Gravity powered electrical energy generators, particularly for producing lighting is disclosed. The apparatus has a support frame (1, 30) in which a series of gears and a gear-driven generator (20) are mounted. The power to drive the most upstream gear (2) is provided by a weight suspended from a point to one side of the axis of rotation of gear (2). The drive gear of the furthest downstream gear has no teeth so that the final contact between the drive gear and the shaft of the generator (20) is frictional. The gear ratio of the final downstream gear is at least 25. When used for lighting, the apparatus may include one or more high brightness LEDs (40) mounted on the housing (30). By suitable choice of gear ratios, the device may produce thirty minutes of illumination while allowing a 10 kilogram weight to fall through a distance of 1.8 meters.

A piezoelectric element includes: a titanium-containing adhesion layer, a lower electrode, a PZT-based piezoelectric film, and an upper electrode, which are sequentially provided on a silicon substrate, in which the lower electrode includes a columnar structure film consisting of a large number of columnar crystals which are grown from a surface of the titanium-containing adhesion layer and have a platinum group element as a primary component, and an adhesion layer component diffused from the titanium containing adhesion layer and oxygen diffused from the piezoelectric film side, which are present in the columnar structure film, and a main column diameter of the columnar crystal of the columnar structure film is 50 nm or more and 200 nm or less.

A composition capable of producing either solid propellant grains, liquid or gel monopropellants, all of which are electrically ignitable and capable of sustained controllable combustion at ambient pressure. Additional compositions capable of sustained controllable combustion at elevated pressures are described. Applications for the compositions disclosed herein are provided, and include among other applications use in small micro thrusters, large core-burning solid propellant gains, shaped explosives charges for military application, and pumpable liquids and gel monopropellants or explosives for military, commercial mining or gas and oil recovery. In alternative embodiments the above compositions may also incorporate an energetic nitrate polymer, bum rate modifiers, and/or metal fuel(s). The HIPEP formulation makes it possible to ignite and sustain combustion at ambient and vacuum conditions (a) without continuous electrical power and (b) while providing faster bum rates.

An oil-storing electric iron comprises: a flat ironing part including a stainless steel soleplate, a top casing plate, an electric heating tube and a heating conducting oil; and an adjustable temperature controller. The stainless steel soleplate and the top casing plate form an enclosed casing in which the electric heating tube and the heating conducting oil are provided. The thermal capacity of the electric iron soleplate can be effectively increased and the problem of instability and nonuniformity of the electrical iron soleplate temperature can be solved, so as to be uniform in temperature, easy to operate, safe in use and energy saving.

A piezoelectric element is manufactured in a method including forming an adhesion layer of zirconium above a zirconium oxide insulating film, forming a first electrode above the adhesion layer, forming a piezoelectric layer of a complex oxide containing bismuth above the first electrode, and forming a second electrode above the piezoelectric layer.

A method for forming a piece of a sheet metal is performed by positioning a consumable body, made of metal, proximate to the piece of the sheet metal. The consumable body is rapidly vaporized, and the gas pressure generated thereby is directed into the piece of the sheet metal. This results in acceleration of the piece of sheet metal, and it is collided into a stationary body at a velocity, generally in excess of 200 m/s. Depending upon the type of stationary body, the piece of sheet metal is deformed into a predetermined shape or is welded onto the stationary body. The vaporization is accomplished by passing a high current of electricity into the consumable body. The effect of the vaporized metal may be augmented by additional components in the consumable body.

Electric heat for generating smoke from tobacco or the like in a hookah type smoking pipe. Electric heat is obtained from an electrically powered heating element which may be placed proximate the tobacco. The heating element may be contained within a housing which in turn may be placed above the smoking chamber of the hookah. The housing may have adjustably damped holes disposed to pass air over the heating element. Electrical circuitry serving the heating element may comprise a step down transformer and a voltage adjusting switch. The heating element may be integral with the hookah, may take the form of a separate component which is mountable over the smoking chamber of the hookah, or may comprise a free standing assembly which may be placed to stand adjacent to the hookah.

A sortation conveyor for transporting and diverting a plurality of articles includes a first conveying path and a second conveying path angularly positioned relative to the first conveying path. A plurality of pusher elements may be selectively diverted laterally across the first conveying path to divert articles to the second conveying path. A piezoelectric actuated switch assembly positioned adjacent to the second conveying path selectively engages the pusher elements to divert the selected article to the second conveying path.

