TRANSMISSION MECHANISM AND ENERGY CONVERSION DEVICE HAVING THE SAME

A transmission mechanism includes a housing, an input shaft extending through the housing, two first transmission members rotatably sleeved on the input shaft and respectively having a first bevel gear portion, an output shaft extending through the housing, and a second transmission member sleeved fixedly on one end of the output shaft and having a second bevel gear portion meshing with the first bevel gear portions of the first transmission members. When the input shaft is driven to rotate in a first or second rotational direction, the second transmission member and the output shaft are driven by one or the other of the first transmission members to rotate in an output rotational direction. An energy conversion device having the transmission mechanism is also disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Taiwanese Invention Patent Application No. 111148760, filed on Dec. 19, 2022.

FIELD

The disclosure relates to a transmission mechanism and an energy conversion device having the same.

BACKGROUND

An existing energy conversion device is generally used for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. For example, a linear reciprocating motion at an input end is converted into a rotary motion for output through a transmission mechanism, and the output can drive a generator to rotate and generate electricity. However, the existing energy conversion device can only drive the generator to rotate in a single direction to generate electricity, because once the direction is changed, the rotation direction of the output end will also change accordingly, and it cannot directly and effectively drive the generator to generate electricity. Hence, there is still room for improvement of the existing energy conversion device.

SUMMARY

Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a transmission mechanism that can alleviate at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art.

According to one aspect of this disclosure, the transmission mechanism includes a housing, an input unit and an output unit. The input unit includes an input shaft extending through the housing, an input gear fixed to one end of the input shaft and located externally of the housing, and two first transmission members rotatably sleeved on the input shaft and located in the housing in a spaced apart manner. Each first transmission member has a first bevel gear portion. The output unit includes an output shaft extending through the housing and transverse to the input shaft, and a second transmission member sleeved fixedly on one end of the output shaft and located in the housing. The second transmission member has a second bevel gear portion meshing with the first bevel gear portions of the first transmission members.

When the input shaft is driven to rotate in a first rotational direction, one of the first transmission members is driven by the input shaft to rotate therewith in the first rotational direction, while the other one of the first transmission members is in an idle state. The second transmission member and the output shaft are driven by the one of the first transmission members to rotate in an output rotational direction and to drive the other one of the first transmission members to rotate in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction. When the input shaft is driven to rotate in the second rotational direction, the other one of the first transmission members is driven by the input shaft to rotate therewith in the second rotational direction, while the one of the first transmission members is in an idle state. The second transmission member and the output shaft are driven by the other one of the first transmission members to also rotate in the output rotational direction.

Another object of the present disclosure is to provide an energy conversion device having the aforesaid transmission mechanism that can alleviate at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art.

According to another aspect of this disclosure, the energy conversion device comprises a transmission mechanism, a drive member, a speed reducer and a generator. The transmission mechanism includes a housing, an input unit and an output unit. The input unit includes an input shaft extending through the housing, an input gear fixed to one end of the input shaft and located externally of the housing, and two first transmission members rotatably sleeved on the input shaft and located in the housing in a spaced apart manner. Each first transmission member has a first bevel gear portion. The output unit includes an output shaft extending through the housing and transverse to the input shaft, and a second transmission member sleeved fixedly on one end of the output shaft and located in the housing. The second transmission member has a second bevel gear portion meshing with the first bevel gear portions of the first transmission members.

The drive member meshes with the input gear. When the input shaft is driven by the drive member to rotate in a first rotational direction, one of the first transmission members is driven by the input shaft to rotate therewith in the first rotational direction, while the other one of the first transmission members is in an idle state. The second transmission member and the output shaft are driven by the one of the first transmission members to rotate in an output rotational direction and to drive the other one of the first transmission members to rotate in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction. When the input shaft is driven by the drive member to rotate in the second rotational direction, the other one of the first transmission members is driven by the input shaft to rotate therewith in the second rotational direction, while the one of the first transmission members is in an idle state. The second transmission member and the output shaft are driven by the other one of the first transmission members to also rotate in the output rotational direction.

The speed reducer is connected to the output unit. The generator is connected to the speed reducer, and is drivable by the output unit through the speed reducer to activate and generate electricity.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring toFIGS.1to3, an energy conversion device100according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is suitable to be disposed on a shock absorber (not shown) of a motorcycle, and includes a transmission mechanism10, a drive member4, a speed reducer5, and a generator6.

The transmission mechanism10includes a housing1, an input unit2and an output unit3. The housing1includes a bottom wall11, two first sidewalls12connected to and extending upwardly from two opposite ends of the bottom wall11, two second sidewalls13connected to and extending upwardly from the other two opposite ends of the bottom wall11and connected between the first sidewalls12, and a top cover14connected to top ends of the first and second sidewalls12,13. A length of each first sidewall12is shorter than that of each second sidewall13.

The input unit2includes an input shaft21extending through the first sidewalls12, an input gear22fixed to one end of the input shaft21and located externally of the housing1, two first transmission members23rotatably sleeved on the input shaft21and located in the housing1in a spaced apart manner, two input spacers24sleeved on the input shaft21, and an input shaft sleeve25fixed to the other end of the input shaft21and located externally of the housing1. The input gear22may, for example, be a spur gear. Each first transmission member23has a first bevel gear portion231, a first tubular sleeve portion232connected to the first bevel gear portion231, and a first one-way bearing233sleeved on the input shaft21and disposed in the first tubular sleeve portion232. Each input spacer24abuts between one of the first transmission members23and a corresponding one of the first sidewalls12to prevent each first transmission member23from moving axially along the input shaft21. The input shaft sleeve25abuts against the other one of the first sidewalls12to prevent the input shaft21from moving axially relative to the housing1.

