Apparatus for converting vibratory motion to electrical energy

Apparatus for converting vibratory motion along a predetermined vibration axis to electrical energy, said apparatus comprising:

• an enclosure;
• a coil assembly carrier structure in said enclosure;
• flexural springs for suspending said coil assembly carrier structure in said enclosure, said flexural springs allowing reciprocating movement of said carrier structure relative to said enclosure substantially along said vibration axis in response to the vibratory motion;
• separate magnet sets attached to said enclosure to produce a respective magnetic flux, each separate magnet set comprising a plurality of magnets arranged in rows extending along a longitudinal axis situated at a predetermined angle relative to the vibration axis and being in spaced relationship with one another to have a predetermined magnet-row interspace between one another;
• and
• separate coil assembly sets attached to said carrier structure and situated to be magnetically coupled to separate ones of the magnet sets, respectively, to produce electrical current due to magnetic flux changes whenever the carrier structure and the enclosure move reciprocally with respect to one another along said vibration axis, each separate coil assembly set comprising a plurality of coil assemblies arranged in armature rows extending along said longitudinal axis and being in spaced relationship with one another to have a predetermined armature-row interspace between one another, each armature row being predeterminedly wrapped by a respective armature row winding.

A mobile tracking unit comprising:

• a navigation set for generating data substantially corresponding to a respective vehicle position;
• an electromagnetic radiation emitter for transmitting predetermined data associated with the vehicle to a remote location;
• and
• an apparatus for converting vibratory motion along a predetermined vibration axis to electrical energy and coupled to energize said navigation set and said electromagnetic emitter during vehicle travel, said apparatus comprising:
• an enclosure;
• a magnet carrier structure in said enclosure;
• suspension means for suspending said carrier structure in said enclosure, said suspension means allowing reciprocating movement of said carrier structure relative to said enclosure substantially along said vibration axis in response to the vibratory motion;
• separate magnet means attached to said carrier structure for producing a respective magnetic flux, each separate magnet means comprising a plurality of magnet rows extending along a longitudinal axis situated at a predetermined angle relative to the vibration axis, said plurality of magnet rows being in spaced relationship with one another to have a predetermined magnet-row interspace between one another;
• and
• separate coil assembly means attached to said enclosure and situated to be magnetically coupled to separate ones of the magnet means for producing electrical current due to magnetic flux changes whenever the carrier structure and the enclosure move reciprocally with respect to one another along said vibration axis, each separate coil assembly means comprising a plurality of armature rows extending along said longitudinal axis and being in spaced relationship with one another to have a predetermined armature-row interspace between one another, each armature row being predeterminedly wrapped by a respective armature-row winding;
• the magnet-row interspace and the armature-row interspace being sufficiently different from one another so that at any given position encountered while the carrier structure and the enclosure move reciprocally with respect to one another no more than about one of any of the magnet rows substantially corresponds with any one of the armature rows, thereby minimizing any detent effects in said apparatus for converting vibratory motion along a predetermined vibration axis to electrical energy.