Patents Examined by David W. Scheuermann
  • Patent number: 7944104
    Abstract: A magnetic bearing apparatus supports a rotating object using magnetic levitation by a magnetic force of electromagnets. The magnetic bearing apparatus includes a PWM driver configured to supply exciting currents to the electromagnets, a driver power source configured to drive the PWM driver, and a displacement error signal removing section configured to extract a displacement error signal of the displacement information from a current flowing through the driver power source and to remove the displacement error signal from the displacement information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Ebara Corporation
    Inventors: Toshimitsu Barada, Toshiya Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7932656
    Abstract: A magnetic bearing device includes a main shaft (13), a flange shaped thrust plate (13a) coaxially mounted on the main shaft so as to extend perpendicular to the main shaft and made of a ferromagnetic material, a rolling bearing unit for supporting a radial load and a magnetic bearing unit for supporting one or both of an axial load and a bearing preload, an electromagnet (17) fitted to a spindle housing (14) so as to confront the thrust plate, without contact, a sensor (18) for detecting an axial force acting on the main shaft, and a controller (19) for controlling the electromagnet in response to an output from the sensor. In this magnetic bearing device, the stiffness of a composite spring formed by the rolling bearing unit and a support system for the rolling bearing unit is so chosen as to be higher than the negative stiffness of the electromagnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: NTN Corporation
    Inventors: Takayoshi Ozaki, Hiroyuki Yamada, Kenichi Suzuki
  • Patent number: 7928620
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for safeguarding uninterrupted power supply of a magnetic bearing (5) in the event of a power supply voltage (U) failure. Said device comprises: a first frequency converter (2) which is supplied with power by the supply voltage (U) and controls a motor (3), and a transformer (7) which is connected to a rectifier (8) and the motor (3), said rectifier (8) supplying a DC-link electric circuit (11) of a second frequency converter (14) controlling the magnetic bearing (5) with power in the event of a power supply voltage failure. The invention allows prevention of damages to the magnetic bearing in the event of disruption of power supply of the magnetic bearing in the event of a power supply voltage failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Joachim Denk, Dietmar Stoiber, Bernd Wedel
  • Patent number: 7898133
    Abstract: A system and method for device suspension and wireless power transmission are disclosed. According to one embodiment, an apparatus, comprises a suspended object having a wireless receiving circuit. A wireless transmission circuit is configured to transmit power to the wireless receiving circuit housed in the suspended object. A magnetic stabilization mechanism is beneath and not in contact with suspended object. A circuit is configured to magnetically control a position of the suspended object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Inventor: Jeff Lieberman
  • Patent number: 7876010
    Abstract: A journal bearing provides vertical and radial stability to a rotor of a passive magnetic bearing system when the rotor is not rotating and when it is rotating. In the passive magnetic bearing system, the rotor has a vertical axis of rotation. Without the journal bearing, the rotor is vertically and radially unstable when stationary, and is vertically stable and radially unstable when rotating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventor: Richard F. Post
  • Patent number: 7876006
    Abstract: An alternator has a rectifier converting an alternating current to a direct current. The rectifier has a heat sink and rectifying elements. The sink has front and rear surfaces opposite to each other along a depth direction. The sink has holes each extending along the depth direction. Each element has a disk disposed in one hole and a semiconductor pellet attached to the disk. Each disk has upper and bottom surfaces opposite to each other along the depth direction. Each pellet is disposed on the upper surface. A contact surface of each disk is in contact with the sink. A position of the upper surface of each disk is placed between the first and second surfaces of the heat sink. A range of the contact surface of each disk is within a range between the upper and bottom surfaces of the disk.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Kondo
  • Patent number: 7868498
    Abstract: A motor case assembly 20 a permanent magnet D.C. electric motor includes a motor case 24 having a generally cylindrical wall 25, a closed end 21, and an open end 23 opposite the closed end, defining an interior 27. Permanent magnet structure 26 is mounted to the wall 25 in the interior 27. A surface defines at least one hole 22 through the wall 25. The hole 22 is constructed and arranged to be employed in mounting the case 20 to a shroud to obtain a mass balance distribution of a motor shroud assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft
    Inventors: Daniela Pricope, Attila Simofi-Ilyes, Andrew Lakerdas, Antonio Giammarco, Bonifacio Castillo
  • Patent number: 7863789
