# US 10,309,379 B2 · Vibration energy harvester

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- Number: US 10,309,379 B2
- Document ID: US10309379B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/543,747
- Filed: 2016-01-14
- Published: 2017-12-28
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2015-01-16
- Assignees: The University of Tokyo; Kabushiki Kaisha Saginomiya Seisakusho; Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry
- Applicants: The University of Tokyo; Saginomiya Seisakusho, Inc.; Centeral Research Institute of Electric Power Industry
- Inventors: Hiroyuki Fujita; Hiroyuki Mitsuya; Shimpei Ono
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309379B2

## CPC

- F03G 7/08: recovering energy derived from swinging, rolling, pitching or like movements, e.g. from the vibrations of a machine
- B81B 5/00: Devices comprising elements which are movable in relation to each other, e.g. comprising slidable or rotatable elements
- H01G 7/02: Electrets, i.e. having a permanently-polarised dielectric
- H01G 11/08: Structural combinations, e.g. assembly or connection, of hybrid or EDL capacitors with other electric components, at least one hybrid or EDL capacitor being the main component
- H01G 11/56: Solid electrolytes, e.g. gels; Additives therein
- H02N 1/00: Electrostatic generators or motors using a solid moving electrostatic charge carrier
- F03G: SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS; MECHANICAL-POWER PRODUCING DEVICES OR MECHANISMS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR OR USING ENERGY SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (arrangements in connection with power supply in vehicles from force of nature B60K16/00; electric propulsion with power supply in vehicles from force of nature B60L8/00)
- B81B: MICROSTRUCTURAL DEVICES OR SYSTEMS, e.g. MICROMECHANICAL DEVICES (piezoelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive elements per se H10N30/00, H10N35/00)
- H01G: CAPACITORS; CAPACITORS, RECTIFIERS, DETECTORS, SWITCHING DEVICES, LIGHT-SENSITIVE OR TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE DEVICES OF THE ELECTROLYTIC TYPE (selection of specified materials as dielectric H01B3/00; capacitors having potential barriers H10D1/62, H10K10/10)
- H02N: ELECTRIC MACHINES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A vibration energy harvester includes: a pair of electrodes provided so as to face opposite each other, with at least one of the pair of electrodes allowed to move; and an ion gel provided between the pair of electrodes, which is formed by using an ionic liquid, wherein: as an external vibration causes the electrode to move along a direction in which a distance between the pair of electrodes changes, power is generated through a change in an area of an electric double layer formed on two sides of an interface of each electrode and the ion gel.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vibration energy harvester, comprising:
a pair of electrodes provided so as to face opposite each other, with at least one of the pair of electrodes being a movable electrode;
a pair of ring-shaped stoppers defining a range of up/down movement of the movable electrode; and
an ion gel provided between the pair of electrodes, which is formed by using an ionic liquid, wherein:
as an external vibration causes the movable electrode to move along a direction in which a distance between the pair of electrodes changes, power is generated through a change in an area of an electric double layer formed on two sides of an interface of each electrode and the ion gel.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vibration energy harvester according to claim 1, wherein:
one of the pair of electrodes facing opposite each other is an electret electrode; and
a surface potential at the electret electrode is set so that when the ion gel comes in contact with the electret electrode, a voltage at the electric double layer is within a range defined by the ion gel.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vibration energy harvester according to claim 2, wherein:
the pair of electrodes are a fixed electrode and the movable electrode that is allowed to move along a direction in which a distance thereof from the fixed electrode changes,
the movable electrode includes a front-side electrode provided on a front surface side of the movable electrode and a back-side electrode provided on a back surface side of the movable electrode;
the fixed electrode includes a first electrode provided so as to face opposite the front-side electrode and a second electrode provided so as to face opposite the back-side electrode; and
the ion gel is provided between the first electrode and the front-side electrode and between the second electrode and the back-side electrode.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vibration energy harvester according to claim 1, wherein:
the electric double layer is formed through an electrokinetic phenomenon occurring over a contact region where each of the pair of electrodes and the ion gel are in contact with each other.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The vibration energy harvester according to claim 4, wherein:
the pair of electrodes are a fixed electrode and the movable electrode that is allowed to move along a direction in which a distance thereof from the fixed electrode changes,
the movable electrode includes a front-side electrode provided on a front surface side of the movable electrode and a back-side electrode provided on a back surface side of the movable electrode;
the fixed electrode includes a first electrode provided so as to face opposite the front-side electrode and a second electrode provided so as to face opposite the back-side electrode; and
the ion gel is provided between the first electrode and the front-side electrode and between the second electrode and the back-side electrode.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The vibration energy harvester according to claim 1, wherein:
the ion gel is formed by using the ionic liquid, which contains an unsaturated bond.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The vibration energy harvester according to claim 6, wherein:
an anion layer or a cation layer is formed and sustained on a side of the ion gel that comes into contact with at least one of the pair of electrodes; and
the electric double layer is formed in a contact region where at least one of the pair of electrodes comes into contact with the anion layer or the cation layer in the ion gel.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The vibration energy harvester according to claim 7, wherein:
the pair of electrodes are a fixed electrode and the movable electrode that is allowed to move along a direction in which a distance thereof from the fixed electrode changes,
