NL2020488B1 - Energy harvesting module - Google Patents

Abstract

Low voltage energy harvesting module comprising a low voltage photovoltaic element, an energy storage element and a control unit configured for harvesting electrical energy from the photovoltaic element and configured for storing the harvested electrical energy in the energy storage element, further comprising a carrier wherein the photovoltaic element is arranged at an outside of the carrier and the energy storage element and the control unit are arranged at an inside of the carrier, wherein the carrier further is provided With mechanical connection elements having a predetermined footprint for mechanical connection of the module to a printed circuit board.

Description

Patent center

Θ 2020488

(2?) Application number: 2020488 (22) Application submitted: 23 February 2018

Int. CL:

H02S 40/38 (2018.01)

0 Application registered: 0 Patent holder (s): August 30, 2019 Tryst B.V. in Capelle aan den IJssel. 0 Request published: - 0 Inventor (s): Johannes Tillema in Capelle aan den IJssel. 0 Patent granted: August 30, 2019 0 Authorized representative: 0 Patent issued: ir. C.M. Jansen et al. In The Hague. August 30, 2019

Energy harvesting module

U) Low voltage energy harvesting module including a low voltage photovoltaic element, an energy storage element and a control unit configured for harvesting electrical energy from the photovoltaic element and configured for failure the harvested electrical energy in the energy storage element, further including a carrier the photovoltaic element is arranged at an outside of the carrier and the energy storage element and the control unit are arranged at an inside of the carrier, the carrier further is provided with mechanical connection elements having a predetermined footprint for mechanical connection of the module to a printed circuit board.

NL B1 2020488

This patent has been granted regardless of the attached result of the research into the state of the art and written opinion. The patent corresponds to the documents originally submitted.

P117182NL00

Title: Energy harvesting module

The invention relates to a low voltage energy harvesting module.

Low voltage energy harvesting modules are known and are often used for internet-of-things application having a rather high need for electrical energy. If such internet-of-things devices are provided with signal transmitters, e.g. a radio wave transmitter, to communicate with other devices. As these devices are usually non-stationary and / or transportable and / or portable, i.e. movable in a space or beyond, it is not possible to feed the devices with a fixed connection to the mains. To fulfill the energy need of such devices, often a battery is provided, that is mounted on or in the internet-of-thing device itself, and via wiring connected to the printed circuit board or the device. A drawback, however, is the limited lifetime of a battery, such attempts have been made to provide a photovoltaic element and chargeable batteries. Energy harvested from the photovoltaic element is used for charging the batteries or another storage device for temporary electrical energy failure, the batteries can then provide the stored energy, upon request, to the internet-of-things device via the printed circuit board. These three components, the batteries, printed circuit board and the photovoltaic element, are provided as separate components connected to each other via wiring, or via the printed circuit board. This provides a huge flexibility and / or freedom of choice for the designer of the internet-of-things device, which can be advantageous as aesthetic design might be relevant for such devices, depending on the application. A drawback of this solution, however, is that these components, for generating, controlling and failing energy, need to be individually calculated and / or checked depending on the design requirements. This may be a difficult and cumbersome task, which may be consuming and taking disproportionate time or the complete design process. Also, assembling these individual components requires time and specific - robotic - handling, which may make the production process rather time consuming and / or costly. In particular, the printed circuit board is usually cured at high temperatures against which the photovoltaic element and / or the battery are usually not resistant, requiring, again, additional handling to have the photovoltaic element and the battery assembled later to the printed circuit board. Additionally, chargeable batteries are relatively large and may have a limited lifetime as well. Typically, the lifetime or such a chargeable battery is about two to three years. This means that every two to three years all the batteries in all the devices are operated by a specific company, such as a logistics company which may have hundreds or thousands of these devices. This is a complex, expensive and time consuming operation.

So, there is a need for improved means for providing electrical energy to an internet-of-things device.

Thereto, there is provided a low voltage energy harvesting module including a low voltage photovoltaic element, an energy storage element and a control unit configured for harvesting electrical energy from the photovoltaic element and configured for failure the harvested electrical energy in the energy storage element, further including a carrier to which the photovoltaic element is arranged and supporting the energy storage element and the control unit, the carrier is further provided with mechanical connection elements having a predetermined footprint for mechanical connection or the module to a further component.

