With Particular Motor-driven Load Device Patents (Class 318/3)
  • Patent number: 11938986
    Abstract: A control device includes a changing rate calculator, a first threshold calculator, and a separation determiner. The control device determines whether a current collector is separate from a power line, in a power conversion system in which a power converter converts power supplied from the current collector to the primary side of the power converter into alternating-current (AC) power and supplies the AC power to a motor connected to the secondary side of the power converter. The changing rate calculator calculates a changing rate of the voltage at the primary side of the power converter. The first threshold calculator calculates a first threshold having the absolute value positively correlated with an output power from the power converter. The separation determiner compares the changing rate with the first threshold and determines whether the current collector is separate from the power line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Michio Otsubo
  • Patent number: 11916412
    Abstract: An electric vehicle includes an electric motor, an inverter, a battery, a first switch, an electric power converter circuit, and a second switch. The inverter is configured to drive the electric motor. The battery is configured to supply electric power to the inverter. The first switch is normally open, and configured to open and close an electric power line provided between the battery and the inverter. The second switch is normally closed, and coupled between an electric power line of the electric motor and the electric power converter circuit. The electric power converter circuit is configured to, in a case where the electric power converter circuit receives a back electromotive voltage from the electric motor via the second switch, generate a voltage that drives the first switch to be in a close state, on the basis of the back electromotive voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoki Shinozaki, Kunihiko Kuronuma
  • Patent number: 11312241
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a power supply system for an electric motor car includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and a conversion unit. The first terminal is electrically connected to one of a power storage device and an overhead wire provided within a formation of electric motor cars. The second terminal is electrically connected to a lead wire together with a plurality of electric motors within the formation, a host power supply device, an external power supply device different from the host power supply device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Tsunehito Fujita, Yuki Shirasawa
  • Patent number: 11112767
    Abstract: A system determining whether the feed shafts are normal or abnormal, the system including: a command generation unit that moves the feed shafts in a forward direction at a predetermined speed from a lower limit value to an upper limit value of a range of feeding movement by the numerical controller; and a feed shaft abnormality determination unit that monitors a drive torque command during the movement of the feed shafts in the forward direction by the command generation unit, compares a monitoring result during the movement in the forward direction with a normal value of the drive torque command, determines that abnormality occurs when the drive torque command deviates from the normal value, and outputs the determination result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: NIKKEN KOSAKUSHO WORKS, LTD.
    Inventor: Susumu Mikado
  • Patent number: 11043861
    Abstract: A magnetic flux switching hub motor having a permanent magnet rotor, includes: a wheel rim, a stator core, an armature winding which is wound on the stator core, and a plurality of rotor units, wherein rotor units are fixed inside the wheel rim, and a rotor unit comprises a permanent magnet and rotor cores which are arranged on two sides of the permanent magnet, the magnetization direction of the permanent magnet being tangential magnetization, and a magnetization direction of each permanent magnet being the same. The motor has the advantages of being high power, and having strong saturation and overload resistance, high reluctance torque, good flux-weakening performance, a broad speed regulation range, a high degree of manufacturing integration, suitability for modular manufacturing processes, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: SOUTHEAST UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Wei Hua, Hengliang Zhang, Ming Cheng
  • Patent number: 11043911
    Abstract: A motor control device with built-in shunt resistor and power transistor is disclosed, comprising a high-thermally conductive substrate; an electrically conductive circuit which is thermo-conductively installed on the high-thermally conductive substrate and includes a first thermal connection pad portion and a second thermal connection pad portion mutually spaced apart; a high power transistor conductively connected to the electrical conducive circuit; and a shunt resistor conductively connected to the high power transistor, respectively including a body whose thermal expansion coefficient is greater than that of the high-thermally conductive substrate, as well as a pair of welding portions extending from the body, in which the body has a prescribed width, and the width of the welding portion is greater than the prescribed width, and the body and the high-thermally conductive substrate are spaced apart such that, upon welding the welding portion to the first thermal connection pad portion and the second therm
