energy can be continuously converted and stored, it is possible to increase the energy that can be extracted as a whole.

For example, in a generator that converts kinetic energy into electric energy, it is possible to obtain easy-to-handle electric energy, but when the amount of input kinetic energy decreases, the energy conversion efficiency rapidly deteriorates. On the other hand, in the case where the mainspring is wound by the input energy, the conversion efficiency can be maintained even when the low input energy is given, although the mechanical loss is inevitable.

に お い て In the present invention, it is preferable to include a control unit that controls an amount of energy transmitted from the first storage unit to the second storage unit. Since the amount of energy transmitted from the first storage unit to the second storage unit can be controlled by the control means, the temporary energy storage amount in the first storage unit and the energy conversion speed of the second storage unit are adjusted as necessary. can do. Therefore, for example, the energy conversion efficiency of the entire apparatus is increased by controlling the amount of energy transmitted from the first storage unit to be within a range of a high transmission speed of the energy conversion efficiency in the second storage unit. be able to. In the case where there is an operating part (energy consuming part) that consumes the energy stored in the second storage unit, it is possible to send only the energy necessary for the operating unit to the second storage unit and convert it. In the case where there is an operating part that consumes energy while traveling from the first storage unit to the second storage unit, the operation amount of the operating part is controlled by controlling the amount of energy that is transmitted from the first storage unit to the second storage unit. It is also possible to control the state.

In the present invention, the control unit is configured to control the transmission amount so as to mitigate a change in the energy storage amount of the second storage unit, and the second storage unit includes: It is preferable that an energy consuming unit that consumes the stored energy be connected. By the control means mitigating the variation in the amount of energy stored in the second storage unit, the first storage unit performs an effective buffering action in the energy flow path to the energy consuming unit. For example, the energy storage amount of the second storage unit increases or decreases according to the energy consumption amount of the energy consumption unit, and the energy transmission amount from the first storage unit to the second storage unit decreases according to the increase or decrease. Since the energy storage capacity of each of the first storage unit and the second storage unit is limited, the energy storage capacity of the entire system can be effectively used. The overall energy output can also be increased.

に お い て In the present invention, it is preferable that the control means is configured to control the transmission amount to be constant. By controlling the amount of energy delivered from the first storage unit to the second storage unit to be constant, stable energy conversion is performed in the second storage unit to efficiently extract energy. Can be. For example, it is possible to substantially increase the amount of energy that can be used by making the energy delivery amount correspond to the highest conversion speed of the energy conversion efficiency in the second storage unit.

Further, there is provided a driven unit that consumes energy while traveling from the first storage unit to the second storage unit, and the driven unit is configured to be driven in an operation mode according to the amount of energy transmitted. In this case, by controlling the amount of energy from the first storage unit to the second storage unit to be constant, it is possible to keep the operating state (operating mode) of the driven unit constant. Here, it is possible to configure a timepiece configured such that energy is transmitted at a constant rotational speed from the first storage unit to the second storage unit using the driven unit as a pointer.

In the present invention, the first storage unit is a mechanical energy storage unit that converts kinetic energy of the operation unit into mechanical energy such as distortion energy, potential energy, or rotational energy and temporarily stores the converted energy. It is preferable that the storage unit includes a power generation unit that converts energy output from the first storage unit into electric energy, and a power storage unit that stores the electric energy obtained from the power generation unit. As the first storage unit, one that converts kinetic energy into elastic strain energy using an elastic member such as a mainspring, a coil spring, or a torsion spring and stores it, one that converts it into potential energy of a weight and stores it, a flywheel, and the like It is conceivable that the torque is converted into a rotational moment and accumulated. Further, as the second storage unit, a unit that converts electric energy into electric energy and stores the electric energy, such as a generator or a piezoelectric element, can be considered.

熱 The heat energy conversion device of each of the above inventions can be provided in various devices. In various devices with an operating part that consumes energy, the change in volume that occurs in the changing part connected to the medium storage part due to a change in the ambient temperature is taken out as the kinetic energy of the operating part, and the energy is used as it is. Alternatively, the working part can be driven by appropriately converting it to other energy. In addition, as these various devices, there are various electronic devices that operate with electric energy obtained by converting heat energy, and a clock or a heat device that directly uses kinetic energy obtained by converting heat energy. There is a clock driven using electric energy obtained by conversion. In addition, a battery or the like is required as an energy source in a portable device. However, the use of the present invention makes the energy source itself unnecessary, or replaces the energy source by appropriately replenishing the energy source. It is also possible to make it unnecessary.

に お い て In the present invention, it is preferable that a case body for housing the thermal energy converter is provided, and the medium housing portion is arranged along an inner surface of the case body. Here, components other than the thermal energy conversion device can be accommodated inside the case body as needed. By arranging the medium accommodating section along the inner surface of the case body, heat can be efficiently exchanged between the medium accommodating section and the case body, so that responsiveness and sensitivity to changes in ambient temperature are improved. Can be enhanced.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the case body and the outer wall of the medium accommodating section are in close contact with each other, or that the case body and the outer wall of the medium accommodating section are integrally formed. Since the case body and the outer wall of the medium housing section are in close contact with each other, or the case body and the outer wall of the medium housing section are integrally formed, heat exchange between the medium housing section and the outside can be improved. Since it can be performed efficiently, responsiveness and sensitivity to changes in ambient temperature can be further increased. It is preferable that the contact surface with the case body or the outer wall integrated with the case body is formed in an uneven shape so as to increase the contact area (the area in close contact) or the surface area thereof. When the above-mentioned close contact surface is formed in an uneven shape, it is desirable that the medium accommodating portion and the case body are fitted to each other by the uneven shape.

In the present invention, the case body may be configured to reach a position facing the medium storage unit from an outer surface of the case body, and a heat path having a higher thermal conductivity than other parts may be provided. preferable. In the medium accommodating portion, heat enters and exits preferentially through a heat path having a high thermal conductivity. Therefore, the outer surface portion of the case body provided with the heat path is brought into contact with a specific heat source (such as outside air). It becomes possible to extract heat energy selectively. Here, when configuring a portable device such as a wristwatch or a personal accessory (decorative accessory, etc.), a portion of the case body of the device other than a portion that comes into contact with the body or clothes is exposed from the outside to the medium storage portion. It is desirable to provide the above-mentioned heat path for the purpose.

In the present invention, preferably, the case body is provided with an uneven shape selectively on an outer surface of a portion facing the medium accommodating portion. Since the unevenness is selectively provided on the outer surface of a portion of the case body facing the medium storage portion, the surface area of the case body is selectively increased on the outer surface of the portion, so that the medium is preferentially provided in the portion. Heat can be moved into and out of the housing.

In the present invention, it is preferable that a portion of the case body adjacent to the medium storage portion is selectively provided with a heat insulating portion having a lower thermal conductivity than other portions. Since the heat insulating portion is selectively provided, the heat exchange between the medium accommodating portion and the outside is hindered in the portion where the heat insulating portion is provided. When there is a portion that comes into contact with the medium, the temperature change of the medium accommodating portion is suppressed due to the thermal influence of the portion, and it is possible to prevent the amount of energy that can be taken out from decreasing. For example, in the case of configuring a portable device such as a wristwatch or a jewelry (a jewelry or the like), a heat insulating portion is selectively provided in a portion of the case body that comes into contact with the body or clothing, thereby being affected by body temperature, clothing, and the like. It is possible to prevent the temperature fluctuation of the medium container from being hindered.

