Bizarre Patents
Pillow with retractable umbrella
A pillow assembly having a supporting assembly and a retractable umbrella assembly that is easily transportable and allows a user to support his/her head while covering their face from sunlight.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7311496 | Apparatus and method for generating electric energy in a fluid environment Apparatus for generating electrical energy in a fluid environment, the apparatus including a wing member for disposition in the fluid and pivotally movable about an axis in response to flow of the fluid thereabout, connector rods each pivotally mounted at a first en... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7258523 | Means to regulate water velocity through a hydro electric turbine A hydro electric turbine having a flexible, collapsible front shroud, the upstream open end of the front shroud being controlled by a draw line passing through purse rings, whereby the upstream end can be closed by drawing on the draw line, thereby stopping water fl... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7182573 | Wind turbine A wind turbine, with: a rotatable frame; a plurality of airfoils mounted to the rotatable frame, wherein the airfoils extend parallel to an axis of rotation of the rotatable frame; a wind block positioned to restrict airflow over at least a portion of the rotatable ... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7147428 | Hydro turbine A water driven turbine has a divergent cone coupled to the exit end of the housing in which diameter of the cone increases with increasing distance from the exit end of the housing. A diverter formed of rigid material surrounds the free end of the cone and defines a... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7044711 | Helical device for conversion of fluid potential energy to mechanical energy This device utilizes a helical baffle inside of generally cylindrical housing to convert potential energy of a fluid to kinetic and/or mechanical energy that can be captured for productive use. The housing's axis is positioned at an angle from horizontal and the flu... | 05/16/2006 |
| 7011501 | Energy generating system A system (1) designed to generate energy with the aid of, primarily, sea currents, comprising a rotation body (4) having a front inlet side (2) and a rear outlet side (3), and at least one transfer member (6) connected between the ... | 03/14/2006 |
| 6955049 | Machine and system for power generation through movement of water A machine and system for power generation through movement of water having an array of power generating cells electrically interconnected, where the array is configured in an interchangeable modular fashion and the cells are positioned to receive kinetic energy from... | 10/18/2005 |
| 6877968 | Low head water turbine A low head water turbine comprising a runner having a cylindrical outer surface and a plurality of similar blades similarly pivotably secured along their inner sides to the outer surface of the runner so as to pivot in the direction of rotation of the runner between... | 04/12/2005 |
| 6835043 | Hydraulic turbine feed tank An installation comprising a turbine equipped with a wheel rotatable about an axis (X-X′), and a tank feeding the turbine. The feed tank having, projecting on a plane globally perpendicular to the axis (X-X′), an external spiral shape. The feed tank forms a heli... | 12/28/2004 |
| 6729840 | Hydroelectric powerplant A powerplant for use in high head applications (dams) which allows marine animals (fish, otters, turtles, etc.) to swim safely from one side of the dam to the other. The turbine blades which take energy from the water to produce electricity have a large hole through... | 05/04/2004 |
| 6648589 | Hydroelectric turbine for producing electricity from a water current The invention takes energy from the periphery of a hydro electric turbine blade to produce electricity by mechanically driving a plurality of generators without the use of a hydraulic system.... | 11/18/2003 |
| 6527504 | Plant for utilizing the energy in waves A plant for utilizing the energy in the waves which are present at a given time in a section of a water area, such as an ocean or a lake. The plant comprises a base located in this section and in the shape of a platform or raft and a wave converter placed... | 03/04/2003 |
| 6431821 | High torque impulse turbine A water driven impulse turbine has a barrel rotatably mounted upon an axle, with a plurality of runner blades extending tangentially from said barrel. Side plates secure the runner blades on opposite sides thereof. A breastplate is maintained in concentri... | 08/13/2002 |
| 6406251 | Bi-directional hydroturbine assembly for tidal deployment A bi-directional hydroturbine assembly for tidal deployment. A hydroturbine is carried by a cylindrical shroud. Rotation of the hydroturbine blades by tidal currents drives rotation of the shaft, thereby converting kinetic energy into electrical energy. S... | 06/18/2002 |
| 6217284 | Oscillating fluid flow motor An oscillating fluid flow motor and a fluid flow power system that converts the energy in the flowing fluid to mechanical energy through a vane that automatically sweeps back and forth across the flow. In one embodiment of the oscillating fluid flow motor... | 04/17/2001 |
| 6210113 | Water wheel turbine for water power stations A waterwheel turbine for application in hydropower plants is provided. This turbine exploits primarily the head of the watercourse for energy recovery. The cells of the waterwheel turbine are each provided with a pair of mechanically linked flaps for cont... | 04/03/2001 |
| 6206630 | High torque impulse turbine A water driven impulse turbine has a barrel rotatably mounted upon an axle, with a plurality of runner blades extending tangentially from the barrel. Side plates secure the runner blades on opposite sides thereof. A breastplate is maintained in concentric... | 03/27/2001 |
| 6168373 | Dual hydroturbine unit An environmentally non-intrusive multiple turbine unit for adjustable deployment in water. The turbines are captured in a shroud having an integrally formed augmentor ring and ballasting member to improve efficiency. The multiple turbine arrangement effec... | 01/02/2001 |
| 6139255 | Bi-directional hydroturbine assembly for tidal deployment A bidirectional hydroturbine assembly for tidal deployment. A hydroturbine is carried by a cylindrical shroud. Rotation of the hydroturbine blades by tidal currents drives rotation of the shaft, thereby converting kinetic energy into electrical energy. St... | 10/31/2000 |
