Patents Assigned to Inertia Dynamics, Inc.
  • Patent number: 6675940
    Abstract: The brake assembly includes a motor shaft connected to a friction disk assembly. Springs housed in a field cup assembly, frictionally link a clapper plate assembly and friction disk assembly against a mounting plate to activate the brake. To disengage the brake, the field cup assembly magnetically attracts the clapper plate thereto and the friction disk assembly is free to rotate. For manual release, rotation of a lever arm against a reaction plate compresses a wave spring to generate an opposing force which overcomes the springs, thereby forcing the clapper plate assembly away from the friction disk assembly to allow rotation thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Inertia Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin L. Maurice
  • Patent number: 6675939
    Abstract: The brake includes a housing for mounting and a disc assembly. The disc assembly engages a drive shaft for rotation therewith. A flange on the disc assembly receives a first ring and a second ring, each ring is slideably engaged to the flange for axial motion. Release plates adjacent to the second ring are free to move in an axial direction. A field cup has springs to bias the release plates against the second ring and o-rings to facilitate quiet operation of the elevator car brake. When no current flows through the coil, the release plates are biased against the second ring. Thus, the second ring engages the friction surface of the housing to park and hold the drive shaft. When current flows through the coil, the first and second release plates are drawn to the field cup, overcome the bias force of the springs and compress the o-rings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2004
    Assignee: Inertia Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin L. Maurice, Timothy J. Dahlstrom, Stephen E. Nyquist, Jon L. Masthay
  • Patent number: 6527233
    Abstract: A clamping system is disclosed and includes a hollow shaft for interlocking with a shaft. The hollow shaft is integral with a device so that when the hollow shaft and the shaft are coupled, the device rotates therewith. The hollow shaft has slots to allow a two-piece clamping mechanism to simultaneously contact the hollow shaft and the shaft to accomplish the desired coupling. The clamping mechanism includes two shells with mating surfaces and wing portions for generating compressive force to couple the mating surfaces to the hollow shaft and the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2003
    Assignee: Inertia Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin L. Maurice
  • Patent number: 6488133
    Abstract: A soft action clutch uses a helical spring attached to a pulley at one end and free at the other end. In a relaxed state, preferably, the helical spring presses outwardly pushing a brake pad assembly against a fixed outer field cup braking the pulley. To serve as a clutch, a rotor has a pole face to magnetically draw the helical spring towards it. The resulting friction between the rotor and helical spring causes the spring to wrap down on a spring loaded friction disk. The wrap down compresses the friction disk radially, creating two frictional links from the friction disk to the rotor and the pulley, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2002
    Assignee: Inertia Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin L. Maurice, Steven E. Nyquist, Kenneth G. Bosley, Jon L. Masthay
  • Patent number: 6161659
    Abstract: An electromagnetic brake includes an improved friction disk that has at least one friction surface formed entirely from a rubber material such as a styrene butadiene rubber material. The rubber material 1) has a high coefficient of friction, 2) conforms to the shape of the mating braking surfaces, 3) is dimensionally stable so as not to unnecessarily widen the air gap of the brake when the brake is applied, and 4) exhibits acceptable wear characteristics. The rubber material also preferably does not exhibit a sharp reduction in coefficient of static friction when it is heated, e.g., due to friction from its mating surfaces and/or due to heat transfer from the electric motor or other braked element. The resultant brake is relatively light-weight, compact, and inexpensive. It is particularly well-suited for use as a static, park-and-hold brake for an electric motor or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2000
    Assignee: Inertia Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin L. Maurice
  • Patent number: 6047805
    Abstract: A combination clutch and brake uses a helically wound spring attached to a pulley at one edge and magnetically drawn to a rotor at a second edge. In a relaxed state, the spring presses against an outer field cup locking the pulley against that cup. In a torsion state caused by the magnetic attraction between the rotor and the spring, the spring decreases in diameter to compress a frictional wedge inward against the pulley and rotor causing them to turn as one.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2000
    Assignee: Inertia Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Nyquist, Kevin L. Maurice
  • Patent number: 5979630
    Abstract: A multiple plate clutch/brake employs a single electromagnet coil to attract an elongate cylindrical armature to compress a series of non-ferromagnetic friction plates alternately joined to one of two independently rotatable shafts. The armature joins one set of friction plates to its shaft for torsional but not axial forces. The compression of the friction plates by the armature transmits torque between the shafts rather than frictional contact by the armature itself. The magnetic path to the armature may pass through two axial gaps to provide a net axial force on the armature. A portion of the magnetic path is provided by one of the shafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Inertia Dynamics, Inc
    Inventors: Stephen Nyquist, Kevin L. Maurice
  • Patent number: 5080214
    Abstract: An electromagnetic jaw clutch has interengageable teeth with gaps between them to facilitate engaging the clutch when there is some relative rotation between these teeth. The teeth are defined on one hub and on the armature. The second hub is plastic and a spring pulls the armature toward this second hub to disengage the clutch. The spring may be integrally formed with the plastic second hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 14, 1992
    Assignee: Inertia Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric R. Fossum
  • Patent number: 4878568
    Abstract: Aligned shafts are coupled by a clutch and brake assembly that includes a single electromagnetic coil and single return spring. The braking torque is reacted through the field structure frame for the coil and an annular rotor acts as a pole piece to shift the frame for disengaging the brake and for engaging the clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 1989
    Date of Patent: November 7, 1989
    Assignee: Inertia Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventor: Eric R. Fossum
  • Patent number: 4760898
    Abstract: An armature assembly in an electromagnetically actuated braking mechanism and including a circular armature plate having a central opening defined by a circumaxial series of radially inwardly extending armature teeth. The inner ends of the armature teeth cooperate to define a coaxial crest circle. A plastic hub, molded in place on the armature plate, substantially encapsulates the armature teeth and has a coaxial central opening defined by a circumaxial series of spline teeth which define a root circle having a diameter greater than the diameter of the crest circle. Equiangularly spaced fan blades integrally connected to the central portion of the hub project radially outwardly therefrom adjacent one face of the armature plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1988
    Assignee: Inertia Dynamics, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Nyquist