Patents Examined by Clayton LaBalle
  • Patent number: 5998976
    Abstract: An arrangement for voltage supply with an electrical machine that can be operated as a generator or as a starter is proposed, which is operated by the engine in the generator mode and which brings the engine to the requisite minimum rpm in the starting mode. The electrical machine is connected via a changer to a voltage converter that is connected to the battery of the on-board electrical system. In the starting mode, the voltage converter is bypassed by a switch element, so that the starter is supplied directly from the battery. In the generator mode, the switch element is opened, so that the generator can be operated with elevated voltage compared to the on-board electrical system voltage, and this elevated voltage is converted to the on-board electrical system voltage in the voltage converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: Bernhard Steffan
  • Patent number: 5998905
    Abstract: A method of making a slotless electric motor wherein the active winding segments are adhesively affixed to a support surface or previously deposited active wire segments to form a self-supporting winding structure. The self-supporting structure is then secured in a magnetic structure of the slotless stator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignees: Kollmorgen Corporation, Advanced Interconnection Technology
    Inventors: Richard J. Fougere, Mohammad Khandan-Barani, Raymond S. Keogh
  • Patent number: 5998891
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a replacement alternator constructed to replace an existing CS-130 alternator in a vehicle where the CS-130 alternator was disposed in a predetermined alternator space within the vehicle. The alternator space has a predetermined length, width and height. The alternator comprises a housing defining an alternator interior space. The housing is sized to fit within the predetermined alternator space. A rotor coil having a plurality of wire windings wound thereabout is disposed in the alternator interior space of the housing and rotatably supported by the housing. The wire windings of the rotor coil have an electrical current flowing therethrough for generating a rotating magnetic field as the rotor coil rotates. Means are provided for selectively rotating the rotor coil at a speed of at least 1600 revolutions per minute. The alternator includes a stator positioned in the rotating magnetic field generated by the rotor coil and supported by the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Unit Parts Company
    Inventors: Jianing Chen, Michael D. Ballard
  • Patent number: 5994806
    Abstract: In the motor armature arrangement according to the present invention, because the inner diameter (D2) of one of the axially end portions (3c) of the armature shaft (3) is reduced from the inner diameter (D1) of the motor core mounting portion (3b), the one axially end portion (3c) for mounting a bearing (8b) may be provided with a large wall thickness so that a sufficient mechanical strength can be achieved for the part for mounting the bearing without increasing the outer diameter thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
    Inventors: Susumu Aoki, Tadao Kodaira, Tsugio Onodera
  • Patent number: 5994803
    Abstract: A brushless DC motor is disclosed. In the motor, an axial vibration limit unit is provided on a bearing and electromagnetically attracts a rotor, thus preventing the rotor from being centrifugally lifted during a high speed rotation of the rotor. In the operation of the motor, an axial displacement of the rotor is sensed by an induction coil of a sensor. The induction coil generates a variable induction current indicative of an axial displacement of the rotor, and outputs the current to a controller through an amplifier, thus controlling the vibration limit unit. The electromagnetic bearing of this invention thus supports the shaft and rotor in an axial direction and almost completely prevents any axial vibrations of the rotor, thereby reducing operational vibrations and noises and improving the axial dynamic characteristics of the brushless DC motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1999
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Sung Cheon Jung
  • Patent number: 5990586
    Abstract: Feedback potentiometer-type servoactuator uses the ring gear of a planetary gear system to drive the wiper across a resistive arc of less than 360.degree. where the actuator has a travel of multiple turns. The ring gear is supported by spaced struts in the actuator housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Seitz Corporation
    Inventor: Arthur J. Milano, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5990590
    Abstract: The Invention comprises a versatile AC dynamo-electric machine comprising isolated dual stators, each both concentrated windings energizable with single-phase AC, and main windings and a single high inertia sleeve and drive place connected to a rotor shaft. The sleeve contains independent electrical rotors, one for each stator. Each rotor has an innermost layer of magnetizable permanent magnetic material in which the concentrated coils in the stator produce a desired pattern of magnetic poles reacting with the rotating field of the main windings. The machine can function as a synchronous AC motor, or a constant frequency output dual AC generator or as an AC motor-generator with long ride-through time. A UPS system comprises the machine in the motor-generator mode, with clutch means to connect an engine to the rotor shaft to start the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: Precise Power Corporation
