Abstract: An electric motor, having a stator (465), a rotor (470), and an apparatus for evaluating a signal provided for controlling said motor (110), comprises a receiving unit (430, 440) for receiving a control signal (PWM_mod), which is a pulse width modulated signal (PWM) onto which a data signal (DIR, DATA) is modulated. An evaluation unit (440) is provided for evaluating the modulated control signal (PWM_mod). The unit is configured to extract, from the modulated control signal (PWM_mod), data provided for operation of the motor (110). The control apparatus includes a signal generator (450) configured to generate, on the basis of the extracted or ascertained data provided for operation of the motor (110), at least one control signal for the motor (110), such as a commanded direction of rotation. Piggybacking other control data onto the PWM power level signal reduces hardware investment, by permitting omission of a signal lead which would otherwise be required in the motor structure.

Abstract: A fan (100) has a fan housing (110). The latter has an air entrance opening (120) and an air exit opening (130). It further has a swivel joint arrangement (180) having at least one swivel joint (145, 147, 155, 157, 165, 167, 175, 177) that is arranged on a joint carrier (188; 188?); at least one non-return flap (140, 150, 160, 170) that is journaled rotatably by means of the at least one swivel joint (145, 147, 155, 157, 165, 167, 175, 177) and, in its closed position, at least partly closes off the air exit opening (130); and at least one elastic return member (142, 152, 162, 172) that is associated with the at least one non-return flap (140, 150, 160, 170) and urges it toward its closed position.

Abstract: An internal rotor motor, in particular an electronically commutated internal rotor motor, has a multi-pole stator (28) and a rotor lamination stack (37; 52, 54, 56) mounted rotatably relative to said stator; furthermore a central bore is provided in the rotor lamination stack, the rotor lamination stack comprising individual laminations (41) whose respective central openings (47) comprise radially inwardly projecting first portions or tabs (50) into which a rotor shaft (18) is press-fitted, and said central openings (47) comprise, in angular sectors between the first portions (50), second portions (51) that, in the assembled state, are spaced away from the outside of the shaft (18), at least some (axially central) ones of the individual laminations (41) of the rotor lamination stack (52) being arranged with an angular offset from one another.

Abstract: A metering system for metering a liquid has an electric motor (32) for setting a desired feed rate by modifying the rotation speed of the electric motor. It furthermore has an eccentric drive (52, 56), drivable by said electric motor (32), for a pump (53) that has two delivery directions. It also has a pump ring (62) made of an elastomeric material and a stationary ring (70) which is arranged relative to the pump ring (62) and to the eccentric drive (52, 56) in such a way that a pump chamber (120), extending in a circumferential direction, is formed between the stationary ring (70) and pump ring (62), which chamber changes shape upon rotation of the electric motor (32) in order to deliver a liquid to be metered through the pump chamber (120). A stationary seal (142) is provided in the pump chamber (120), between two fluid ports.

Abstract: A ventilation apparatus (500) serves to cool the seat cushion (120) of a seat (100), in particular of a vehicle seat. This seat cushion (120) has a seating surface (122), a rear face (127) and an underside (121). The underside (121) of the seat cushion (120) and the seat frame (110) form a cavity (190). The ventilation apparatus (500) has a radial fan (515) for arrangement in said cavity (190), which radial fan (515) has an inlet (512) and an outlet (518). An air distribution arrangement (530) connects to the output of a U-shaped air deflection device (520) that extends from the air outlet (518) of the radial fan (515) to an inlet (532) of the air distribution arrangement (530) and includes a plurality of air deflection conduits (525).

Abstract: An electronically commutated motor (ECM) often employs a Hall sensor for reliable operation. Even when a Hall sensor is omitted from a motor having a plurality of stator winding phases (24, 26) and a permanent-magnet rotor (22), one can reliably detect direction of rotation of the rotor by the steps of: (a) differentiating a voltage profile obtained by sampling either (1) induced voltage in a presently currentless phase winding or (2) voltage drop at a transistor, through which current is flowing to a presently energized phase winding, and (b) using such a differentiated signal (du—24?/dt, du—26?/dt) to control current flow in an associated phase winding. In this manner, one obtains reliable commutation, even if the motor is spatially separated from its commutation electronics.

