CROSS-REFERENCE OF RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. national stage application of U.S.C. § 371 of International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2018/034720 filed on Sep. 20, 2018, which claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-197162 filed on Oct. 10, 2017, the contents all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to power generation devices and input devices. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a power generation device and an input device, in which kinetic energy generated by a mover along with movement of an operator is converted into electrical energy to generate electric power.

BACKGROUND ART

Such power generation devices have been known that each includes a movable member that utilizes restoring force of a spring member to move (e.g., see PTL 1).

A power generation device described in PTL 1 includes an operator (push button), a movable member (slider), two spring members (a first spring and a second spring), two permanent magnets (a first permanent magnet and a second permanent magnet), and a power generator. While the operator is not operated, the movable member is kept stopped stably by absorption force of one of the permanent magnets. When the operator is operated from this state, restoring force of one of the spring members (the first spring) cancels absorption by one of the permanent magnets to allow the movable member to move rightward. When the operator being operated is released, restoring force of another one of the spring members (the second spring) cancels absorption by another one of the permanent magnets to allow the movable member to move leftward.

When the movable member moves in the power generation device described in PTL 1, a direction of magnetic flux passing through a core (a first yoke member) of the power generator changes, causing a coil installed on an outer circumference of the core to generate electromotive force.

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature

PTL 1: WO 2014/061225

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A power generation device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a fixing member, a movable member held by the fixing member, the movable member being movable, relative to the fixing member, in a first direction between a first position and a second position, an operator configured to move between a first operation position and a second operation position, the operator lying at the first operation position while the movable member is at the first position, the operator lying at the second operation position while the movable member is at the second position, magnets configured to generate absorption force for holding the movable member at each of the first position and the second position, a power generator including a mover configured to move in conjunction with the movable member, the power generator being configured to convert kinetic energy of the mover into electrical energy, a spring member held by the movable member, the spring member being configured to transmit force from the operator to the movable member, and a slide member held by the fixing member. The movable member includes a first holding part and a second holding part away from each other in the first direction. The movable member holds the spring member between the first holding part and the second holding part. The operator includes a first pressing part and a second pressing part. While the operator is at the first operation position, the first pressing part and the second holding part pinch the spring member. While the operator is at the second operation position, the second pressing part and the first holding part pinch the spring member. When the operator moves in a direction in which the first pressing part approaches the second holding part while the movable member is at the first position, the first pressing part and the second holding part compress the spring member to allow the spring member to generate restoring force for moving the movable member from the first position to the second position. When the operator moves in a direction in which the second pressing part approaches the first holding part while the movable member is at the second position, the second pressing part and the first holding part compress the spring member to allow the spring member to generate restoring force for moving the movable member from the second position to the first position. The slide member is movable in the first direction between a first slide position and a second slide position. The slide member lies at the first slide position while the operator is at the first operation position. The slide member lies at the second slide position while the operator is at the second operation position. When the slide member moves between the first slide position and the second slide position, the slide member presses the operator. The operator is configured to move in conjunction with the slide member.

An input device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes the power generation device described above, and a signal processing circuit electrically coupled to the power generator. The signal processing circuit is configured to use the electrical energy generated by the power generator moving in conjunction with the operator to output a signal.

An advantage of the present disclosure is to achieve a simplified and small-sized structure.

