Europäisches Patentamt
(19)
European Patent Office
(11)
Office européen des brevets
EP 1 072 769 A2
EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION
(12)
(43) Date of publication:
(51) Int. Cl.7:
31.01.2001 Bulletin 2001/05
F02B 63/04, F02B 65/00
(21) Application number: 00306439.1
(22) Date of filing: 28.07.2000
(84) Designated Contracting States:
(72) Inventor: Makkun, Panpop
AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU
MC NL PT SE
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI
Kratoomban District, Samutsakorn (TH)
(74) Representative:
(30) Priority: 30.07.1999 IT GE990089
(71) Applicant: Makkun, Panpop
Kratoomban District, Samutsakorn (TH)
(54)
Pratt, David Martin et al
Withers & Rogers,
Goldings House,
2 Hays Lane
London SE1 2HW (GB)
Power apparatus with low energy consumption
EP 1 072 769 A2
(57)
A power apparatus comprising: means (1) for
the generating and storing of energy; at least one group
(30) for the transformation and storage of energy comprising means (2) for the transformation of the energy
into kinetic energy and in particular into mechanical
energy and means (3) for storing the mechanical energy
into potential mechanical energy, said group (30) being
coupled to means (4, 404) for dispensing the said
mechanical energy, in combination with an inertial mass
(104).
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EP 1 072 769 A2
Description
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means for generating and storing potential energy:
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at least one group comprising means for the transformation of the potential energy into kinetic energy,
and particularly into mechanical energy and means
for the storage of the mechanical energy into potential mechanical energy;
said group being coupled with means for dispensing the said mechanical energy, in combination with
an inertial mass.
Background of the invention
Field of the invention
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[0001]
The present invention has for its object a
power apparatus, and particularly relates to a power
apparatus presenting a low energy consumption.
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Description of the related art
[0002]
Generally, with limited variations in efficiencies, the power delivered by a power apparatus is substantially proportional to the quantity of energy
consumed in order to develop the said power. Normally
this means that in order to obtain relevant performances
it is necessary to face energetic consumption of a
remarkable entity. One type of solution to this problem
takes into consideration the control of the efficiencies;
however in this case the optimization of said values cannot be carried beyond predetermined threshold values.
[0003]
It has been accepted for centuries that different types of springs can be efficiently used as the components of machinery in many ways. Spiral spring is
used as the major part to distribute mechanical power
for various equipment such as antique clocks and toys.
It can be clearly seen that in every cycle of recharging,
after the spiral spring has discharged the mechanical
power out, the operation of the equipment is interrupted.
The supply of mechanical power will not be continuous
because the shaft of the spiral spring rotates in opposite
directions during the processes of charging and discharging.
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Summary of the invention
[0004]
The scope of the present invention is to provide a power apparatus in which, in spite of extremely
limited consumption, the developed power results to be
surprisingly high.
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Brief description of the drawings
[0005]
Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation view, with
parts in section, of the power apparatus according
to the invention; and
Figures 2 to 4 diagrammatically show as various
embodiments of the power apparatus shown in Figure 1.
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Detailed description of the drawings
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[0006]
Object of the present invention is therefore a
power apparatus characterized by the fact that it comprises:
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[0007]
According to a preferred embodiment, the
said means for generating and storing energy comprise
an accumulator of electric energy, and more particularly
an electric battery; the means for the transformation of
the potential energy into mechanical energy may comprise an electric motor.
[0008]
The means for storing the mechanical
energy preferably comprise a spiral spring.
[0009]
Further advantages and features of the
apparatus according to the present invention will appear
evident from the following description of a preferred
embodiment of same, made by way of non-limiting
example, with reference to the attached drawings, in
which:
[0010]
In Figure 1 there is shown the power apparatus according to the present invention; reference
numeral 1 designates the accumulator battery which
feeds the group 30 for transformation and storage of
energy, identified by the dash-and-dot box through the
switch 10, actuated by the control unit 10. The battery is
provided with means 101 for measuring and sensing the
condition of charge of the battery itself, said means
being also connected to the control unit 10. The motor 2
is connected to the frame 20 and is provided with a shaft
102 onto which there is keyed the toothed wheel 202;
the said toothed wheel is coupled, through the idle
toothed wheel 302, to the toothed wheel 203, mounted
on the shaft 103 which carries the spiral spring 3. The
toothed wheel 203 is coupled to the shaft by means of a
key pin 213; pushing means 303 and provided on frame
20, facing the side of the wheel directed towards the
spring 3, and are controlled by the control unit 10. In
addition, on the opposite side of the toothed wheel 203
there are provided pressure means, such as for example an helical spring 123. The shaft 103 rotates on bearings 113. The other end of the shaft 103 is coupled,
through the freewheel mechanism 133 to the pulley
403, which, through the toothed belt 413 transmits the
drive to the shaft 4, rotatably mounted on the frame 20
by means of the bearings 204, by means of the pulley
304 keyed thereon; at the same end of the shaft 4 there
is arranged the power takeoff 404, intended to be connected to the system for the utilisation of the drive of
shaft 4, while at the opposite end there is keyed the flywheel 104.
[0011]
In the Figures 2, 3 and 4 there are diagrammatically illustrated different combinations obtained by
utilizing the apparatus of the type disclosed in Figure 1.
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EP 1 072 769 A2
As it can be appreciated, the groups 30 can be arranged
in line with respect to a shaft 5, provided with a flywheel
105 and be coupled, through the respective pulleys 403,
with the pulleys 305 keyed on shaft 5. All the groups are
fed by battery 21 and connected to the control unit 20.