Abstract: A novel electric motor rotor structure, particularly desirable for use with brittle rare-earth-magnets, offers improved resistance to rattling and axial shifting. This is achieved by forming the rotor with an annular central yoke connecting to a plurality of pole shoes along the periphery of the rotor and defining a magnet-receiving recess or pocket 160 between each pole shoe and the central yoke. Spaced circumferentially between adjacent magnets 38 are regions 146 of reduced magnetic conductivity, which include relatively thin metallic holding segments, which connect adjacent pole shoes to each other and to the central yoke. During manufacturing, tools are applied to upset or crimp the holding segments, and thereby form spring elements, to hold the magnets in stable positions and resist any tendency of the magnets to rattle or axially shift during motor operation. One obtains the same power level from a smaller, and therefore lighter, motor than was previously possible.

Abstract: An electronically commutated motor (ECM) often employs a Hall sensor for reliable operation. Even when a Hall sensor is omitted from a motor having a plurality of stator winding phases (24, 26) and a permanent-magnet rotor (22), one can reliably detect direction of rotation of the rotor by the steps of: (a) differentiating a voltage profile obtained by sampling either (1) induced voltage in a presently currentless phase winding or (2) voltage drop at a transistor, through which current is flowing to a presently energized phase winding, and (b) using such a differentiated signal (du—24?/dt, du—26?/dt) to control current flow in an associated phase winding. In this manner, one obtains reliable commutation, even if the motor is spatially separated from its commutation electronics.

Abstract: An electronically commutated motor (ECM 20) has a rotor (28) and a stator, associated with which is a winding arrangement (26) to which electrical current (i1) is applied to drive the motor (20), a computer (36), and a PWM generator (84) associated therewith. The motor (20) is designed for operation in a parameter range that encompasses at least one variable parameter, e.g. operating voltage or ambient temperature, that can have different values. The computer (36) is configured to operate by carrying out these steps: After the motor (20) is switched on and before normal startup begins, during an initial time phase (T1), current (i1) delivered to the stator winding arrangement (26) is switched off and on using a pulse duty factor (pwm) derived from said variable parameter, in order to produce startup of the motor (20); subsequent to phase (T1), when the rotor (28) is rotating, normal startup is performed.

Abstract: A fan arrangement (20) has a fan (24) driven by an electric motor (22). It further has an apparatus for continuously detecting an actual electrical value associated with the electric motor (22) during operation, an input apparatus for inputting a desired electrical value for the operation of said electric motor, a comparison apparatus (26) for comparing said electrical value with the actual electrical value, and a controller which regulates said electrical value by pulse width modulation (36).

Abstract: A fan has an electronically commutated external-rotor motor serving to drive it. The motor has an internal stator (20) having a stator lamination stack (64) and a winding arrangement (66; 164, 166, 168, 170) associated with said stack. The internal stator has a central opening (149) for journaling a shaft (42). The fan further has a permanent-magnet rotor (28) separated from the internal stator (20) by a magnetically effective air gap (99), which rotor is equipped on its outer side with fan blades (32) and comprises a shaft (42) journalled in the central opening (149) of the internal stator (20).

Abstract: A miniature fan arrangement has a fan (10) including an electronically commutated drive motor (21), a first circuit board (52) associated with said motor, and a fan housing (30). The fan also has a mounting part arranged radially outside the fan housing (30), and has a membrane (32), made of an elastic material, that elastically connects the fan housing (30) and the mounting part (34) to one another. A second circuit board (54) is arranged between the mounting part (34) and the fan housing (30) and is electrically connected to the first circuit board (52). The structure provides space for additional motor control components, particularly in small-sized motors.