By providing a single carrier in which the photovoltaic element for generating energy, the energy storage element for fault energy and the control unit for controlling energy for harvesting energy from the photovoltaic element and fault it in the storage element, are all provided, a compact and integrated unit is obtained that a designer can easily use and integrate in its designs or an internet-of-things device. The energy storage element can be a capacitor, or a supercapacitor, as it is relatively efficient and relatively compact, or a chargeable battery element.

The further component can be a printed circuit board that may include a circuit to be fed with electrical energy from the photovoltaic module. Alternatively, the further component can be a mechanical component including corresponding mechanical connection elements with the predetermined footprint. A printed circuit board with a circuit to be fed with the electrical energy from the photovoltaic module can be positioned elsewhere and may be, via a further electrical connection or electrical and mechanical connection, connected to the further component. Such further at least electrical connection to a remote printed circuit board may e.g. be a cabling or a plug / socket connection etc.

Since at least the printed circuit board is separate from the module, the printed circuit board can be assembled, cured and fully manufactured independent of the module. As such, a reduction of the manufacturing time can be obtained, since heat sensitive components such as an energy storage element, or a photovoltaic element, now becomes independent of the printed circuit module. The module can be assembled and manufactured independent and separate from the printed circuit board, allowing an advantage of assembly and storage of the independent parts. In fact, assembly of the module to the printed circuit board, the printed circuit board can be the further component or the further component can be an intermediate component between the printed circuit board and the module. This may provide easy assembly, less time consuming manufacturing and assembly and easier handling, as the parts, module and further component, e.g., the printed circuit board, can be handled separately.

The photovoltaic element is preferably provided to the carrier such that, after mounting the module to the further component, a photovoltaic side of the photovoltaic element can receive environmental light, such that electrical energy can be generated.

The carrier can be embodied as a carrier frame to which the photovoltaic element is mounted, or can be embodied as a housing to which the photovoltaic element is mounted and forms an outer wall thereof. Optionally, the carrier can be a backside or the photovoltaic element itself. The carrier may also be embodied as a carrier plate mounted to a backside of the photovoltaic element supporting at one side the photovoltaic element and at another side the energy storage element and the control unit, while an electrical connection is established between at least the photovoltaic element and the control unit for harvesting the electrical energy from the photovoltaic element. Further, also an electrical connection between the control unit and the energy storage element is provided such that the harvested electrical energy can be stored in the energy storage element. Advantageously, the carrier is provided to support the photovoltaic element and to take up any mechanical loads that may act on the photovoltaic element, as, usually the photovoltaic elements are rather sensitive to, in particular, mechanical loads. However, if the photovoltaic element itself may be sufficiently stiff and strong, the photovoltaic element may be the carrier itself

When mounting the carrier to the further component, depending on the shape of the carrier, e.g. when embodied as a housing, an enclosure can be formed between the carrier and the further component. As the control unit and the energy storage element are mounted to the carrier at a backside of the photovoltaic element, these components are then, after mounting, contained in the enclosure between the carrier and the printed circuit board, and thus, at an inside of the carrier. As such, these components can be protected, after mounting, against environmental influences, such as water, dirt or dust. The photovoltaic element may also form an outer side of the housing as a carrier and as such a wall of the housing or being a part of a wall of the housing.

The carrier of the module is provided with mechanical connection elements having a predetermined footprint for mechanical connection or the module with a further component. As such, the module can easily be assembled to the further component of the internet-of-things device.

The predetermined footprint of the mechanical connection elements can be triangular, in particular isosceles triangular, having two isosceles legs and a base leg. The angle enclosed between the two isosceles legs or the triangle is preferably in the range of about 30 degrees to about 50 degrees, more preferably about 40 degrees. The angle enclosed between the base leg and one isosceles leg is preferably in the range of about 75 degrees to about 65 degrees, more preferably about 70 degrees. As such, a unique footprint is obtained that prevents misalignment or erroneous installation and thus can provide for a reliable connection. Also, by providing this footprint on the further component, or on the printed circuit board if that is the further component, the printed circuit boards can be manufactured and cured, and thereafter, in a further assembly step, a module having the mechanical connection elements in the same or similar footprint can be assembled to the further component and / or to the printed circuit board.

Alternatively, the mechanical connection elements or the carrier and the mechanical connection elements or the further component may form a bayonet connection or a screw connection. This may be advantageous when the photovoltaic element can be circular shaped and for example the carrier can be circular shaped. Also, such connections have a predefined footprint as the mechanical connection elements or both parts to be coupled corresponding positions to allow mechanical connection.