| 6109863 | Submersible appartus for generating electricity and associated method A fully submersible apparatus for generating electricity from liquid flow as in an ocean or river current. A buoyant structure is fully submersible and has at least one pair of counter-rotating side-by-side motors with a plurality of angularly spaced radi... | 08/29/2000 |
| 6000907 | Fluid-activatable vane for a fluid turbine A fluid-activatable vane is defined by a thin vane body having opposed narrow leading and trailing side edges and opposed substantially smooth large top and bottom surfaces. The body has a central longitudinal axis and is substantially symmetrical on oppo... | 12/14/1999 |
| 5921745 | Low head turbine A low speed water driven turbine having a housing to be erected vertically in a water course, a water intake and a water outlet, a drive shaft rotatably mounted along a central vertical axis of the housing, a shaft sleeve non-rotatably mounted in the hous... | 07/13/1999 |
| 5735665 | Reaction hydraulic turbine A reaction hydraulic turbine used for converting the energy of a flowing stream into mechanical energy of a rotating shaft is disclosed. In the turbine, the blades have a specifically-designed configuration suitable for not only reducing the hydraulic res... | 04/07/1998 |
| 5443361 | Plant for the recovery of energy from waves in water A plant for recovering energy from waves in motion comprises a wedge-shaped unit, anchored, and self-adjusting towards the waves. The floating reception unit (1) is placed in the water and has a ramp (3) for the waves and a guide device (4) guiding the wa... | 08/22/1995 |
| 5440175 | Waterwheel-driven generating unit An electric generator assembly driven by a waterwheel wherein the axial length of the waterwheel is substantially greater than the diameter thereof and contains a speed-increasing device for driving a high speed generator. The assembly is supported from a... | 08/08/1995 |
| 5167483 | Method for utilizing angular momentum in energy conversion devices and an apparatus therefore An energy conversion device which benefits from forces associated with angular momentum. A mass such as fluid is directed through a conduit from one elevation to a lower elevation with the conduit configured to conform to a decreasing cross-sectional area... | 12/01/1992 |
| 5154566 | Perfected hydraulic machine preferably for minimum height waterfalls This machine consists of an impeller formed by a right prism with a minimum weight/volume ratio and which has an irregular hexagonal section, three sides of which are bigger than the other three, and with said hexagon's vertexes belonging to a single circ... | 10/13/1992 |
| 4872805 | Water powered device A number of embodiments of water powered devices that are adapted to be positioned in a stream of moving water and which carry water wheels for driving a driven device. The driven device may comprise a generator and a number of embodiments are illustrated... | 10/10/1989 |
| 4868408 | Portable water-powered electric generator The disclosed portable water-powered electric generator unit has a tubular form with opposite open inlet and outlet ends defining a longitudinal flow path for the moving stream water. The tubular form defines a converging venturi terminating at a throat b... | 09/19/1989 |
| 4781523 | Fluid energy turbine A fluid energy converter having a squirrel-cage-like rotor in which blades peripherally distributed about a horizontal axis of rotation are in a plane generally parallel to the axis of rotation. An entry at one end of the rotor is arranged to face the onc... | 11/01/1988 |
| 4686376 | Tide turbine An improved turbine and generating system for generating electrical power from the energy of flowing water, such as a tide, in a water course are disclosed. The turbine features peripheral inward flow and axial outward flow. A flow divider means is provid... | 08/11/1987 |
| 4533292 | Turbine rotatable in one direction in a reciprocating flow A turbine includes a plurality of blades mounted on a rotary pedestal such that the pedestal is rotatable in the same direction regardless of the direction of flow. Conversion efficiency is improved by generally locating the zero lift plane of the blades ... | 08/06/1985 |
| 4531063 | System for recovering wave energy and its conversion into useful energy A system for recovering wave energy and its conversion into mechanical and electrical energy, comprising a pickup member kept in a submerged position and one or more resilient lines (extensible flexible hoses) connected mechanically at one end to the pick... | 07/23/1985 |
| 4519742 | Apparatus for utilizing the energy present in flowing water A rotatable shaft is provided with a plurality of blades each fixed at one end to the shaft and extending radially outwardly therefrom. Each of the blades has at least one gate or opening for the passage of fluid therethrough, and a slide movable between ... | 05/28/1985 |
| 4468153 | Symmetric tidal station A tidal station includes a plurality of turbine/generator sets removably insertable along the central axis of a caisson to provide a symmetrical installation. Fixedly disposed basin side and sea side diffusers include inlets alternately juxtaposed opposit... | 08/28/1984 |
| 4436480 | Hydro-turbine device for generating electricity A hydro-turbine device includes a frame mounted in a channel through which water flows, the frame mounting a horizontal shaft carrying a turbine wheel having spaced end plates between which extend a plurality of arcuate vanes. A cover is mounted over the ... | 03/13/1984 |
| 4403475 | Wave energy absorber mountable on wave-facing structure A wave energy absorber comprising a caisson mountable on the seaside surface of an existing breakwater or coastal embankment, which caisson has a water chamber with an open side and a rear wall facing the open side. The distance from the open side to the ... | 09/13/1983 |
| 4383797 | Underwater turbine device with hinged collapsible blades A submersible turbine device which can be used in conjunction with a water wheel operated at water level, away from the submerged turbine device. The submersible turbine device comprises a turbine bed and a turbine wheel which comprises a central rotor an... | 05/17/1983 |
| 4296602 | Apparatus for extracting energy from water waves Apparatus for extracting energy from water waves includes an elongate water wheel mounted rotatably so that at least a portion of the wheel is above the level of the water, and a ramp extending substantially the length of the wheel to shield the wave side... | 10/27/1981 |
| 4274010 | Electric power generation Electric power is generated from a non-uniformly operating energy source such as wind or water waves by driving hydraulic pump means by a wind wheel or a bobbing float. The pump feeds hydraulic medium into a cylinder to raise a piston loaded by a weight. ... | 06/16/1981 |