Abstract: A self-cooling diagonal ventilating fan (30; 130) has a fan housing (36) and a fan wheel (80), rotatable around a rotation axis (168), that has, associated with it, an electronically commutated motor (73) which has an internal stator (64) and an external rotor (68, 152). Provided on the outer side of the fan wheel (80) are fan blades (82) which have, with reference to the rotation direction (84) of the fan wheel (80) during operation, a front side (114) and a back side (112), such that there occurs on the fan wheel (80) during operation, adjacent the back side (112) of each blade (82), a negative-pressure zone (110) that is connected via an opening (90) of the fan wheel (80) to the wheel's inner side (81), in order to draw cooling air outward from said inner side.

Abstract: An electronically commutated motor has a rotor (34) that is rotatable about an axis (D), and it has a stator arrangement (30) in which is provided a number, evenly divisible by three, of salient stator poles that are wound with winding strands, associated with which, for the connection thereof, are busbars (44, 46, 48) arranged on edge. The latter are arranged in an insulating part (42). Each of these busbars (44, 46, 48) has a central portion (78), a first end portion (90) and a second end portion (56). These busbars (44, 46, 48) are insulated from one another and are nested into one another in a manner that minimizes relative displacement thereof.

Abstract: An electric motor (10) has: a stator (12) and a rotor (14) having a shaft (87). The rotor (14) has a sensor magnet (82) having a number SP of sensor poles (71, 72, 73, 74) for generating a predetermined distribution of the magnetic flux density, such that SP=2, 4, 6, 8, etc. The motor also has at least two rotor position sensors (450, 455, 460, 465) for generating rotor position signals (B_S1, B_S2) characterizing the magnetic flux density, the rotor position sensors (450, 455, 460, 465) being arranged in the region (30) of the circumference of the sensor magnet (82). The motor also has an evaluation apparatus (32) that ascertains, from the rotor position signals (B_S1, B_S2), an absolute value (phi_el, phi_mech) for the rotational position of the rotor (14). A method of generating an absolute value for the rotational position of an electric motor is likewise described.

Abstract: An electric motor (40) has a permanent-magnet rotor (46) and an apparatus for generating a three-phase sinusoidal current (i202, i204, i206) for supplying current to said motor (40), also a microprocessor (95) for executing the following steps: while the motor (40) is running at a substantially constant load, the motor is operated firstly at a predetermined operating voltage (U), and an amplitude of a current flowing to the motor is iteratively sampled, stored, and compared as applied voltage is decreased. If it is found, in this context, that the current flowing to the motor has not decreased as a result of reduction in the voltage amplitude, the motor (40) is operated at that current. If, however, it is found that the current flowing to the motor has decreased as a result of the reduction in the voltage delivered to the motor (40), the measurements and the comparison are repeated, optionally multiple times, in order to identify values for optimized efficiency.

Abstract: A miniature fan, particularly an axial fan, has a space-conserving structure which permits sophisticated electronic control circuits within a limited amount of space. It features an electronically commutated motor (ECM) including an internal stator 68, an external rotor 27 on a shaft 62, and a fan wheel 28 mounted on the rotor and bearing fan blades 26. The motor flange 40? supports a bearing tube 60 which rotatably journals the rotor shaft 62 and is formed with a cavity 84 which receives a first circuit board 86 devoted to control of motor speed and/or voltage, and a second circuit board 96 which supports a galvanometric sensor 100 which senses the rotational position of the rotor, for purposes of triggering commutation of the motor stator windings 68 at appropriate times.

Abstract: An arrangement for dissipating heat from components producing high heat flux densities, such as computers, features a combination fan and fluid pump with a magnetic coupling (93) which acts across a fluid-tight partitioning can (52). The pump has a pump wheel (90) connected to a first permanent magnet (92), and an electronically commutated internal-rotor motor (ECM 70) to drive it. The motor has a stator (68) inside which is rotatably arranged a rotor (60) equipped with a second permanent magnet (64). Interaction between the first and second permanent magnets creates the magnetic coupling (93). The stator (68) of the internal-rotor motor (70) is arranged radially outside the magnetic coupling (93). A first shaft (54), arranged on the outer side of the can (52), serves for rotatable journaling of the rotor (60) of the internal-rotor motor (70) and a second shaft (50) inside the can serves for journaling the pump rotor.