The heat energy conversion method of the present invention forms a heat converter having a closed container containing a heat medium whose volume changes due to a temperature change, and the closed container has a medium housing whose volume does not substantially change. The medium and the medium storage section are provided with a variable section that is capable of changing the volume by communicating with the medium storage section, and the volume in the variable section is changed by changing the temperature in the medium storage section based on the external temperature fluctuation. It generates kinetic energy.

Another heat energy conversion method of the present invention forms a heat converter having a closed container containing a heat medium whose volume changes due to a temperature change, and the closed container does not substantially change in volume. A medium storage part and a variable part which is in communication with the medium storage part and whose volume can be changed; wherein the medium storage part is brought into thermal contact with a first heat source; By changing to a state in which the second heat source is brought into thermal contact with the second heat source, a volume change is caused in the variable portion, and kinetic energy is generated by the volume change.

For example, a heat conversion body is accommodated inside a portable device or an accessory (such as a jewelry), and when the portable device or the accessory is worn, the medium accommodating portion is positioned with respect to the body or clothes (the first heat source). It is configured to be in a state of thermal contact, and when the portable device or accessory is detached from the body, the medium accommodating portion is in a state of being in thermal contact with the outside air, a desk, a floor, or the like (a second heat source). The configuration is as follows. Generally, a certain degree of temperature difference occurs between a state of wearing and a state of being removed from the body, and therefore, every time a portable device (a mobile phone, a wristwatch, etc.) and accessories are worn or removed from the body, a temperature difference occurs. The change deforms the fluctuating portion, from which kinetic energy can be extracted.

A more specific method for converting thermal energy of the present invention is to form a heat converter having a closed container containing a heat medium whose volume changes due to a change in temperature, wherein the closed container has substantially a volume. A medium storage portion that does not change, a variable portion that communicates with the medium storage portion and has a variable volume; a first outer surface portion around the medium storage portion for contacting with a first heat source; and the first heat source. And a second outer surface portion for contacting a second heat source having a large temperature change with respect to the second heat source. The heat exchange property between the outside and the medium accommodating portion through the first outer surface portion is reduced by the second heat source. The heat exchange property between the outside via the outer surface portion and the medium accommodating portion is made lower.

For example, when configuring a portable device such as a wristwatch or an accessory (such as an ornament), the thermal conductivity of a case portion (such as a back cover portion) having a first outer surface portion that comes into contact with the body or clothing is exposed to the outside air. By forming the case portion having the second outer surface portion to be lower than the thermal conductivity of the case portion (such as the outer peripheral portion of the watch case), the temperature change of the outside air can be reliably transmitted to the medium accommodating portion. It is possible to make the temperature of the medium accommodating section follow the change of the outside air temperature without being hindered by the constant thermal environment of the clothes, and it is possible to extract energy with high efficiency.

Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, embodiments of a heat energy conversion device, a device including the same, and a heat energy conversion method according to the present invention will be described in detail.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of a thermal energy conversion device according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the medium accommodating unit 10 and the fluctuation unit 11 are heat converters each having a closed container structure capable of housing and sealing a heat medium therein, and this embodiment uses this heat converter. Then, the thermal energy is extracted from the temperature change to operate the operating unit, and the energy is extracted from the operating unit via a transmitting unit that transmits energy and a converting unit that performs energy conversion.

The medium accommodating section 10 is basically made of a rigid body such as a metal described later so that the volume does not substantially change even by the pressure change of the heat medium accommodated therein. Is configured to be deformable in accordance with. Therefore, the pressure fluctuation of the heat medium stored in the medium storage unit 10 changes the volume and the shape of the fluctuation unit 11 connected to the medium storage unit 10.

(4) The medium accommodating portion 10 is formed in an extended pipe shape, and is arranged in a spirally wound state. The end of the medium storage unit 10 is closed, and the base end is connected to a movable unit 11 configured to be extendable and contractible. The variation unit 11 is formed of a bellows-shaped tubular container, and is formed of a highly elastic material such as rubber, plastic, or thin metal. In addition, the variable portion 11 is configured to be more easily deformed in the longitudinal direction (axial direction) than in the radial direction. As described above, it is generally preferable that the variable portion has a highly elastic container structure formed so as to be easily deformed in a predetermined direction as compared with other directions.

The fluctuation unit 11 is housed inside the cylinder 12. A piston 13 is movably disposed in the cylinder 12, and a variation portion 11 is in contact with one side of the piston 13. An elastic member 14 such as a coil spring is accommodated on the other side of the piston 13 and presses the piston 13 against the moving portion 11. The piston 13 has a drive shaft 13a protruding outside the cylinder 12, and the drive shaft 13a rotates on a driven end 15b of a rotation lever 15 mounted rotatably about a rotation shaft 15a. It is connected as possible. The rotating lever 15 is provided with a driving end 15c on the opposite side of the driven end 15b, and the driving end 15c is formed with an elongated hole 15d. The elongated hole 15d is provided at the end of the driving lever 16 at the end thereof. The rotation lever 15 is rotatably connected to the drive lever 16 through the shaft 16a.

The drive lever 16 is guided by the bearing 17 so as to move linearly in the axial direction. An elastic member 18 such as a coil spring in a compressed state abuts on the end 16b of the drive lever 16, and the elastic member 18 presses the drive lever 16 toward the connecting shaft 16a. Here, the end 16b may be engaged with an elastic member such as a tension spring so that the drive lever 16 can be pulled toward the end 16b by the elastic member. A rack 16c extending in the axial direction is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the drive lever 16, and this rack 16c meshes with a driven gear 21a attached to a barrel car 21 containing a mainspring.

As shown in FIG. 5, the driven gear 21a is rotatably supported on a shaft member 21b of the barrel wheel 21, and a shaft gear 21c formed on a part of the shaft member 21b is fixed to the driven gear 21a. The ratchet claw 21d is engaged. The ratchet pawl 21d engages with the shaft gear 21c when the driven gear 21a rotates clockwise in FIG. 1, but does not engage with the shaft gear 21c when the driven gear 21a rotates counterclockwise in FIG. As a result, the clockwise rotation of the driven gear 21a is transmitted to the shaft gear 21c, but the counterclockwise rotation of the driven gear 21a is not transmitted to the shaft gear 21c.

The shaft member 21b is rotatably mounted on the upper case 21e, and an output gear 21f is rotatably mounted on the shaft member 21b and the upper case 21e. The spring 21g has an inner end attached to the shaft member 21b and an outer end attached and fixed to the output gear 21f. When the shaft gear 21c is rotated by the ratchet pawl 21d, the mainspring 21g is wound up. The mainspring 21g is means for storing rotational energy as elastic strain, and the barrel wheel 21 is configured as a first conversion storage unit that converts and stores kinetic energy of the drive lever 16. The output gear 21f is rotated by the elastic force of the mainspring 21g.

戻 っ Returning to FIG. The rotation transmitted to the barrel wheel 21 winds up the mainspring 21g and rotates the output gear 21f. The rotational movement of the output gear 21f is increased in speed through a plurality of gear bodies 22, 23, and 24 constituting a transmission wheel train, and rotates the rotor 31 of the generator 30. The generator 30 includes a rotor 31, a stator 32, and an electromagnetic coil 33, and the rotation of the rotor 31 generates an electromotive force in the electromagnetic coil 33.