By providing such a module having the required components contained on, to or in the carrier, a modular design can be obtained. Also, all individual components do not separately need to be sized and / or calculated, instead of a ready-made module is provided that can be implemented by a designer depending on the requirements of the internet-of-things device. As such, by providing a self-containing module, the energy need can be easily scalable. The input / output specifications of the module are now predetermined. In addition to the predetermined footprint of the mechanical connection elements, at least the electrical output, current and / or voltage, or the module is predefined as well. As such, the module becomes a so-called standard component in the design of the internet-of-things device, and when a different electrical output is required more modules may be provided that can be arranged in series or in parallel. As such, a truly modular and scalable approach to the electrical requirements of the internet-of-things device can be realized.

For example, when an internet-of-things device requires a certain amount of voltage and / or current supply, a number of modules can be used such that the voltage and / or current requirements can be used with. Thus, an integrated and compact energy harvesting module is obtained that can be used in various applications, preferably in applications having a permanent, continuous or intermittent, low voltage energy need, such as for example, but not limited to, internet-of-things devices. Depending on the specific requirements of the device, voltage and / or current supply can be adjusted to provide multiple modules in parallel or in series. As such, a truly modular energy harvesting system is provided that is flexible in use for scaling, that reduces production and assembly time and costs, and that gives sufficient ease of use for the designer or an internet-of-things device.

The carrier can be provided as a box-shaped housing having one side in or on which the photovoltaic element is provided and an opposite side which can be open to allow access to an inside of the housing. The carrier can also be provided as a bracket shaped element having one side in which the photovoltaic element fits. The bracket shaped element may have legs that can be the mechanical connection elements. Alternatively, the carrier may be circular shaped, rounded or otherwise shaped, given the possibility of flexible photovoltaic elements. Many variants or a carrier are possible.

Preferably, the photovoltaic element is provided in or on a side of the carrier with the photovoltaic cells that are facing outwardly exposed to environmental light. A back side of the photovoltaic element than may be an inner side of the carrier. Advantageously, the control unit and the energy storage element are provided on the back side of the photovoltaic element. The carrier then may be provided to hold the photovoltaic element, and in some embodiments, the control unit and the energy storage element as well, and to mechanically connect it to a further component. This allows for a rather compact energy harvesting element that easily fits onto a further component.

Advantageously, the predetermined footprint or the mechanical connection elements is a single mode connection footprint. With a single mode connection footprint is meant a footprint that provides for a single way or connection only. This minimizes risks on misalignment or mistakes in assembly. Such a single mode connection footprint is obtained by a specific predetermined positioning of the mechanical connection elements. For example, three mechanical connection elements can be provided in an asymmetric pattern or an otherwise irregular pattern. So, there is only a single way of mounting the module onto the printed circuit board, as such the connection can be said to be fool-proof.

Additionally and / or alternatively, the mechanical connection elements may be shaped such that only a single way of connection to the corresponding mechanical connection elements of the printed circuit board. For example, the mechanical connection elements can be hook-shaped, the shape of the hook may provide for a unique connection possibility to the corresponding mechanical connection elements of the printed circuit board, e.g. an opening or recess.

Further, the carrier preferably has approximately the same dimensions as the photovoltaic element. Optionally, the carrier can be even narrower than the photovoltaic element as e.g. a carrier plate mounted to the back side of the photovoltaic element. The carrier can thus become very compact, which allows easy handling and ease of implementation on an internet-of-things device. Advantageously, the dimensions of the carrier are less than a length of about 5 cm, a width of about 3 cm and a height of about 1 cm. Of course, the dimensions depend on the shape of the carrier, which may also be circular shaped, having a diameter or, preferably, less than 10 cm. Other shapes and dimensions of the carrier are possible. As the energy need of an internet-of-things device is usually limited, a limited photovoltaic surface of the photovoltaic element may suffice to meet the energy needs of the device. The energy need of an internet-of-things device may for example include current for energizing a transmitter for transmitting radio wave or other wave signals. Typically, the photovoltaic element is sufficiently efficient that it can operate in ambient light, so no direct exposure to sunlight is required. This is advantageous for applications or the internet-of-device with such a module in environments where no sun light is available, e.g. warehouses, manufacturing halls, transport containers, office buildings etc, but certainly also outdoor applications. By using photovoltaic elements that work on ambient light or environmental light, any light is sufficient to generate energy, and the energy harvesting module can work independently or, for example, sun light. The dimensions of the photovoltaic surface of the photovoltaic element can thus be relatively small, and as such, the carrier to which the photovoltaic element is mounted can be relatively small as well, thus reducing the impact of the module on the design and / or shape of the internet-of-things device.