A battery system for an electric vehicle includes a container having a lid and a plurality of battery cells housed in the container. Each battery cell of the plurality of battery cells may include a pair of tabs to electrically connect to the battery cell, a printed circuit board housed in the container, and a pair of contact elements. The printed circuit board may include circuitry adapted to monitor at least one battery cell. And, each contact element may be attached to the printed circuit board and configured to separably contact a tab of the at least one battery cell to electrically connect the at least one battery cell to the printed circuit board.

A wedge member for securing an electrical conductor box within a hollow concrete block which is to be incorporated in a concrete block wall. The wedge member includes an elongated member dimensioned for a force fit within a hole within the concrete block.

A stud mounting bracket for a junction box includes a mounting extension extending outward from a longitudinal end margin of a main body. The mounting extension includes a mounting body connected to the longitudinal end margin of the main body and an extension tab connected to the mounting body. The extension tab is pivotable relative to the mounting body about an axis from a compact configuration to an extended configuration to increase the length of the mounting extension. A box mounting bracket for mounting a junction box on a stud mounting bracket includes first and second jaws. The first and second jaws engage the stud mounting bracket for use in attaching the box mounting bracket to the stud mounting bracket. The first and second jaws are resiliently deflectable both relative to the base and independent of one another when attaching the box mounting bracket to the stud mounting bracket.

An electric bed has a bed frame, multiple boards, and a motor structure. The bed frame comprises a lower bed frame and an upper bed frame, and the upper bed frame and the lower bed frame are connected by a connecting structure. The multiple boards are hinged, and at least one board is fixed onto the upper bed frame. The motor structure comprises a connecting rod, a slide bar, and a horizontal pushing motor system. The connecting rod has one end hinged with the first board of the multiple boards. The slide bar extends in the width direction of the bed frame and is arranged in a sliding chute in the length direction of the bed frame, so that it can slide along the length direction of the bed frame.

A computerized monitoring system and method for detecting electrical equipment failure. The system includes a sensor that detects a sound level representative of ultrasonic emissions radiating from electrical equipment to be monitored. A computer system in communication with the sensor is programmed to determine whether the electrical equipment is experiencing one or more of arcing, tracking, or corona based on the sound level detected by the sensor. In some embodiments, the computer system continuously monitors for these conditions based on the sound level detected by the sensor.

An charge element disposed proximate to a combustion reaction is caused to carry a voltage while also being prevented from arc-discharging or arc-charging to or from the combustion reaction, by a current limiting element in electrical continuity with the charge element.

An apparatus includes a slider of a recording head comprising a plurality of electrical bond pads coupled to bias sources and a ground pad. Each of a plurality of electrical components of the slider is coupled to at least one of the electrical bond pads. At least one of the electrical bond pads is a shared electrical bond pad coupled to at least two of the electrical components. At least one diode is coupled to at least one of the electrical bond pads and at least one of the electrical components.

The invention relates to a control device for carrying out an operating method for an electric window lifter for moving a rear pane (3) in a motor vehicle, in which the rear pane (3) is moved in a lowering direction (−z) along an approximately s-shaped path of movement. In the case of trapping, the movement of the rear pane (3) in the lowering direction (−z) is stopped and the rear pane (3) is moved in the lifting direction (+z).

A door for attachment on the front of a machining tank of an electric discharge machine includes a door frame and first and second lifting doors that move up and down with respect to the door frame. When the first lifting door is lifted, pulleys attached on the first lifting door also move up, causing a belt wound around the pulleys and fixed to the door frame via a first belt-attaching member to rotate. As a result, the second lifting door, fixed to the belt via a second belt-attaching member, moves up with respect to the first lifting door.

A method of forming a ferroelectric memory cell. The method comprises forming an electrode material exhibiting a desired dominant crystallographic orientation. A hafnium-based material is formed over the electrode material and the hafnium-based material is crystallized to induce formation of a ferroelectric material having a desired crystallographic orientation. Additional methods are also described, as are semiconductor device structures including the ferroelectric material.

A wire gripping assembly for securing an electrical box or light fixture to a support. The wire gripping assembly includes a wire gripping device having a body with open channels and a through bore, a clip member having legs for sliding engagement within the channels, a cable having an end connector thereon, and a thumbscrew for adjusting the clip member with respect to the body. The thumbscrew includes a head having an outer circumference with serrations to enable hand tightening and an end with a slot for engagement by a screwdriver or similar tool. The wire gripping assembly eases installation of an electrical device to an overhead support by enabling a two-step connection including initial hand tightening using the serrated outer surface of the thumbscrew and subsequent secure tightening by engaging the slot of the thumbscrew with a screwdriver or similar tool.

