JP6230143B1 - Battery-free electronic watches and electronic equipment. - Google Patents

Abstract

[PROBLEMS] To provide an electronic watch that uses a power generation device that does not use a dry battery, a solar battery, a wind power generator, and does not depend on weather conditions such as sunshine hours, wind direction, and wind speed, and continues to operate semipermanently. Configure electronic equipment. To a cam attached to a rotating shaft of a first step motor that starts driving by energizing a field coil through a control means from a power storage means such as a fully charged electric double layer capacitor. Then, an intermittent force is applied to the film-shaped piezoelectric power generating element to obtain an electromotive force, and after charging and smoothing, the power storage means is charged. By repeating this cycle, the power generation operation is continued semipermanently. On the other side of the first step motor, there is a second step motor that drives a smaller rotor sharing a stator, which is a power source for the mechanical timepiece. Furthermore, the remaining power generation block in which the portion constituting the mechanical timepiece is omitted and various electronic devices operable with the power output are combined to constitute a device that continues operation semipermanently. [Selection] Figure 1

Description

Technology related to electronic equipment that uses a piezoelectric power generation element as a power source.

Regarding a method of generating power using a piezoelectric element, in the prior art, for example, as in Patent Document 1, a method is generally used in which an external force is applied to a piezoelectric power generating element to physically deform it to obtain an electromotive force. 1 and 2, the power generation plate is repelled by the pick means provided on the pendulum, and the power generation plate is deformed by the repulsion / attraction force of the permanent magnet provided on the pendulum and the power generation plate in FIGS. No. 13 introduces a method of obtaining an electromotive force by swinging a pendulum by an external force generator such as a spring or a motor and deforming a power generation plate.

However, in any case, in order to continuously generate power, it is necessary to continue support of external force for continuously swinging the pendulum, and power generation stops when the support is interrupted. As described above, in the prior art, in order to obtain continuous electric power energy from the piezoelectric power generation element, it is necessary to support external energy continuously.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2015-6087 Power generation system

Not applicable

The present invention has been devised in view of this problem. In other words, a power generation device capable of continuous power generation operation without the need for external force is realized, and by using this power, a power source such as a dry cell or a button battery is not required, and a semi-permanent continuous operation is possible. The purpose is to construct various possible electronic devices.

A film attached with a cam attached to the rotating shaft of the first step motor that starts driving by energizing the field coil through the control means from the power storage means such as a fully charged electric double layer capacitor. An intermittent force is applied to the piezoelectric power generating element, an electromotive force is obtained, and the power storage means is charged after rectification and smoothing. By repeating this cycle, the power generation operation is continued semipermanently. On the other side of the first step motor, there is a second step motor that drives a smaller rotor that shares a stator and serves as a power source for a mechanical timepiece that continues to operate semipermanently.

The remaining power generation block in which the part constituting the mechanical timepiece of the device is omitted and various electronic devices operable with the power output are combined to constitute a device that continues operation semipermanently.

Consumption of dry batteries and button-type batteries is huge all over the world, and pollution caused by exhaust gas from the thermal energy required for their production and disposal, and electrolytes and heavy metals in the discarded batteries leads to deterioration of the global environment. However, by using the power generation device according to the present invention as a power source, it is possible to configure various electronic devices such as an electronic watch that does not require a battery and can be operated semipermanently. Can be. In addition, because it is a power source that is not affected by weather conditions such as sunshine hours, wind direction, and wind speed, such as solar cells and wind power generators, it is an all-weather type weather observation device that can be operated semipermanently and ecosystems in mountainous areas. It can be applied to long-term observation / monitoring equipment.

First embodiment Side view and operation of step motor Voltage waveform of each part Second embodiment Third embodiment

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment. The generator rotor 5 is a permanent magnet that is cylindrical and magnetized in two radial directions, and has an elliptical cam 6 at the tip of the rotating shaft. The laminated rectangular film-like power generating elements 2a and 2b are arranged so that the tips sandwich the cam 6, and the tips are bounced once every half rotation of the cam 6. The stator 4 and the generator rotor 5 constitute a first step motor. The tip of the two-pole field portion is bifurcated, one approaching the generator rotor 5 and the other being The generator rotor 5 has a shape with a slight distance and is excited by passing an intermittent pulse voltage output from the control means 16 whose polarity is reversed every second to the coil block 7. Rotates at a speed of 180 degrees per second. The power generation element referred to here is a general term for piezoelectric elements represented by piezoelectric power generation elements.

