Power plants – Motor having a buoyant working member
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-17
2001-06-19
Nguyen, Hoang (Department: 3748)
Power plants
Motor having a buoyant working member
C060S398000, C074S125500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06247308
ABSTRACT:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to motion-conversion apparatus, and particularly to apparatus for converting bidirectional rotary movements to unidirectional rotary movements. The invention is particularly useful in energy conversion apparatus, such as wave motors and wind turbines, for converting naturally-occurring energy to a useful form, and is therefore described below particularly with respect to such applications. The invention, however, is useful in many other applications, and is therefore also described below for purposes of example with respect to a measuring application for accumulating and measuring bidirectional movements of an object.
Naturally-occurring energy, such as the energy in the sea and in the wind, constitutes a vast reservoir of energy which has remained largely untapped to the present time despite the long-anticipated energy crisis looming in the future because of the depletion of fossil fuels and the pollution of the atmosphere produced by them. For example, the prior art is replete with descriptions of many different types of wave motors, e.g., as illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,145,885; 2,783,022; 4,319,454; 4,469,955; 4,718,231; 4,996,840; and 4,838,025. However, despite the long-felt need, such sources of naturally-occurring energy have remained largely untapped primarily because of the high installation expenses required to construct such apparatus as compared to the amount of useful energy that can be extracted by such apparatus.
Another area in which there has been a pressing need is in the measuring of bidirectional movements of an object. For example, automotive vehicles are commonly equipped with distance meters which measure the distance travelled by the vehicle. Since the vehicle is normally moving only in the forward direction, the distance meter normally measures only the distance travelled in the forward direction. However, there are applications where it may be necessary or desirable also to measure the distance travelled by the vehicle, or other object, in the reverse direction, e.g., for monitoring the extent of operation of a vehicle, such as a tank, for routine maintenance purposes.
OBJECTS AND BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide motion-converter apparatus of a relatively simple construction for converting bidirectional rotary movements to unidirectional rotary movements. Another object of the invention is to provide energy conversion apparatus for converting various sources of energy, such as wave energy, tide energy and wind energy, to a useful form. A still further object of the invention is to provide measuring apparatus for accumulating and measuring bidirectional movements.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided motion-converter apparatus for converting bidirectional rotary movements to unidirectional rotary movements, comprising: an input shaft for inputting the bidirectional rotary movements; an output shaft for outputting the unidirectional rotary movements, the output shaft having a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the input shaft; a drive bevel gear coaxial with, and driven bidirectionally by, the input shaft; a pair of driven bevel gears coaxial with the output shaft and meshing with the drive bevel gear on opposite sides of the axis of the drive bevel gear so as to be driven bidirectionally thereby but in opposite directions with respect to the output shaft; and a pair of one-way clutches coupling the driven bevel gears to the output shaft such that one of the one-way clutches is effective to drive the output shaft only in one direction, and the other of the one-way clutches is effective to drive the output shaft also only in the one direction.
According to one application described below, the output shaft is coupled to a measuring device for accumulating and measuring the bidirectional rotary movements of the input shaft. Such an apparatus is particularly useful in energy conversion apparatus, e.g., for converting wave energy, tide energy, or wind energy, to a useful form.
According to a second described application of the invention, the output shaft is coupled to a measuring device for accumulating and measuring the bidirectional rotary movements of the input shaft. Such an apparatus may be used, for example, in measuring the total distance travelled by a vehicle, e.g., a tank, not only in the forward direction but also in the reverse direction, e.g., for maintenance purposes.
Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description below.
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Nguyen Hoang
Worldwide Solutions Company, LLC
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