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignees: ICP Technology Co., Ltd., Sentec E&E Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ho-Chieh Yu, Chen-Cheng-Lung Liao, Chun-Yu Lin, Jason An Cheng Huang
  • Patent number: 11034555
    Abstract: A self-maintaining crane system including a bridge, a trolley, a hoist, and sensors for use within a hostile environment, such as a wastewater treatment facility, is presented. The bridge is movable along a pair of runway rails within the hostile environment. The trolley is movable between the runway rails. The hoist with extendable-retractable cable is movable with the trolley. Bridge sensors separately determine whether the bridge has engaged a bridge home position and a bridge end position. The bridge is movable away from the bridge home position and back toward the bridge end position. Trolley sensors separately determine whether the trolley has engaged a trolley home position and a trolley end position. The trolley is movable away from the trolley home position and back toward the trolley end position. Hoist sensors separately determine whether the cable has engaged a hoist home position and a hoist end position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: David R. Cordell & Associates, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven R. Cordell
  • Patent number: 10944341
    Abstract: The half-bridges driving a multiphase motor are controlled to perform a sequence of operations to support charging a hold capacitor. First, in a brake configuration, the half-bridge transistors are controlled such that either high-side transistors or low-side transistors of the half-bridges are turned on. Second, in an active step-up configuration, the half-bridge transistors are controlled such that the high-side transistor of a first half-bridge and the low-side transistor of a second half-bridge are both turned on and the low-side transistor of the first half-bridge and the high-side transistor of the second half-bridge are both turned off. Third, in an active brake configuration, the half-bridge transistors are controlled such that the low-side transistor of the first half-bridge and the high-side transistor of the second half-bridge are both turned on and the high-side transistor of the first half-bridge and the low-side transistor of the second half-bridge stage are both turned off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventor: Kaufik Linggajaya
  • Patent number: 10879784
    Abstract: If a B system microcomputer is reset and reactivated while an A system microcomputer is operating normally, tasks of the A system microcomputer and tasks of the B system microcomputer can be synchronized. The B system microcomputer is reset when voltage applied to a battery decreases and falls below an operation guarantee voltage. Thereafter, when the applied voltage becomes equal to or higher than the operation guarantee voltage and the B system microcomputer is activated, the B system microcomputer outputs a request signal for requesting a synchronization signal to the A system microcomputer. The A system microcomputer outputs the synchronization signal synchronized with a periodic task. The B system microcomputer determines an execution timing of the periodic task based on the synchronization signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masato Saijo, Masataka Tsujihashi, Tomohiro Niwa, Masashi Fuji
  • Patent number: 10797622
    Abstract: It is enabled to facilitate fine adjustment of power as well as reduction of the amount of movement required to maximize the power. An actuator 13 is moved by operation of a user. A pressure sensitive sensor 15 detects applied pressing force. A pressing member 14 presses the pressure sensitive sensor 15. When the amount of movement of the actuator 13 is smaller than a predetermined amount, the pressing member 14 presses the pressure sensitive sensor 15 to apply force corresponding to the amount of movement of the actuator 13. When the amount of movement of the actuator 13 is not smaller than the predetermined amount, the pressing member 14 presses the pressure sensitive sensor 15 to apply force corresponding to pressing force applied to the actuator 13 by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: SATORI ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sei Hikawa
  • Patent number: 10654518
    Abstract: A motor control apparatus include: multiple motor drive circuits that drives at least one motor; multiple microcomputers that include a drive signal generator, and a drive timing generator; and multiple clock generation circuits. The microcomputers include a synchronization signal transmitter microcomputer as at least one microcomputer that transmits a synchronization signal synchronized with the drive timing of an own microcomputer and synchronizing the drive timing of the microcomputers. The microcomputers include a synchronization signal receiver microcomputer as at least one microcomputer that receives the synchronization signal transmitted from the synchronization signal transmitter microcomputer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshimitsu Sakai, Masaya Taki, Shuji Kuramitsu, Koichi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 10541607
    Abstract: A circuit that increases input voltage to higher output voltage connected to a variable frequency drive in an appliance. Several switching arrangements, timing, and safety mechanisms are in place to assist. When the circuit experiences high draw, high voltage output values of circuit decrease over time, but different aspects of the circuit can be constructed so that the amount of time required at a higher voltage does not exceed the amount of time in which the high voltage output is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