There is a second step motor that shares the stator 4 on the opposite side of the coil block 7 as viewed from the first step motor, and is a slightly small cylindrical permanent magnet magnetized in two radial directions. Then, the timepiece rotor 8 having a gear at the end of the rotating shaft rotates at a speed of 180 degrees per second like the generator rotor 5 to drive the gear block 9 to constitute a mechanical timepiece. The tip shape of the field part of the second step motor is similar to the field shape of the first step motor, with one of the forked shapes approaching the watch rotor 8 and the other at a slight distance. It has become.

Since the stator 4 drives the generator rotor 5 that requires a larger torque and the clock rotor 8 that requires a smaller torque at the same time, a magnetic flux density larger than that of the clock block field can be obtained in the power generation block field. Thus, the A portion of the stator 4 is made wider than the B portion so that the magnetic resistance is smaller than that of the timepiece block side.

The power generating elements 2a and 2b are supported by fulcrums 3a and 3b, and their tips are arranged so as to sandwich the cam 6 therebetween. The power generating elements 2a and 2b are connected so as to be connected in parallel (X1 + X2, Y1 + Y2) in the same phase in order to secure a higher output current capacity.

The rectifier 10 is a full-wave rectifier circuit using a bridge connection of silicon diodes with good rectification efficiency. Since the forward voltage of a typical silicon diode is about 0.6V, a Schottky diode with a forward voltage of about 0.2V may be used to further improve the efficiency.

In the smoothing & power storage means 11, the smoothing resistor 12 forms a low-pass filter with the battery 13, and the time constant is determined so as to charge at a speed that sufficiently compensates for power consumption in the subsequent stage. The power switch 14 is for opening the fully charged battery 13 to a no-load state, and is turned off when shipped from a factory that manufactures the present invention as a product. Will be turned on just before using the product.

The constant voltage means 15 is a constant voltage device with an ultra-low current consumption of around 2uA, and is a CMOS type three-terminal regulator or a circuit configuration corresponding to it, and the output is supplied after being converted into a voltage required by the control means 16 in the subsequent stage. Is done. This block may be incorporated in the microprocessor of the control means 16.

The control means 16 is a microprocessor whose current consumption during non-access is about 2 uA, and has functions necessary for the control of the present invention such as a program memory, an input / output interface and a clock oscillation circuit in addition to the CPU. Is output to the coil block 7 to excite the stator 4. The timing clock is generated by an oscillation circuit composed of a clock crystal resonator 17 having a resonance frequency of 32.768 KHz, and its output is divided by 15 to determine 1 second. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The oscillation frequency may be used.

The operation sequence of the first embodiment is as follows. First, when the power switch 14 is turned on, the voltage from the capacitor 13 is stabilized by the constant voltage means 15 and applied to the control means 16, and immediately, a series of operations starting from power-on reset is performed according to a programmed procedure. As shown in Fig. 3-1-1, an intermittent pulse voltage whose polarity is reversed every second is outputted from the Z1 and Z2 terminals and supplied to the coil block 7, and the stator 4 is excited to generate a generator. The rotor for clock 5 and the rotor for clock 8 are rotated at a speed of 180 degrees per second.

Here, the principle of operation of the timepiece step motor will be confirmed. Since this is a known technique, a brief description will be given. In FIG. 2B, in Step 1, the field is not magnetized, and both poles of the rotor are attracted to the portion of the bifurcated field tip closer to the rotor. In this case, it is assumed that the N and S poles of the rotor are stationary at the positions shown in the figure. Next, when the field is magnetized as in step 2, the field N pole (S pole) and the rotor N pole (S pole) repel, and the rotor N pole (S pole) becomes the field S pole (N pole). ) And start rotating clockwise.

In step 3, the magnetization of the field is cut off, but the rotor continues to rotate by repulsive force, and in step 4, the rotor temporarily stops at a position where it is rotated halfway clockwise as viewed from step 1. Next, in step 5, the field is magnetized in the direction opposite to that in step 2, and the rotor starts to rotate clockwise again. After the state in step 6 has passed, the rotor rotates 180 degrees from the position in step 4 to step 1 Return to position. By repeating this, the rotor continues to rotate.