the movable electrode includes a front-side electrode provided on a front surface side of the movable electrode and a back-side electrode provided on a back surface side of the movable electrode;
the fixed electrode includes a first electrode provided so as to face opposite the front-side electrode and a second electrode provided so as to face opposite the back-side electrode; and
the ion gel is provided between the first electrode and the front-side electrode and between the second electrode and the back-side electrode.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The vibration energy harvester according to claim 6, wherein:
the pair of electrodes are a fixed electrode and the movable electrode that is allowed to move along a direction in which a distance thereof from the fixed electrode changes,
the movable electrode includes a front-side electrode provided on a front surface side of the movable electrode and a back-side electrode provided on a back surface side of the movable electrode;
the fixed electrode includes a first electrode provided so as to face opposite the front-side electrode and a second electrode provided so as to face opposite the back-side electrode; and
the ion gel is provided between the first electrode and the front-side electrode and between the second electrode and the back-side electrode.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The vibration energy harvester according to claim 1, wherein:
the ion gel is formed by using a polymer containing an unsaturated bond and the ionic liquid.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The vibration energy harvester according to claim 10, wherein:
an anion layer or a cation layer is formed and sustained on a side of the ion gel that comes into contact with at least one of the pair of electrodes; and
the electric double layer is formed in a contact region where at least one of the pair of electrodes comes into contact with the anion layer or the cation layer in the ion gel.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The vibration energy harvester according to claim 11, wherein:
the pair of electrodes are a fixed electrode and the movable electrode that is allowed to move along a direction in which a distance thereof from the fixed electrode changes,
the movable electrode includes a front-side electrode provided on a front surface side of the movable electrode and a back-side electrode provided on a back surface side of the movable electrode;
the fixed electrode includes a first electrode provided so as to face opposite the front-side electrode and a second electrode provided so as to face opposite the back-side electrode; and
the ion gel is provided between the first electrode and the front-side electrode and between the second electrode and the back-side electrode.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The vibration energy harvester according to claim 10, wherein:
the pair of electrodes are a fixed electrode and the movable electrode that is allowed to move along a direction in which a distance thereof from the fixed electrode changes,
the movable electrode includes a front-side electrode provided on a front surface side of the movable electrode and a back-side electrode provided on a back surface side of the movable electrode;
the fixed electrode includes a first electrode provided so as to face opposite the front-side electrode and a second electrode provided so as to face opposite the back-side electrode; and
the ion gel is provided between the first electrode and the front-side electrode and between the second electrode and the back-side electrode.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The vibration energy harvester according to claim 1, wherein:
the ion gel is formed by using the ionic liquid which has been made to a solid state.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The vibration energy harvester according to claim 14, wherein:
an anion layer or a cation layer is formed and sustained on a side of the ion gel that comes into contact with at least one of the pair of electrodes; and
the electric double layer is formed in a contact region where at least one of the pair of electrodes comes into contact with the anion layer or the cation layer in the ion gel.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The vibration energy harvester according to claim 15, wherein:
the pair of electrodes are a fixed electrode and the movable electrode that is allowed to move along a direction in which a distance thereof from the fixed electrode changes,
the movable electrode includes a front-side electrode provided on a front surface side of the movable electrode and a back-side electrode provided on a back surface side of the movable electrode;
the fixed electrode includes a first electrode provided so as to face opposite the front-side electrode and a second electrode provided so as to face opposite the back-side electrode; and
the ion gel is provided between the first electrode and the front-side electrode and between the second electrode and the back-side electrode.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The vibration energy harvester according to claim 14, wherein:
the pair of electrodes are a fixed electrode and the movable electrode that is allowed to move along a direction in which a distance thereof from the fixed electrode changes,
the movable electrode includes a front-side electrode provided on a front surface side of the movable electrode and a back-side electrode provided on a back surface side of the movable electrode;
the fixed electrode includes a first electrode provided so as to face opposite the front-side electrode and a second electrode provided so as to face opposite the back-side electrode; and
the ion gel is provided between the first electrode and the front-side electrode and between the second electrode and the back-side electrode.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The vibration energy harvester according to claim 1, wherein:
the pair of electrodes are a fixed electrode and the movable electrode that is allowed to move along a direction in which a distance thereof from the fixed electrode changes,
the movable electrode includes a front-side electrode provided on a front surface side of the movable electrode and a back-side electrode provided on a back surface side of the movable electrode;
the fixed electrode includes a first electrode provided so as to face opposite the front-side electrode and a second electrode provided so as to face opposite the back-side electrode; and
the ion gel is provided between the first electrode and the front-side electrode and between the second electrode and the back-side electrode.