US 12,445,066 B2
Piezoelectric energy harvesters and sensors based on strain in mechanical structures
Ryan Griswold, San Jose, CA (US); and Vibhu Vivek, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to TDK CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by TDK Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Apr. 2, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/221,452.
Prior Publication US 2022/0321032 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. H02N 2/18 (2006.01); B62J 45/42 (2020.01); G01L 1/16 (2006.01); B62J 45/41 (2020.01)
CPC H02N 2/186 (2013.01) [B62J 45/42 (2020.02); G01L 1/16 (2013.01); B62J 45/41 (2020.02)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A piezoelectric device mountable on a rigid mechanical structure, the piezoelectric device comprising:
one or more supporting structures configured to mount to a component along a longitudinal axis such that the one or more supporting structures are deformed by tensile and compressive forces from the component along an axial direction; and
one or more piezoelectric elements mechanically coupled with the one or more supporting structures so that deformation of the one or more supporting structures is converted into an electrical signal by the one or more piezoelectric elements, wherein the one or more supporting structures are mechanically coupled to a largest surface of each piezoelectric element of the one or more piezoelectric elements such that the one or more supporting structures convert a direction of the tensile and compressive forces from the axial direction to a radial direction.