Based on the principle of rotation of the step motor, the generator rotor 5 in FIG. 1 starts rotating when the power switch 14 is turned on, and simultaneously the tips of the power generating elements 2a and 2b are rotated every 180 degrees per second. Bounce once to generate electromotive force, connect them in parallel in the same phase, and send them to the next stage rectifier 10 as an output waveform as shown in FIG. The cam 6 is shaped to repel the tips of the power generating elements 2a and 2b once per second. However, in order to improve the power generation and charging efficiency, the cam 6 is changed to a cross-shaped cam twice per second. It may be a structure in which it is flipped or a structure in which the cam shape is changed and the ball is played more than once.

In general, the electromotive force of a film-shaped piezo power generation element is easy to obtain a high voltage of several volts to several tens of volts, but the current capacity is as small as several tens of uA to several hundreds of uA. Although it is easy, some countermeasures are necessary to use it as a power source. In other words, it is a matter of course to select a material that prioritizes current capacity over voltage, but as in the present invention, a method of installing a plurality of power generation elements and connecting them in parallel in the same phase is used. .

The rectifying means 10 performs full-wave rectification using a silicon diode in order to increase the rectification efficiency. In order to further improve the efficiency, a Schottky diode having a forward voltage of about 0.2 V, which is lower than about 0.6 V of a general silicon diode, may be employed. The output waveform at this stage is as shown in FIG.

In the smoothing & power storage means 11 that receives the output of the rectifying means 10, the smoothing resistor 12 and the large capacity capacitor 13 such as an electric double layer capacitor constitute a low-pass filter to improve the smoothing efficiency. The output waveform at this stage is as shown in FIG.

The constant voltage means 15 is a constant voltage circuit with a very low current consumption as described above, and the input voltage V1 (FIG. 3-1-4) is changed to V2 (FIG. 3-1-5) required by the control means 16 in the next stage. The output is stabilized, but this block may be incorporated in the control means 16 as described above.

By repeating the above cycle, the power generation block continues to generate power semipermanently. In the timepiece block, the timepiece rotor 8 rotates at a speed of 180 degrees per second like the generator rotor 5, and the gear block 9 And a mechanical timepiece that continues to operate semipermanently.

FIG. 2-1 shows the first embodiment from the side. In the clock block, only the long hand 22 and the short hand 23 are shown, but a second hand may be added if necessary. A printed circuit board 24 incorporating an electronic circuit such as the control means 16 is arranged in an empty space of the housing as shown in the figure.

The focus on the operating principle of this device is to fully supplement the subsequent power consumption by the amount of power generated from the power generation element. Therefore, in the present invention, it is considered that the electric power from the power generation element is rectified and temporarily stored in a large-capacity electric double layer capacitor to serve as a buffer for transient power consumption in the subsequent stage. Since the voltage applied to the coil block 7 is an intermittent pulse waveform as shown in FIG. 3-1-1, even if a large current flows instantaneously, the average value is small, and the electric double layer capacitor has a pulse-like intermittent current. Since it has a strong resistance to a load, it is optimal as a power storage means of the present invention. As described above, an ideal load for the power generation block of the present invention is a load that always consumes a small amount of power, or a load that can operate intermittently and with short-time pulsed power consumption. These will be described later as second and third embodiments.

Self-discharge is the main cause of the decrease in the amount of electricity stored in a fully charged electric double layer capacitor even in a no-load state, but generally the half-life of the amount of electricity stored is about 3 months, so that products that apply the present invention are produced. It can fully cover the period from when a manufacturer is fully charged immediately before shipment, until the consumer starts using the distribution warehouse and retailer. Even if the voltage of the battery drops unexpectedly due to long-term inventory, if the battery is charged for a few seconds, a sufficient charge can be obtained to start up the device. It is advisable to provide a spare charging port on the back and side of the battery so that the battery can be energized from the outside. As other measures, a secondary battery such as a lithium battery may be used instead of the electric double layer capacitor.