A damper assembly includes a housing and rod supported by the housing. A piston assembly is attached to the rod, and is positioned to separate an interior chamber of the housing into a first fluid chamber and a second fluid chamber. The piston assembly includes an annular plate that defines at least one orifice. The orifice interconnects the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber in fluid communication. The damper assembly includes a piezoelectric device that is moveable between a disengaged position and an engaged position, in response to a control signal. When disposed in the disengaged position, the piezoelectric device does not affect fluid flow through the at least one orifice. When disposed in the engaged position, the piezoelectric device does affect fluid flow through the at least one orifice, to adjust a damping rate of the piston assembly.

An electrical connector has two portions, a first portion connectable to a device and a second portion having a contact point which is movable in relation to the first portion. The second portion having the contact point comprises a magnet configured to attract the corresponding connector. The contact point does not require a counteracting force, whereby the side magnets may be smaller or the connector may lack the side magnets entirely.

An electrical connector includes first and second connector parts and an electrical connection detector. The electrical connection detector includes a contact spring with a spring contact on the first connector part and a contact strip on the second connector part. The electric connection detector establishes an electrical connection between the contact spring and the contact strip when the connector parts are joined together. The second connector part includes an electrically insulating protrusion which forms a guide bevel that rises in a joining direction of the first connector part toward the second connector part. The spring contact is guided over the guide bevel, rests behind the protrusion, and physically contacts the contact strip when the connector parts are joined together to thereby establish an electrical connection between the contact spring and the contact strip.

An electrical assembly has a lead frame with a plurality of elongated conductor sets and an insulative housing. Each conductor set has two differential signal pair conductors between a first ground conductor and a second ground conductor. A slot extends through the insulative housing and at least partially exposes the first ground conductor of a first conductor set and the second ground conductor of a second conductor set. A first ground shield has a first tab bent inward that extends into the slot from a first side of the lead frame. A second ground shield has second tab bent inward that extends into the slot from a second side of the lead frame. A conductive medium is provided in the slot to electrically connect the first tab, the second tab, the first ground conductor and the second ground conductor.

The present invention relates to a connection element for connection of an electrical connector (17) with a cable (15) connected on the connection element (10), wherein the connection element (10) has a mechanism (21) which is configured to secure the connection element (10) in a predetermined position on the electrical connector (17), and wherein the connection element (10) has on a contact region between the connection element (10) the electrical connector (17) that is generated after the connection of the electrical connector (17) with the cable (15) at least one layer made of a sealing material, which is configured to seal a region of the connecting element (10) on the electrical connector (17) in a liquid tight manner.

An electrical connector includes a housing having pockets formed in a receiving end of the housing. A terminal module is inserted into the pockets wherein the terminal modules are constructed from a stitch plate including a plurality of terminals retained therein, A cover having a plurality of spaced apart walls form thereon is arranged on the stitch plate and is moved into engagement with the stitch plate with the walls disposed in the intervening space between adjacent terminals. The connector assembly is pressed onto a circuit board in which a force is applied to the connector housing and is directly transferred to the terminal tails of the terminal modules causing electrical contact between conductive holes of the circuit board and the terminals.

An electrical receptacle connector includes a metallic shell, an insulated housing, first receptacle terminals, second receptacle terminals, first glue recess, and a first texture region. The metallic shell circularly encloses the insulated housing. The first and second receptacle terminals are held in the insulated housing. The first texture region is annularly formed on an inner wall of the metallic shell and corresponds to a periphery of the outer wall of the insulated housing. Therefore, the sealing member can attach onto the first texture region efficiently. Therefore, the sealing member does not overflow to the front portion of the receptacle cavity, and the inner gap can be sealed by the sealing member properly. Hence, the first texture region allows the sealing member to attach onto the inner wall of the shell body, and the sealing member can cover the inner gap completely to provide a reliable waterproof performance.

An electrical cord covering system includes a first housing portion and a second housing portion. The housing portions each include compression portions around their respective rims. The compression portions each have two recessed areas. When the housing portions are in a closed position a hollow region is formed to cover mated electrical cord plugs. A rim seal is formed with the compression portions. Two apertures are formed in the rim seal from the recessed apertures. The cable apertures form seals against electrical cords running to the electrical cord plugs.