In the present embodiment, a heat medium is sealed in the medium accommodating section 10 so that a liquid phase and a gas phase are mixed (coexist) at normal temperature. As the heat medium, various substances capable of causing a volume change due to a temperature change can be used.In general, it is preferable to use a substance that is a gas or a liquid at normal temperature and normal pressure, for example, ammonia, carbon dioxide, and chloride. Ethyl and the like are preferred. It is also possible to use oxygen, nitrogen, air or the like, but since it is necessary to enclose the heat converter at a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure in order to obtain a sufficient volume change, the medium storage unit 10 It is necessary to configure the heat converter composed of the part 11 with sufficient pressure resistance to withstand high pressure.

In the present embodiment, when the temperature of the heat medium accommodated in the medium accommodating unit 10 changes due to a change in the ambient temperature, the internal pressure fluctuates and the fluctuation unit 11 is deformed. As a result, the piston 13 rotates The lever 15 and the drive lever 16 operate. The operation of the drive lever 16 is temporarily stored in the barrel wheel 21 as elastic strain. The rotational output of the output gear 21f generated by the elastic energy stored in the barrel car 21 is increased in speed and converted into electric energy by the generator 30.

When the ambient temperature is a normal outside temperature, the temperature change is irregular, so that the operation of the drive lever 16 is also irregular, but the spring 21g has a relatively small amount of the accumulated elastic strain. Since the rotor 31 of the generator 30 can be driven in a state in which the rotational speed is less affected and the fluctuation of the rotational speed is small, the rotor 31 of the generator 30 can be driven in a state where the rotational speed is relatively small. As a result, power generation efficiency can be increased as compared with the case where the rotor 31 is directly driven to rotate.

In the present embodiment, the heat conversion body is divided into the medium accommodating section 10 and the variable section 11, and only the variable section 11 is configured to cause a volume change due to the pressure fluctuation of the heat medium in the medium accommodating section 10. For this reason, a container in which the entire container (heat converter) for storing the heat medium is a variable portion described in JP-A-6-341371 and JP-A-10-14265 (the entire heat converter) The ratio of the volume of the variable section 11 to the volume is 1. Compared with (1), the volume ratio of the variable section 11 to the total volume of the heat converter is (1) by providing the medium accommodating section 10 in addition to the variable section 11. ), The fluctuation amount or fluctuation stroke of the fluctuation unit 11 due to the pressure fluctuation can be increased.

Therefore, since the thermal responsiveness can be improved as compared with the related art, even when the ambient temperature suddenly changes and then returns to the original temperature, the fluctuation portion 11 responds, and it becomes possible to extract energy by its deformation. In addition, since the thermal sensitivity can be increased as compared with the related art, even when the ambient temperature changes only slightly, the amount of deformation of the variable portion can be increased to extract energy. As a result, as in the related art, in order to efficiently extract energy by increasing the amount of deformation of the fluctuating portion to a certain extent, the deformation of the fluctuating portion was temporarily suppressed, and the amount of temperature change was increased to a certain extent. At this point, it is not necessary to take measures such as releasing the fluctuating part and deforming the fluctuating part at one time, or the deformation suppression width of the fluctuating part (cancellation of deformation suppression is reduced by reducing the necessity of taking such measures). Temperature difference until the temperature is reduced). Since the efficiency of extracting energy due to temperature change can be increased as a whole, it is possible to adopt this type of method that has not been practically used in conventional devices such as a wristwatch.

Here, in the present embodiment, the volume of the medium storage unit 10 is set to be larger than the reference volume of the variable unit 11 (a substantially middle volume value of the practical volume change range of the variable unit 11), that is, the medium storage unit. The ratio between the volume of 10 and the reference volume of the fluctuation section 11 is 1 or more, preferably 2 or more. This makes it possible to effectively increase the amount of deformation of the variable portion 11. In the present embodiment, the inner volume of the medium storage unit 10 is configured to be 10 times or more the reference volume of the fluctuation unit 11.

Particularly, in the present embodiment, since the medium storage unit 10 is formed in an extended shape (a pipe shape or a tubular shape), the surface area of the medium storage unit 10 can be easily increased, and heat flows in and out more efficiently than the surroundings. be able to. Here, by disposing the extended-shaped container in a bent state (rolled state), the container can be compactly stored inside various devices. Further, by configuring the medium accommodating section 10 to be bent into an arbitrary shape using, for example, a flexible material, the medium accommodating section 10 can be easily accommodated in various devices. Further, since the pressure resistance against the internal pressure can be increased by configuring the medium storage portion 10 in a pipe shape (tubular shape) as in the present embodiment, the range of selection of the material forming the medium storage portion 10 is widened. In addition, since a high-pressure heat medium can be accommodated and operated inside, energy can be more efficiently extracted.

[Second embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, the medium storage section 40 is formed in a cubic shape. The medium accommodating section 40 is connected to the same variable section 41 as in the first embodiment, and the cylinder 42, the piston 43, and the elastic member 44 are also configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment. A drive shaft 43a of the piston 43 is connected to a drive lever 46 via a pin 45. The drive lever 46 has a connection end 46a connected to the pin 45, a pressing end 46b pressed by an elastic member 48 similar to the first embodiment, and a rack 46c. The drive lever 46 is guided by a bearing 47 so as to be able to reciprocate in the axial direction thereof.

ラ ッ ク The rack 46c of the drive lever 46 meshes with the first gear body 51, and the first gear body 51 speeds up the operation of the drive lever 46. The first gear body 51 meshes with a driven gear 52 a of a barrel wheel 52. The barrel wheel 52 has the same structure as the barrel wheel 21 of the first embodiment. The rotation of the output gear of the barrel wheel 52 is further accelerated via the gear bodies 53, 54, 55, 56 to rotate the rotor 61 of the generator 60. The generator 60 includes a rotor 61, a stator 62, and an electromagnetic coil 63 as in the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, the medium storage section 40 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the same heat medium as in the first embodiment is stored therein. The medium storage unit 40 is configured to have a volume 10 times or more the reference volume of the fluctuation unit 41. Therefore, similarly to the first embodiment, when the pressure of the heat medium accommodated in the medium accommodating portion 40 fluctuates due to a change in the ambient temperature and the volume starts to increase, the volume of the fluctuating portion 41 is accordingly increased. The driving lever 46 moves in the axial direction, and its kinetic energy is temporarily stored in the mainspring in the barrel 52. The energy stored in the mainspring drives the rotor 61 to rotate, and the power generator 60 generates power.

In each of the above embodiments, the rotation is transmitted to the barrel barrel only during one of the reciprocating operations of the drive lever. However, the energy is not required during the reciprocating operation of the drive lever in any direction. The rotation can be transmitted in such a manner that the rotation can be accumulated by a known means.

媒体 Further, as the material of the medium accommodating portions 10 and 40 in each of the above embodiments, it is preferable to use a material having high thermal conductivity such as an aluminum alloy or a copper alloy. In particular, by using a metal material, it is easy to secure the pressure resistance required for sealing the heat medium.

