The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 15, 2003
Filed:
Nov. 26, 2001
Kazuaki Yazawa, Chiba, JP;
Avram Bar-Cohen, St. Louis Park, MN (US);
Sony Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An apparatus and method for converting waste heat from a low temperature heat source, such as an electrical component, to work energy and for efficiently transferring unconverted or remaining waste heat away from the heat source. The apparatus includes a chamber having a first location adapted to receive heat from the heat source, and a second location adapted to dissipate heat transferred via an acoustic wave in the chamber. The acoustic wave may be produced by a first vibration member coupled to an interior surface of the chamber and disposed at an end of the chamber, where the first vibration member is adapted to vibrate at a resonant frequency of the chamber. Alternatively, a first and a second vibration member that are both adapted to vibrate at the resonant frequency of the chamber may be disposed equidistant from opposing ends of the chamber to produce a standing acoustic wave within the chamber. Each vibration member is coupled to a respective transducer that senses a deformation of the respective vibration member and generates a proportional AC voltage which may be stored in an electrical storage for supply to an external load.