Patent ID: 8110935

Claim:
An apparatus for converting wave energy into electrical energy, the apparatus comprising: a wave power conversion module comprising: a module case; an air sealing tube formed in said module case for generally preventing fluids from entering said module case by compression of air in said module case, said air sealing tube extending downward from an interior of said module case through a bottom of said module case; a power transmission cable for transmitting electrical energy where one end of said power transmission cable passes through said air sealing tube; a cable reel rotatably supported within said module case for winding and unwinding a portion of said power transmission cable in response to vertical motion; an elastic force means joined to said cable reel for storing elastic force during said cable reel rotating to unwind said portion of said power transmission cable and for releasing said stored elastic force to enable said cable reel to wind said portion of said power transmission cable; an input shaft joined to said cable reel and said elastic force means; a power transmission drive joined to said input shaft for translating a bidirectional rotation of said input shaft into a unidirectional rotation; an output shaft joined to said power transmission drive for transferring said unidirectional rotation; and a generator joined to said output shaft for generating electrical energy in response to said unidirectional rotation of said output shaft, and for transferring the electrical energy to said power transmission cable.