The present application relates to the field of energy recovery and in particular to the use of shape memory alloys (SMA) for same. An energy recovery device is provided which comprises a one way drive mechanism for incrementally winding a spring. An SMA engine comprising a length of SMA material is fixed at a first end and connected at a second end to the one way drive mechanism. The SMA engine is housed in an immersion chamber and adapted to be sequentially filled with fluid to allow heating and/or cooling of the SMA engine to enable high frequency contractions and expansion. An output transmission is provided which is coupled to and driven by the spring. In this manner, repeated contractions of the SMA material incrementally wind the spring to store energy. The spring is restrained by a release mechanism which may be activated to allow the spring to drive an output transmission.

The present application relates to the field of energy recovery and in particular to the use of shape memory alloys (SMA) for same. An energy recovery device is provided which comprises a one way drive mechanism for incrementally winding a spring. An SMA engine comprising a length of SMA material is fixed at a first end and connected at a second end to the one way drive mechanism. The SMA engine is housed in an immersion chamber and adapted to be sequentially filled with fluid to allow heating and/or cooling of the SMA engine to enable high frequency contractions and expansion. An output transmission is provided which is coupled to and driven by the spring. In this manner, repeated contractions of the SMA material incrementally wind the spring to store energy. The spring is restrained by a release mechanism which may be activated to allow the spring to drive an output transmission.

A resilient power device is adapted to drive a transmission rod of a vehicle, and includes a housing, a rotary shaft adapted to extend and be spaced apart from the transmission rod along a first axis, a power release unit including a first rod and a second rod that extend and are spaced apart from each other along a second axis parallel to the first axis, a power storage clutch adapted to be connected between the transmission rod and the rotary shaft, a power release clutch connected between the first and second rods, a first gear unit mounted to the first rod and the transmission rod, a second gear unit mounted to the rotary shaft and said second rod, and at least one resilient member connected between the housing and the rotary shaft.

An apparatus for collecting energy in connection with a sheave system in a hoisting apparatus provided with a sheave system. The apparatus includes at least one generator including a rotor and at least one stator. The rotor is connected rigidly to a sheave of the sheave system, and the at least one stator is connected rigidly to the sheave system such that when the load of the hoisting apparatus is rising or lowering, said at least one sheave rotates, whereby the rotor rotates simultaneously but the stator does not rotate, whereby electric energy is induced in the stator. The apparatus further includes electric energy storage, a device for modifying induced electric energy and storing it in energy storage; and a device for supplying energy from the energy storage to at least one consumption device. The consumption device may be, for example, a working lamp, sensor, measuring device, communications device, signal device, charging plug or a combination of these mounted in connection with the sheave system.

An apparatus for collecting energy in connection with a sheave system in a hoisting apparatus provided with a sheave system. The apparatus includes at least one generator including a rotor and at least one stator. The rotor is connected rigidly to a sheave of the sheave system, and the at least one stator is connected rigidly to the sheave system such that when the load of the hoisting apparatus is rising or lowering, said at least one sheave rotates, whereby the rotor rotates simultaneously but the stator does not rotate, whereby electric energy is induced in the stator. The apparatus further includes electric energy storage, a device for modifying induced electric energy and storing it in energy storage; and a device for supplying energy from the energy storage to at least one consumption device. The consumption device may be, for example, a working lamp, sensor, measuring device, communications device, signal device, charging plug or a combination of these mounted in connection with the sheave system.

The present invention provides a system and method for economically using compressed air as automobile power source, comprising: a compressed air power device, which includes automobile air storage tubes (1) to store a sufficient amount of high-pressure compressed air and a cylinder-combined engine consisting of the first and second cylinders (9)(10), and which can make full use of the compressed air to produce driving power; a mechanism to produce, store and provide high-pressure compressed air, which includes a boiler-type high-pressure compressed air producing and storing device, abbreviated as boiler-type HCAPS device (4), to be able to use electricity during periods of low energy demand (off-peak) such as at night simultaneously recovering the by-produced heat for central heating, and pressurizing and inflating into the automobile air storage tubes (1) during daytimes; brake energy recovery and regeneration devices, which include a spring reserving-releasing device and/or a compressed air reserving-releasing device to save the compressed air in the automobile air storage tubes (1) for saving the driving power; an inner gear ring assembly, which includes an inner gear ring (2) gearing meshing with inner acting gears (45), with the first and second accelerating gears (72)(92), with a flywheel front inner meshing gear (48) and reset gears (46), for transmitting torque and mixing/outputting power; some clutch transmission devices and a controller, which controls orderly coordinated operation of devices and mechanisms.

A wheeled jumping robot includes a body with two wheels, and a board is connected between the two wheels. A driving unit and a jumping unit are respectively connected on two sides of the board. The jumping unit has two rails, and a tubular member is located between the two rails and connected to a threaded rod. A bridge is connected between two rails. Rollers are located between a threaded portion of the threaded rod and a tapered contact face of the bridge. When the threaded rod is rotated, the rollers move toward a pre-set position, the bridge compresses resilient members on the two rails. When the tubular member moves toward the pre-set position, the rollers are separated from the threaded rod due to the tapered contact face, the resilient members bounce back. The wheeled jumping robot includes a processing unit for being communicated with a remote control unit.

A wheeled jumping robot includes a body with two wheels, and a board is connected between the two wheels. A driving unit and a jumping unit are respectively connected on two sides of the board. The jumping unit has two rails, and a tubular member is located between the two rails and connected to a threaded rod. A bridge is connected between two rails. Rollers are located between a threaded portion of the threaded rod and a tapered contact face of the bridge. When the threaded rod is rotated, the rollers move toward a pre-set position, the bridge compresses resilient members on the two rails. When the tubular member moves toward the pre-set position, the rollers are separated from the threaded rod due to the tapered contact face, the resilient members bounce back. The wheeled jumping robot includes a processing unit for being communicated with a remote control unit.

A torsion bar spring is disclosed. The torsion bar spring can include a first elongated spring bar made of a resiliently flexible material. The first elongated spring bar can have a first coupling interface portion at a distal end and an interior opening oriented along a longitudinal axis. The torsion bar spring can also include a second elongated spring bar made of a resiliently flexible material. The second elongated spring bar can have a second coupling interface portion at the distal end. The second elongated spring bar can be disposed at least partially in the interior opening of the first elongated spring bar. The first and second elongated spring bars can be directly coupled to one another at the first and second coupling interface portions such that uncoupled portions of the first and second elongated spring bars are rotatable relative to one another about the longitudinal axis.

A rail, such as a head rail, for an architectural covering. The rail includes a housing having elongate walls extending along a length of the housing and defining therebetween a width of the housing. A drive shaft is rotatable about a drive axis extending along the length of the housing and is configured to wind and unwind lift cords or blind material of the architectural covering. A spring assist module, e.g. a spring motor has an output shaft rotatable about an output axis with rotation of the drive shaft. The spring assist module is mounted in the housing with the output axis parallel to the drive axis. The spring assist module extends outwardly in a width direction beyond the width of the housing.