Patents Examined by Burton Mullins
  • Patent number: 9431874
    Abstract: A meter unit includes a step motor, a gear, a braking spring and a case. The gear has a gear body and a rotation shaft. The braking spring urges the gear in a direction of an axis of rotation of the gear. The case accommodates the step motor, the gear body, a part of the rotation shaft, and the braking spring therein. The braking spring has a shape through which the first part of the rotation shaft passes. A first face of the gear body is formed with a recessed portion which accommodates the braking spring. A first part of the case supports a second face of the gear body. A second part of the case is configured to press the braking spring so that entire part of the braking spring is accommodated in the recessed portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: YAZAKI CORPORATION
    Inventor: Taisei Fukuda
  • Patent number: 9425668
    Abstract: Provided is a control apparatus-integrated dynamoelectric machine in which, when an abnormality is found in a control apparatus in a final fabrication step, the control apparatus with the abnormality can be easily replaced by a normal one. The control apparatus-integrated dynamoelectric machine includes: a generator-motor portion including: a rotary shaft rotatably supported by a bracket; a rotor; a stator; and a rotation sensor; a control apparatus including: a DC-AC power interconverting circuit portion including: a power module for supplying AC power to a stator winding; and a field module for allowing a DC current to flow through a field winding; and a control circuit portion for controlling the DC-AC power interconverting circuit portion; and a connecting board provided outside of the bracket, for electrically connecting the control apparatus provided outside of the bracket and the generator-motor portion through a board terminal formed by insert molding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Tomoaki Shimano, Masahiko Fujita
  • Patent number: 9422939
    Abstract: A pump housing, a fixing member and a holding member are assembled in the axis direction of an oil pump to fix a stator and a rotor of a brushless motor. The holding member is made of metal material and has a cylindrical shape that extends from its bottom portion toward one side in the axial direction. The fixing member is a cylindrical metal member. Stepped portions, extending in the circumferential direction, are formed in the outer periphery of the holding member and the inner periphery of the fixing member, and contact each other. The outer periphery of the holding member engages with the inner periphery of the fixing member. The outer periphery of the other end portion of the fixing member is fitted to the inner periphery of a flange portion projecting from the end face of the pump housing, which is adjacent to the brushless motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: JTEKT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Naotake Kanda, Yoshihiro Oono
  • Patent number: 9419494
    Abstract: An alternating current (AC) induction machine, such as a medium voltage induction motor, includes an auxiliary electrical connection box that is incorporated in the terminal box or within separate auxiliary electrical connection boxes that, are coupled to the machine's incoming power source. The box includes power conversion transformers or bridges that respectively convert the incoming AC power to other AC voltages or direct current (DC) useful for operating auxiliary devices proximal the machine. The connection box avoids the need to run separate power lines to induction machines necessary for operating auxiliary devices. Exemplary auxiliary devices include external auxiliary AC powered cooling fans for medium voltage AC motors. The auxiliary connection box may reconfigurable in the field and/or be pre-configured to provide one or more common auxiliary device output power sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: SIEMENS INDUSTRY, INC.
    Inventor: Nicholas G. Lang
  • Patent number: 9413215
    Abstract: A transmission-mounted electric machine includes an integrated rotational position sensor. The rotational position sensor includes a rotor element and a stator element. The stator element is attached to a stator element of the transmission at a plurality of mounting points and includes an alignment adjustment mechanism. The rotor element of the sensor is slip-fit against a shoulder of a rotor hub and held in place using a wave spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Suresh Gopalakrishnan, Chandra S. Namuduri, Peter Bostwick, Edward L. Kaiser
  • Patent number: 9407117
