# US 2014/0196425 A1 · Power Harvesting System for Battery Operated Appliances

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- Number: US 2014/0196425 A1
- Document ID: US20140196425A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/054,809
- Filed: 2013-10-15
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2012-10-15
- Inventors: Raymond J. Lewis
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140196425A1

## CPC

- H02J 7/865: {Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply (H02J7/50 takes precedence)}
- A01D 34/78: electric
- H02J 7/35: with light sensitive cells
- H02J 2207/20: Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
- H02J 2207/40: adapted for charging from various sources, e.g. AC, DC or multivoltage
- Y02P 60/12: using renewable energies, e.g. solar water pumping
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- A01D: HARVESTING; MOWING
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A system of harvesting electrical power for use within a battery operated device includes a battery and a motor driven by the battery to impart rotational energy to a first shaft. The first shaft drives a multi-phase generator and produces output voltage signals with respectively untimed phase responses. A rectification circuit combines the voltage signals into a combined DC voltage output, and an inverter connected to the rectification circuit converts the DC voltage output to an AC voltage output. A battery charger connected to the inverter receives the AC voltage output for charging the battery. The harvested power includes power from voltage sources with unregulated, or untimed, phase responses.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system of harvesting electrical power for use within a battery operated device, the system comprising:
a battery;
a motor driven by said battery and imparting rotational energy to a first shaft;
a multi-phase generator driven by said first shaft and producing output voltage signals with respectively untimed phase responses;
a rectification circuit combining said voltage signals into a combined DC voltage output;
an inverter connected to said rectification circuit and converting said DC voltage output to an AC voltage output;
a battery charger connected to said inverter and receiving said AC voltage output for charging said battery.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A system according to claim 1, further comprising a solar cell providing additional power to said battery charger.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A system according to claim 1, further comprising a thermoelectric generator providing additional power to said battery charger.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A system according to claim 1, further comprising a piezoelectric generator providing additional power to said battery charger.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one additional multi phase generator driven by rotational forces provided from outside the system by a user turning an additional shaft connected to the additional generator, said additional generator providing additional power to said battery charger.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A system according to claim 1, wherein said motor is a brushless DC motor.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A system according to claim 1, wherein said generator is a brushless generator.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A system according to claim 1, wherein said first shaft is connected to a mechanical load, wherein said generator comprises back EMF reducing the magnitude of said output voltage signals, and wherein said mechanical load is selected to allow simultaneous maximization of both shaft momentum and the magnitude of said output voltage signals.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

A system according to claim 8, further comprising a gear box connected to said first shaft, said gearbox connecting said first shaft to a second shaft driving said generator and a third shaft connected to a load.

### Claim 10

A system for powering a lawn mower with harvested energy sources, the system comprising:
a bank of batteries;
a motor driven by said bank of batteries and imparting rotational energy to a shaft;
a multi-phase generator driven by said rotating shaft and producing generator voltage signals with respectively untimed phase responses;
a generator rectification circuit combining said generator voltage signals into a combined DC voltage generator output;
a solar cell panel producing solar voltage signals;
a solar rectification circuit creating a solar DC voltage signal;
an inverter receiving said generator voltage signals and said solar DC voltage signal and producing an AC voltage output;
a battery charger connected to said inverter and receiving said AC voltage output for charging said battery.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

A system according to claim 10, wherein said motor is a brushless DC motor.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

A system according to claim 10, wherein said generator is a brushless generator.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

A system according to claim 1, further comprising a thermoelectric generator providing additional power to said battery charger.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

A system according to claim 10, further comprising a piezoelectric generator providing additional power to said battery charger.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

A system according to claim 10, further comprising at least one additional multi-phase generator driven by rotational forces provided from outside the system by a user turning an additional shaft connected to the additional generator, said additional generator providing additional power to said battery charger.

### Claim 16

A lawn mower having reduced forces of friction therein and utilizing momentum in a rotating blade to cut grass with power from harvested sources within the lawn mower, the lawn mower comprising:
a bank of batteries;
a first brushless DC electric motor driven by said bank of batteries and imparting rotational energy to a first shaft;
a multi-phase generator driven by said first shaft and producing generator voltage signals;
winding leads from said generator terminating as multi-phase voltage sources;
a generator rectification circuit connected directly to said winding leads, receiving untimed multi-phase voltage sources and combining said generator voltage signals into a combined DC voltage generator output;
an inverter receiving said generator voltage signals and producing an AC voltage output;
a battery charger connected to said inverter and receiving said AC voltage output for charging said battery; and
a blade comprising an interior portion connected to a second shaft driven by said motor and a gull wing portion connected to said interior portion, wherein said inner portion lies in a plane between said motor and said gull wing portion, and said gull wing portion engages grass for cutting.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

A lawn mower according to claim 16, wherein said blade comprises aluminum, and said blade has a weight that is less than 5 ounces.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

A lawn mower according to claim 16, wherein said generator is a second brushless motor configured with coils generating said voltage signals.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

A system according to claim 16, further comprising a solar cell providing additional power to said battery charger.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

A system according to claim 16, further comprising a thermoelectric generator providing additional power to said battery charger.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

A system according to claim 16, further comprising a piezoelectric generator providing additional power to said battery charger.

### Claim 22 (depends on 16)

A system according to claim 16, further comprising at least one additional multi-phase generator driven by rotational forces provided from outside the system by a user turning an additional shaft connected to the additional generator, said additional generator providing additional power to said battery charger.