[Modification 1]
FIG. 3 shows a structure of a modification of the second embodiment. In this modification, a large number (plurality) of convex portions 40 a are formed on the surface of the medium accommodating section 40. The convex portion 40a may be formed by partially forming the outer wall of the medium accommodating portion 40. However, the convex portion 40a is configured such that the outer wall of the medium accommodating portion 40 is knocked out from the inside, that is, the medium It is more preferable that a convex space is provided at the outer edge of the heat medium accommodating space itself of the accommodating portion 40. In addition, although the convex part 40a of this embodiment is formed in all six surfaces of the medium accommodating part 40 formed in the rectangular parallelepiped shape, it may be formed only in a part of surface.

In this modification, the surface area of the medium accommodating section 40 is larger than that of the second embodiment by forming the convex portion 40a on the surface of the medium accommodating section 40. As a result, the medium accommodating section 40 Since heat exchange between the inside heat medium and the outside is promoted, the use efficiency and thermal responsiveness of heat energy can be improved, and the energy extraction efficiency can be improved.

Note that the structure for promoting heat exchange formed on the surface of the medium accommodating portion 40 may have a large number of concave portions instead of the above convex portions. Further, both the convex portion and the concave portion may be provided as the above structure.

[Modification 2]
Next, another embodiment other than the above will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 4A shows a modified example (Modified Example 2) of the heat converter of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, in which the medium accommodating section 110 curves a pipe-shaped (tubular) member in an annular shape. It has a stacked shape. Here, the medium accommodating portion 110 may have a structure in which a plurality of ring-shaped pipe portions are provided and stacked, and the inside of each pipe portion may be partially connected to each other, or a long pipe-shaped material may be spirally wound. May be stacked as shown. A variation unit 111 protrudes from a part of the medium storage unit 110. The variation unit 111 has a bellows-like structure that can expand and contract in the protruding direction, as in the first embodiment. In this modification, as described later, the medium storage unit 110 can be disposed so as to circulate along the inner surface of the case body, so that the ambient temperature can be reduced within the medium storage unit 110 without hindering downsizing of the device. Can be efficiently taken into the heat medium.

[Modification 3]
FIG. 4B shows a modification (Modification 3) of the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped medium accommodating section 120. From the side surface of the medium accommodating section 120, a movable section 121 that is expandable and contractible as described above is formed so as to protrude. The medium accommodating portion 120 is formed with a plurality of through portions 120a having openings on two opposing surfaces (upper surface and lower surface in the drawing). The penetrating portion 120a is provided so that a cylindrical inner wall is inserted into the medium accommodating portion 120, and the inner wall is fixed by welding or the like so as to secure the hermeticity of the medium accommodating portion 120. It is structured in a way. By forming the penetrating portion 120a in this manner, the surface area of the medium containing portion 120 can be increased. Since the ambient temperature can be easily transmitted, the thermal responsiveness to the temperature change of the medium accommodating section 120 can be improved, and the fluctuation section 121 can be sufficiently deformed even by a slight temperature change.

[Modification 4]
FIG. 4C shows another modification (Modification 4) of the second embodiment shown in FIGS. In the substantially rectangular parallelepiped medium accommodating portion 130, a large number of fins 130a are formed on its outer surface (four adjacent surfaces in the circumferential direction, that is, upper surface, lower surface, and two side surfaces in the drawing). The fins 130a are for forming the outer surface in an uneven shape, and can increase the surface area of the medium accommodating section 130, so that the responsiveness to a temperature change can be improved. 131 can be sufficiently deformed.

In the first and second embodiments described above, the kinetic energy of the operating unit that operates by deformation of the fluctuation unit is temporarily stored by the mainspring, and the generator is operated by the output of the mainspring to generate power. It is configured to extract electric energy. Such a configuration allows an irregular and time-varying kinetic energy generated due to a temperature change to be generated by a mainspring without being greatly affected by the energy amount, such as the magnitude of a motion stroke or the magnitude of a motion speed. The purpose is to reliably capture and send the energy stored in the mainspring in a state suitable for the power generation characteristics of the generator. In particular, when the medium accommodating section is provided to increase the amount of deformation of the variable section as in the present invention, it is possible to operate the operation section while efficiently catching a rapid temperature change or an extremely slow temperature change. it can. Therefore, it is extremely effective to temporarily capture the rapidly changing kinetic energy as described above, output it again, and convert it again, which is extremely effective and plays a major role in increasing the energy extraction efficiency. To fulfill. Further, as shown in application examples 1 and 2 described later, a great effect can be obtained by controlling the amount of energy sent from the mainspring to the generator.

[Application Example 1]
Next, a configuration of an application example 1 in which the first embodiment and the second embodiment described above are actually applied to various devices will be described. Note that this application example will be described below assuming that the first embodiment is basically applied, but can be similarly applied to the second embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6, the generator 30 including the rotor 31 that is rotationally driven by the rotational motion transmitted from the barrel car 21 via the gear bodies 22, 23, 24 supplies power to the power control unit 70. Output. The power control unit 70 includes a power consuming unit 71 connected in parallel to the output terminal of the generator 30 so as to keep the power generation load substantially constant, and a rectifier that rectifies the AC output from the generator 30 and converts the AC to DC. A circuit 72, a smoothing capacitor 73 provided on the output side of the rectifier circuit 72, a step-up / step-down circuit 74 capable of controlling the load power of the generator 30, and an auxiliary capacitor 75 are connected in parallel, as will be described later. I have. The output of the auxiliary capacitor 75 is connected to an operating part (energy consuming part) 80 including a clock control circuit and a step motor (for a clock). The auxiliary capacitor 75 is for stabilizing the electric power supplied to the operating part 80.

In each of the above embodiments, the mainspring is a spirally wound spring. Energy is accumulated by being wound up, and the accumulated energy is output by unwinding the spring. Therefore, when a predetermined load (torque) is applied to the output side of the mainspring, it becomes possible to output energy corresponding to the load for a long time. On the other hand, if no load is applied to the output side of the mainspring, the spring is loosened rapidly and the stored energy is quickly dissipated. Therefore, in this application example, when the power consumption of the operating part 80 is small, the power consumption unit 71 appropriately consumes the power output from the generator 30 and adjusts the rotational resistance of the rotor 31 to reduce the speed of unwinding the mainspring. To prevent the energy stored in the mainspring from being wasted abruptly. There are various methods for controlling power consumption that can be adopted in the power consuming unit 71, and the electrical characteristic value of a circuit element such as a resistor or a coil connected in parallel with the generator 30 may be controlled. Alternatively, power may be consumed by a power consuming device such as a motor. In this case, a mechanism for winding the mainspring by the output of the motor may be employed.

Furthermore, if there is no power consumption in the operating part 80, unwinding the mainspring and consuming energy is useless. Therefore, in the present application example, the rotation of the rotor 31 of the generator 30 is configured to be stopped by the mechanical brake 76. The brake 76 can be configured using an electrically operated actuator such as a bimorph. The brake 76 can be configured to operate by the electric power stored in the smoothing capacitor 73 or the auxiliary capacitor 75. The brake 76 releases the rotor 31 when no power is stored in the smoothing capacitor 73 or the auxiliary capacitor 75, or when the amount of power is equal to or less than a predetermined amount, so that the brake is not applied. Is configured. Therefore, when no electric power is stored in the capacitor or when the amount of stored electric power is equal to or less than a predetermined amount, when the main lever starts to be wound up by the drive lever, the rotor 31 naturally rotates to generate electric power. Is started. Then, when the voltage of the smoothing capacitor 73 or the auxiliary capacitor 75 becomes equal to or more than a certain value by the power supplied from the generator 30, the brake 76 stops the rotor 31 and suppresses the consumption of energy stored in the mainspring.