    Inventor: Daniel Quinn
  • Patent number: 10538265
    Abstract: A rotary electric device control device for controlling driving of a rotary electric device including a plurality of winding sets, includes: a plurality of drive circuits; and a plurality of control units that include signal output units for outputting control signals to the drive circuits corresponding to the control units, respectively. The one of the control units generates a control signal according to a command value calculated by each system, a host system detection value relating to a detection value of a host system, and another system detection value relating to another detection value of another system. An electric power steering device includes: the rotary electric device control device; the rotary electric device that outputs an assist torque for assisting a steering operation of a steering wheel by a driver; and a power transmission unit that transmits a driving force of the rotary electric device to a drive target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuji Kuramitsu, Koichi Nakamura, Atsuko Oka, Masaya Taki, Hideki Kabune
  • Patent number: 10393120
    Abstract: An electric motor driven liquid pump, which can be used for forced lubrication of a motor vehicle manual transmission, has a housing flange-mountable on a fluid container via a flange surface. A stator including a motor winding and a magnetic rotor are incorporated in the housing for conveying liquid. The housing is formed of multiple parts including a pump housing section which has fluid inlets and outlets, a stator housing section which holds the stator and together with the pump housing section, delimits an electronics chamber in which the rotor is arranged, and a motor housing section which together with the stator housing section delimits an electronic chamber in which at least the stator is located. A sealing element seals the flange surface to the fluid container, separates the fluid chamber and the electronic chamber, and seals the latter from the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: FTE automotive GmbH
    Inventors: Alexander Reul, Roland Stössel
  • Patent number: 10317861
    Abstract: A switch drive circuit for a fan processor is applied to a fan processor. The switch drive circuit includes multiple upper arm switch components, multiple lower arm switch components correspondingly electrically connected with the upper arm switch components, a first drive switch unit and a second drive switch unit. The upper arm switch components are driven by a first pulse width modulation signal and a second pulse width modulation signal. The first and second drive switch units serve to receive a third pulse width modulation signal and a high-frequency puke width modulation signal. The third pulse width modulation signal is switched between a voltage high-level state and a voltage low-level state to trigger and turn on the lower arm switch components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Asia Vital Components Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Qing-Wu Hu, Dong-Qi Tian, Bao-Lin Yao
  • Patent number: 10288640
    Abstract: A method for measuring the rotation speed of a wheel including the steps of: acquiring an analog measurement signal (Sma) generated by a magnetic tachometer and containing a useful signal the frequency of which is representative of the rotation speed of the wheel; digitizing in real-time the analog measurement signal (Sma) in order to obtain a time-dependent digital measurement signal (Smnt); calculating a Fourier transform of the time-dependent digital measurement signal (Smnt) in order to obtain a frequency-dependent digital measurement signal (Smnf); and carrying out a frequency analysis in order to identify by a search for peaks a useful spectral line (16) so as to obtain the frequency of the useful signal and therefore the rotation speed of the wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: SAFRAN LANDING SYSTEMS
    Inventors: Joel Zabulon, David Frank, Guillaume Fallet
  • Patent number: 10277148
    Abstract: In various example embodiments, a low energy electric motor brake is described comprising one or more electronic switches that connect the input wires to an electric motor together, thus shorting out the motor and braking the motor. The electronic switches are separate from the control system, and provide the braking function. This alleviates the motor controllers and other system control units from providing the braking function to the motor. The electronic switches require minimal to no power in order to maintain the brake to the motor. The control unit may be placed in a low power or sleep mode while the electronic switches maintain the brake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Hall Labs LLC
    Inventors: David R. Hall, Emily Brimhall, Austin Carlson, Kevin Rees, Joe Fox, Seth Myer
  • Patent number: 10218200
    Abstract: Various systems and methods for enhancing the performance and utilization of a battery system are described. In one method, a configuration schedule for a battery system is determined based on communications received from an external unit and the cells of the battery system are reconfigured according to the determined configuration schedule. In another method, a sequence of one or more pulses is used for energy transfer from or to at least one cell of the battery system, wherein at least one parameter of one of the sequence and the one or more pulses, is varied in a random manner. The above-noted pulse sequence may be utilized while the battery system is not supplying power to an external load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: GBatteries Energy Canada Inc.