    Abstract: A permanent magnet motor/generator that includes a stator, a rotor provided with a plurality of permanent magnets at a peripheral surface thereof and having a central axis which coincides with the central axis of the stator, a rotatable shaft upon which the rotor is coupled, and an actuator for moving the rotor with respect to the stator axially along the rotatable shaft a sufficient distance to completely decouple the rotor from the stator so as to eliminate magnet induced torque drag. When the permanent magnet/generator is used in parallel hybrid vehicles, the ability to completely decouple the rotor from the stator greatly improves range and efficiency. In addition, by progressively engaging the rotor with the stator a desired voltage output can be obtained upon deceleration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Dura-Trac Motors, Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence P. Zepp, Jerry W. Medlin
  • Patent number: 7863788
    Abstract: A system for process-technological machines such as mills and classifiers having an enclosed design with no rotary unions between the ambient air and system interior. This system is particularly useful for CIP and SIP operation modes or glove-box operations. The mills or classifiers include an encapsulation that seals the components of the magnetic bearing spindle drive against the working zone of the shaft in the magnetic bearing spindle housing. The magnetic bearing spindle drive is designed such that the shaft can be removed to facilitate simpler and easier component exchange as well as thorough cleaning.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Hosokawa Alpine Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Georg Konetzka, Karsten Ludewig, Jürgen Stahl
  • Patent number: 7863790
    Abstract: A motor may include an urging member which is mounted on a fixed body for urging the bearing, and a pair of engaging grooves formed on the fixed body. The urging member may includes a pair of hook parts which are bent from respective tip ends of a pair of side plate parts. When the urging member is mounted on the fixed body, a pair of the hook parts are inserted from open ends and engaged with a pair of the engaging grooves and, when an outward force is applied to the urging member, the hook parts abut with an opposite inner wall of the engaging grooves located on a tip end side in the axial line direction of the motor to prevent the hook parts from being disengaged from the engaging grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Nidec Sankyo Corporation
    Inventors: Akira Taruta, Toshio Ueno
  • Patent number: 7847454
    Abstract: Rotor and stator assemblies that utilize magnetic bearings for supporting the rotor shaft during operation can be suitably used in corrosive environments, such as sour gas. The rotor and stator assemblies include NACE compliant magnetic bearing arrangements for sour gas applications. One embodiment includes a stator assembly that comprises a stator sleeve formed of a magnetic material, a sleeve extender coaxial to the stator sleeve formed of a non-magnetic material fixedly attached to each end of the stator sleeve, wherein a point of attachment is heat treated, and a wall formed of the non-magnetic material fixedly attached to the sleeve extender configured to hermetically house a stator and form the encapsulated stator assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Konrad Roman Weeber, Mohamed Ahmed Ali, Mohammad Ehteshami, Ravindra Gadangi, Ramgopal Thodla, Jeremy Daniel Van Dam
  • Patent number: 7839038
    Abstract: A cooling module 67 includes a motor assembly 42 having a motor case 24 having at least one open end and including mounting brackets 30 integral therewith. Each bracket has only a bottom portion 32 connected with the motor case. An armature assembly is disposed in the motor case and includes a rotatable shaft 46. A brush card assembly 56 is associated with the armature assembly, and an end cap 60 is disposed over the brush card assembly and partially covers the open end of the motor case and thereby defining a non end cap covered motor portion 63. A fan 64 is coupled to an end of the shaft and has a hub substantially covering one end of the motor assembly. A shroud 74 has a motor cover 76. Fastening structure 78 is associated with the shroud and engaged with the brackets thereby mounting the motor assembly to the shroud, with the motor cover substantially covering the end cap and the non end cap covered motor portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft, Würzburg
    Inventors: Attila Simofi-Ilyes, Stefan Zenon Smorowski, Andrew Lakerdas, Paul Stephen McLennan, Ovidius Turcanu
  • Patent number: 7830055
    Abstract: Upon operation, flywheel assemblies sand other such rotational mechanisms are released by mechanical backup bearings, which then normally remain disengaged until shutdown as the flywheel assembly is levitated by the axial magnetic field. However, either due to over heating of bearings, power failure or other stimuli, flywheels often suffer a phenomenon deemed as touchdown down from the levitation state. During this touchdown event, flywheels inherently lose rotational momentum, thus ceasing to generate and release power and often cause damage to components as well as casing. Enhancements developed herein, through the introduction of the instant secondary hybrid touchdown bearing system, allow flywheels and other such systems to retain rotational momentum and continue generation of energy. Further, the instant system negates damage to system components, as well as bearing wear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: Beacon Power Corporation
    Inventors: James Arseneaux, Jimpo Wang
  • Patent number: 7830047
