Patents Examined by C. LaBalle
  • Patent number: 5225731
    Abstract: A piezoelectric transducer having a solid body with electrode strips either attached to the body or embedded within it. The electrodes are electrically isolated from each other on the body of the transducer and are arranged in a pattern so that they may be selectively connected to a voltage source to produce electromechanical forces within the body, thereby causing associated vibrations of the body. Initially, the electrode strips are used to polarize the transducer. During operation of the transducer as a vibration source, the electrode strips are used to connect an applied voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the polarizing voltage on one face of the body. The transducer is especially useful for producing flexural vibrations, but a number of other vibration modes of operation are possible. The transducer is operable either as a vibration source or as a sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1993
    Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
    Inventor: Thomas E. Owen
  • Patent number: 5223758
    Abstract: A spindle motor has a rotor supported by a stator through a thrust bearing and a radial bearing. At least the thrust bearing is a hydrodynamic bearing. The spindle motor is provided with a device for adjusting the thrust laod that is applied to the thrust bearing. The load adjusting device has an electromagnet that is provided on the stator and a permanent magnet that is provided on the rotor in opposing relation to the electromagnet. Either the repelling force or the attraction force, which acts between the electromagnet and the permanent magnet, is controlled by changing the current supplied to the electromagnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1993
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Kataoka, Yuji Shirao, Daisuke Konno, Yoshio Sato, Yoichi Kanemitsu, Hideo Tsuboi, Shunichi Aiyoshizawa, Kazuyuki Kasahara
  • Patent number: 5223760
    Abstract: An axially compact rotational sensor adaptable to a drive axle for determining the rotational speed of the differential case which is the average speed of the wheels associated therewith. In a second embodiment dual rotational sensors are incorporated in the drive axle for determining the rotational speed of the differential and one axle shaft permitting calculation of the speed of both axle shafts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1993
    Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
    Inventors: David E. Peck, William D. Martin, Glen E. Swanson
  • Patent number: 5223757
    Abstract: An dynamoelectric machine is provided having a hollow shaft adapted to receive fluid at one end and to discharge it at the other. The hollow shaft has a stack of laminations mounted thereon. A hollow disk is situated adjacent to and in contact with an axial end of the stack of laminations. The hollow disk includes a generally circular baffle for dividing the hollow disk into two interior sections and to cause the fluid to rotate at the same angular velocity as the hollow disk. The two interior sections are in flow communication with one another of the periphery at the generally circular baffle. The hollow shaft is in flow communication with one of the sections for providing fluid and in flow communication with the other section for removing fluid. A stator surrounds the laminations and is spaced away therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1993
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Fred W. Staub, Eike Richter
  • Patent number: 5221130
    Abstract: A choke-coil fixture for miniature motors of a type having choke coils housed in recesses formed in an end bell closing an end of a motor housing, characterized in that choke-coil housing recesses are formed in such a manner as to lock ends of the choke coils when the choke coils are inserted into the recesses in the longitudinal direction, terminals having flat portions for pushing the other ends of the choke coils at portions electrically connecting the lead ends of the choke coils, and engaging portions for locking to the end bell is disclosed. The terminals for miniature motors can have positioning portions for positioning the terminals with respect to the lead ends of the choke coils, and cylindrical portions for engaging with the connecting power-feeding connecting pins; the cylindrical portion adapted to be flexible in size by being plastically deformed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1993
    Assignee: AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventors: Hajime Satoh, Hiroshi Yamazaki, Seiichi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 5220222
    Abstract: A magnetic field bushing has a movable member and stationary rod. The stationary rod has high permeability strips of magnetic material forming a portion of the surface. The stationary rod further includes at least two sets of coils, the magnetic field resulting from application of a current to each coil being coupled to a strip. The movable member is configured to encircle substantially the stationary rod. The movable member has regions of high permeability magnetic material which are positioned on the movable member to complete a magnetic circuit with related magnetic strips. The magnetic circuits are completed through air gaps between the movable member regions and the stationary rod strips. The magnetic field in the air gaps results in a force between the movable member regions and the stationary rod strips. Forces are generated between the movable member and the stationary rod, the forces being selected to prevent contact between the movable member and the stationary rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1993
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventor: Boris A. Shtipelman
  • Patent number: 5220233
    Abstract: A high speed rotating electromagnetic motor/generator includes a rotor having a core of magnetic material, a layer of permanent magnet, a retainer ring and side walls of non-magnetic material. A stator is provided by magnetic steel laminations and winding slots. A case includes a cylindrical inner casing, a cylindrical outer casing and end caps which carry the machine bearings. The permanent magnets within the rotating part may be made of neodymium-boron-iron and produce a high flux density pole rotor. The motor/generator can be operated as a brushless direct current or synchronous alternating current machine. Efficient means of cooling is provided by helical channels, which carry a liquid coolant, and are formed in the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1993
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Peter H. Birch, Alan B. Turner, Toshiyuki Kondo, Katsuhiro Mori
  • Patent number: 5218260
    Abstract: A longitudinal quartz crystal resonator has at least two vibrating arms arranged in parallel to each other to undergo a longitudinal vibration. The vibrating arms are connected together at both ends thereof by connecting sections. A pair of bridge sections extend from central parts of respective ones of the outermost vibrating arms and are connected to flexional sections. The bridge sections are supported through surrounding frame sections by a bottom mount section. The flexional sections are connected to the frame sections so as to form surrounding openings. By such construction, an equivalent inductance and a series resistance are reduced in the longitudinal quartz crystal resonator so as to eliminate vibrating energy loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 8, 1993
    Assignee: Seiko Electronic Components Ltd.
