Photo: Jurvetson
Telecom giant Nokia recently filed a patent for a cell phone powered by kinetic energy (one of our favorite kinds of energy here at Inhabitat!). The conceived phone would charge via built-in piezoelectric generators that will convert the user’s motions into power. Now, we’ve seen a ton of kinetic gadget concepts, but the fact that Nokia is taking interest and has gone so far as to file a patent is significant evidence that we may soon be seeing these types of electronics hit the market.
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According to Treehugger, the patent application (20,100,045,241) reads:
A battery for an electronic device is contained within a first frame that is coupled to a second frame by one or more piezoelectric elements. The second frame is coupled to a device chassis by one or more additional piezoelectric elements. In response to translation and/or rotation of the electronic device, portions of forces induced by the battery mass are transferred to the piezoelectric elements. Electrical energy output by these piezoelectric elements is received in a power controller and can be applied to the battery. Additional device components can also be contained within the first frame so as to increase the total mass that induces forces applied to the piezoelectric elements.
Basically, Nokia‘s kinetic phone would have heavier components which would sit on two sets of rails that could travel up/down and side to side. When the user moves the phone, the frame bumps against piezoelectric crystals at the end of each rail and generates a current which charges a capacitor that supplies power to the phone’s battery.
We’re excited to hear this news about Nokia, and hope to see more major players making strides with their own kinetic energy gadgets.
Via Treehugger
Wow, uh, that was pretty much my idea for charging phones using piezoelectricity in the core77 greener design competition a few years back: http://www.core77.com/competitions/GreenerGadgets/projects/4242/
Kinda cool its been refined and realized. Guess I should have taken my idea more seriously and looked into a patent or something.
Alexander
cool idea