    Inventors: Mykola Sherstyuk, Tymofiy Sherstyuk, Mikhail Prokoptsov
  • Patent number: 10119331
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for configuring a motorized drive device for a closure or solar protection unit, the method including: a step in which a low end-of-travel position of a screen is determined automatically; a step in which the magnitude of an electric current passing through an electric motor is measured by a measurement device; a step in which a variation in the value magnitude is determined; and a step in which an obstacle-detection threshold value is determined during the movement of the screen towards its unwound position, according to the variation in the measured magnitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: SOMFY ACTIVITIES SA
    Inventor: Benjamin Desfossez
  • Patent number: 10100835
    Abstract: A fluid extraction system is presented. The fluid extraction system includes a direct current (DC) bus and a plurality of fluid extraction sub-systems configured to be electrically coupled to the DC-bus. At least one fluid extraction sub-system includes an electric machine configured to aid in the extraction of a fluid from a well. The electric machine includes a plurality of phase windings and a rotor. The at least one fluid extraction sub-system further includes a control sub-system to control a rotational speed of the rotor by selectively controlling a supply of a phase current to the plurality of phase windings such that the rotational speed of the rotor of the electric machine is different from rotational speed of a rotor of another electric machine in at least one of other fluid extraction sub-systems. Related method for controlling rotational speeds of electric machines is also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: David Allan Torrey, Nathaniel Benedict Hawes
  • Patent number: 10077774
    Abstract: A system and method for a compressor includes a compressor connected to a condenser, a discharge line temperature sensor that outputs a discharge line temperature signal corresponding to a discharge line temperature of refrigerant leaving the compressor, and a control module connected to the discharge line temperature sensor. The control module determines a saturated condenser temperature, calculates a discharge superheat temperature based on the saturated condenser temperature and the discharge line temperature, and monitors a flood back condition of the compressor by comparing the discharge superheat temperature with a predetermined threshold. The control module increases a speed of the compressor when the discharge superheat temperature is less than or equal to the predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Emerson Climate Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen M. Seibel, Hung M. Pham
  • Patent number: 10076959
    Abstract: A vehicle regenerative braking control device is provided for a vehicle, which comprises wheels and a motor that brakes and drives the wheels. In this way, the vehicle travels by the motor driving the wheels, and brakes by applying a braking force to the wheels with a regenerative braking force of the motor. The vehicle regenerative braking control device comprises a vehicle controller configured to control the motor such that the regenerative braking force is to be decreased at a steady rate during a predetermined time before a state-of-charge of a battery used as a power source of the motor decreases to a level at which the regenerative braking force can no longer be generated as predetermined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yohei Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9993069
    Abstract: A circuit controls a height-adjustable table. A current load acts on the table plate and is measured by a force-sensitive sensor and serves as control signal of a control according to the invention. Derived from this signal, a collision of the electrically height-adjustable table with fixed objects is recognized. Control signals are also detected, which are inputted by an operator of the table in the form of applications of force onto the table plate. Here, the table or respectively the control device is situated in a state of rest until the user of the table exerts a brief force impulse onto the table plate, i.e. presses once onto the table plate. Thereafter, the control changes from a state of rest into an operating state and waits for control inputs. When the user now presses from above onto the table plate, the latter moves electrically downwards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: KESSEBÖHMER PRODUKTIONS GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: Melf Hansen
  • Patent number: 9998056
    Abstract: A power conversion device includes a main battery, an auxiliary battery, an inverter circuit, a high-voltage wiring, a smoothing capacitor, a main wiring, a subsidiary wiring, a DC-DC converter and a controller. The DC-DC converter is connected to a high-potential wire of the main wiring, a low-potential wire of the main wiring, a high-potential wire of the subsidiary wiring, a low-potential wire of the subsidiary wiring, the high-potential wire of the high-voltage wiring and the low-potential wire of the high-voltage wiring. The controller is connected to the auxiliary battery and the DC-DC converter. The DC-DC converter is configured to supply a power stored in the smoothing capacitor to the controller through the DC-DC converter such that the controller drives the inverter circuit and that the power stored in the smoothing capacitor is supplied to the motor through the inverter circuit, when a collision of the vehicle is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takashi Nozawa
