Patent ID: 7521841
Filing Date: 2009-04-21
Classification: H01L,H02N

Abstract:
1. An energy harvesting apparatus comprising: a support substrate; a piezoelectric wafer secured to a surface of said support substrate; a base for supporting said support substrate in a manner to enable oscillating motion of said support substrate and said piezoelectric wafer; said base including a frame for supporting said support substrate from an approximate midpoint thereof; and a pair of biasing elements operatively associated with opposite longitudinal ends of said support substrate, and disposed on opposite lateral sides of said support substrate, and generally longitudinally aligned with a plane of said midpoint of said support substrate, for supplying a mechanical compressive pre-load force to said piezoelectric wafer and said support substrate that is sufficient to deflect outer ends of said support substrate into one of two flexed orientations that are laterally offset from said plane of said midpoint of said support structure, in the absence of vibration energy, to thus soften said piezoelectric wafer to facilitate oscillating motion of said wafer in response to vibration experienced by said base.