The invention relates to a shielded connector for a motor vehicle. The connector comprises at least one casing shielding element. The shielding element includes a cable outlet portion provided with a plurality of resilient tabs that are integral with the shielding element. The tabs include a contact zone in electrical contact with a ferrule crimped to a shielding braid of a cable. The contact zone is maintained pressed against the shielding braid by means of a removable clamping ring.

Various methods, apparatus, devices and systems are provided for electrically short antennas for efficient broadband transmission. In one example, among others, a system includes a segmentally time-variant antenna and a segment controller that can control conductivity of individual segments of the segmentally time-variant antenna. The conductivity of the individual segments is modulated to allow a pulse to propagate from the proximal end to the distal end of the segmentally time-variant antenna and impede a reflection of the pulse from propagating back to the proximal end of the segmentally time-variant antenna. In another embodiment, a method includes injecting a pulse at a first end of a segmentally time-variant antenna and modulating conductivity of individual segments to allow the pulse to propagate to a second end of the segmentally time-variant antenna and impede a reflection of the pulse from propagating back to the first end.

A seal device that may be for a variable area fan nozzle (VAFN) assembly of a turbofan engine is positioned between first and second surfaces configured to move between close and distant positions. The seal device includes a first electrode engaged to the first surface and a second electrode spaced between the first and second surfaces and spaced from the first electrode. A resilient first element of the device is disposed between and engages to the first and second electrodes, and is configured to move between contracted and expanded states when the electrodes are energized. A resilient second element of the device opposes the second surface and is engaged to the second electrode. The second element is configured to move between a compressed mode when the first and second surfaces are in the close position and an extended mode when the first and second surfaces are in the distant position.

Disclosed is a housing for electronic/electrical that includes an inner panel and an outer panel, a strip of metal plate, and a strip of shape memory material. The inner panel and the outer panel are disposed parallel to each other at regular intervals to define an internal space. The strip of metal plate extends from an inner surface of the outer panel. The strip of shape memory material extends from an inner surface of the inner panel and is attached or detached to/from the metal plate on the outer panel while changing into an original straight shape or a bent shape according to a temperature variation. Here, when the temperature increase beyond a first transition temperature, the shape memory material straightens to form a heat transfer path. At a low temperature environment, the shape memory material bends and is separated from the metal plate to interrupt the heat transfer path.

The present invention relates to a modular photoelectric-switch keyboard key, including modular photoelectric switch, base, keymodule and elastic element, the said modular photoelectric switch is mounted in the said base, the said keymodule is slideably placed in the sliding cavity of the said base and the said elastic element is placed between the said base and the said keymodule; the said modular photoelectric switch comprises transmitting tube, receiving tube and distance piece, the said transmitting tube and the said receiving tube are placed oppositely and are electrically connected with the circuit board; the said distance piece is connected with the said keymodule and located between the said transmitting tube and the said receiving tube.

An electrical voltage-generating piezoelectric device comprising at least a first blade (1) with a curved portion (10) defining a first arm (11) and a second arm (12) of the blade, the first arm (11) being intended to be fastened to a fixed support, the second arm (12) being substantially flat and having a free end (120) designed to oscillate around its resting position under the effect of mechanical force, at least one piezoelectric element (31) resting upon one of the main surfaces (14) of the second arm (12) of the first blade. The device also includes a second blade (2) identical in structure to the first blade (1), the first arms (11, 21) of the first and second blades (1, 2) being fastened together on all or part of their surfaces and being fixed relative to each other.

In a method of manufacturing a piezoelectric device in which a piezoelectric thin film on which functional conductors are formed is fixed to a support substrate by a fixing layer, an alignment mark is formed on one main surface of a light-transmitting piezoelectric substrate. A sacrificial layer is formed on a main surface of the piezoelectric substrate with reference to the alignment mark and the fixing layer is formed so as to cover the sacrificial layer and is bonded to the support substrate. The piezoelectric thin film is formed by being separated from the piezoelectric substrate and the functional conductors are formed on the surface of the piezoelectric thin film with reference to the alignment mark. The piezoelectric device is able to be manufactured while positions of formation regions of conductors are adjusted efficiently.

Provided is a garment generating electricity which transforms kinematic energy generated when a user wearing the garment walks and/or swings arms past torso to an electric energy, and has a simple structure and is produced at low cost, and realizes excellent electricity generation efficiency. A garment generating electricity from ambulation or aim swinging past torso or both includes a magnet member arranged on a first part of a garment to generate magnetic field, a coil member provided on a second part of the garment which reciprocally moves with the first part of the garment while walking or swinging aims past torso, the coil member generating electricity from the magnetic field of the magnet member, and a storage battery charged with the electricity generated by the coil member.