The step-up / step-down circuit 74 increases the output current even when the output voltage of the generator 30 driven by the rotary driving force of the mainspring is low, and obtains predetermined power even when the rotation speed of the rotor 31 is low. Like that. For example, in a state where the output torque of the mainspring is sufficiently obtained, the voltage on the generator 30 side is reduced, and the voltage is boosted by the step-up / down circuit 74 and supplied to the operating part 80. On the other hand, when the output torque of the mainspring decreases, the output current of the generator 30 also decreases in the above state. Ensure that a low output current is obtained. As a result, a predetermined output voltage and current can be obtained even when the output torque is reduced due to the unwinding of the mainspring, and the operating time of the operating unit 80 can be further extended.

The reason why such control is possible is that the electromagnetic brake of the generator 30 has a characteristic that is substantially proportional to the output current, and the release speed (unwinding speed) of the mainspring can be controlled by this characteristic. When the output torque of the mainspring is large, the output voltage is low, and by increasing the output current, the electromagnetic brake of the generator 30 is increased. When the output torque of the mainspring is small, the output voltage is high, and the output current is low, so that the generator is reduced. By reducing the electromagnetic brake of 30, the allowable range of the driving output of the mainspring in which the generator 30 can be operated can be expanded. From the viewpoint of the energy supplied from the mainspring to the generator 30, when the output torque of the mainspring is large, the necessary energy is supplied with a small rotor speed, and when the output torque of the mainspring is small, the rotor speed is increased by that amount. In other words, the supply energy is secured.

The control as described above is such that the kinetic energy of the drive lever is temporarily stored in the mainspring in the barrel car 21 and the transmission of the kinetic energy is temporally smoothed, that is, the fluctuation of the amount of energy to be transmitted is performed. Is transmitted to the generator 30 in such a manner as to reduce the pressure. As described above, the operation of the generator 30 and the output side thereof may control the speed at which energy is transmitted from the mainspring, which is the first conversion storage unit, to the generator 30, which is the second conversion storage unit. By controlling and transmitting the amount of energy output to the second conversion storage unit by the storage unit itself, the flow of energy to the second conversion storage unit can be smoothed.

In this application example, the power control unit 70 controls the amount of power (the amount of power generated by the power generator 30) to be supplied according to the power consumption state of the operating unit 80. The generated electric power may be stored in a power storage means including a secondary battery such as a battery or a chemical battery.

[Application Example 2]
Next, an application example 2 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In this application example, the hands are rotationally driven by rotation transmitting portions such as gears 22, 23, and 24 that are rotationally driven by a mainspring in the barrel car 21 of each of the above embodiments, and the hand movement speed of the hands is controlled by the generator 30. 1 is a configuration example of an electronically controlled mechanical timepiece configured to be controlled constantly by an electromagnetic brake. Also in this application example 2, any of the first embodiment and the second embodiment may be applied.

In this application example 2, the rotation is taken out from an appropriate part in the transmission wheel train including the gear bodies 22, 23, and 24 for transmitting the rotation from the mainspring to the generator 30, and the pointer ( The hour hand, minute hand, second hand, etc.) are configured to be driven to rotate. The output of the generator 30 is supplied to the power control unit 90. The power control unit 90 includes a variable load circuit 91 that variably configures a load such as a resistance between output terminals of the electromagnetic coil 33, a rectifier circuit 92 that rectifies an AC output from the generator 30, and an output from the rectifier circuit 92. Battery 93 composed of a large-capacity capacitor or a storage battery that accumulates power to be generated, a clock control circuit 94 that operates by the power output from the secondary battery 93, and a cycle of an AC output generated from the generator 30 And a load control circuit 95 that controls the load of the variable load circuit 91 based on a control command given from the clock control circuit 94 in a manner corresponding to the cycle.

(4) The alternating current output from the generator 30 is converted into a direct current by the rectifier circuit 92 and stored in the secondary battery 93, and the output of the secondary battery 93 operates the clock control circuit 94. The clock control circuit 94 has a built-in clock signal generating means such as a crystal oscillator. Based on the clock signal generated by the clock signal generating means, a control command (a cycle corresponding to the hand movement speed of the clock is sent to the load control circuit 95). Signal). The load control circuit 95 detects the cycle of the AC output generated by the electromotive force of the electromagnetic coil 33 of the generator 30, compares this detection cycle with the above control command received from the clock control circuit 94, and A control signal is sent to the variable load circuit 91 to adjust the rotation cycle to the cycle of the control signal. Since the variable load circuit 91 forms an adjusted load based on this control signal, the generator 30 performs power generation according to the output side load.

The clock control circuit 94 and the load control circuit 95 control the variable load circuit 91 so that the cycle of the AC output of the generator 30 is constant, so that the rotor 31 has an electromagnetic brake that increases and decreases according to the load of the variable load circuit 91. By receiving the action, the power generation is continued while being controlled to a substantially constant rotation speed. As a result, the rotation speed of the transmission wheel train is controlled to be constant by the rotor 31, so that the hands 100 driven to rotate by this transmission wheel train accurately time.

[Application Example 3]
Next, a structural application example of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 8 shows the structure of application example 3, which is an example of a structure in which the present invention is applied to a wristwatch 200 which is a specific example of various devices. As shown in FIG. 8, a wristwatch 200 has an outer case (body) 201, and a light-transmitting member 202 such as a window glass is attached to a surface side (upper side in the figure) of the outer case 201. A movement 203 is accommodated inside the outer case 201, and an opening of the outer case 201 is closed by a back cover 204 attached to the back surface side. On the front side of the movement 203, a time display portion 203a including a pointer portion, a liquid crystal display portion, and the like is formed.

パ イ プ Inside the outer case 201, a pipe-shaped (tubular) medium storage section 210 as shown in the first embodiment or the modified example 2 is arranged in a ring shape (annular shape) on the outer peripheral side of the movement 203. In the illustrated example, the medium accommodating section 210 is wound around two inner and outer circumferences, and is stacked up and down four circumferences. The medium storage unit 210 is disposed so as to be in close contact with the inner surface of the outer case 201. The medium accommodating section 210 may be configured by appropriately changing the number of revolutions, the orbital shape and the like according to the accommodation space shape of the outer case 201 and the shape of the movement 203.

The medium storage section 210 is connected to the inside of the operation section 220 arranged below the movement 203. As described in each of the above-described embodiments, the operating portion 220 accommodates the moving portion and the operating portion (configured by the piston, the rotating lever, the driving lever, and the like). I have. The operation unit in the operation unit 220 is engaged with a transmission unit such as a gear body accommodated in the movement 203 or a driven gear of a barrel car. Therefore, the fluctuation portion in the operation portion 220 is deformed by the change in the ambient temperature, and when the operation portion is operated by this deformation, the motion is transmitted to the transmission portion in the movement 203.

In addition, in the movement 203 of the application example 3, in addition to the transmission unit, a generator, a control circuit, and the like similar to those described in each embodiment are housed.