To provide for an electrical connection of the module with the printed circuit board, directly as a further component or via the further component as an intermediate component, electrical connection elements are provided on the module. Preferably, the electrical connection elements are provided on an inner side of the carrier or the module, such that after mounting the module on the further component, an electrical connection is established. For example, the electrical connection elements can be provided on a back side of the photovoltaic element. Thereto, the further component is advantageously provided with corresponding electrical connection elements to establish the electrical connection after mounting. Since the mechanical connection elements are preferably single mode connection elements, the module can be mounted on the further component in a unique, predefined way. As such, the electrical connection elements onto the further component can be provided on a predetermined location, corresponding to the location of the electrical connection elements onto the module. As such, simply mounting the module onto the further component, a mechanical connection and an electrical connection can be established in a reliable way. These predefined positions of the electrical connection elements are advantageous for obtaining a reliable electrical connection and / or for an efficient and standardized production process, and / or to avoid mistakes or misalignment in the production process. If the printed circuit board is remote from the further component, a further electrical connection may be established between the further component and the printed circuit board to supply the printed circuit board with electrical energy.

For example, the electrical connection elements or the module preferably include at least two biased metallic fingers. The fingers are preferably provided at predefined positions at the inside of the module and extend downwardly. Advantageously, the fingers are biased towards a position away from the photovoltaic element. Other electrical connection elements that provide for an electrical connection without soldering may be used, e.g. metallic springs.

The mechanical connection elements may provide for removable mechanical connection or the module to the printed circuit board. This provides for a relatively easy exchangeability of the module. For example, when the module is broken or damaged, the module can be removed from the further component and can be replaced by another module. Alternatively, when the printed circuit board becomes damaged or broken, the device may become irrepairable while the module can be removed and re-used. This also provides for easy maintenance, and also a relatively easy upgrade of the energy supply to the internet-of-things device.

The invention further relates to a system of such a module according to a further component, considering the further component is provided with mechanical connection elements having a footprint corresponding with the footprint of the mechanical connection elements of the module, such that, after connection, the module fits onto the further component. Such a system gives the designer an efficient and ready-made energy solution for internet-of-things devices that helps advantageously in reducing the duration of the design process, manufacturing time, assembly time etc.

In the system, preferably, the module further comprises electrical connection elements having a footprint corresponding with a footprint or electric connection elements on the further component, such that, after mechanical connection, an electrical connection with the further component is established to connect and to interact the control unit and the energy storage element with a circuit on the printed circuit board. Thus, when establishing the mechanical connection between the module and the further component, at the same time a correct and reliable electrical connection is obtained between the control unit and the energy storage element at the one hand and the printed circuit board at the other hand.

Further, a printed circuit board is provided that provides low voltage electrical energy to a mobile unit requiring energy, such as a radio signal transmitter or an internet-of-things device, the mobile unit is to be mounted onto a non-stationary transportable equipment, the printed circuit board, directly as a further component or via an intermediate component as a further component, is configured for cooperation with said an energy harvesting module, the further component including a mechanical connection elements having a footprint corresponding to the footprint of the mechanical connection elements of the module, such that, after connection, the module fits onto the further component. Advantageously, the printed circuit board is obsolete with heat sensitive components as the heat sensitive components are advantageously provided on the module.

A printed circuit board provided with a footprint or mechanical connection elements to establish a mechanical connection with a module having corresponding mechanical connection elements in the same footprint is also envisaged. The module is preferably a module comprising heat sensitive components, in which these components cannot be soldered to the printed circuit board prior to the curing of the printed circuit board. Such components may be photovoltaic cells, or an interface component, such as an LCD screen, or a touch screen, etc.

Additionally, having a module with at least one heat sensitive component, the module is provided with mechanical connection elements positioned in a footprint corresponding with the footprint or corresponding mechanical connections elements or a printed circuit board, is envisaged as well.

Also, an internet-of-things device is provided with said energy harvesting system for feeding electrical energy to the device.

Further advantageous are represented in the subclaims.

The invention will be further elucidated on the basis of example, which are represented in a drawing. The exemplary numbers are given by way of non-limitative illustrations. It is noted that the figures are only schematic representations of the invention that are given by way or non-limiting example.

