Patents Assigned to BEI Sensors and Systems Company, Inc.
  • Patent number: 8363881
    Abstract: Disclosed is a linear actuator which includes a core, a coil, a magnet assembly, and a housing. The coil that is shaped to be positioned about the core for movement along a longitudinal axis of the core. The housing is supported by core flanges and positioned about the coil and the core. The magnet assembly includes magnets of the same polarity facing the coil and shaped to be positioned inside or outside of the coil, and supported by the core or by the housing, respectively. The core includes first and second portions, each having an end face, and the first and second portions are positioned along the longitudinal axis so that the end faces oppose each other and are separated by a gap. A cavity is formed in each of the end faces along the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: BEI Sensors and Systems Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Mikhail Godkin
  • Patent number: 8193885
    Abstract: “Electromagnetic spring” characteristics can be obtained in a voice coil actuator by deliberately selecting some or all of geometry, location of the housing, field assembly and coils, and/or magnitude and direction of the current applied to the coils; for example, predetermined bidirectional spring characteristics can be provided by appropriate deliberate selection of the relative dimensions of the housing and field assembly, and the spring characteristics can be further altered though the addition of structures, such as a radially magnetized magnet, or a soft magnetic extension, positioned at an end of the housing, and/or by applying current of a selected magnitude and direction to the coil assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: BEI Sensors And Systems Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Mikhail Godkin
  • Patent number: 7362012
    Abstract: A linear brushless DC motor is disclosed which provides reduced detent force by way of a stack that features end teeth that are formed to be wedge shaped, and which has a length in the direction of motion which is approximately equal to (Np+½) × pole pitch, where Np equals the number of poles covered by the armature of the brushless DC motor, and the pole pitch equals a distance between centers of two adjacent magnets of opposite polarity in a field assembly of the linear brushless DC motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: BEI Sensors and Systems Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Mikhail Godkin
  • Patent number: 7250754
    Abstract: Disclosed are a magnetic field assembly and method of configuring the same for use in position sensors of the type, which include a magnetic field sensor. First and second magnets in the field assembly are positioned on a surface of a magnetic plate (return path) and separated from one another by a separation distance. The first magnet has a magnetic axis substantially transverse to the surface of the magnetic plate, and the first magnet has a polarity opposite a polarity of the second magnet. The thicknesses of the first and second magnets are selectively varied along a stroke direction, and the separation distance is selected along with a gap length distance between the magnetic sensor and the field assembly, so that a predetermined flux density versus stroke characteristic can be provided for the position sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: Bei Sensors and Systems Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Mikhail Godkin
  • Patent number: 7166996
    Abstract: A magnetic field assembly and method of configuring the same for use in position sensors of the type which include a magnetic field sensor. First and second magnets in the field assembly are positioned on a surface of a magnetic plate (return path) and separated from one another by a separation distance. The first magnet has a magnetic axis substantially transverse to the surface of the magnetic plate, and the first magnet has a polarity opposite a polarity of the second magnet. The thicknesses of the first and second magnets are selectively varied along a stroke direction, and the separation distance is selected along with a gap length distance between the magnetic sensor and the field assembly, so that a predetermined flux density versus stroke characteristic can be provided for the position sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Bei Sensors and Systems Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Mikhail Godkin
  • Patent number: 6831538
    Abstract: Disclosed is a linear actuator, controllable as a spring, having a field assembly and a coil assembly positioned for interaction with and movement relative to the field assembly. The field assembly has a soft magnetic housing having an axis, axially magnetized cylindrical magnets and soft magnetic pole pieces which form a stack of alternating cylindrical magnets and pole pieces positioned along the axis. The coil assembly includes a coil base having coil cavities, coils supported in the coil cavity, and an axially magnetized permanent magnet positioned on the coil base so that the axially magnetized permanent magnet is positioned to travel along the axis of the soft magnetic housing. A repulsion force is generated between the coil assembly and the field assembly when the coil assembly is de-energized, and the repulsion force is modified when the coil assembly is energized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2004
    Assignee: BEI Sensors and Systems Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Mikhail Godkin
  • Patent number: 6448759
    Abstract: A non-contact linear position center has juxtaposed transmit and receive sections with a coupler or slider section interposed therebetween carrying a symmetrical attenuating conductive pattern. The inductive coupling of coils on the transmitter and receive sections is attenuated in accordance with the linear position of the pattern on the coupler. A unique sinusoidal signal is generated whose phase is indicative of the linear position of the coupler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2002
    Assignee: BEI Sensors and Systems Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Asad M. Madni, Jim B. Vuong