Internal combustion engine with power-generating member

Abstract

[Problems to be solved] There is known means for converting the vibration energy of the body of a road vehicle to electrical energy, thereby improving the fuel efficiency of the vehicle but since these means cannot collect energy when an internal combustion engine is idling, they are not satisfactory as energy collecting means. Thus, it is a problem to be solved by the present invention to provide an internal combustion engine equipped with an electrical power generating member which can efficiently convert the vibration energy to electrical energy and can prevent spaces occupied by a piezoelectric element, rectifier and other power circuit components. [Solution] The problem can be solved by an internal combustion engine of a road vehicle, which is an internal combustion engine equipped with an electrical power generating member, the electrical power generating member is provided in a passive member subjected to the motion of an actuating member constituting a component of the internal combustion engine and the electrical power generating member is constituted to generate electrical power in response to motion of the actuating member and store the generated electrical power in an electrical storage device.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.