  • Patent number: 9811473
    Abstract: A storage unit controller and a control method thereof, and a storage device are provided. The storage unit controller includes an address mapping unit, a nonvolatile buffer and an update indicator. The update indicator sets an indicated flag according to whether a first data saved in the nonvolatile buffer is written to a storage unit. The address mapping unit checks the indicated flag when power is on. When the checked indicated flag indicates that writing the first data is not completed, the address mapping unit enables an update operation mode so as to perform background operations: the first data has not yet been successfully addressed to the storage unit previously, but saved in a simulated address of the nonvolatile buffer to transfer the first data from the simulated address to an actual address of the storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Nuvoton Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Chia-Ching Lu
  • Patent number: 9735724
    Abstract: A drive system may have at least one electric motor which can be fed via power electronics which can be connected via a DC circuit to a voltage source and an energy storage apparatus for buffering energy fed back from the electric motor. An energy storage apparatus for such a drive system may include at least one electrical storage block, a bidirectional DC/DC converter for connecting the named DC voltage circuit to the internal voltage circuit of the storage block and a control unit for controlling the DC/DC converter. The control unit may include output and feed control means for controlling the DC/DC converter. The DC/DC converter, the storage block and the control unit may be combined into an energy storage unit having a common housing in which the named components are received and at whose outer side two connections are provided for connecting to the DC voltage circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Liebherr-Components Biberach GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfgang Schuster, Oliver Fenker, Sven Welser
  • Patent number: 9669725
    Abstract: A store for electrical energy, and a holding device for at least two stores for electrical energy, in each of which a voltage divider is situated which is contactable in each via an external, additional electrical contact. Since the division ratio of the voltage divider within the holding device is characteristic for a specific holder, a voltage measurement at the tapping point between the stores' resistors is useable to determine which holder of the holding device the store is in. During a charging operation without the holding device no voltage divider is connected to the store, it is possible to identify a particular holder and to determine that the store is not in a holding device for charging. Since the store or its battery management system itself provides for energization of its own voltage divider, recognition may take place regardless of whether a charging device is directly connected to the holding device or store.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Walde, Philipp Kohlrausch
  • Patent number: 9581447
    Abstract: A motor drive loop circuit for a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) gyroscope is provided. The motor drive loop circuit includes a motor configured to drive a proof mass in the MEMS gyroscope and a minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter. The motor is configured to cause the proof mass to oscillate at a primary-proof-mass mode. The a minus-90-degree phase-shift twin-tee notch filter is configured to: provide a minus 90 degree phase at a motor resonance frequency equal to the primary-proof-mass mode; suppress resonance at undesired mechanical modes of the motor during a startup of the motor; and provide gain at the motor resonance frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventor: John F. Ackerman
  • Patent number: 9568210
    Abstract: A control system and associated methods for an air treatment system. In one aspect, the present invention provides a control system and method for controlling blower speed as a function of separately determined smoke and dust concentrations. In one embodiment, the control system and method provides a variable delayed between changes in motor speed to address undesirable rapid changes between speeds. In another aspect, the present invention provides a system and method for calibrating a sensor to provide more uniform operation over time. In yet another aspect, the present invention provide a system and method for calibrating motor speed to provide more consistent and uniform motor speed over time. The present invention also provides a system and method for tracking filter life by as a function of time, motor speed and/or a sensed variable, such as particulate concentration in the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Access Business Group International LLC
    Inventors: Thomas A. Niezgoda, Thomas J. Leppien, Gregory K. Evans
  • Patent number: 9071190
    Abstract: An actuation control, for electrical disconnectors, including a device for driving the actuation motor of a movable element of an electrical disconnector, elements for detecting operating parameters of the disconnector, a device for processing the operating and control parameters of the driving device, elements for storing the operating parameters, which are connected to the processing and control device in order to receive from it and store the processed operating parameters, and interface elements of the actuation control, for its activation for opening or closing the disconnector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: ALSTOM TECHNOLOGY LTD