FIG. 4 shows the second embodiment, which is a combination of the remaining power generation block in which the mechanical timepiece block is omitted from the first embodiment and a digital timepiece display unit. A driver for operating the board is added, and a new program necessary for controlling the apparatus is stored in the program memory. In this case, the rotational speed of the generator rotor 5 does not need to be 180 degrees per second, and may be lower or higher.

FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment in which the digital clock portion of the second embodiment is replaced with another electronic device, and a program necessary for the control is stored in a program memory in the control means. As described above, the load of the power generation block is ideally a device that constantly consumes a small amount of power, or a device that consumes power in intermittent and short-time pulses. Those satisfying the condition include a thermometer, a hygrometer, a barometer, etc. that can be measured at regular intervals, and a remote control transmitter that normally consumes power only during transmission in a standby state.

FIG. 5A is an example of application to an indoor temperature / humidity meter, an air conditioner, and a remote control transmitter of a TV, and can be applied to a conventional battery powered source. Fig. 5-2 shows an application example to an unmanned, non-powered, all-weather weather station that performs fixed-point observations of temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure in remote areas such as the summit, middle abdomen, and canyons. Since it communicates with the relay base 55 via radio waves, there is an advantage that a long power supply / communication cable can be omitted.

Various applications including battery-free analog and digital wristwatches and table clocks, indoor temperature / humidity meters, and unmanned / unpowered weather stations in mountainous and gorgeous areas, as well as temperature / humidity / barometers of all-weather weather stations It can be applied to remote control transmitters that control equipment. Furthermore, in mountainous areas, it can be applied to a motion sensor camera for observation of the dynamics of beasts such as bears and the ecology of endangered species, enabling long-term monitoring and observation that was difficult with conventional battery-operated cameras. It becomes.

It is expected that the present invention will contribute to the improvement of the global environment by commercializing it by applying it to the devices listed in the above-mentioned “Examples”, and the economic effects brought about by these innovative products will develop the industry. Take it.

Reference numerals are explained at the bottom of each drawing.

Claims (7)

A cylindrical permanent magnet magnetized to two poles in the radial direction, a rotor for generators having an elliptical cam that can obtain two cam lifts at one rotation at the end of the rotating shaft, and a two-pole field surrounding the outer periphery A first step motor composed of a plate-shaped stator that is a magnet and a coil block for exciting the stator, and the tip is flipped once every half rotation of the cam with the cam interposed therebetween. Two film-shaped piezoelectric power generating elements, a rectifying means for rectifying the electromotive force, a power storage means comprising a resistor and a large-capacity capacitor for smoothing and storing it, and a constant for stabilizing the output voltage. It comprises voltage means and control means that starts with the output voltage and excites the coil block with an intermittent pulse voltage output whose polarity is reversed every second and rotates the step motor 180 degrees per second. Departure Electrical equipment. The elliptical cam that can obtain two cam lifts in one rotation is replaced with a cross shape, and a cam that can obtain four cam lifts in one rotation or more can be obtained. The power generation device according to claim 1, further comprising a cam having a shape. The power generator according to claim 1, wherein the large-capacity capacitor is replaced with a secondary battery such as a lithium battery. A mechanical timepiece combined with the power generator according to claim 1, which is disposed on the opposite side across the coil block as viewed from the first stepping motor and is cylindrically magnetized in two poles in the radial direction. The permanent magnet of the watch has a gear at the tip of the rotating shaft, and a two-pole field surrounding the outer periphery of the rotor is configured to share the stator, so that it is 180 degrees per second as in the first step motor. A mechanical timepiece in which a second stepping motor that rotates, a gear block that transmits the rotation at a predetermined gear ratio, and a second hand, a long hand, and a short hand are driven thereby. The power generator according to claim 1, wherein the rotational speed of the generator rotor is set to be slower or faster than 180 degrees per second. 6. A digital timepiece in which a digital timepiece display unit is combined with the power generator of claim 1 or 5, and the hardware configuration of the control means and the program memory are changed so that the digital timepiece can be controlled. An electronic device such as a thermometer, a hygrometer, a barometer, and a remote control transmitter using an electronic sensor is combined with the power generator of claim 1 or 5, and the hardware configuration of the control means and the program memory are those devices. A device that has been modified so that it can be controlled.