In a similar matter, the arrangement of the groups 30
can be of the V-type, with a shaft 6 which is provided
with pulleys 306 keyed thereon, as shown in Figure 3;
otherwise, the configuration can be of the star-type with
a shaft 7 around which the groups 30 are peripherally
equally spaced as shown in Figure 4.
[0012]
The operation of the power apparatus
according to the invention will appear evident from the
following. Through the control unit 10 the switch 11 is
actuated and therefore the electric motor 2 is started.
The motor transmits its motion through the shaft 102,
the wheel 202, and the idle wheel 302, to the toothed
wheel 203 coupled to the shaft 103 onto which there is
wound the spiral spring 3. The sensor 503 connected to
the control unit 10 senses the state of charge of the
spring, so that upon reaching a predetermined level of
charge, the toothed wheel 203 is disconnected from the
shaft 103 under the action of the pushing means 303,
controlled by the control unit 10.
[0013]
At this stage, the spring unwinds itself, thus
promoting the rotation of shaft 103 in a direction opposite to the direction of charging, and in this situation the
freewheel mechanism 133 onto which there is keyed
pulley 403 is actuated, thus consenting the transmission
of motion to the shaft 4, through the chain 403 and the
pulley 304. The flywheel 104 has the function of normalizing the speed of rotation of the shaft and of rendering
the motion continuous, which otherwise should result to
be pulsating, due to the phases of charge and discharge
of the spring 3.
[0014]
Subsequently, the sensor 503 signals to the
unit 10 that the spring has reached its minimum level of
charge, which can be suitably predetermined, and consequently the control unit 10 disconnects the pushers
303, thus permitting to the pressure member 123 to act
on wheel 203 so as to again establish the coupling
between this latter and the shaft 103. Advantageously, if
the means 101 for sensing the level of charge of battery
1 indicates a decrease beyond a certain level, the
toothed wheel 203 can be coupled to shaft 103 also during the discharge phase of the spring, in this case a portion of the motion will be utilized for re-charging the
battery 1; in this case the electric motor 2 must be capable of working under conditions of reversibility, as a
dynamo or an alternator and in this latter case there
must be provided for a rectifier.
[0015]
As it appears in Figures 2 to 4, the power
apparatus of the invention can be assembled according
to different combinations. Several groups, indicated by
reference numeral 30 can be connected to the same
shaft according to different configurations. The time
periods of charge and discharge of the springs of each
group can be organized in such a manner as to reduce
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sensibly the pulsation in the motion of the shaft. For
each configuration there can be provided a single feed
battery 21 and a single central control unit 20, capable
of controlling all the groups.
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[0016]
The power apparatus according to the
present invention is therefore constructed so as to be
capable of supplying even remarkable powers starting
from moderate energies, thanks to its peculiar system of
storage of the mechanical energy.
[0017]
Another embodiment of the invention is the
addition of solar cell to transform solar energy to electric
energy to be stored in generating and storing means
thus achieving much higher efficiency of the power
apparatus.
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Claims
1.
A power apparatus characterized by the fact that it
comprises:
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means (1) for generating and storing energy;
at least one group (30) for the transformation
and storage of energy comprising means (2)
for the transformation of the energy into kinetic
energy, and particularly into mechanical
energy and
means (3) for the storage of the mechanical
energy into potential mechanical energy, said
group (30) being coupled with means (4, 404)
for dispensing the said mechanical energy, in
combination with an inertial mass (104).
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2.
A power apparatus according to claim 1, in which
the said means for generating and storing energy
comprise an accumulator of electrical energy.
3.
A power apparatus according to claim 1, in which
the accumulator of electrical energy comprise an
electrical battery (1).
4.
A power apparatus according to claim 2, in which
the said means for the transformation of the energy
into mechanical energy comprise an electric motor
(2).
5.
A power apparatus according to claim 4, in which
the means for the storage of the mechanical energy
comprise a spiral spring (3).
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6.
A power apparatus according to claim 1, in which
the said means for dispensing the mechanical
energy comprise a shaft (4) provided with a power
takeoff (404) and with a flywheel (104).
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7.
A power apparatus according to claim 5, in which
the said spring is wound on a shaft (103) coupled
through suitable transmission means (203, 302,
202) to the shaft of the electric motor (2).
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9.
EP 1 072 769 A2
A power apparatus according to claim 7, in which
the said transmission means comprise a toothed
wheel (203) keyed in a releasable manner onto said
shaft (103), means (303) being provided for the disconnection of said keying.
A power apparatus according to anyone of claims 6
to 8, in which said shaft (103) onto which there is
wound the said spring (3) is provided, at the end
opposite to the end coupled to the said electric
motor (2), with a pulley (403), connected to the said
shaft by means of a freewheel mechanism (133),
said pulley being coupled on it turn to a pulley (304)
keyed on the shaft (4) carrying the power takeoff
(404).
10. A power apparatus according to claims 2 to 8, in
which there is provided a central control unit (10),
connected with means (11) for establishing the connection of the electric motor (2) with the battery (1),
with the said means (303) for disconnecting the
keying of the wheel (203) on the shaft (103) of the
spring (3), with means (503) for sensing the charge
of the spring (3) and with means (101) for sensing
the charge of the said battery (1).
11. A power apparatus according to anyone of the preceding claims, in which the said apparatus comprises a plurality of groups (30) for the
transformation and storage of energy, coupled to
the said means (4, 404) and arranged with a configuration either in line, or of the V-type, or of the startype.
12. A power apparatus according to anyone of the preceding claims, in which the said apparatus comprises solar cell which transforms solar energy into
electricity.
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