    Abstract: An electrically powered launcher is disclosed that can accelerate small payloads to orbital velocities. The invention uses a novel geometry to overcome limitations of other design, and allows full exploitation of existing superconducting materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2010
    Assignee: The University of Houston System
    Inventors: Phil Putman, Kamel Salama
  • Patent number: 7825558
    Abstract: A fan (100) has an electronically commutated drive motor (ECM 52) with a stator (50) connected to a bearing tube (54) and a rotor (22) on a shaft (34). The shaft (34) is journaled in the tube (54) using passive radial magnetic bearings (16, 18) to minimize friction and wear, is axially displaceable with respect to the tube (54), and is drivingly connected to a rotor magnet (44) forming a first magnetic yoke (46). A second magnetic yoke (27) is connected to the shaft (34), and has an inner surface (59) defining a substantially cylindrical air gap (57) through which, during operation, a radial magnetic flux (55?) extends. A plunger coil (64) extends into the air gap (57) and is mechanically connected to the tube (54) so that, upon axial displacement of the plunger coil (64), the position of the shaft (34) with respect to the tube (54) changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: EBM - Papst St. Georgen GmbH and Co. KG
    Inventors: Gerald Jungmayr, Wolfgang Amrhein
  • Patent number: 7825550
    Abstract: A method to hook a magnet wire extracted from a coil A stator core 35 includes a core back 352 of a substantially annular shape. At a radially outer end portion of the core back 352 four teeth 351 are arranged radially. At the teeth 351, a coil 371 is formed by winding a magnet wire 37 via an insulator 36. A first insulator 361 configuring a lower half of the insulator 36 includes a first core back insulating portion 3611, 1 first teeth insulating portion 3612, and a first cylindrical portion 3613. A hook portion 4 is formed at the first core back insulating portion 3611 at radially outer side, and between the teeth 351. The magnet wire 37 extracted from the coil 371 is hooked on the hook portion 4. The magnet wire 37 hooked on the hook portion 4 is lead the magnet wire 37 around the hook portion 4 as a base, and is soldered to a land 381 formed above a circuit board 38.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Suguru Yamada, Takashi Nagamitsu, Yoshihisa Kato
  • Patent number: 7812493
    Abstract: In a spindle apparatus for a machine tool, a spindle is supported on a housing by support-purpose bearing devices, and is rotated by an electric motor, and a tool is attached to a tool attaching portion formed at a distal end of the spindle. A radial magnetic bearing for vibration suppressing purposes which includes a plurality of electromagnets is provided around the tool attaching portion of the spindle. A plurality of radial displacement sensors for detecting a displacement of the tool attaching portion in radial directions are provided around the tool attaching portion. There is provided an electromagnet control unit for controlling the electromagnets of the radial magnetic bearing on the basis of outputs of the radial displacement sensors so as to support the tool attaching portion in a predetermined position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Jtekt Corporation
    Inventors: Atsushi Kubo, Hironori Kameno, Takayuki Ishigami
  • Patent number: 7800269
    Abstract: In a hybrid magnetic bearing, the electromagnet has a core wound with a control coil and has a main pole and a commutating pole with a commutating pole permanent magnet provided approximately parallel to each other at predetermined intervals in a protruding condition radially or axially to the rotor. In the magnetic bearing provided radially, two electromagnets are placed oppositely to each other across the rotor in an approximately horizontal position, and the rotor is arranged so as to have a predetermined gap with the main pole and the commutating pole, and the permanent magnet is provided between the adjacent electromagnets. In the magnetic bearing provided axially, two electromagnets are placed in parallel in an approximately horizontal position, and the rotor is arranged so as to have a predetermined gap with the main pole and the commutating pole, and the permanent magnet is provided between the adjacent electromagnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Iwaki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Onuma, Toru Masuzawa, Yohji Okada
  • Patent number: 7800268
    Abstract: The present invention provides a device and a method to enhance thrust load capacity in a rotor bearing system. The load-enhancing device comprises a stator and a rotor arranged in such as way as to achieve a magnetic thrust load capacity enhancement by employing a number of permanent magnets, which produce an attracting force of an expulsing force between the rotor and the stator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Danfoss Turbocor Compressors B.V.
    Inventors: Lin Xiang Sun, Huai Lu Lin
  • Patent number: 7795770
    Abstract: Stable levitation of an object in an alternating magnetic field can be achieved by eliminating coupling between the rotational and translational forces acting on the object. Stable levitation can also be achieved by varying the coupling between the rotational and translational forces acting on the object, while maintaining one or more of the rotational and translational forces steady in time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Louis Romero, Todd Christenson, Eugene A. Aronson