Patent
Electro-mechanical energy harvesting switch
| العنوان: | Electro-mechanical energy harvesting switch |
|---|---|
| Patent Number: | 9,552,937 |
| تاريخ النشر: | January 24, 2017 |
| Appl. No: | 14/239156 |
| Application Filed: | August 16, 2012 |
| مستخلص: | An electro-mechanical energy harvesting switch configured to provide at least two different control signals comprises: a generator activating member (9) configured to move between a rest position and a maximum loaded position; at least one spring (11, 13) configured to force the generator activating member towards the rest position; and a unidirectionally rotating protrusion member (17) comprising at least one protrusion (21) configured to move through a protrusion's path during rotation of the protrusion member (17), through a first position of the protrusion (21), in which first position the protrusion (21) is engaged with the generator activating member (9) in the rest position, and through a second position, the protrusion (21) thereby carrying the generator activating member (9) from the rest position to the maximum loaded position against the force of the at least one spring (11, 13). |
| Inventors: | Erdmann, Bozena (Aachen, DE); De Wit, Bas Willibrord (Dordrecht, NL); Lelkens, Armand Michel Marie (Heerlen, NL); Van Es, Arthur Robert (Eindhoven, NL); Tolhuizen, Ludovicus Marinus Gerardus Maria (Waalre, NL) |
| Assignees: | PHILIPS LIGHTING HOLDING B.V. (Eindhoven, NL) |
| Claim: | 1. An electro-mechanical energy harvesting switch configured to provide at least two different control signals, said switch comprising: a generator activating member configured to move between a rest position and a maximum loaded position; and at least one spring configured to force the generator activating member towards the rest position and comprising a unidirectionally rotating protrusion member comprising at least one protrusion configured to move through a protrusion's path during rotation of the protrusion member through a first position of the protrusion, in which first position the protrusion is engaged with the generator activating member in the rest position, and through a second position, the protrusion thereby carrying the generator activating member from the rest position to the maximum loaded position against the force of said at least one spring. |
| Claim: | 2. The electro-mechanical energy harvesting switch according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusion member is a toothed wheel carrying evenly spaced teeth constituting a plurality of said protrusions. |
| Claim: | 3. The electro-mechanical energy harvesting switch according to claim 1 , comprising a bias component biasing the protrusion member towards a rest position. |
| Claim: | 4. The electro-mechanical energy harvesting switch according to claim 1 , wherein the generator activating member comprises a rack portion extending along a path followed by the generator activating member and constituting a part of a generator coupling, and a generator is provided with at least a sector of a gear wheel constituting another part of the generator coupling. |
| Claim: | 5. The electro-mechanical energy harvesting switch according to claim 1 , further comprising a sliding member configured move through a slide path between a first and a second position on the slide path, and comprising a transmission between the sliding member and a manual actuator member, the sliding member moving upon activation of the manual actuator member thereby engaging with and moving the protrusion member to forward the protrusion through the protrusion's path. |
| Claim: | 6. The electro-mechanical energy harvesting switch according to claim 5 , wherein the manual actuator member is configured to move upon manual activation by a user in a direction crosswise to the slide path and the transmission provided between the manual actuator member and the sliding member is transferring a movement of the manual actuator member into a movement of the sliding member along the slide path. |
| Claim: | 7. An electro-mechanical energy harvesting switch according to claim 5 , further comprising a release detector for a manual actuator member. |
| Claim: | 8. An electro-mechanical energy harvesting switch according to claim 7 , wherein the release detector comprises: a second generator activating member configured to move between a second rest position and a second loaded position; and at least one second spring configured to force the second generator activating member towards the second rest position; wherein the two generator activating members are configured to be engaged simultaneously by the protrusion member, the first generator activating member is configured to be disengaged from the protrusion member in a first disengagement position of the protrusion member to be released for return movement towards the rest position, the protrusion member being movable into the first disengagement position by action of the manual actuator member being moved to an actuated position and the second generator activating member being releasable for return movement towards the second rest position on release of the manual activator member from the actuated position. |
| Claim: | 9. An electro-mechanical energy harvesting switch according to claim 8 , wherein the second generator activating member is configured to be disengaged from the protrusion member in a subsequent position of the protrusion member subsequent to the first disengagement position of the protrusion member and reachable by the protrusion member when the manual actuator member is released from the actuated position. |
| Claim: | 10. An electro-mechanical energy harvesting switch according to claim 9 , wherein the protrusion member comprises a plurality of protrusions and the sliding member comprises a first surface part configured to engage a first protrusion for moving the protrusion member in its rotational direction and a second surface part configured to block the protrusions path for a trailing protrusion trailing the first protrusion, when the sliding member is in the second position on the slide path, thereby blocking the entry of the protrusion member into the subsequent position. |
| Claim: | 11. The electro-mechanical energy harvesting switch according to claim 1 , comprising a manually movable control member and a sensor configured to sense the position of said control member. |
| Claim: | 12. The electro-mechanical energy harvesting switch according to claim 11 , wherein the control member comprises an endlessly rotatable knob. |
| Claim: | 13. The electro-mechanical energy harvesting switch according to claim 11 , wherein the control member comprises a knob movable between two stops. |
| Claim: | 14. The electro-mechanical energy harvesting switch according to claim 1 , comprising a first and a second manual actuation member and at least one sensor configured to sense activation of at least one of the first and the second manual actuator member. |
| Claim: | 15. The electro-mechanical energy harvesting switch according to claim 14 , further comprising a second sliding member configured to move through a second slide path between a first and a second position, upon activation of the second manual actuator member, thereby engaging with and moving the protrusion member to forward the protrusion through the protrusion's path. |
| Patent References Cited: | 7019241 March 2006 Grassl et al. 0656612 November 1994 1607993 December 2005 2934708 February 2010 200167580 September 2001 |
| Primary Examiner: | Kaplan, Hal |
| Attorney, Agent or Firm: | Chakravorty, Meenakshy |
| رقم الانضمام: | edspgr.09552937 |
| قاعدة البيانات: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| الوصف غير متاح. |