    Inventor: Hirofumi Kawashima
  • Patent number: 5216304
    Abstract: A spindle motor has a stationary member, a hub rotatable relative to the hub, a stator mounted on the stationary member and a rotor magnet carried by the hub and facing the stator. The hub is provided with female-threaded holes for receiving screws for fixing a disk clamp member to the hub, and also with communication holes communicating with the female-threaded holes and opening to the exterior of the hub. The hub further has a seal member for sealing the openings of the communication holes. The hub is rotatably supported by the shaft member through a pair of bearings. The stator has a stator stack of a stack height or thickness greater than the spacing of the pair of bearings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1993
    Assignee: Nippon Densan Corporation
    Inventor: Kihachiro Ohta
  • Patent number: 5214331
    Abstract: A spindle motor comprises a housing, a hub which is rotatable relative to the housing, a rotor magnet mounted on the hub, and a stator disposed facing the rotor magnet. A coil holding member for extending a lead section of an armature coil of the stator to the outside thereof is disposed in the housing. Female screw holes into which fixing screws for mounting clamp members are screwed and through holes connecting with the female screw holes are formed in the hub. Furthermore, supporting projections extending toward the housing are disposed in the stator core of the stator, and such supporting projections are supported in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1993
    Assignee: Nippon Densan Corporation
    Inventors: Hideki Nishimura, Hiroyuki Yonei, Makoto Yoshida
  • Patent number: 5214324
    Abstract: An air baffle is provided to redirect cooling air flow for the stator of an electric motor. The air baffle is provided at the air outlet end of the motor, and extends between the stator frame and the stator coils, so that air is forced to pass through the coils to exit the motor. The baffle is fixed to the coils, but is loosely mounted to the stator frame in a floating manner so that the entire assembly is free to rotate and can have limited longitudinal motion when necessary according to the operating condition of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1993
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Carl A. Holmes
  • Patent number: 5214326
    Abstract: A magnetic disk drive device has a spindle motor for rotatingly driving magnetic disks in a predetermined direction, and a clamp member for mounting the disks on the spindle motor. The spindle motor has a hub rotatably supported through bearings and having a portion for mounting the magnetic disks, a rotor magnet carried by the hub, a stator disposed to oppose the rotor magnet, and magnetic fluid seal arrangement for preventing scattering of lubricant from the bearing means. The magnetic disk drive device further has a magnetic shield on the radially outer side of the magnetic fluid seal arrangement. One of the bearings rotatably supporting the hub may be charged with a lubricant having a comparatively low viscosity, while the other bearing may be charged with a lubricant having a comparatively high viscosity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1993
    Assignee: Nippon Densan Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Yonei
  • Patent number: 5214341
    Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator device adapted for use in a printing machine and comprising a piezoelectric assembly and a movement magnifying mechanism for magnifying the movement of the piezoelectric assembly and for transferring the magnified movement to the printing wire. The movement magnifying mechanism includes a rigid member, a first spring connecting the second end of the piezoelectric assembly to the rigid member, and a second spring connecting the rigid member to the support base. A vibration absorbing means preferably comprising silicone rubber resin is inserted between the first and second springs to damp the vibration of the movement magnifying mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1993
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Kiyoshi Itoh, Minoru Hara
  • Patent number: 5214332
    Abstract: A miniature electric motor having a magnetic clutch wherein the clutch includes a metallic element and a non-metallic element; the non-metallic element being operative to preclude physical contact between the motor and the metallic element of the clutch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1993
    Assignee: ALPHA Corporation
    Inventor: Shunsaku Tsutsumi
  • Patent number: 5214325
    Abstract: A rotating electric machine includes a housing having a first inlet at one end for admitting ventilation air for cooling the machine, and a second inlet at the other end which also admits cooling air into the machine. A fan located at one end of the housing draws air into the housing through the first and second inlets, and forces it out of the housing through a single outlet located near one end of the housing. Air entering the second inlet passes through openings in the fan carrier, cooling isolated areas of the rotor, and flowing through the fan blades with the air which enters through the first inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 25, 1993