A system and method provides a piezoelectric stack arrangement for reduced driving voltage while maintaining a driving level for active piezoelectric materials. A stack arrangement of d36 shear mode single crystals of both air X-cut and Y-cut ±1:45° (±20°) arrangement are bonded with discrete conductive pillars to form a shear crystal stack. The bonding area between the neighboring crystal parts is minimized. The bonding pillars are positioned at less than a total surface are of the single crystal forming the stack. The stack fabrication is facilitated with a precision assembly system, where crystal parts are placed to desired locations on an assembly fixture for alignment following the preset operation steps. With the reduced clamping effect from bonding due to lower surface coverage of the discrete conductive pillars, such a piezoelectric d36 shear crystal stack exhibits a reduced driving voltage while maintaining a driving level and substantial and surprisingly improved performance.

The present invention relates to a zinc oxide-based piezoelectric device, utilisable both as a sensor and as an actuator. More in particular, the present invention relates to a piezoelectric device (1, 101) comprising at least two carbon fibre crossed yarns (2a, 2b; 102a, 102b), at the intersection of which a zinc oxide layer (3, 103) in nanorod form is arranged, wherein an end (4a, 4b) of each of said yarns (2a, 2b; 102a, 102b) is connected to an operative unit (5).

A MEMS piezoelectric device includes a monolithic semiconductor body having first and second main surfaces extending parallel to a horizontal plane formed by first and second horizontal axes. A housing cavity is arranged within the monolithic semiconductor body. A membrane is suspended above the housing cavity at the first main surface. A piezoelectric material layer is arranged above a first surface of the membrane with a proof mass coupled to a second surface, opposite to the first surface, along the vertical axis. An electrode arrangement is provided in contact with the piezoelectric material layer. The proof mass causes deformation of the piezoelectric material layer in response to environmental mechanical vibrations. The proof mass is coupled to the membrane by a connection element arranged, in a central position, between the membrane and the proof mass in the direction of the vertical axis.

An electric motor assembly includes an axle having a first end and a second end. A plurality of rotor stages is attached to the axle. The rotor stages each include a set of rotor magnets. Each set has a greater potential magnetic field as the sets are located further from the first end. A plurality of stators is positioned around the rotor stages so that each of the rotor stages is adjacent to and covered by one of the stators to define a plurality of mated pairs. The stators each include a plurality of stator magnets. A stator control, for controlling individual ones of the pairs, is electrically coupled to each of the stators and magnetizes the stator magnets in a controlled fashion with respect to the rotor magnets to urge the rotor magnets in a same direction and rotate the axle.

The present invention ensures reliability while reducing the size of an axial air gap rotating electric machine. An axial air gap rotating electric machine has: a stator comprising a plurality of core members arranged in a ring shape, said core members each having an iron core, a coil wound in an iron core outer periphery direction, and a bobbin disposed between the iron core and the coil; and a rotor plane-facing an end surface of the iron core via an air gap in a rotating shaft radial direction. The bobbin has: a tubular portion facing the outer peripheral side surface of the iron core and shorter than the length of the iron core; flange portions extending in the vicinity of both ends of the tubular portion from the outer periphery of the tubular portion toward the vertical direction outside by a predetermined length; and a projection portion being on the outside surface of at least one of the flange portions and near the inner edge of the tubular portion, having an inner peripheral surface facing the end outer peripheral side surface of the inserted iron core, and further projecting in an extending direction of the tubular portion.

An electric machine comprising a first carrier having an array of electromagnetic elements and a second carrier having electromagnetic elements defining magnetic poles, the second carrier being arranged to move relative to the first carrier. An airgap is provided between the first carrier and the second carrier. The electromagnetic elements of the first carrier include posts, with slots between the posts, one or more electric conductors in each slot, the posts of the first carrier having a post height in mm. The first carrier and the second carrier together define a size of the electric machine. The magnetic poles having a pole pitch in mm. The size of the motor, pole pitch and post height are selected to fall within a region in a space defined by size, pole pitch and post height that provides a benefit in terms of force or torque per weight per excitation level.

An electric machine of a motor vehicle, in particular of an adjustment drive or of a radiator fan, has a rotor which is mounted so as to be rotatable about a machine axis. The rotor has a number of permanent magnets which are arranged in the radial direction. Each permanent magnet has one side with a strong magnetic flux and one side with a weak magnetic flux in the tangential direction. When the permanent magnets are adjacent in the tangential direction, different sides are directed towards one another.