In the drawing shows:

Figure 1 a schematic perspective view of an internet-of-things device provided with a system of an energy harvesting module and a printed circuit board;

Figure 2 a schematic perspective exploded top view of the module and the printed circuit board;

Figure 3 a schematic perspective bottom view of the module of figure 2;

Figure 4 a schematic perspective exploded top view of the module of figure 2;

Figure 5 a schematic perspective exploded bottom view of the module of figure 2; and

Figure 6 a schematic perspective exploded view or another embodiment of the module;

Figure 7 a schematic representation of a device including a printed circuit board and a module.

In the figures, the same or corresponding elements are designated with the same or corresponding reference signs.

Figure 1 shows schematically an internet-of-things device 1. The device 1 can have any shape or shape or dimension as required for its use and / or function. Typically, such an internet-of-things device 1 is provided with a printed circuit board 2a on which, for example, a sender or a transmitter is provided that sends or transmits signals, such as radio wave signals or other wave signals, eg Bluetooth , wifi, RFID, NFC, etc. The internet-of-things device 1 is typically a stand-alone device, in the sense that it is not connected to the mains, as such it has its own energy supply. Typically the internet-of-things device 1 may communicate with another device to connect, ultimately, to the internet. Therefor, preferably at least a signal transmitter is provided in the internet-of-things device. Such a transmitter requires electrical energy to send and / or transmit signals. The energy need of the transmitter may be continuous or intermittent, dependent on function and / or use. Further, there may be other components provided on the printed circuit board and / or on the internet ofthings device requiring energy.

To supply energy, the internet-of-things device 1 is provided with an energy harvesting module 3. The energy harvesting module 3 comprises a low voltage photovoltaic element 4 and a carrier 5 to which the photovoltaic element 4 is arranged, as shown for example in figure 2. The low voltage photovoltaic element 4 comprises photovoltaic cells 4b that can generate energy with any light, also ambient light, environmental light, artificial fight etc. in the visual spectrum. In the bottom view of figure 3 it can be seen that the module 3 further comprises an energy storage element 6 and a control unit 7. The control unit 7 is configured for harvesting electrical energy from the photovoltaic element 4 and is configured for failure the harvested electrical energy in the energy storage element 6. The carrier 5 is arranged for supporting the photovoltaic element 4, the energy storage element 6 and the control unit 7. The carrier 5 can be a simple frame or plate, or can be embodied as a housing , a container, or a box or any other structure for receiving the photovoltaic element 4. Here, in the embodiment of figure 2, the carrier 5 is shown as a housing having side walls 5s.

The module 3 is designed and configured to fit onto a further component 2. The further component can be the printed circuit board 2a, or can be another component such as a plate. In the embodiment of figure 2, the further component 2 is the printed circuit board 2a. It is understood that the further component 2 may be a mounting component for mechanical and / or electrical connection only, and that the printed circuit board 2 may be a different location, preferably inside the device 1.

The carrier 5 is provided with mechanical connection elements 8 having a predetermined footprint for the mechanical connection of the module 3 to the printed circuit board 2a. In particular, the side walls 5s are provided here with the mechanical connection elements 8. More in particular, the mechanical connection elements 8 extend from the side walls in a direction away from the photovoltaic element 4. The further component 2, here the printed circuit board 2a, itself is also provided with corresponding mechanical connection elements 9 of the module. In this embodiment, the module mechanical connection elements 8 are provided as hooks protruding from the carrier 5 and the printed circuit board mechanical connection elements 9 are provided as opening that can receive the hooks 8 of the module. The footprint of the mechanical connection elements 8 is provided as a single mode footprint, meaning that there is only a single, unique way to couple the module to the further component. This can for example be obtained by an irregular geometric configuration of the connection elements. Here, an isosceles triangular configuration is used. Alternatively, instead of hooks, also mushroom shaped elements, pins or fingers can be used to connect mechanically to the printed circuit board. Also, in this embodiment the fingers, hooks etc are provided on the module and corresponding recesses or opening are provided on the printed circuit board. It has been understood that this configuration can be inversed, in that the fingers, hooks etc. can be provided on the further component while the corresponding opening or recesses can be provided on the carrier.

The footprint of the module mechanical connection elements 8 is the same as the footprint of the printed circuit board mechanical connection elements 9 such that a unique and reliable mechanical connection can be established and misassembly or mistakes during assembly can be minimized.