    Inventors: Vincenzo Girlando, Moreno Pivato, Eros Stella
  • Patent number: 9041319
    Abstract: A system incorporating an actuator connected to a polarity-insensitive two-wire communications bus. The actuator may have an electromechanical mover, a processor connected to the electromechanical mover, and a potentiometer, having a number of address settings, connected to the processor. A setting of the number of settings of the potentiometer may be a selection of an address for the actuator on the communications bus. There may be additional actuators and a controller connected to the communications bus. Each actuator may have an address which is different from an address of the other actuators connected to the communications bus. If an actuator is substituted with a replacement actuator, then a setting of a plurality of settings on a potentiometer of the replacement actuator may be selected to obtain an address that is the same as the address of the actuator which is substituted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Cory Grabinger, Scott McMillan, Nathan Carlson, Daniel Waseen, Torrey William McNallan
  • Patent number: 9041320
    Abstract: The invention relates to a portable work apparatus having a housing and a work tool which is driven by an electric motor via a gear assembly. A flywheel which rotates about a rotational axis is arranged in the drive train between the electric motor and the gear assembly, which flywheel is connected fixedly to an output shaft so as to rotate with it, which output shaft protrudes into a gear assembly space and has a drive pinion. The output, shaft and the flywheel are mounted in the housing by two bearing locations, the rotational axis of the flywheel and a motor shaft of the electric motor lying coaxially with respect to one another, and the motor shaft of the electric motor being connected fixedly to the flywheel so as to rotate with it. The electric motor is fixed in the housing exclusively via a torque support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Arne Untermann, Markus Maier, Ante Hamersmit, Christian Renz, Johannes Menzel, Ina Schneider, Jochen Luz, Jens Kloeker, Harald Mang, David Hampe, David Kraetzig
  • Patent number: 9035577
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a closing device, wherein a closing element (2), with the aid of a drive motor (4) controlled by a control unit (7), can be displaced in a closing direction up against a stop edge, wherein the control unit (7) can be shifted into a normal-operation mode, in which position-related information is sensed as the current position of the closing element (2), and into a sleeping mode, in which no sensing of position-related information takes place, the method having the following steps: —interrogating whether a wake-up condition, in which the control unit (7) goes from the sleep mode into the normal-operation mode, is present; —if the presence of the wake-up condition is established, and if the closing element (2), prior to assuming the sleep mode, last moved in the closing direction, the position-related information is subjected (S25) to a predetermined correction value in order to correct the position-related information, in respect of an actual position of the closi
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Thomas Huck, Peter Kusserow, Matthias Koerwer
  • Patent number: 9024547
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for reducing unwanted conducted noise generated by a DC load 17. Load 17 is powered by a voltage source 11. A current sense 13 senses pulse current Ifan flowing through the load 17. First converting means 14, 15, 16 converts the sensed pulse current Ifan to a correction voltage Vp. The correction voltage Vp is then converted to a correction current Ip, which offsets the deleterious effects of Ifan. The current Is flowing through the voltage source 11 equals Ifan plus the correction current Ip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: Allied Telesis, Inc.
    Inventor: Randall Vogt
  • Publication number: 20150091475
    Abstract: A back electromotive force of a rotating motor is converted into a voltage for a load by driving, in accordance with a duty cycle, at least one switching circuit that couples the back electromotive force to a load through a rectifying circuit. An error signal is generated that is a difference between the load voltage and a reference voltage. The duty cycle is controlled as a function of the error signal to cause the load voltage to approach the reference voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Applicant: Seagate Technology LLC
    Inventors: Binh Kim Lieu, Mark Lowell Elliott, Raye A. Sosseh
  • Patent number: 8988015
    Abstract: A power tool including a motor, an input unit such as a variable-speed trigger switch, and a controller is provided. The controller controls the speed of the motor as a function of the input level indicated by the electrical signal from the input unit. The function is a first expression within a first predetermined range of the input level and a second expression within a second predetermined range of the input level, where the second expression corresponds to a polynomial of a second degree or higher and is different from the first expression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Michael K. Forster, Jason K. Leh, Wing W. Lin
  • Patent number: 8981680
