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US 8,910,475 B2Granted
Buoyancy power generating apparatus
AssigneeJun Fu Clean Energy Co., Ltd.
InventorMing-Chin Chiu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A buoyancy power generating apparatus includes: a tank adapted to receive liquid therein; a buoyancy mechanism disposed in the tank and including a bladder support and a bladder supported on the bladder support; a vertical support disposed outwardly of the tank; a weight unit supported movably on the vertical support; and a transmission coupled to the buoyancy mechanism and the weight unit so that the weight unit can be driven by the bladder to move upwardly during upward movement of the bladder and that the weight unit can be moved downwardly by gravity when the bladder is deflated.
Claims10
A buoyancy power generating apparatus comprising:
- a tank adapted to receive liquid therein;
- a buoyancy mechanism disposed in said tank and including a bladder support and a bladder supported on said bladder support, said buoyancy mechanism being movable upwardly in said tank by a buoyant force of the liquid when said bladder is inflated and being movable downwardly in said tank by gravity when said bladder is deflated;
- a vertical support disposed outwardly of said tank;
- a weight unit supported movably on said vertical support;
- and
- a transmission coupled to said buoyancy mechanism and said weight unit so that said weight unit can be driven by said bladder to move upwardly along said vertical support during upward movement of said bladder and that said weight unit can be 20 moved downwardly along said vertical support by gravity when said bladder is deflated;
- wherein said bladder support includes a collapsible cage surrounding and urging against said bladder so that said collapsible cage can be extended by expansion of said bladder when said bladder is inflated, said collapsible cage providing a resilient contraction force acting on said bladder and being collapsible when said bladder is deflated;
- and
- wherein said collapsible cage includes an upper rod support connected to said bladder, a lower rod support connected to said bladder and disposed below said upper rod support, a plurality of upper pivot links pivoted to said upper rod support, a plurality of lower pivot links pivoted to said lower rod support, a plurality of first vertical rods having opposite ends that are connected respectively to a respective one of said upper pivot links and a corresponding one of said lower pivot links, and at least one elastic ring connected to said first vertical rods for urging said first vertical rods to abut against said bladder.
6 more elements
A buoyancy power generating apparatus comprising:
- a tank adapted to receive liquid therein;
- a buoyancy mechanism disposed in said tank and including a bladder support and a bladder supported on said bladder support, said buoyancy mechanism being movable upwardly in said tank by a buoyant force of the liquid when said bladder is inflated and being movable downwardly in said tank by gravity when said bladder is deflated;
- a vertical support disposed outwardly of said tank;
- a weight unit supported movably on said vertical support;
- and
- a transmission coupled to said buoyancy mechanism and said weight unit so that said weight unit can be driven by said bladder to move upwardly along said vertical support during upward movement of said bladder and that said weight unit can be 20 moved downwardly along said vertical support by gravity when said bladder is deflated;
- wherein said bladder has top 5 and bottom ends, and is provided with a top check valve mounted on said top end of said bladder and operable for deflation of said bladder, and a bottom check valve mounted on said bottom end of said bladder and operable for inflation of said bladder;
- and
- said buoyancy power generating apparatus further comprises an inflating mechanism that includes a cylinder secured to said vertical support, a piston secured to and disposed below said weight unit and co-movable with said weight unit so as to be movable into and out of said cylinder, and a gas valve in fluid communication with said cylinder and disposed in said tank for releasably connecting with said bottom check valve.
6 more elements
A buoyancy mechanism for a buoyancy power generating apparatus, comprising:
- a bladder;
- and
- a collapsible cage surrounding and urging against said bladder so that said collapsible cage can be extended by expansion of said bladder when said bladder is inflated and can provide a contraction force acting on said bladder;
- wherein said collapsible cage includes an upper rod support connected to said bladder, a lower rod support connected to said bladder and disposed below said upper rod support, a plurality of upper pivot links pivoted to said upper rod support, a plurality of lower pivot links pivoted to said lower rod support, a plurality of first vertical rods having opposite ends that are connected respectively to a respective one of said upper pivot links and a corresponding one of said lower pivot links, and at least one elastic ring connected to said first vertical rods for urging said first vertical rods to abut against said bladder.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.