JP2007325836A - Power generating device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently generate power using daily performance. <P>SOLUTION: Liquid tanks 1 and 2 deformed by weight are disposed near the heel and around the root of the big toe inside a shoe. The tank and the tank 2 are connected to each other by a pipe 41 and a pipe 42, the pipes 41 and 42 are connected by a pipe 43, and check valves 51, 52, 53 and 54 apply liquid flow to the pipe 43 constantly in one direction. The pipe 43 is provided with a turbine 3 and rotates it by the liquid flow and the rotation is transmitted to a generator 6 by a pulley 9 to generate power. The insides of the tanks 1 and 2 are provided with resilient members 10 and 20, and parts of pressure applied to the tanks 1 and 2 are converted into resilient energy and accumulated. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a power generation device that generates electric power through the action of human life, and more particularly to a power generation device that generates electric power by walking and supplies electric power to portable electric devices.

  In recent years, functions installed in portable devices have been increased and their usage time has been extended, so that power sources such as mobile phones and music players may be cut off when going out. As a technique for solving this problem, there is a portable generator such as a hand-charged charger (for example, see Non-Patent Document 1). However, tires must be consciously charged and charged.

  Then, the walk electric power generation using a user's walk is devised as what generates electric power without being conscious (for example, refer to patent documents 1 and 2).

  Here, when power generation is performed using the pressure generated during walking, it is considered that there is a difference in the pressure during the process of shifting the center of gravity from the heel to the toe (see Non-Patent Document 2). There is a need to.

JP 2004-96980 A Japanese Patent No. 2870330 `` Manual charging '' http://www.anabas.co.jp/taichiholdings/j/product/mg120/index.html "Development of walking pattern measurement device using large area pressure sensor", NTT CS Lab. Junji Yamato et al. IEICE Transactions D-2, Vol.J84-D-2, No.2, pp.380-389, 2001 February

  In the prior art, it was not possible to generate power efficiently (for example, a large output of 1 W or more without giving the user unpleasant feeling) from the user's operation. Therefore, in consideration of pressure imbalance especially during walking, the realization of a technology that efficiently generates power has been an important issue.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems in the prior art and to solve the problems, and provides a power generation apparatus capable of generating power without conscious work in casual operation of human daily life. The purpose is to do.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a power generation device according to the invention of claim 1 is based on two or more liquid tanks whose internal volume changes due to external load, and based on the change in the internal volume. A flow path for flowing a liquid between two or more liquid tanks, a turbine provided on the flow path and rotated by the flow of the liquid, a generator driven by the turbine, and a user operation A change in the internal volume is provided in at least one of the mounting means for mounting on the user's body so that the load on the liquid tank changes accordingly, and the two or more liquid tanks. And an elastic mechanism for accumulating elastic energy.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the elastic mechanism is formed by a spring member.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the power generator according to the first or second aspect, wherein the elastic mechanism is configured so that the elastic energy of the two or more liquid tanks is in a predetermined equilibrium state. Is released.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the power generation apparatus according to the first, second, or third aspect, the wearing means is a shoe, and a weight is applied to the toe vicinity of the user and the vicinity of the heel. It is characterized in that a weight is applied to a liquid tank that is different from the state in which the body weight is applied.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the power generation apparatus deforms the tank by the user's action to flow the liquid, and accumulates elastic energy by the deformation of the tank when generating power by turning the turbine according to the pressure and momentum of the flow. Therefore, there is an effect that it is possible to obtain a power generation apparatus capable of efficiently generating power by preventing elastic deviation of the tank fluid and regenerating to the turbine using elastic energy.

  According to the invention of claim 2, since the power generator is provided with a spring in the tank and converts part of the pressure applied to the tank into elastic energy, a power generator capable of generating power efficiently with a simple configuration is obtained. There is an effect that can be.

  According to the invention of claim 3, the power generation apparatus accumulates a part of the pressure applied to the tank as elastic energy in the elastic member provided in the tank so that the internal volumes of the plurality of tanks are in a predetermined equilibrium state. Since the elastic energy is released, it is possible to obtain a power generation device that efficiently generates power even when the pressure applied to the plurality of tanks is not uniform.

  According to the invention of claim 4, since the power generation device causes the liquid to flow by moving the weight of the user and generates power by rotating the turbine according to the pressure and momentum of the flow, the power generation device can efficiently use the operation such as walking. There exists an effect that the electric power generating apparatus which can generate electric power can be obtained.

  Exemplary embodiments of a power generator according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  The present invention is intended to obtain power from the action of applying pressure to the outside in daily life of human beings. In this embodiment, as an example of applying pressure to the outside, the sole of the foot is applied to the shoe sole during walking. A method of using the applied pressure will be described.

  1 and 2 are schematic configuration diagrams illustrating a schematic configuration of a shoe having a power generation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the soft tank 1 and the tank 2 are arranged at two points in the shoe where the most pressure is applied, for example, the heel and the base of the big toe.

  A stand supported by a spring is arranged as an elastic member 10 inside the tank 1, and a stand supported by a spring is arranged as an elastic member 20 inside the tank 2.