    Abstract: An electric power tool of the present invention includes: a lighting unit; a motor that drives a tool element; a setting switch that is turned ON/OFF to change an operation mode setting and a lighting mode setting; a setting switching unit that changes the operation mode setting and the lighting mode setting corresponding to a manner of operation provided to the setting switch; a motor control unit that controls the motor according to a control method for one of the operation modes currently set by the setting switching unit; and a lighting control unit that controls the lighting unit corresponding to one of the lighting modes currently set by the setting switching unit. When the setting switch is turned on, the setting switching unit changes one of the operation mode setting and the lighting mode setting corresponding to a duration time of an ON state of the setting switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Makita Corporation
    Inventors: Hidekazu Suda, Takuya Kusakawa, Jun Ota
  • Patent number: 8981679
    Abstract: A first-fail-safe electromotive furniture drive includes at least one drive unit having at least one motor; at least one actuating device having at least two actuating units, each of which includes a motor contact element and a safety contact element; at least one supply unit; and at least one safety device. The furniture drive is equipped with a reporting device for displaying the functioning and a failure of the at least two actuating units and the safety device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: Dewertokin GmbH
    Inventor: Armin Hille
  • Patent number: 8970139
    Abstract: A motor drive device has: a power supply line to which a power supply voltage is applied; a ground line to which a ground voltage is applied; and a first motor driver that, when the power supply voltage is normal, rotates an N-phase first motor (where N is an integer of 2 or more) by using the supply voltage and, when the power supply voltage is abnormal, generates a rectified voltage from phase voltages of different phases appearing while the first motor is idling to regenerate the rectified voltage to the power supply line. The first motor driver, when generating the rectified voltage, synchronously rectifies the phase voltages of the different phases according to the results of their comparison with the rectified voltage and the ground voltage. The first motor driver is structured so as to rectify the phase voltages of the different phases synchronously in accordance with results of comparison between the phase voltages of the difference phases, the rectified voltage, and the ground voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshito Otaguro
  • Patent number: 8963452
    Abstract: A motor drive device has: a power supply line to which a power supply voltage is applied; a ground line to which a ground voltage is applied; and a first motor driver that, when the power supply voltage is normal, rotates an N-phase first motor (where N is an integer of 2 or more) by using the supply voltage and, when the power supply voltage is abnormal, generates a rectified voltage from phase voltages of different phases appearing while the first motor is idling to regenerate the rectified voltage to the power supply line. The first motor driver, when generating the rectified voltage, boosts the rectified voltage by periodically repeating a brake cycle to make all the terminals of the different phases of the first motor conduct to the ground line and a boost cycle to rectify the phase voltages of the different phases synchronously while making at least one of the terminals of the different phases conduct to the power supply line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshito Otaguro
  • Patent number: 8957608
    Abstract: A motor-driving device of an electric caulking gun has a micro-controller unit (MCU), a direction-changing module, a motor and a speed sensor. The direction-changing module and the speed sensor are electrically connected to the MCU. The direction-changing module is electrically connected to the motor, and the speed sensor detects a speed of the motor. The MCU is built in with a speed determination procedure comparing an actual speed of the motor acquired from the speed sensor with a preset speed. If the actual speed is lower than the preset speed, it indicates that the resistance at a tube nozzle of the electrical caulking gun increases and the direction-changing module increases the speed of the motor to maintain a preset caulk discharge rate. Given the motor-driving device, the operational inconvenience arising from the unstable caulk discharge rate of conventional electric caulking gun can be tackled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Techway Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chih-Hua Hsu, Sen-Hsien Fang, Tain-Meei Lee, Hong-Yao Chen
  • Patent number: 8952635
    Abstract: A method for use in controlling a free piston Stirling machine having a cold end and a warm end and driven by a linear motor having an armature winding to which a drive voltage is applied. The method comprises (a) sensing internal mechanical collisions; (b) repeatedly sensing the temperature of the cold end, the temperature of the warm end and the drive voltage; (c) storing, as associated data, a value representing drive voltage, the temperature of the cold end and the temperature of the warm end at the time of sensed collisions; and (d) limiting the drive voltage to less than the drive voltage that was sensed at a collision and is stored in association with stored warm end and cold end temperatures that are proximate currently sensed warm end and cold end temperatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Global Cooling, Inc.
