ENERGY RECOVERY DEVICE

摘要

The energy recovery device (10) includes a housing (32) having a central shaft (26) which is connected to a lever (20) operating a work-load system (12) capable of generating work-load forces. The central shaft (26) is also connected to a disk (36) having four posts (40) generally parallel to the shaft (26) initially located at positions corresponding to the four major points of a compass. Within each corner of the housing (32), a helically coiled spring (46) is positioned over a support post (42). Each spring (46) has two extending arms (48, 50) which contact two respective adjacent posts (40) on the disk so as to maintain the spring (46) under tension. When the lever (20) is at the neutral position, i.e., when no workload forces are generated, the recovery forces generated by the four springs (46) within the housing (32) are generally balanced. As the lever (20) is displaced from the neutral position by a driving force, the disk (36) rotates whereby the angular displacement between the arms (48, 50) of any spring (46) decreases. Once the disk (36) is displaced, the spring forces aid in continuing displacement of the disk (36). Simultaneously the work-load system (12) generates forces which oppose any displacement. The springs (46) are preferably configured and dimensioned so that, at any given displacement of the lever (20) from the neutral position, the recovery forces generally counterbalance the work-load forces. Thus the lever (20) will remain at a given displacement when the driving force applied to the lever (20) is removed. Additionally, the counterbalancing of forces permits continued displacement of the lever (20) with a minimal and constant driving force.