In this embodiment, there are three mechanical connection elements 8 and three corresponding mechanical connection elements 9 arranged for cooperation with each other. The footprint of the mechanical connection elements 8 is the same or approximately the same as the footprint of the corresponding mechanical connection elements 9 such a mechanical connection can be easily established and some minor play or tolerances can be accommodated. Here, the footprint is triangular, in particular isosceles triangular, having two isosceles legs and a base leg. The angle enclosed between the two isosceles legs or the triangle is about 40 degrees. The angle enclosed between the base leg and one isosceles leg is about 70 degrees. As such, a unique footprint is obtained that prevents misalignment or erroneous installation and thus can provide a reliable connection, allowing easy connection or modules on the printed circuit board.

Advantageously, the hooks 8 provide for a removable connection, the module 3 can also be tasks off the printed circuit board 2a which can be advantageous for replacement, repair, maintenance or upgrade of the module and / or the energy supply to the printed circuit board . Alternatively, a bayonet connection can be provided. Preferably, a mechanical connection is provided that can be established by means of the module mechanical connection elements 8 and the printed circuit board mechanical connection elements 9 only, so without the use of additional fixation elements, such as screws or bolts. This reduces the assembly and thus reduces the assembly time. Many such mechanical connections are possible, e.g. click fingers, pin-hole connection, shoe-rail connection etc.

The control unit 7 is configured to harvest electrical energy from the photovoltaic element 4. Preferably, the photovoltaic element 4 is arranged to generate electrical energy from ambient light, such that the application of the module 3 in environments without direct sun light is also possible. To store the harvested electrical energy, an energy storage element 6 is provided, usually a capacitor. The control unit 7 is configured to directly the harvested energy to the energy storage element 6. Further, advantageously, the control unit 7 is configured to supply energy to the energy storage element 6 to the printed circuit board 2a, for example upon demand of the printed circuit board 2a or for example at predefined time intervals. To supply the electrical energy to the printed circuit board 2a an electrical connection is established between the module 3 and the printed circuit board 2a. Thereto, electrical connection elements 10 are provided on the module 3. These electrical connection elements 10 are here embodied as two spring biased metallic fingers 10. The metallic fingers 10 are from a metallic material that guides electrical current, such as, but not limited to copper. To establish the electrical connection, the printed circuit board 2a is provided with corresponding electrical connection elements 11. The footprint of the module electrical connection elements 10 is the same as the footprint of the printed circuit board electrical connection elements 11, such that, upon connecting the module 3 onto the printed circuit board 2a, an electrical contact can be established. The fingers 10 are biased, preferably elastic, metallic elements such that upon contact with the corresponding electrical connection elements 11, an electrical contact is obtained.

The geometry of the fingers 10 can be such that a spring action of the fingers is possible, see for example in figure 5. Thereto, the fingers 10 include a C-shaped part 12 or which one end 12a is connected to the module 3 and the other end 12b is free floating. Between the end 12b and the module 3 a bridge element 13 is provided including two parts 13a, 13b that are movable with respect to each other. Thus, the free end 12b of the Cshaped part 12 can move towards the module 3, but due to the C-shape of the part 12, the part 12 is biased towards the opposite direction, away from the module 3. This spring action allows that a firm electrical connection is established between the connection elements 10 or the module 3 and the connection elements 11 or the printed circuit board 2a. Other electrical connection elements, such as springs or wires etc. can be used as well.

As can be seen in the figures, the photovoltaic element 4 is arranged at a side of the carrier 5 such that one side 4a of the photovoltaic element including the photovoltaic cells 4b is exposed to the environment to receive light. The photovoltaic element 4 may be an outside of the housing 5. The energy storage element 6 and the control unit 7 are arranged at a side 5b or the carrier 5 opposite of the side to which the photovoltaic element 4 is arranged such that they are protected from environmental influences. Such an opposite side 5b can be a backside 4c of the photovoltaic element, but can alternatively be a bottom side of the carrier to which the control unit and energy storage element are mounted, such that they are an inner enclosure formed by the carrier and / or the printed circuit board when mounted.

Here, the carrier 5 is provided as a box shaped housing one side 5a or which is arranged to receive the photovoltaic element 4. Further, transverse sides 5s are provided that enclose the side 5a. As such, a housing 5 is formed that encloses an inner area in which sensitive components such as the energy storage element 6 and the control unit 7 can be housed and protected from environmental and / or other influences.

