Microgenerator provided with a clutch system, stand-alone electric device provided with an integrated microgenerator

A microgenerator comprising:

• a base body;
• a stator which is a circular multipole metal stator coil for producing an electric voltage, which stator is fixedly positioned on the base body;
• a rotor wheel comprising a circular multipole magnetic array, which rotor wheel is rotatably positioned on the base body;
• an actuating system for rotating the rotor wheel, which actuating system comprises:
• an input mechanism provided on the base body, which input mechanism is preferably movable in two directions, and
• a rotatable rotor shaft which has a concentric orientation to the rotor wheel, the rotor shaft being drivingly engaged with the input mechanism either in a direct or indirect manner,
• wherein a first side of the rotor shaft is provided with a rotor gear wheel that is in driving engagement with the input mechanism either in a direct or indirect manner, and a second side of the rotor shaft is drivingly connected to the rotor wheel,
• wherein the actuating system is provided with at least one clutch system to establish a unidirectional driving engagement of the actuating system with the rotor wheel, wherein the clutch system is configured such that:
• a) when the input mechanism is moved in a first direction, the clutch system adopts a driving engagement status and the rotor wheel is rotated, and
• b) when the input mechanism is moved in a second direction or is in a stationary position, the clutch system adopts an idle status and no driving engagement is established between the input mechanism and the rotor wheel;
• wherein
• the clutch system comprises an assembly of:
• a rotatable shaft which is part of the actuating system, which shaft has an outer cylindrical surface which is provided with a radially undulated profile so that the radius of the outer cylindrical surface varies between a minimum radius r1 and a maximum radius r2,
• a rotatable cylindrical engagement wall which is fixedly connected to a rotatable part that is to be driven by the shaft, which cylindrical engagement wall has a concentric orientation to the shaft and an substantially constant inner radius r3 that is larger than r2, and surrounds the shaft in a non-contacting manner,
• a rotatable and annular clutch body positioned concentrically between the outer cylindrical surface of the shaft and the cylindrical engagement wall, which clutch body is in its rotational direction slidably arranged with respect to both the shaft and the cylindrical engagement wall,
• wherein the annular clutch body has a cylindrical form comprising at least one slot segment delimited by at least one wall segment, and preferably comprising at least four segments which include at least two wall segments and at least two slot segments such that each slot segment is delimited by two wall segments,
• wherein in each slot segment a clutch ball is present which clutch ball is freely movable within the respective slot segment such that at least a part of the clutch ball is kept within the respective slot segment,
• wherein each clutch ball has a diameter d1 which is larger than the difference between r2 and r3 and smaller than the difference between r1 and r3, and the radial thickness of the wall segments is smaller than the difference between r2 and r3,
• wherein the clutch system is designed to establish a unidirectional driving engagement of the shaft with the cylindrical engagement wall, such that:
• a) when the shaft is rotated in a first rotational direction, the clutch system adopts a driving engagement status such that the cylindrical engagement wall is driven by the shaft, and
• b) when the shaft is rotated in a second rotational direction, the clutch system adopts an idle status wherein no driving engagement is established between the shaft and the cylindrical engagement wall,
• wherein the clutch body allows for a freedom of radial movement of each clutch ball within the respective slot segment, such that each clutch ball is moved to an active position when the shaft is rotated in the first rotational direction, and each clutch ball is moved to an idle position when the shaft is rotated in a second rotational direction.