    Abstract: A shaped electrical conductor (610, 630) includes a first sheet of metal (319) with a first and second thermoplastic adhesive pattern (311, 312). The second pattern is justified with the first pattern. The first sheet is etched to remove metal not covered by the thermoplastic adhesive patterns so that no metal bridges remain between disconnected coated portions. A second sheet of metal (339) has a third and fourth thermoplastic adhesive pattern (333, 334) on a second surface and the fourth pattern is justified with the third pattern. The second sheet is etched to remove metal not covered by the thermoplastic adhesive patterns so that no metal bridges remain between disconnected coated portions. First and second contact regions (315, 335) in the second and third adhesive patterns are in electrical contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
    Inventors: Donald S. Rimai, Roland R. Schindler, II, Christopher J. White
  • Patent number: 9407118
    Abstract: The disclosure includes a generator gas shield support device, and method of removing the generator gas shield using the support device. In one embodiment, the generator gas shield support device of a generator system includes a first support coupled to a generator rotor of the generator system. The first support of the generator gas shield support device is configured to releasably couple a first portion of a generator gas shield to the generator rotor of the generator system. The generator gas shield support device may also include a second support releasably coupled to the generator rotor. The second support is configured to support the first portion of the generator gas shield during a rotation of the generator rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Artur Marcin Chuc-Karmanski, Tony Lee Bombe, Marek Wojciechowski, Wiktor Jan Wojciechowski
  • Patent number: 9407172
    Abstract: A vibration power generator comprises: a fixed substrate; a vibrating body having a surface opposed to the fixed substrate, the vibrating body being vibratable to the fixed substrate; electret electrodes aligned in a vibration direction on one of the surface of the fixed substrate and the surface of the vibrating body; and first fixed electrodes and second fixed electrodes alternately aligned in the vibration direction on the other thereof, wherein when the vibrating body is at a resting position, each of the electret electrodes overlaps with both electrodes of a corresponding fixed electrode pair, the corresponding fixed electrode pair being one of the first fixed electrodes and one of the second fixed electrodes that are opposed to the electret electrode, and when the vibrating body is not at a resting position, each of the electret electrodes always overlaps with at least one electrode of the corresponding fixed electrode pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignees: Panasonic Corporation, Stichting IMEC Nederland
    Inventors: Takehiko Yamakawa, Yasuyuki Naito, Keiji Onishi, Kunihiko Nakamura, Hiroshi Nakatsuka, Michael Renaud, Robertus T. F. van Schaijk
  • Patent number: 9404549
    Abstract: An electromagnetic inertial actuator includes a support base and a parallel arrangement of a first flexure part, a voice coil motor part, and a second flexure part. The parallel arrangement is cantilevered from the support base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: LORD Corporation
    Inventors: Askari Badre-Alam, Michael D. Janowski, Michael W. Trull
  • Patent number: 9398743
    Abstract: An electric motor includes an upper housing, a lower housing including a flange for mounting the upper housing thereon and a cone-shaped portion extending away from the flange and the upper housing. The electric motor further includes a stator assembly formed of a first core having a first height and fitted into the upper housing, a rotor assembly rigidly joined to a shaft to rotate therewith within the stator assembly and formed of a second core having a second height, and a hub connected to a lower end of the shaft to rotate therewith in relation to the cone-shaped portion. The hub is configured to secure an operable implement to the electric motor. The second height is greater than the first height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignee: Hydro-Gear Limited Partnership
    Inventors: Ivan E. Fox, Christopher K. Wyatt, Jim Hendershot
  • Patent number: 9385300
    Abstract: A method of minimizing the cold start delay and impact fatigue of an actuator includes calibrating the actuator by initially raising the temperature to a desired operating temperature through induction heating of the actuator rod. Additionally, a control system for a magnetostrictive actuator includes a rod of magnetostrictive material, a solenoid coil wrapped at least once around said rod, and a controller operatively connected to said solenoid coil wherein the controller detects an impact of the rod with another surface and adjusts the operation of the actuator to minimize the potential for additional future impacts. The rod may be segmented and include end caps to further reduce the potential for impact fatigue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: GREAT PLAINS DIESEL TECHNOLOGIES, L.C.