    Inventors: Yongrak Kwon, Robert Lee Mash, II
  • Patent number: 8922140
    Abstract: An actuator having two or more potentiometers for setting an address for use with a communications bus or the like. An adjustment or setting of the potentiometers may be accessible at two or more sides outside of a housing enclosing the actuator. One potentiometer may be set to a direction of control and a range of addresses. Another potentiometer may be set to one of several addresses within a range of addresses and direction of control selected on the first potentiometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
    Inventors: Torrey William McNallan, Daniel Waseen, Paul Wacker
  • Patent number: 8907595
    Abstract: A nacelle for receiving an aircraft engine, the nacelle having a tubular stationary cover and at least one movable portion connected to the stationary cover via movement means for moving the movable portion between a position close to the stationary cover and a position spaced apart therefrom. The movement means have asynchronous motors, each having a stator with windings connected in parallel to a power supply circuit and a rotor having windings, each connected to a resistive load in parallel with a winding of the rotor of each of the other motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignees: Sagem Defense Securite, Aircelle
    Inventors: Jean-François Weibel, Jérôme Piaton, Pierre Baudu, David Pereira
  • Publication number: 20140354191
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an inverter device for driving an electric motor, which allows control stability and efficiency to be ensured over a wide region of the speed of the electric motor. The inverter device includes a rotational-speed detection section which detects a rotational speed of the electric motor, a carrier-frequency calculation section which calculates a carrier frequency on the basis of the detected rotational speed, and a carrier-frequency switching section which switches, on the basis of the calculated carrier frequency, the carrier frequency used for performing PWM control on the electric motor. The carrier-frequency calculation section calculates, as the carrier frequency, a frequency increased with an increase in the electric-motor rotational speed detected by the rotational-speed detection section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicants: KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD., SINFONIA TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akira NAKAZUMI, Yusuke KAMIMURA, Hiroyuki SUMINAGA, Takeshi TOMIZAKI, Hideaki MORIYA
  • Publication number: 20140333230
    Abstract: The device for recovering, storing and retrieving electricity from the decelerations of an electromechanical system such as a flexible curtain of a handling door is made up of a management interface (IG) connected to a frequency inverter (VF) and to a control logic board (CC) controlling the opening and closing of the flexible curtain of a handling door, the management interface (IG) including at least two power capacitors (C1, C2) connected to the grid via a first parallel branch, then connected to the grid during use of the energy by a serial connection in order to make it possible to store the energy from the decelerations and to retrieve the energy either during the following acceleration during opening of the flexible curtain or, in case of failure, to ensure sufficient opening of the flexible curtain of the handling door.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: SOFINECO
    Inventors: Anne Sophie PANSERI, Armand POYET, Romain SIMON
  • Publication number: 20140333231
    Abstract: Method of operating a power supply and communication entity intended to form part of a system with at least one home-automation actuator comprising an electric motor for driving a movable element in a building, the power supply and communication entity comprising two electrical terminals for linking to the actuator, making it possible to power the actuator and allowing communication between the actuator and the power supply and communication entity, the method comprising two mutually exclusive modes of operation, a command execution mode and a communication mode, to each mode of operation there corresponding a specific power supply signal, the method comprising the steps: —choice of a mode of operation; —generation between the terminals of a power supply signal specific to the mode of operation chosen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: Somfy SAS
    Inventors: Claude Desbiolles, Florian Germain, Daniel Mugnier, Stephane Riffaud, Nicolas Terrier
  • Patent number: 8862322
    Abstract: A motor control unit controls a motor including a rotor and a stator facing the rotor. A current drive unit drives the motor at an axis current value of a rotating coordinate system that rotates in accordance with a control angle that is a rotational angle used in a control. An addition angle calculation unit calculates an addition angle to be added to the control angle. A control angle calculation unit obtains, at every predetermined calculation cycle, a present value of the control angle by adding the addition angle that is calculated by the addition angle calculation unit to an immediately preceding value of the control angle. An angular speed calculation unit calculates an angular speed of the rotor. An addition angle correction unit corrects the addition angle based on the angular speed calculated by the angular speed calculation unit. A filtering unit filters the angular speed calculated by the angular speed calculation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventors: Yuji Kariatsumari, Hayato Komatsu
  • Publication number: 20140226436
    Abstract: A mixer with a DC motor with a reducing gear is coupled to a speed control circuit. An output shaft from the reducing gear is coupled to a hub drive gear which meshes with a planetary drive gear coupled to a rotary output drive to which mixing implements are removably attached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2013
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION
    Inventor: RICHARD L. BAKER
  • Publication number: 20140197763
    Abstract: An electrically adjustable antenna control system includes a controller, an actuation mechanism controlled by the controller, and a feedback loop connected to both of the controller and actuation mechanism. Herein, the controller includes a control board and its imbedded program. The actuation mechanism includes a DC geared motor controlled by the control board and embedded program and an electrically adjustable antenna phase shifter driven by the geared motor. The feedback loop has a travel plate electrically coupled to both of the control board and DC geared motor and a counter device installed on the geared motor. The present invention also provides an electrically adjustable antenna control method realized by the above-mentioned electrically adjustable antenna control system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: Comba Telecom System (China) Ltd.
    Inventors: Yingyu Liu, Zefeng Ma