  The pipe 41 and the pipe 42 connect the tank 1 and the tank 2, and the pipe 43 connects the pipes 41 and 42. The check valve 51, 52, 53, 54 always allows the liquid to flow through the pipe 43 only in one direction.

  For example, when pressure is applied to the tank 1, the check valves 51 and 53 are closed, and liquid flows from the check valve 52 through the pipe 43 to the check valve 54. Similarly, when pressure is applied to the tank 2, the check valves 52 and 54 are closed, and liquid flows from the check valve 51 through the pipe 43 to the check valve 53.

  The turbine 3 at the midpoint of the pipe 43 rotates by the pressure and momentum of the liquid flowing through the pipe 43. The pulley 9 transmits power from the turbine 3 to the generator 6. The pulley is used when there is no space for the turbine and the generator to share the shaft in a narrow space such as a shoe sole, or when the rotation speed of the turbine and the generator is different. Depending on the situation, the turbine and power generation may share the shaft without using a pulley.

  The generator 6 generates an alternating current by the power of the turbine. The power storage element 8 is an element that stores generated power. The charging circuit 7 is between the generator 6 and the storage element 8 and has a function of rectifying an alternating current generated in the generator 6 and a function of adjusting the voltage of the storage element 8.

  Here, the configuration in the case where the generated power source is once stored in the storage element 8 is described as an example. However, for example, the current generated in the generator 6 may be directly output to the outside, and the configuration may be arbitrary. You can also.

  Next, the operation of the power generator will be described. The general way of walking is to lift one leg, put it forward, land from the heel, move the center of gravity toward the toes, and when the center of gravity is completely near the base of the finger, the whole weight is there. Support and repeat the action of lifting the other leg.

  That is, during walking, there is a time during which the weight is applied only to the heel and a time during which the weight is applied only to the base of the toes. The present invention positively utilizes the pressure difference between these two positions.

  First, when the weight is applied to the bag, pressure is applied to the tank 2 and no pressure is applied to the tank 1, so that the liquid moves from the tank 2 to the tank 1 due to the pressure difference. The turbine 3 in the middle of the pipe 43 can be turned by the pressure difference at that time and the momentum of the liquid.

  Next, when the weight is applied to the base of the toes, the pressure is applied to the tank 1 and the pressure is not applied to the tank 2, so the liquid is transferred from the tank 1 to the tank 2 due to the pressure difference. Can move and turn the turbine 3.

  In this system, the fluid moves back and forth in a sealed space from the tank 2 to the toe tank 1 through the turbine by the pressure of walking. The flow rate of the moving fluid is expressed as a function of the pressure applied to the turbine and the time over which the pressure is applied, but the amount of fluid moving from the toe tank 2 to the toe tank 1 and from the toe tank 1 to the toe tank If the amount of fluid moving to 2 is not equal, the fluid will be biased to one tank.

  Then, either one tank is always full or one tank is always crushed until all the fluid inside is exhausted. If the tank is full, the liquid will not flow any more when the tank is full, and crushing until all of the internal fluid is used will no longer allow the liquid to flow.

  That is, it is not desirable because it means that the fluid cannot absorb the energy of walking and the full or crushed tank loses energy as an impact. In addition, it is not desirable that a full or empty tank is subjected to an impact from the viewpoint of rapid deterioration of the apparatus.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the pressure generated by human walking differs in the pressure in the process of moving the center of gravity from the heel to the toe during walking. In the figure, it can be seen that the pressure applied to the ridge is greater.

  When a person with a walking pressure distribution as shown in FIG. 3 uses this system, the pressure to step on the heel tank 2 is stronger than the pressure to step on the toe tank 1, so the amount of fluid movement is much more conscious. Unless it walks, the fluid moving from the heel to the toe is likely to be larger than the amount of fluid moving from the toe to the heel.

  Therefore, in this system, the elastic member 10 and the elastic member 20 are provided so that the fluid is not biased to one tank even if the pressure applied to the heel and the toe and the time during which the pressure is applied are uneven.

  It should be noted that the way in which a person walks and the pressure applied to the soles of the feet when walking are infinitely different, so the way in which the fluid is biased is not constant. Even in the same person, since the way of walking changes depending on the walking speed and the situation of the walking road, it is expected that the way of biasing the fluid will change. Therefore, it is necessary to use a method that can cope with any bias.

  Specifically, a part of the pressure applied to the tanks 1 and 2 by the elastic members 10 and 20 provided in the tanks 1 and 2 is stored as the elastic energy of the spring, and the return force of the spring when the pressure applied to the tank disappears Can be used to return a portion of the flowed fluid back to the tank.

  By this spring, the tanks 1 and 2 do not accumulate more fluid than specified, and fluid deviation can be eliminated. At the same time, since the turbine can be used to generate power by using the fluid that is moved by the return of the spring, there is little reduction in efficiency.