Raw material magnet is milled to magnet powder, and the magnet powder thus milled is mixed with a binder to form a compound 12. Then, the compound 12 thus formed is molded to a green sheet 14 having a sheet shape. Thereafter, a magnetic field orientation is carried out by applying a magnetic field to the green sheet 14 thus molded, and then, the green sheet 14 having been subjected to the magnetic field orientation is shaped to a product shape by deforming thereof. Thereafter, the permanent magnet 1 is produced by sintering thereof. The permanent magnet 1 has a ring shape, and is constituted such that an axis of easy magnetization may be orientated at a slant so as to converge in a direction along a converging axis P which is set to a radius direction as well as to a center direction of the ring shape.

An electric motor includes a stator operable to produce a magnetic field and defining an opening, and a rotor at least partially disposed within the opening. The rotor includes a shaft extending along a rotational axis, a first rotor magnetic core portion including a plurality of laminations stacked contiguously on the shaft, and a second rotor magnetic core portion coupled to the plurality of laminations. The first rotor magnetic core portion and the second rotor magnetic core portion cooperate to define the rotor magnetic core. A plurality of windings is coupled to the rotor magnetic core and an air flow path is formed as part of the second rotor magnetic core portion. The air flow path includes an axial portion that passes through the shaft axially along the rotational axis and a radial portion that extends radially outward through the second rotor magnetic core portion.

The invention provides a rotating electrical machine system in which an air volume of a refrigerant is increased near the center of a rotating electrical machine in the axial direction is improved. The rotating electrical machine includes a rotor and a stator, in which the stator core, laminated electromagnetic steel sheets formed by laminating a plurality of electromagnetic steel sheets in the axial direction are divided into a plurality of sets of packet cores, and between one of the packet cores of the plurality of sets and another packet core adjacent to it, there is formed a duct providing a flow channel of the stator, and in a duct situated at the center side from both ends in the axial direction among the duct, there is a portion of two packet cores facing each other across the duct, a diameter direction length of the two packet cores becoming long.

The invention relates to an electric machine (10) with commutating brushes (12) and an electric interference-suppression component (14). The brushes (12) are arranged in an annular brush support (18), and the brush support (18) sits on an axial end (22) of a housing part (24) of the electric machine (10), which is preferably a pole housing (240). The interference-suppression component (14) is arranged radially outside of the housing (24), and the brush support (18) has a protrusion (30) which extends in the radial direction (2). The protrusion (30) extends radially towards the outside so as to extend outside of the housing (24), the interference-suppression component (14) being arranged on the protrusion (30).

Methods and systems for using the Earth's magnetic field to power a machine having a motor, the system including a computer, a plurality of wires, a plurality of energy storing devices, all in controlled electrical communication with each other, wherein the plurality of wires can collect electrical energy from the Earth's magnetic field while the machine is put in motion by a power source powering the motor, wherein the collected electrical energy is stored in the plurality of energy storing devices or used to power the motor.

The present invention relates to a triboelectric energy harvesting device and a method for manufacturing the same. The triboelectric energy harvesting device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first frictional layer provided with a first surface having first electron affinity, and a second frictional layer facing the first surface and having second electron affinity, wherein at least one of the first and second frictional layers is formed of an elastic material and is provided in an elastic structure.

A triboelectric generator includes a first contact charging member and a second contact charging member. The first contact charging member includes a first contact layer and a conductive electrode layer. The first contact layer includes a material that has a triboelectric series rating indicating a propensity to gain electrons due to a contacting event. The conductive electrode layer is disposed along the back side of the contact layer. The second contact charging member is spaced apart from and disposed oppositely from the first contact charging member. It includes an electrically conductive material layer that has a triboelectric series rating indicating a propensity to lose electrons when contacted by the first contact layer during the contacting event. The electrically conductive material acts as an electrode. A mechanism maintains a space between the first contact charging member and the second contact charging member except when a force is applied thereto.

A monolithic integration of phase change material (PCM) switches with a MEMS resonator is provided to implement switching and reconfiguration functionalities. MEMS resonator includes a piezoelectric material to control terminal connections to the electrodes. The PCM is operable between an ON state and an OFF state by application of heat, which causes the phase change material to change from an amorphous state to a crystalline state or from a crystalline state to an amorphous state, the amorphous state and the crystalline state each associated with one of the ON state and the OFF state. A method of fabricating the MEMS resonator with phase change material is provided. A reconfigurable filter system using the MEMS resonators is also provided.