Apparatus and method for generating electrical energy with shopping carts
Systems, apparatuses and methods are provided herein for generating energy with a shopping cart. A shopping cart apparatus comprises: a front wheel, a back wheel, a bottom frame, and a power generator assembly. The power generator assembly comprises: a generator coupled to the back wheel, the generator being configured to convert kinetic energy from a rotation of the back wheel to electrical energy, a capacitor element coupled to the generator and configured to store the electrical energy generated by the generator, the capacitor element comprising a first electrode and a second electrode separated by a dielectric material, wherein the first electrode comprises an elongated member of the bottom frame extending from the back wheel toward the front wheel, and a first contact member and a second contact member coupled to the capacitor element and configured to discharge the electrical energy stored in the capacitor element.
1. A shopping cart apparatus comprising:
a front wheel;
a back wheel;
a bottom frame coupled to the front wheel and the back wheel;
a basket portion;
a handle portion coupled to the basket portion;
a vertical frame portion coupled to the basket portion, the bottom frame, and the handle portion; and
a power generator assembly comprising:
a generator coupled to one of the front wheel and the back wheel, the generator being configured to convert kinetic energy from a rotation of the one of the front wheel and the back wheel to electrical energy;
a capacitor element coupled to the generator and configured to store the electrical energy generated by the generator, the capacitor element comprising a first electrode and a second electrode separated by a dielectric material, wherein the first electrode comprises an elongated member of one of the basket portion, the handle portion, the vertical frame portion, and the bottom frame; and
a first contact member and a second contact member coupled to the capacitor element and configured to discharge the electrical energy stored in the capacitor element.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric material comprises a dielectric layer formed around the elongated member and the second electrode comprises a conductor layer formed around the dielectric layer.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the capacitor element comprises a cylindrical capacitor element and the dielectric material comprises a cylindrical dielectric layer.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the generator comprises one or more of: a direct current power generator and an alternating current power generator.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power generator assembly further comprises a sensor device configured to determine a presence of a powered device, and wherein the capacitor element is configured to only discharge when the powered device is detected by the sensor device.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one of the first contact member is positioned in front of the bottom frame and is configured to contact a contact member on a second shopping cart when the shopping cart apparatus is docked into the second shopping cart.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second contact member is positioned along a length of the elongated member and is configured to contact a contact member on a second shopping cart when the second shopping cart is docked into the shopping cart apparatus.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the capacitor element is configured to discharge the electrical energy stored in the capacitor element to one or more of a cart pusher vehicle and a docking station connected to a main electric grid.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the capacitor element is configured to discharge the electrical energy stored in the capacitor element to a docking station connected to a main electric grid.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an axle orientation of the back wheel is fixed relative to the bottom frame of the shopping cart apparatus.
11. A method of discharging energy from shopping carts comprising:
coupling two or more shopping carts to each other and to a discharge device, wherein each shopping cart comprises:
a front wheel;
a back wheel;
a basket portion;
a handle portion coupled to the basket portion;
a vertical frame portion coupled to the basket portion, the bottom frame, and the handle portion;
a bottom frame coupled to the front wheel and the back wheel; and
a power generator assembly comprising:
a generator coupled to one of the front wheel and the back wheel, the generator being configured to convert kinetic energy from a rotation of the one of the front wheel and the back wheel to electrical energy;
a capacitor element coupled to the generator and configured to store the electrical energy generated by the generator, the capacitor element comprising a first electrode and a second electrode separated by a dielectric material, wherein the first electrode comprises an elongated member of one of the basket portion, the handle portion, the vertical frame portion, and the bottom frame; and
a first contact member and a second contact member coupled to the capacitor element and configured to discharge the electrical energy stored in the capacitor element.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the dielectric material comprises a dielectric layer formed around the elongated member and the second electrode comprises a conductor layer formed around the dielectric layer.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the capacitor element comprises a cylindrical capacitor element and the dielectric material comprises a cylindrical dielectric layer.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the generator comprises one or more of: a direct current power generator and an alternating current power generator.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the power generator assembly further comprises a sensor device configured to determine a presence of a powered device, and wherein the capacitor element is configured to only discharge when the powered device is detected by the sensor device.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein one of the first contact member is positioned in front of the bottom frame and is configured to contact a contact member on a second shopping cart when the shopping cart is docked into the second shopping cart.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second contact member is positioned along a length of the elongated member and is configured to contact a contact member on a second shopping cart when the second shopping cart is docked into the shopping cart.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the discharge device comprises one or more of a cart pusher vehicle and a docking station connected to a main electric grid.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the discharge device comprises a docking station connected to a main electric grid.
20. The method of claim 11 , wherein an axle orientation of the back wheel is fixed relative to the bottom frame of the shopping cart.
21. A method of providing energy generating shopping carts comprising:
coupling a shopping cart to a power generator assembly,
wherein the shopping cart comprises:
a front wheel;
a back wheel;
a bottom frame coupled to the front wheel and the back wheel;
a basket portion;
a handle portion coupled to the basket portion;
a vertical frame portion coupled to the basket portion, the bottom frame, and the handle portion; and
wherein the power generator assembly comprises:
a generator coupled to one of the front wheel and the back wheel, the generator being configured to convert kinetic energy from a rotation of the one of the front wheel and the back wheel to electrical energy;
a capacitor element coupled to the generator and configured to store the electrical energy generated by the generator, the capacitor element comprising a first electrode and a second electrode separated by a dielectric material, wherein the first electrode comprises an elongated member of one of the basket portion, the handle portion, the vertical frame portion, and the bottom frame; and
a first contact member and a second contact member coupled to the capacitor element and configured to discharge the electrical energy stored in the capacitor element.