The output unit3includes an output shaft31extending through one of the second sidewalls13, an output gear32fixed to one end of the output shaft31and located externally of the housing1, a second transmission member33sleeved fixedly on the other end of the output shaft31and located in the housing1, and an output spacer34sleeved on the output shaft31and abutting between the second transmission member33and the one of the second sidewalls13. An extending direction of the output shaft31is perpendicular to an extending direction of the input shaft21. The output gear32may, for example, be a spur gear. The second transmission member33has a second bevel gear portion331meshing with the first bevel gear portions231of the first transmission members23, a second tubular sleeve portion332connected to the second bevel gear portion331, and a second one-way bearing333sleeved on the output shaft31and disposed in the second tubular sleeve portion332. The output spacer34is provided to prevent the second transmission member33from moving axially along the output shaft31.

Referring toFIGS.4and5, the drive member4of this embodiment is exemplified as a gear rack disposed on the shock absorber (not shown) of the motorcycle, but not limited thereto. The drive member4meshes with the input gear22. The speed reducer5is connected to the output unit3, and includes a main body51, a speed reducer input shaft52connected to one end of the main body51, a speed reducer output shaft53connected to the other end of the main body51and opposite to the speed reducer input shaft52, and a speed reducer gear54sleeved fixedly on one end of the speed reducer input shaft52and meshing with the output gear32. The generator6is connected to the speed reducer output shaft53.

When the motorcycle is running, the shock absorber will move up and down as the motorcycle travels over a bumpy road surface, and drive the drive member4to displace relative to the input gear22along a length direction (D1). When the shock absorber moves upward, the drive member4is displaced toward the upper right ofFIG.4, and drives the input gear22and the input shaft21to rotate in a first rotational direction (R1). At this time, one of the first transmission members23is driven by the input shaft21to rotate therewith in the first rotational direction (R1). Because the first one-way bearing233of the one of the transmission members23is driven by the input shaft21to rotate therewith only when the input shaft21rotates in the first rotational direction (R1), while the first one-way bearing233of the other first transmission member23is driven by the input shaft21to rotate therewith only when the input shaft21rotates in a second rotational direction (R2) opposite to the first rotational direction (R1), and since the input shaft21is rotated in the first rotational direction (R1), the first one-way bearing233of the other first transmission member23is in an idle state at this time. In this way, the one of the first transmission members23can drive the second transmission member33and the output shaft31to rotate in an output rotational direction (R3), which in turn drive the other first transmission member23(in idle) to rotate in the second rotational direction (R2), as shown inFIG.4. The generator6can then be driven by the output unit3through the speed reducer5to activate and generate electricity.

When the shock absorber moves downward, the drive member4is displaced toward the lower left ofFIG.5, and drives the input gear22and the input shaft21to rotate in the second rotational direction (R2). At this time, the other first transmission member23is driven by the input shaft21to rotate therewith in the second rotational direction (R2), while the one of the first transmission members23is in an idle state. In this way, the other first transmission member23can drive the second transmission member33and the output shaft31to rotate in the output rotational direction (R3), which in turn drive the one of the first transmission members23(in idle) to rotate in the first rotational direction (R1), as shown inFIG.5. The generator6can then be driven by the output unit3through the speed reducer5to activate and generate electricity. It can be seen from this that regardless of whether the input shaft21rotates clockwise or counterclockwise, it can drive the output shaft31to rotate in the same output rotational direction (R3), and can stably output mechanical energy to the generator6to generate electricity. The generated electricity can charge the battery (not shown) of the motorcycle, prolonging the service life of the battery.

For easy understanding, the aforementioned “one of the first transmission members23” refers to the first transmission member23that is close to the input shaft sleeve25, while “the other first transmission member23” refers to the first transmission member23that is close to the input gear22. However, the configuration is not limited thereto, and it may also be reversed in other embodiments, and the principle is the same. It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the structure of the second transmission member33is basically the same as that of the first transmission member23, but not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the second one-way bearing333of the second transmission member33may be omitted, and, in this case, the second tubular sleeve portion332is sleeved fixedly on the output shaft31, so that the second transmission member33can move together with the output shaft31.

It should be noted that, in other embodiments, the input shaft sleeve25may be omitted, and a bearing may be used instead to fix the other end of the input shaft21to the other one of the first sidewalls12. In another embodiment, the input shaft sleeve25may be replaced by another input gear22, and the drive member4may be correspondingly changed into a fork-shaped gear rack to drive the two input gears22synchronously. The configuration of the drive member4is not limited to the gear rack, and in other embodiments, the drive member4may be a gear belt, as long as the input gear22can be driven to rotate in a reciprocating manner, any form thereof is acceptable. Still in other embodiments, the output gear32may be omitted, and, in this case, the output shaft31is directly connected to the speed reducer input shaft52. The only difference with this embodiment is that the rotation direction of the speed reducer input shaft52is the same as the output rotational direction (R3), whereas the rotation direction of the speed reducer input shaft52of this embodiment is opposite to the output rotational direction (R3).

In summary, through the dispositions of the first transmission members23and the second transmission member33of the transmission mechanism10of the energy conversion device100, when the input shaft21is driven to rotate in the first rotational direction (R1), the input shaft21can drive the second transmission member33and the output shaft31to rotate in the output rotational direction (R3), which in turn, drive the other first transmission member23to rotate in the second rotational direction (R2) opposite to the first rotational direction (R1); and, when the input shaft21is driven to rotate in the second rotational direction (R2), the input shaft21can similarly drive the second transmission member33and the output shaft31to rotate in the output rotational direction (R3). That is, regardless of whether the input shaft21rotates clockwise or counterclockwise, it can drive the output shaft31to rotate in the same output rotational direction (R3), and can stably output mechanical energy to the generator6to generate electricity. Therefore, the object of this disclosure can indeed be achieved.