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas J. Matson, Gordon A. Osborn
  • Patent number: 5208506
    Abstract: A laminated piezoelectric actuator includes a plurality of electrostrictive elements which are connected with each other. Each element 1 is a structure alternately laminated with electrostrictive material layers and internal electrode layers. The elements are sealed in an enclosure consisting of a metallic casing 5 with at least one metallic member 3 and 6 fixed to an aperture of the casing 5. The actuator has a supporting member 7 for connecting and positioning the elements 1 in their longitudinal displacing direction. The supporting member 7 has a notch formed on its opposed lateral surfaces which provides an exit for leads connected to the plurality of electrostrictive affect elements. In the actuator, even if the voltage is repeatedly turned on and off, the electrostrictive material layer will not crack and the connecting portion cannot slip off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 4, 1993
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Osamu Yamashita
  • Patent number: 5204568
    Abstract: Superconducting bearings inhibit the excitation of modes in a superconducting force measuring instrument such as a superconducting gravimeter, and effecively damp such modes in the event they are excited. Excitation of modes is inhibited by magnetically and/or physically blocking orbital and rotational motions. Modes which are excited are efficiently damped, preferably by inducing eddy currents in lossy metal parts. These dissipative eddy currents remove energy from the motion, causing the motion to decay exponentially with time. A significant advantage of the bearing design is that the magnetic field of the bearing can be isolated from the main levitation system. This ensures that the bearing interferes minimally with the gravity measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 20, 1993
    Assignee: GWR Instruments
    Inventors: Robert L. Kleinberg, Douglas D. Griffin, Richard J. Warburton
  • Patent number: 5202596
    Abstract: The electric motor is provided with an attached frequency converter for rotational speed control. The frequency converter consists of a power supply and other electronic elements. While these electronic elements are arranged as a constructive unit with the electric motor, the power supply is arranged as an individual constructive unit separated from the motor, in the form of a module. The module can be made separately from the motor and electrically connected to the motor constructive unit through a connective cable. The use of the motor is no longer dependent on cooling radiators, required for the cooling of the power supply, as only the module is now fitted with cooling radiators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 13, 1993
    Assignee: Grundfos International a/s
    Inventors: Niels D. Jensen, Thomas Blad, Bjarne D. Pedersen
  • Patent number: 5196746
    Abstract: A generator system having an auxiliary forced cooling-oil lubrication system in which a second pump for the fluid is driven in a self sustaining cooling and lubricating cycle, despite the failure of a primary pump action. The second pump can be electrically or mechanically driven to cause a reserve portion of the cooling-oil lubricant to recycle from a secondary reservoir. This secondary reservoir reserves a fluid capacity not circulated by gravity feed in a primary fluid circulating path, which normally returns the fluid to a primary reservoir. A primary pump circulates the fluid through a primary portion of a heat exchanger with an oil-to-fuel heat exchange transfer to sustain the cooling and lubricating functions of the generator system and the failure mode, second pump sustains cooling operations of a permanent magnet generator, despite the failure of a primary pump or loss of fluid circulating in the primary circulation path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 23, 1993
    Assignee: Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Jack L. McCabria
  • Patent number: 5194770
    Abstract: A vehicular a.c. generator comprising a stator coupled to a pair of brackets on either side, a rotor secured to a rotary shaft supported with both brackets via respective bearings, and a pair of fans fitted to the core portions on either side of the rotor, wherein each bracket has a plurality of suction ports at one end and a plurality of exhaust ports in the outer peripheral portion thereof, wherein the inner edge face of one bracket axially faces vanes of the fan with a small clearance therebetween and wherein the generator is ventilated and cooled by the fans as the rotor rotates, is characterized in that a gently-sloping annular depression is provided in the inner edge face of the one bracket facing the vanes of the fan, the depression being made in a clearance that axially grows larger from the axial center of the suction part toward both the external radial positions thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 16, 1993
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki K.K.
    Inventors: Nobuatsu Yoshioka, Keiichi Komurasaki