In this application example 3, since the pipe-shaped medium accommodating portion 210 is interposed between the movement 203 and the outer case 201 and is brought into close contact with the inner surface of the outer case 201, the medium accommodating portion according to the temperature change of the outer case 201. The pressure of the heat medium sealed inside the section 210 fluctuates, and the fluctuation causes the fluctuating section to be deformed and the operating section to operate. In this structure, since the medium accommodating portion 210 is arranged along the outer periphery of the movement 203, it can be configured without increasing the outer dimensions of the outer case 201, so that the timepiece can be made compact and thin.

The planar shape of the medium storage portion 210 can be appropriately configured according to the planar shape of the outer case 201, and may be formed in a rectangular frame shape in addition to the annular shape as described above.

[Application Example 4]
Next, an application example 4 will be described with reference to FIG. In this application example 4, the same parts as those in application example 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. In this application example, a disk-shaped medium housing portion 211 is arranged so as to be in close contact with the inner surface of the back cover 204. Further, an operation section 221 is arranged between the medium storage section 211 and the movement 203. The medium accommodating section 211 communicates with the same variable section accommodated in the operating section 221 as in the above-described embodiments. The operating section 221 also houses an operating section connected to the moving section, and this operating section is connected to a transmission section in the movement 203 and the like.

In this embodiment, since the medium accommodating portion 211 is in close contact with the back cover 204 and is formed in a disk shape along the back cover 204, the contact area in contact with the back cover 204 can be increased. Energy can be taken out by responding quickly to the temperature change and capturing a minute temperature change. Note that the plane shape of the medium storage section 211 is not limited to a circle, but can be appropriately (for example, rectangular) according to the plane shape of the outer case 201 or the back cover 204.

[Application Example 5]
Next, an application example 5 will be described with reference to FIG. In this application example 5, the same parts as those in application example 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. In this application example, a disk-shaped medium accommodating section 212 substantially similar to the application example 4 is arranged in close contact with the back cover 205. The medium accommodating section 212 communicates with the variable section in the operating section 222, and the operating section is accommodated in the operating section 222 together with the variable section as in the fourth application example.

In this application example, the back cover 205 and the medium accommodating portion 212 are in close contact with each other, but the contact surfaces of the back cover 205 and the medium accommodating portion 212 are both formed in an uneven shape. They are formed so that they fit each other. With such a configuration, the contact area between the medium housing portion 212 and the back cover 205 increases, so that a temperature change of the back cover 205 can be more sensitively sensed. In this case, not only the outer surface of the medium accommodating portion 212 is made uneven but also the inner surface of the medium accommodating portion 212 is formed to have an uneven shape reflecting the outer surface shape. This is preferable in that heat can be easily transferred to the medium. Note that the plane shape of the medium storage section 212 is not limited to a circle, but can be appropriately (for example, rectangular) according to the plane shape of the outer case 201 or the back cover 205.

[Application Example 6]
Next, an application example 6 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In this application example 6, the same parts as those in application example 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. In this application example, a disk-shaped medium storage unit 213 is arranged so as to be in close contact with the inner surface of the back cover 206. A large number of concave portions 213a are formed on the surface of the medium housing portion 213 facing the back cover 206, and a large number of convex portions 206a formed on the inner surface of the back cover 206 are fitted into the concave portions 213a. .

作 動 Further, an operation section 223 is disposed between the medium storage section 213 and the movement 203. The medium accommodating section 213 communicates with the same variable section accommodated in the operating section 223 as in the above-described embodiments. The operating section 223 also houses an operating section connected to the moving section, and this operating section is connected to a transmission section in the movement 203 and the like.

In this embodiment, the medium accommodating portion 213 is in close contact with the back cover 206, is formed in a disk shape along the back cover 206, and the concave portion 213 a of the medium accommodating portion 213 and the convex portion 206 a of the back cover 206 are mutually opposed. , The contact area in contact with the back cover 206 can be increased, so that it is possible to quickly respond to a temperature change of the back cover 206 and take out a small temperature change to extract energy. . It is to be noted that not only the outer surface of the medium accommodating portion 213 is made uneven but also the inner surface of the medium accommodating portion 213 is formed to have an uneven shape reflecting the outer surface shape. This is preferable in that heat can be easily transferred to the substrate. In addition, the plane shape of the medium storage portion 213 is not limited to a circle, and can be appropriately (for example, rectangular) according to the plane shape of the outer case 201 or the back cover 206.

[Application Example 7]
Next, an application example 7 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Also in this application example, the same parts as those in the application example 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. In this application example, a disk-shaped medium accommodating portion 214 is arranged between the back cover 207 and the movement 203. The medium container 214 is in close contact with the back cover 207. The medium accommodating section 214 is connected to an operating section 224 disposed between the movement 203 and the medium accommodating section 214 as in the above-described respective application examples.

In this application example, a penetrating portion 214a similar to that shown in FIG. 4B is formed in the medium accommodating portion 214, and a protruding portion 207a protruding from the inner surface of the back cover 207 is formed in the penetrating portion 214a. Mating. Accordingly, the contact area between the medium housing portion 214 and the back cover 207 can be further increased, and the temperature of the back cover 207 can be more efficiently transmitted to the heat medium in the medium housing portion 214. Therefore, the temperature change of the back cover 207 can be more sensitively detected.

The planar shape of the medium storage portion 214 is not limited to a circular shape, but can be appropriately (for example, rectangular) according to the planar shape of the outer case 201 or the back cover 207.

[Application Example 8]
Next, an application example 8 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The wristwatch 300 of the application example 8 includes an outer case 301, a light transmitting member 302, a movement 303, and a back cover 304, similarly to the above-described application examples 3 to 7. In this application example, a medium accommodating space 301a is formed inside an outer case 301 formed as a whole in a ring shape, and the outer case 301 itself is configured as a medium accommodating portion. The same heat medium 310 as described above is housed in the medium housing space 301a, and the heat medium 310 is sealed by attaching the back cover 304 to the outer case 301.

(4) The outer surface of the outer case 301 is provided with a surface uneven structure 301b formed in a vertical direction in the figure by forming a plurality of annular grooves. The medium accommodating space 301a communicates with the inside of the fluctuation portion 311 extending in an arc shape along the inside of the outer case 301. The variation unit 311 is configured to be extendable and contractible in the direction in which it extends, and has, for example, a bellows structure as illustrated. A base end of a drive arm 312 is connected to a distal end of the movable portion 311, and the drive arm 312 also has a shape extending in an arc shape along the inside of the outer case 301. The distal end of the drive arm 312 is slidably inserted into a cylinder 313 extending in an arc shape along the inside of the outer case 301. Inside the cylinder 313, an elastic member 314 formed of a coil spring or the like that exerts an elastic force in a direction in which the drive arm 312 is moved out of the cylinder 313 is accommodated.

ラ ッ ク A rack 312a is formed on the inner side surface of the drive arm 312. The movement 303 is provided with a gear 303a that meshes with the rack 312a of the drive arm 312. The gear 303a meshes with the gear 303b, and the gear 303b meshes with the barrel wheel 303c. These gears 303a and 303b constitute a transmission wheel train for transmitting the circular movement of the drive arm 312 into the movement 303 in the form of a rotational movement. The rotational energy transmitted by the gears 303a and 303b is stored in the mainspring in the barrel wheel 303c.