    Inventors: Charles B. Bright, Russell Bosch
  • Patent number: 9385564
    Abstract: The invention intends to improve a stator which is detachably installed to an outer peripheral portion of a can accommodating a rotor. The stator is integrally formed with a resin mold by arranging a stator assembly (110) within metal molds (300, 310) and injecting a molten resin (P1) from a gate (G1) at one position. An annular plate (160) is mounted to an upper portion of the stator assembly (110) so as to prevent the molten resin from intruding into magnetic pole teeth (120a, 122a), and prevent a weld line from being generated in an outer peripheral surface of the resin mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: FUJIKOKI CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masaya Satou, Satoshi Uehara
  • Patent number: 9373984
    Abstract: An apparatus, such as an electrical machine, is provided. The apparatus can include a rotor defining a rotor bore and a conduit disposed in and extending axially along the rotor bore. The conduit can have an annular conduit body defining a plurality of orifices disposed axially along the conduit and extending through the conduit body. The rotor can have an inner wall that at least partially defines the rotor bore. The orifices can extend through the conduit body along respective orifice directions, and the rotor and conduit can be configured to provide a line of sight along the orifice direction from the respective orifices to the inner wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Hendrik Pieter Jacobus De Bock, James Pellegrino Alexander, Ayman Mohamed Fawzi El-Refaie, William Dwight Gerstler, Manoj Ramprasad Shah, Xiaochun Shen
  • Patent number: 9354422
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure include an actuator for steering mirrors with low magnetic hysteresis losses at high frequencies, with a fast step response, and without excessive heating of the steering mirror. Various embodiments of the actuator include two stators (a left stator and a right stator or an inner stator and an outer stator) and a rotor positioned between the stators. Each stator has a core assembly with one or more cores, two or more legs, and two or more faces positioned proximate to the rotor. The two or more legs are separated from one another by portions of the one or more coils. The rotor includes a core and a plurality of magnets, where each magnet has a face positioned proximate to the faces of one core assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
    Inventor: Timothy K. Quakenbush
  • Patent number: 9356539
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a rotary positioning device (100, 100?, 100?) comprising a circular magnetic track (110) generating a magnetic field across a circular air gap (113), at least three forcers (120, 121, 122), each including a plurality of coils (1201, 202, 1203) at least partly disposed with the circular air gap (113) and each being operable for generating a levitation force in a levitation direction orthogonal to the circular magnetic track and a drive force in a drive direction along the circular magnetic track, said forcers being arranged at different angular positions along said circular magnetic track, and a controller (140) for providing currents to said forcers for individually controlling the generation of a levitation force and/or a drive force by said forcers for effecting a rotational movement, and/or a tilting movement and/or a translational movement of said circular magnetic track.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Anne Johannes Wilhelmus Van Lievenoogen, Georgo Zorz Angelis, Justus Bjorn Post
  • Patent number: 9356480
    Abstract: An electric motor having a rotor structure and a production method thereof, wherein a strain due to temperature change does not occur and a manufacturing problem does not occur. Each permanent magnet does not contact each other, and a deformable intervening member is positioned between the end surfaces of the magnets. Intervening member is an elastically or plastically deformable member, and the thickness of the intervening member in the direction of the rotation axis of the rotor is determined so that the neighboring permanent magnets, which are bonded to a rotor core within a manufacturing temperature range of the rotor, do not contact each other at a lower limit of an operating temperature of the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akira Yamaguchi, Tsuyoshi Furuya
  • Patent number: 9350271
    Abstract: A cascaded electrostatic actuator can be formed from a substantially planar substrate. The cascaded electrostatic actuator can be formed in a plane of the substrate. Various embodiments are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: DIGITALOPTICS CORPORATION MEMS
    Inventor: Roman C. Gutierrez
  • Patent number: 9343939
    Abstract: An electric motor is configured with a stator core assembly that includes a stator core having a plurality of winding slots. A plurality of stator windings pass through the plurality of winding slots that include slot liners configured to provide electrostatic shields surrounding the plurality of stator windings. The electrostatic shields are referenced to an electrical location to reduce common mode currents associated with the electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michael Joseph Schutten, Manoj Ramprasad Shah, Satish Prabhakaran, Robert James Thomas
  • Patent number: 9325218
    Abstract: A laminated rotor and an electric machine including the laminated rotor are disclosed. In an embodiment, a rotor comprises a plurality of stacked laminations, wherein each lamination includes a plurality of radially extending slots arranged about a circumference of each of the plurality of laminations, and the plurality of radially extending slots in successive laminations in the stack are aligned. A stud member passes longitudinally through at least one hole in the lamination stack, and a plurality of coils are positioned within the plurality of slots. Fewer than all of the plurality of slots have a coil positioned therein, leaving at least three slots empty. Balance members may be placed in the slots that do not have a coil positioned therein to balance the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Dmitry Yurevich Semenov, Anthony Salvatore Arrao, Mikhail Avramovich Avanesov, Richard Nils Dawson, Evgeny Victorovich Kazmin, Timothy Gerald Schmehl, Yury Danilovich Vinitsky
  • Patent number: 9312733
    Abstract: An electromagnetic machine stator has a common pole and a plurality of excitation poles. Each excitation pole has a coil wound around it for inducing a magnetic flux through the excitation pole. The common pole that does not have a coil wound around it for inducing a magnetic flux. A flux barrier, disposed within the common pole, inhibits the flow of flux from one part of the common pole across the flux barrier to another part of the common pole. The flux barrier is less conducive to the flow of flux than is the common pole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: REGAL BELOIT AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Krishnan Ramu