  The operation of this system when an elastic member is provided in the tank will be further described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 4A, when the elastic members 10 and 20 constituted by the springs and the stands supported by the springs are installed below the tanks 1 and 2 to start walking, the pressure on the soles of the feet Will step on the tank of the kite, but at that time, first of all, the fluid is pushed to the turbine by the pressure of the stepping. If the pressure is high or the pressure is applied for a long time, the tank will come to a position where the upper surface of the tank comes into contact with the table (Fig. 4-2).

  After that, if pressure continues to be applied, the fluid is further pushed to the turbine by the pressure, and at the same time, the spring is squeezed. ).

  Furthermore, in the process of walking after that, the center of gravity moves to another tank, and the force pushing from the sole of the foot is reduced, so that the upper surface of the tank is pushed up by the force that the spring tries to return, and the spring is in a steady state. (Fig. 4-4). At that time, a part of the moved fluid is returned to the original tank. This prevents too much fluid from moving from one tank to the other.

  In this way, when the pressure applied to the toes is greater or the time during which the pressure is applied is longer, the fluid that has once moved from the toe tank to the saddle tank is returned to the toe tank by the spring return force. Return to.

  That is, no matter how you walk and how much pressure is applied to move the fluid, the amount of excess movement by the spring force is returned, and the total amount of fluid movement is the same each time. Moreover, since the fluid returned by the spring also gives work to the turbine, the energy consumed to contract the spring is regenerated. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to avoid the bias of the fluid without causing a large energy loss, and it is possible to avoid a decrease in the output of the walking power generation system.

  As described above, the power generation apparatus according to the present invention provides an elastic member in the tank and accumulates a part of the pressure applied to the tank as elastic energy. It is possible to eliminate the unevenness of the fluid, thereby preventing the tank from becoming full or empty, and preventing the output from decreasing.

  Note that the configuration shown in this embodiment is merely an example, and can be implemented with appropriate modifications. For example, in the configuration shown in FIG. 5, the pipe 1 having a check valve 55 is connected between the turbine 3 and the tank 2 by connecting the tank 1 and the turbine 3 with a pipe 44 having no check valve. A pipe 45 having a check valve 55 is connected. Therefore, the flow path when the liquid flows from the tank 1 to the tank 2 is constituted by the pipe 44 and the pipe 46, and the flow path when the liquid flows from the tank 2 to the tank 1 is constituted by the pipe 44 and the pipe 45. It will be.

  Similarly, in the configuration shown in FIG. 6, the turbine 3 is provided in the vicinity of the tank 2, and the tank 1 and the tank 2 are connected by the pipe 47 having the check valve 57 and the pipe 48 having the check valve 58. ing. As a simpler configuration, the present invention can be applied to a configuration in which two tanks are connected by a single pipe and fluid is reciprocated in the same pipe.

  In addition, for example, the present invention can be applied to any configuration such as having three or more tanks. Further, the installation location is not limited to the shoe, and it is also possible to generate electricity by installing in a location where a pressure difference is generated, such as a hip joint, and bending and stretching the hip joint.

  Further, in this embodiment, the elastic member is constituted by a base and a spring, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the pressure applied to the tank can be converted into elastic energy, for example, the tank itself is constituted by rubber. If so, it can be realized by an arbitrary configuration.

  As described above, the power generation device according to the present invention is effective for power generation by human power, and is particularly suitable for power generation by daily operation.

It is explanatory drawing explaining the structural example of the electric power generating apparatus proposed by this invention (the 1). It is explanatory drawing explaining the structural example of the electric power generating apparatus proposed by this invention (the 2). It is explanatory drawing explaining the change of the pressure which arises by human walk. It is explanatory drawing explaining the operation | movement of the electric power generating apparatus shown in FIG. 1 (the 1). It is explanatory drawing explaining the operation | movement of the electric power generating apparatus shown in FIG. 1 (the 2). FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the power generator shown in FIG. 1 (No. 3). It is explanatory drawing explaining the operation | movement of the electric power generating apparatus shown in FIG. 1 (the 4). It is explanatory drawing explaining the modification of a structure (the 1). It is explanatory drawing explaining the modification of a structure (the 2).

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 2 Tank 3 Turbine 41-48 Pipe 51-58 Check valve 6 Generator 7 Charging circuit 8 Power storage element 9 Pulley 10,20 Elastic member

Claims (4)

Two or more liquid tanks whose internal volume changes due to external load,
A flow path for flowing a liquid between the two or more liquid tanks based on the change in the internal volume;
A turbine provided on the flow path and rotated by the flow of the liquid;
A generator driven by the turbine;
A mounting means for mounting on the user's body so that the weight applied to the liquid tank changes with the user's action;
An elastic mechanism that is provided in at least one of the two or more liquid tanks and stores elastic energy in accordance with a change in the internal volume;
A power generation device comprising:   The power generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elastic mechanism is a spring member.   The power generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elastic mechanism releases the elastic energy so that internal volumes of the two or more liquid tanks are in a predetermined equilibrium state. The mounting means is a shoe, and a weight is applied to different liquid tanks in a state in which a weight is applied in the vicinity of a toe of the user's foot and a state in which a weight is applied in the vicinity of a heel. 3. The power generation device according to 3.

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