In the outer case 301, the outer wall portion 301c on the outer periphery where the above-mentioned surface uneven structure 301b is formed is made of a material having higher thermal conductivity over the entire periphery than other portions. Examples of the material of the other part of the outer case 301 include stainless steel, tungsten, an aluminum alloy, titanium, and a titanium alloy. The material of the outer wall portion 301c has a higher thermal conductivity than the above materials, for example, gold, silver, copper, aluminum or an aluminum alloy, a magnesium alloy, a beryllium alloy, and the like. Here, the thermal conductivity of the outer wall portion 301c is 55 W · m ⁻¹ · K ⁻¹ or more in order to make the thermal conductivity higher than that of iron, stainless steel, and various resins generally used for the outer case. In particular, it is desirably 110 W · m ⁻¹ · K ⁻¹ or more in order to make the thermal conductivity higher than that of brass generally used for an outer case.

In addition, the outer case 301 of the present embodiment has the outer wall portion 301c having a higher thermal conductivity than other portions in an annular shape as described above, but similarly has a better thermal conductivity than the other portions. It is also possible to adopt a structure in which a plurality of portions are fitted to the outer wall portion of the outer periphery of the outer case 301 so as to be arranged in the circumferential direction. That is, the outer wall portion 301c may be provided continuously on the outer periphery of the outer case 301 or may be provided in plural discretely.

The back cover 304 is made of a material having lower thermal conductivity (lower thermal conductivity) than both the outer wall portion 301c of the outer case 301 and other portions. Examples of the material of the back cover 304 include various resin materials such as acrylic, polyethylene, and polystyrene, glass, ceramics, hardened various fiber materials such as glass fiber, cotton, wool, synthetic fiber, and paper fiber, gypsum board and the like. Brick materials and the like can be mentioned. Alternatively, a cavity or a groove may be formed in a part of the case body, and these may be used as a heat insulating layer. Further, the back cover 304 may be connected to the outer case 301 or the medium accommodating space 301a via an appropriate heat insulating layer as described above. In this case, it is possible to provide a sufficient heat insulating effect even if the back cover 304 itself is not made of a material having low thermal conductivity. The thermal conductivity of the heat insulating layer is preferably 10 W · m ⁻¹ · K ⁻¹ or less, in order to make the thermal conductivity lower than that of stainless steel generally used for the outer case. In order to obtain a thermal conductivity equal to or less than that of certain glass, mullite porcelain, or steatite porcelain, it is preferable that the thermal conductivity is 3 W · m ⁻¹ · K ⁻¹ or less.

In this application example 8, since the medium housing space 310 is formed in the outer case 301, the heat exchange property between the outside and the heat medium is improved, and as a result, the operation amount of the fluctuation unit 311 is reduced. Since the amount of energy can be increased, the amount of energy that can be taken out through the mainspring mechanism or the power generation device built in the movement 303 can be increased.

In addition, since the movable portion 311 and the drive arm 312 constituting the operating portion are arranged along the inside of the outer case 301 and are configured to deform and operate along the inside of the outer case 301, Since the operation unit can be housed compactly, space efficiency is improved, and the entire device can be downsized. Such a structure is particularly significant in portable devices such as watches and mobile phones.

In this application example 8, in particular, since the structure in which the moving portion and the operating portion are accommodated in the space between the outer case 301 and the movement 303 is provided, the entire case can be configured to be compact and thin. It has become. Here, in this application example 8, since the outer case 301 is formed in a disk shape and the movement 303 is also formed in a disk shape, the shape of the moving portion and the operating portion is also formed in a shape extending in an arc shape. Moreover, it is configured such that its shape is deformed and operated in the extending direction. Therefore, each of these structural parts can be compactly assembled, and the space efficiency in the outer case can be improved.

Furthermore, in the application example 8, since only the outer wall portion 301c of the outer case 301 is made of a material having high thermal conductivity in order to enhance heat exchange with the outside, it is possible to select between an external desired portion. It is possible to perform heat exchange. Further, since the outer wall portion 301c is provided in a part of the outer case 301, the procurement cost of the case material can be reduced as compared with the case where the entire outer case is made of a material having good thermal conductivity. The case strength and corrosion resistance can be ensured, and the workability of the case components can be improved.

[Application Example 9]
Next, an application example 9 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The wristwatch 400 of the application example 9 includes an exterior case 401, a light transmitting member 402, and a movement 403, as in the application example 8 described above.

In this application example, unlike the application example 8, a one-piece structure in which the exterior case 401 also integrates a portion corresponding to the back cover (a portion corresponding to the portion where the back cover 304 is attached in the application example 8) is also integrated. It has. The outer case 401 includes an upper member 401A having an outer peripheral upper surface and a housing recess for housing the light transmitting member 402 and the movement 403, and a lower member fixed to the upper member 401A and having higher thermal conductivity than the upper member 401A. 401B. The upper member 401A is made of the same material as the other part of the exterior case 301 shown in the application example 8, and the lower member 401B is made of the same material as the outer wall portion 301c of the exterior case shown in the application example 8.

媒体 A medium storage space 401a is formed between the upper member 401A and the lower member 401B, and the same heat medium 410 as above is sealed inside the medium storage space 401a. The medium accommodating space 401a is configured to also exist inside a portion corresponding to the back cover of the one-piece type outer case 401. A plurality of annular grooves similar to those of Application Example 8 are formed in the outer peripheral end surface of the lower member 401B constituting the outer case 401 in the up-down direction, thereby forming a surface uneven structure 401b.

(4) The medium storage portion 401a of the outer case 401 communicates with the inside of the movable portion 411. The variation unit 411 has a bellows structure that is configured to be extendable and contractible in the extension direction, similarly to the above embodiments. The distal end of the movable portion 411 is connected to the drive arm 412, and the drive arm 412 is slidably inserted in a cylinder portion 401c provided inside the outer case 401, and is housed in a deep portion of the cylinder portion 401c. It is urged by a resilient member 414 such as a coil spring in the direction of being pushed out of the cylinder portion 401c.

ラ ッ ク A rack 412a is formed on the side surface of the drive arm 412. The rack 412a meshes with a gear 403a provided on the movement 403, the gear 403a meshes with a gear 403b, and the gear 403b meshes with a barrel 403c. Rotational energy transmitted by the transmission wheel train including the gears 403a and 403b is accumulated in the mainspring in the barrel 403c.

In this application example 9, the outer case 401 has a rectangular outer edge shape in plan view, and the drive arm 412 corresponding to the changing portion 411 and the operating portion is extended linearly substantially along the outer edge shape of the outer case 401. It has a shape, and is deformed and operated linearly in the direction of its extension. As described above, the variable portion and the operating portion can be formed in an optimal shape according to the device structure, and can be configured to have optimal deformation directions and operation directions.

In the present embodiment, the heat exchange between the heat medium 410 and the outer wall portion and the back cover equivalent portion of the outer periphery of the outer case 401 is performed smoothly. Therefore, when the wristwatch 400 is worn on an arm or the like, the body temperature can be easily transmitted to the heat medium 410 via a portion corresponding to the back cover, and the wristwatch 400 can be externally provided via the surface uneven structure 401b on the outer peripheral wall. It is configured so that the air temperature can be transmitted to the heat medium 410. On the other hand, in a state where the armature is removed from the arm, the outside air temperature can be efficiently transmitted to the heat medium 410 from both the outer wall portion on the outer periphery and the portion corresponding to the back cover. Therefore, when the wristwatch 400 is attached to or detached from the wrist, the temperature of the heat medium 410 changes abruptly and energy can be taken in. At the same time, the external air temperature can be reduced via the surface uneven structure 401b of the outer wall. Energy can also be captured from change.