    Inventors: John F. Roesel, Jr., Ronnie J. Barber
  • Patent number: 5990588
    Abstract: A seal-less pump and electric motor assembly includes a motor rotor fixed to a driving shaft connected to an impeller in the pump assembly. The rotor and impeller are enclosed in a common housing such that the rotor rotates within any fluid being pumped by the impeller. The portion of the housing circumscribing the rotor includes a plurality of axially extending, circumferentially spaced strips of magnetic material penetrating through plastic material of the housing. Each of the strips coincide with corresponding ones of the pole teeth of a motor stator circumscribing the outer portion of the housing such that the strips in the housing act as extensions of the pole teeth. In one embodiment, the strips of magnetic material in the housing are formed by molding powdered iron in a plastic binder material. The strips are then placed in a mold in which the housing is formed by injecting plastic. The plastic binder in the strips melds with the injected plastic to form a continuous housing for enclosing the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 23, 1999
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gerald Burt Kliman, Paul Alfred Siemers, Daniel Michael Saban
  • Patent number: 5986376
    Abstract: A brushless DC motor comprises a rotor (20) and a stator (22) having confronting surfaces. Permanent magnets (M) are provided at one of the confronting surfaces, the magnets being equally angularly spaced around an axis (A--A) of rotation of the rotor such that each magnet occupies part of a respective pole arc (PA) of a first circle (C1) centred on the axis (A--A), the pole arcs each subtending a common pole angle .alpha. to the axis. Teeth (Tm) are provided at the other of the confronting surfaces, the teeth being angularly spaced from one another around the axis (A--A) such that each tooth occupies part of a respective tooth arc (TA) of a second circle (C2) centred on the axis, the tooth arcs each subtending a common tooth angle .beta. to the axis. Windings (40) are wound around the teeth (Tm) whereby energisation of the windings with electrical currents at respective phases will produce a torque that will rotate the rotor (20). The tooth angle .beta. is substantially equal to the pole angle .alpha..
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Automotive Motion Technology Limited
    Inventor: Michael John Werson
  • Patent number: 5982063
    Abstract: An electric motor assembly has an inner-rotor configuration including a hollow space within the rotor hub. The hollow space houses at least part of a brake for providing a braking force between a rotor and a stator of the electric motor. The brake can be configured to provide a braking force when no power is flowing to the electric motor, and can have an outer diameter less than an inner diameter of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Unique Mobility, Inc.
    Inventors: Jon F. Lutz, Kevin R. Lewis
  • Patent number: 5982061
    Abstract: An improved, simplified spindle motor design for use in a disc drive is provided, which utilizes a two-piece shaft and provides a central connector in the bottom section of the shaft which can be easily connected through the base to a power source for the motor. The improved spindle motor has a stator and motor connector which can be easily assembled into the spindle motor before the bearings and other elements are installed so that the cleaning and soldering of the stator and motor connector can be efficiently achieved. Further, the spindle and motor connector design incorporates an effective electrical grounding path between the stator and the central shaft of the spindle motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Seagate Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan Lyndon Grantz, Anthony Joseph Aiello, Robert Michael Pelstring, Klaus Dieter Kloeppel
  • Patent number: 5982062
    Abstract: The invention provides an alternator for motor vehicles, in particular having a dissipator with one or more orifices designed to receive one or more press-fit diodes. An adaptor generally in the form of a disk has an outline enabling it to be engaged as a press-fit in a respective orifice of the dissipator. The adaptor has at least one plane face enabling a solder-mounting diode to be soldered thereto. The invention also includes the adaptor itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1999
    Assignee: Valeo Equipements Electriques Moteur
    Inventor: Jean Gautier
  • Patent number: 5977678
    Abstract: A multi-functional apparatus employing a magnetic coupling mechanism. The magnetic coupling mechanism selectively couples an actuator shaft and a second shaft driven by a rotatable driving member. In another aspect of the present invention, the magnetic coupling of the shafts is electrically controlled, whereby the driven shaft can be actuated independently from other systems actuated by the multi-functional apparatus. In an automotive context, a window wiper may be attached to the driven shaft, such that when the magnetic coupling mechanism is disengaged the window wiper can move in relation to upward pivotal movement of the opened window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: UT Automotive Dearborn, Inc.