The mechanical connection elements 8 are provided here on the side walls 5s. Other expands of the carrier are also possible, for example a bracket arranged for receiving the photovoltaic element in the bracket may have legs that are arranged as the mechanical connection elements. Many variants are possible. When fitting the mechanical connection elements 8 to the corresponding mechanical connection elements 9 of the further component 2 or 2a, the side walls 5s close off the inner area formed by the housing 5 to optimally protect the sensitive components the energy storage element 6 and the control unit 7. So, a truly modular device can be obtained that can simply be connected to the further component or the printed circuit board. If the mechanical connection elements 8, 9 provide for a removable mechanical connection, the-connection or the module from the further component is also possible.

Preferably, the carrier 5 has about the same dimensions as the photovoltaic element 4, such that the module 3 does not need to be larger than necessitated by the dimensions of the photovoltaic element 4. These dimensions may be a length L or about or less than 5 cm, a width W or about or less than 3 cm and a height H or about or less than 1 cm. In an embodiment, the length L may be about 3 cm, the width W about 2 cm and the height H may be about 0.5 cm. Many variants are possible. It is noted that any shape of the carrier is possible, also circular or rounded or rectangular or polygonal etc. The carrier can have the same shape as the photovoltaic element or can have a different shape than the photovoltaic element, such that the carrier can be larger than the photovoltaic element. It is noted that the figures are not to scale.

Here, the energy storage element 6, the control unit 7 and the electrical connection elements 10 are provided on a backside 4c of the photovoltaic element 4. More in particular, they are provided on a board 14 that is mounted onto the backside 4c of the photovoltaic element 4, as shown in figure 4 and figure 5. To establish a connection between the board 14 and the photovoltaic element 4, in particular an electrical connection such that the control unit 7 can communicate with the photovoltaic element 4, the boards 14 can be soldered to the backside 4c of the photovoltaic element 4. In other variants, the energy storage element 6 and / or the control unit 7 may be directly fitted onto the backside 4c of the photovoltaic element 4. As such, the photovoltaic element 4 and the board 14 are mounted as a single component to the carrier 5. The photovoltaic element 4 is preferably fixedly mounted to the carrier 5 such that a firm, non-removable connection is established between the photovolta ic element 4 and the carrier 5. To receive the photovoltaic element 4, with the board 14, the carrier 5 is provided with a recess 15 at the side 5a in which recess 15 flanges 16 are provided on which the photovoltaic element 4 can be positioned . Alternatively, a bracket may clamp around or to the photovoltaic element.

The control unit 7 is schematically represented here, but can, in practice, be comprised of a number of relays, connections therebetween, and / or other components on the board 14 and / or on the backside 4c of the photovoltaic element 4.

Figure 6 gives a schematic perspective view of another embodiment of the module 3. Here, the carrier 5 is provided as a carrier frame to which the mechanical connection elements 8 are mounted. Optionally, the carrier frame can be obviated and the mechanical connection elements 8 can be mounted directly to a backside 4c of the photovoltaic element 4. The mechanical connection elements 8 are provided here as four pins that fit in corresponding opening of the further component 2. To provide for a unique footprint, the distance Da between a first pair of pins 8a, 8b is different than the distance Db between a second pair of pins 8c, 8d. As such, a unique footprint can be obtained and misassembly can be avoided. The energy storage element 6 and the control unit 7 are here mounted directly to the backside 4c of the photovoltaic element, but can alternatively be mounted to the carrier 5 or to a board 14 as in the previous edition, never an electrical connection between the control unit 7 and the photovoltaic element 4 may be established. Further, here, the electrical connection element 10 may simply be provided as a metallic element 10 that can establish an electrical connection when contacting the corresponding electrical connection element 11 onto the further component 2. Here, the printed circuit board 2a may be remote from the further component 2. So, the further component 2 may be provided with an additional electrical connector 17, eg a socket to which a plug or a cable 18 can be connected, while the other end of the cable 18 can be via for example a plug -and-socket connection, or another connection, be connected to the printed circuit board 2a for feeding electrical energy to the printed circuit board 2a. Alternative electrical connections can also be provided.