[Third embodiment]
Next, an embodiment (third embodiment) of a method for converting heat energy according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. This embodiment shows a method that can be implemented using the wristwatch 300 of the above-described application example 8. In addition, a heat conversion body including a medium storage unit that stores a heat medium provided in each embodiment of the above-described thermal energy conversion device, and a variable unit whose inside communicates with the inside of the medium storage unit is provided. It is realized in a state in which an appropriate operation unit and conversion storage unit are provided for this heat converter.

As shown in FIG. 17, first, in step S1, the medium accommodating section is brought into thermal contact with the first heat source. In this state, a temperature change in the first heat source in step S2 causes a change in the temperature of the heat medium in the medium storage unit. In step S3, a change in volume of the change unit caused by a change in volume of the heat medium ( Deformation) occurs. Then, the operation unit operates as shown in step S4 due to the deformation of the fluctuation unit, and the kinetic energy is converted into an appropriate energy form and stored in the conversion storage unit as shown in step S5.

外 Here, outside air is used as the first heat source as shown in Application Example 8. The outside air fluctuates with time, and in particular, repeats a temperature rise and a temperature drop in a daily cycle. The advantage of using the outside air as the first heat source is that thermal contact can be made only by exposing the medium storage portion or the case body covering the same to the outside air. The point is that there is no need to prepare for contact.

In this case, it is possible that the medium accommodating portion is disposed close to or in contact with the second heat source together with the first heat source due to the structural arrangement. For example, in the above application example 8, the outer case is in contact with the outside air, but at the same time, the back cover is in contact with the arm, which is the second heat source. Since the arm is a heat source maintained at a substantially constant temperature by body temperature, a thermal contact of the medium container with the arm impedes a change in the temperature of the heat medium. Therefore, in the case where the medium housing portion is close to or in contact with the second heat source having a smaller temperature variation than the first heat source, the back cover is made to have low thermal conductivity as in Application Example 8. It is preferable to appropriately insulate between the second heat source and the medium accommodating portion as shown in step S6, such as by forming the material, so as to reduce the degree to which the second heat source hinders the temperature change of the heat medium.

[Fourth embodiment]
Finally, another embodiment (fourth embodiment) of the method for converting heat energy according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the fourth embodiment, as shown in step S1, a state in which the medium accommodating portion is in thermal contact with the first heat source is compared with a state in which the second heat source having a different temperature from the first heat source. The temperature of the heat medium in the medium container is changed by transitioning the medium container between the two states, that is, the state shown in step S2 and the state shown in step S2. For example, the state in which the medium housing unit is in thermal contact with the first heat source (step S1) is changed to a state in which the medium accommodating unit is in thermal contact with the second heat source (step S2). The temperature of the heat medium changes as shown in FIG. As a result, due to the volume change of the heat medium, a deformation accompanying the volume change occurs in the deformed portion as shown in step S3, and the kinetic energy generated as a result of this deformation as shown in step S4 as shown in step S5 as shown in step S5 Convert and store as appropriate.

As a specific example of this embodiment, a state in which the heat medium in the medium accommodating portion is warmed at body temperature by attaching or detaching the wristwatch of Application Example 9 from the arm, and a state in which the heat medium is cooled by the outside air It is conceivable to make a transition between.

Here, when the medium accommodating portion is in thermal contact with the first heat source (for example, the arm), it may be simultaneously in thermal contact with the second heat source (for example, outside air).

エ ネ ル ギ ー Furthermore, the fourth embodiment may be combined with the third embodiment to extract energy. In other words, in the fourth embodiment, when at least one of the first heat source and the second heat source is a heat source having a temperature fluctuation sufficient to extract energy, the medium housing unit is During thermal contact, energy can be extracted from a temperature change of the heat medium caused by a temperature change of the heat source.

The heat energy conversion device of the present invention, the device including the same, and the heat energy conversion method are not limited to only the devices and the implementation modes in the above-described illustrated examples, and for example, besides a clock Can be applied to various electronic devices including portable electronic devices such as calculators, portable audio devices, mobile phones, information terminals, and personal computers, and toys (toys, electronic toys). Of course, various changes can be made within a range not to be performed.

As described above, according to the present invention, extremely slow and slight temperature changes, such as daily outside air temperature, or returning from the room to the room and returning to the room again, or from the state where the device is in close contact with the skin In response to a sudden temperature change that occurs when the device is once removed and brought into close contact with the skin, etc., the fluctuating part can be quickly and quickly deformed and taken out as the kinetic energy of the operating part. The energy can be extracted, and energy can be efficiently extracted even if the operation of the operation unit is not suppressed as in the related art, or even if the operation restriction is relaxed. Such an apparatus, apparatus or method has practical and remarkable effects, especially when employed in an energy-consuming portable device or accessory.

It is a schematic structure figure showing a 1st embodiment of a thermal energy converter concerning the present invention. It is a schematic structure figure showing a 2nd embodiment of the thermal energy converter concerning the present invention. It is a schematic structure figure showing the structure of the modification of a 2nd embodiment. It is a schematic perspective view (a)-(c) which shows the modification of the principal part of the thermal energy converter concerning this invention, respectively. It is an outline sectional view showing the structure of the barrel box used for each embodiment concerning the present invention. It is a schematic structure figure showing the electric structure of application example 1 using each embodiment concerning the present invention. It is a schematic structure figure showing the electric structure of application example 2 using each embodiment concerning the present invention. It is an outline sectional view showing an internal structure arrangement of application example 3 using each embodiment concerning the present invention. It is an outline sectional view showing an internal structure arrangement of application example 4 using each embodiment concerning the present invention. It is an outline sectional view showing the internal structure arrangement of application example 5 using each embodiment concerning the present invention. It is an outline sectional view showing the internal structure arrangement of application example 6 using each embodiment concerning the present invention. It is an outline sectional view showing an internal structure arrangement of application example 7 using each embodiment concerning the present invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of the application example 8 which concerns on this invention. FIG. 39 is a schematic transverse sectional view showing the internal planar structure of application example 8. It is a schematic sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of the application example 9 which concerns on this invention. FIG. 39 is a schematic transverse sectional view showing the internal plane structure of Application Example 9; It is a schematic flowchart which shows the structure of Embodiment (3rd Embodiment) of the thermal energy conversion method which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic flowchart which shows the structure of Embodiment (4th Embodiment) of the thermal energy conversion method which concerns on this invention.

Claims (1)

It has a sealed container containing a heat medium whose volume changes due to a temperature change, and the sealed container has a medium storage portion whose volume does not substantially change and a variable portion which is communicated with the medium storage portion and whose volume can be changed. A provided heat converter,
An operation unit that operates according to a volume change of the fluctuation unit;
A thermal energy conversion device with
A spring is wound up by the movement of the movable portion in the thermal energy conversion device, and a generator is driven by a rotation output of an output gear generated by elastic energy accumulated in the spring to be converted into electric energy. And electronic equipment.

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