    Inventors: Robin Mihekun Miller, Monte L. Falcoff
  • Patent number: 5977665
    Abstract: To prevent noise being transmitted from a rotor portion of an electric motor (2-2.3) through the bearing brackets (3) to the motor's housing (1), each bearing bracket (3) is fixed relative to the motor housing (1) by at least one mounting part (5), with a noise damping part (4) arranged in between the bearing bracket (3) and the motor housing (1). The mounting part (5) rests directly against the motor housing (1) in the region where the mounting part (5) is coupled to the motor housing (1), without any noise damping part interposed between the mounting part (5) and the motor housing (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Uwe Hartmann, Ralf Berg
  • Patent number: 5977666
    Abstract: An ultra quiet electric motor includes a drive shaft, bearing structure rotatably supporting the drive shaft, and an armature assembly and commutator each fixed on the drive shaft. A motor housing is disposed around the armature assembly and has an open end portion. A permanent magnet structure is disposed between the motor housing and the armature. Brush structure is provided having a pair of brush support arms each guiding a generally crescent-shaped brush. Each of the brushes contacts the commutator. A noise absorbing housing is defined by a plurality of walls and is disposed generally around the brush structure. Noise absorption material covers at least a portion of at least one of the walls of the noise absorbing housing. An end cap is fixed to the motor housing to close the open end portion thereof. The structure of the motor is such that during operation, a decibel rating of approximately 32 dbA is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 2, 1999
    Assignee: Siemens Canada Limited
    Inventors: Marek Horski, Haran K. Periyanthamby, Peter A. Kershaw
  • Patent number: 5973423
    Abstract: A bobbin insulating and electric motor stator form an adjacent wire coil is made from a bobbin assembly including a first part and a second part, both formed of a dielectric thermal vacuum formable polymer. The first part includes a first flange and first tube extending integrally from the first flange. The second part includes a second flange and a second tube extending integrally from the second flange. The first and second tubes are sized and shaped so as to be engageable together to form an endless winding surface between the first and second flanges. The first and second parts are made with thermal vacuum techniques to be very thin. The thickness of the first and second parts ranges from 2 to about 25 mils, more desirably 2 to about 15 mils, still more desirably 2 to about 10 mils, and most desirably 2 to about 7 mils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: Electrical Insulation Suppliers, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas James Hazelton, David Dwayne Norman
  • Patent number: 5973421
    Abstract: A voice coil motor actuator for a magnetic disk device includes a pivot bearing shaft, a positioner, a magnet, and a coil. The positioner is pivotally supported by the pivot bearing shaft. The positioner has a distal end portion at which a magnetic head is mounted, and a proximal end portion projecting to a side opposite to the distal end portion with respect to the pivot bearing shaft. The magnet is fixed in correspondence with the pivot range of the proximal end portion of the positioner. The coil is arranged at the proximal end portion of the positioner to oppose the magnet. The coil has a pair of effective length portions which generate a magnetic flux to act on the magnet upon energization, thereby applying a pivot force to the positioner. The position of an intersection between the extended lines of the effective length portions of the coil is set between the pivot bearing shaft and the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 26, 1999
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Masanori Iwabuchi
  • Patent number: 5969454
    Abstract: A switched reluctance motor, comprising:a stator formed from a magnetically permeable material, having "n" number of evenly spaced, radially oriented, like stator poles, the stator poles having like stator pole faces and forming a uniform gap between adjacent stator poles;windings for two phases wound about stator poles that are circumferentially separated by a winding and an associated stator pole of a different phase;a rotor mounted for rotation relative to the stator about an axis, the rotor having at least two rotor sections, a first of the at least two rotor sections including at least 1/4 "n" number of like, wide rotor poles, each having a like, wide rotor pole face, and a second of the at least two rotor sections including at least 1/4 "n" number of like, narrow rotor poles, each having a like, narrow rotor pole face, the rotor having:a first angular position wherein a first portion of the wide rotor pole faces of the first rotor section are in alignment with a first pair of opposite, energized stator
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Tridelta Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Wayne A. Pengov, Mark Kusner
  • Patent number: 5969447
    Abstract: A high speed electric motor for automotive applications that is designed to effectively minimize vibration of its component parts and thus suppress noise generated during its operation. The motor incorporates acoustic engineering principles including surface vibration control, acoustic radiation efficiency, active intensity field control and noise control using acoustic materials to reduce overall vibration of the motor components and the motor noise sensed by the passenger of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Simens Canada Limited
    Inventors: Haran K. Periyathamby, Marek Horski
  • Patent number: 5969452
    Abstract: A magnetic bearing (10) is provided for supporting a rotor (12) for rotation about an axis (14). The magnetic bearing (10) includes a plurality of actuator cores (16) spaced circumferentially about the axis (14), and a plurality of non-magnetic spacers (18A, 18B). Each of the cores (16) has a pair of circumferentially spaced end surfaces (28). Each of the spacers (18A, 18B) is positioned between the end surfaces (28) of adjacent pairs of the cores (16) and has an interference fit with the end surfaces (28) to form a circumferentially preloaded ring (19) of the cores (16) and spacers (18A, 18B) centered on the axis (14). At least one of the non-magnetic spacers is a multi-piece assembly (18A) including a shim (32, 49) having a width selected to provide the circumferential preload within a predetermined range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventors: David G. Halsey, David W. Okey