Figure 7 shows schematically the modularity of a device, such as an internet-of-things device 1. The application of the device 1 is implemented on the printed circuit board 2a and can be various eg computing 203, sensing 204, transmitting 205 etc. To power such an application or the device 1, an energy harvesting module 3 is provided. This energy harvesting module 3 comprises a photovoltaic element 4 for harvesting energy 104, comprises a control unit 7 for regulating or controlling 107 the photovoltaic element and / or the energy storage element, and comprises an energy storage element 6 for failure 106 the harvested energy. These three elements are illustrated as functions of the module 3. The module 3 is connected to the printed circuit board 2a for powering 201 the printed circuit board 2a, while there is also a ground connection 202 between the module 3 and the printed circuit board 2a , which can be established via an intermediate component as a further component, or directly to the printed circuit board as a further component. The power supplied to the printed circuit board 2a may be used for various applications, e.g. for computing 203, or for powering a sensor 204, or for transmitting or emitting radio signals 205, etc. Various applications are possible.

For the purpose of clarity and a concise description, features are described as part of the same or separate expired, however, it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention may include including combinations of all or some of the features described. It may be understood that the negatively shown have the same or similar components, apart from where they are described as being different.

In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be constructed as limiting the claim. The word "including" does not exclude the presence of other features or steps than those listed in a claim. Furthermore, the words "a" and "an" shall not be construed as limited to "only one", but instead of being used to mean "at least one," and do not exclude a multiple. The more fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to an advantage. Many variants will be apparent to the person skilled in the art. All variants are understood to be included within the scope of the invention defined in the following claims.

List of numerals internet-of-things device further component; such as

2a printed circuit board energy harvesting module photovoltaic element

4a photovoltaic side of the photovoltaic element

4b photovoltaic cells

4c backside or photovoltaic element carrier

5a side of carrier receiving the photovoltaic element

5s side walls or carrier

5b opposite side of carrier energy storage element control unit mechanical connection elements of the module mechanical connection elements of the printed circuit board electrical connection elements of the module electrical connection elements of the printed circuit board

C-shaped part

12a, 12b ends of the C-shaped part bridge element

13a, 13b parts of the bridge element board recess flanges electrical connector cable

Claims (2)

Conclusions 1/7. << * '*' * '*' * '*' * VVX ·. f Λ ·> ^^> Χ> · <^> ΧΧχ ^ Χ ^ ^^ Xxxxxx'ixvk ^ v ^ Xxww » A low voltage energy recovery module comprising - a low-voltage photovoltaic element, - an energy storage element and - a control unit adapted to extract electrical energy from the photovoltaic element and adapted to store the recovered electrical energy in the energy storage element, further comprising, - a support for supporting the photovoltaic element, the energy storage element and the control unit, the support being provided with mechanical connecting elements with a predetermined footprint for mechanical connection of the module to a further component. The module of claim 1, wherein the predetermined footprint of the mechanical connection elements is a single-mode connection footprint. The module of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the carrier has approximately the same dimensions as the photovoltaic element. A module according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising electrical connection elements to provide an electrical connection to the further component. The module of claim 4, wherein the electrical connection elements comprise at least two prestressed metal fingers. A module according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dimensions of the support are less than a length of about or less than 5 cm, a width of about or less than 3 cm and a height of about or less than 1 cm. A module according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit and the energy storage element are mounted on the carrier. A module according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the mechanical connecting elements provide a removable mechanical connection of the module to a printed circuit board. 9. A module according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the photovoltaic element is arranged on the carrier such that after connection to the further part a photovoltaic side of the photovoltaic element is turned away from the further part. The module of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the footprint forms an isosceles triangle. A system of a module according to any one of the preceding claims 1-10 and a further part, such as a printed circuit board, wherein the further part is provided with mechanical connecting elements with a footprint corresponding to the footprint of the mechanical connecting elements of the module, such that after connection the module fits on the further part. 12. System as claimed in claim 11, wherein the module further comprises electrical connection elements with a footprint corresponding to a footprint of electrical connection elements on the further part, such that after mechanical connection an electrical connection with the further part is established around the control unit and connecting the energy storage element and interacting with a circuit on a printed circuit board as a further component or connected to the further component. A circuit board for providing low voltage electrical energy to a mobile unit that requires energy, such as a radio signal transmitter from an internet-like device, wherein the mobile unit is to be mounted on a non-stationary transporting device, the circuit board is arranged for cooperation with an energy generation module according to any one of claims 1-10, via the further part or wherein the printed circuit board is the further part, comprising mechanical connecting elements with a footprint that corresponds 5 with the footprint of the mechanical connecting elements of the module, such that after connection the module fits on the further part. The printed circuit board of claim 13, further comprising electrical connection elements for receiving the electrical connection elements from the module. 15. An internet-enabled device provided with a system according to claim 11 or claim 12, for supplying electrical energy to the device. 2/7