Illumination – Supported by vehicle structure – Automobile
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-11
2002-06-04
Cariaso, Alan (Department: 2875)
Illumination
Supported by vehicle structure
Automobile
C362S192000, C362S800000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06398395
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved compact generator, a light-emitting wheel having the same, and a manufacturing method of the light-emitting wheel, and more particularly, to an improved compact generator, a light-emitting wheel having the same, and a method of manufacturing the light-emitting wheel, exhibiting compatibility without being limited to the diameter with respect to the existing axle so that electromagnetic induction is more efficiently performed compared to a conventional generator, mechanical stability and movability of a wheel structure which are very important points in a wheel are not lowered, even if a generator is included, as the structure thereof becomes simplified, and simultaneously, the efficiency in manufacturing the light-emitting wheel, that is, mass production thereof, is increased, and a user can easily replace the wheel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of conventional technologies relating to a roller skate wheel adopting a light-emitting mechanism have been suggested.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,298,910 discloses a roller skate wheel with a self-contained generator in which a permanent magnet is secured to an inner stationary body and electromagnetic induction coils are provided at an outer rotatable body. When the outer rotatable body rotates via bearings, current is induced by electromagnetic induction generated between the electromagnetic induction coils in the outer rotatable body and the permanent magnet in the inner stationary body so that light-emitting diodes installed in the outer rotatable body are energized.
However, in the structure of the above roller stake wheel, the electromagnetic induction mechanism is not compact. Also, as there is no armature arm, the direction of the magnetic field of the permanent magnet is not electromagnetically coupled to the direction of electromagnetic induction coils so that electromagnetic induction is not smoothly generated. Further, as the rotating armature coil is installed outside a hub, the structure of the wheel becomes substantially weakened and the permanent magnet is easily damaged by the impacts received while the wheel actually runs.
Furthermore, as the processes of installing the light-emitting diodes in the wheel and connecting the armature coil and the light-emitting diodes are manually performed, mass production of the roller skate wheel is difficult.
Meanwhile, as another prior art, U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,093 discloses that a light-emitting mechanism is provided at the wheel of an in-line roller skate. However, the electromagnetic induction mechanism is not compact and, although there is an armature arm, as the direction of a permanent magnet and the direction of an armature coil form a parallel structure, not a perpendicular structure, the length of an armature arm is increased so that electromagnetic induction becomes weak. Also, as there is no apparatus for protecting the permanent magnet from being damaged by the impacts generated during actual running, a rare-earth based permanent magnet such as neodymium (Nd) or samarium (Sm) of Lanthanides in the periodic table of the elements, which has a strong magnetic force but weak against impacts, is not used as it is easily broken, and a ferrite based permanent magnet which exhibits a relatively strong impact resistance is used so that the efficiency of the generator is lowered and the size and weight of the generator increases. Further, as the connection between the armature coil and the light emitting devices is not easy, there is a problem in mass production.
Also, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,450 as another prior art, although a structure of an armature coil rotating around a permanent magnet is adopted, as there is no damage protection device for the permanent magnet from impact occurring while running as in the above-described prior art, a rare-earth based permanent magnet such as neodymium (Nd) or samarium (Sm) of Lanthanides in the periodic table of the elements is easily broken during use. Accordingly, a ferrite based permanent magnet exhibiting a relatively strong impact resistance is used so that the efficiency of the generator is lowered, the size and weight of the generator increases, and alos brightness in light emission is lowered and mechanical stability and movability of a wheel itself are lowered. Further, as the connection between the armature coil and the light emitting devices is not easy, there is a problem in mass production. Also, as a wheel hub maintaining the inside of the wheel cannot be injection-molded in a body and two half wheel hubs are assembled using an adhesive, costs for assembly increase much while durability of the wheel is lowered.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the above problems, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an improved compact generator having a super compact structure so that electromagnetic induction is efficiently performed, durability is improved, and mass production is possible.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a light-emitting wheel having the improved compact generator having a super compact structure so that electromagnetic induction is smoothly performed, durability is improved, and mass production is possible.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a light-emitting wheel having the improved compact generator in which the structure of the permanent magnet assembly and the armature coil assembly forming the generator is improved so that mechanical endurance, stability and movability, and commercial economic value and productivity are improved.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a light-emitting wheel having the improved compact generator in which a light-emitting device installation circuit board is used for facilitating installation of the light-emitting devices and other circuit devices needed for efficient light emission, and also the connection to the armature coil is made easy to improve mass production.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a light-emitting wheel by which, when a wheel hub incorporated with an armature coil assembly having the structure for facilitating electromagnetic induction is injection-molded, a lead wire can be extended to an additional light-emitting device installation circuit board without damage, and a process of transmitting the generated current to the light-emitting device using the additional light-emitting device installation circuit board is simplified, thus improving mass production.
Accordingly, to achieve the first objective, there is provided an improved generator for generating electricity according to the rotation of a wheel, the generator, which comprises a ring type permanent magnet assembly encompassing a buffer fixedly encompassing a bearing spacer installed on a stationary wheel axle, in which a permanent magnet is fixed and the poles of the magnet are alternately arranged in a circumferential direction, a rotatable ring type armature coil assembly which rotates while coaxially encompassing the permanent magnet assembly in a non-contact state so that electromagnetic induction is generated in an armature coil by an armature arm alternately magnetized by the poles alternately arranged on the permanent magnet assembly, and where a lead wire protrudes and is guided to be connected to the outside, bearings, installed at both sides of the armature coil assembly and supported by the wheel axle and the bearing spacer, including a stationary bearing portion which is not allowed to rotate during rotation of the armature coil assembly and a rotary bearing portion which rotates when the armature coil assembly rotates, and a hub assembly in which the permanent magnet assembly is fixedly inserted around the bearing spacer on the wheel axle and the armature coil assembly fixedly molded together when a hub is injection-molded is supported by the bearings, forming a rotatable body.
To achieve the second and third objectives, there is provided a light
Cariaso Alan
Neil Peggy A
Teltek Co., Ltd.
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