Patents Examined by John K Kim
  • Patent number: 12015329
    Abstract: A motor unit includes a motor including a rotor including a shaft, and configured to rotate about a motor axis extending in a horizontal direction, and a stator located radially outside of the rotor; a housing including a housing space to accommodate the motor; an oil passage configured to circulate an oil in the housing space to cool the motor; a gear portion connected to the shaft on one side in an axial direction of the motor axis; and a pump arranged in the oil passage and arranged to the housing. The housing includes a partition arranged to divide a gear chamber to accommodate the gear portion and a motor chamber to accommodate the motor. The partition includes a second connection hole portion opened on the other side in the axial direction toward an inside of the motor chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2024
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shuhei Nakamatsu
  • Patent number: 12007554
    Abstract: A vertical comb drive assembly may include a rotor assembly. The rotor assembly may include a comb anchor to attach the rotor assembly to a base, a comb rotor attached to the comb anchor, and a movable element attached to the comb rotor. The vertical comb drive assembly may include a stator assembly. The stator assembly may include a plate anchor to attach the stator assembly to the base, a plate, wherein the plate forms a comb stator, and a plate hinge to connect the plate to the plate anchor. The plate hinge and the plate may be configured for moving the plate from a first position where the comb rotor and the comb stator are both in a first plane to a second position where the comb rotor is in the first plane and the comb stator is in a second plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLC
    Inventors: Wenlin Jin, Gonzalo Wills
  • Patent number: 11990806
    Abstract: An electric machine system described herein comprises a first electric machine rotor, a first gear and a second gear. The first gear is connected to the first electric machine rotor and to a first input/output shaft. The second gear is connected to the first electric machine rotor and to a second input/output shaft. The first electric machine rotor is disposed between the first gear and the second gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Eric Latulipe, Richard Freer
  • Patent number: 11984794
    Abstract: A system for cooling and lubricating a rotor shaft bearing of an electric machine is provided. In one example, the system includes a plurality of oil passages that extend axially through a rotor shaft and open into a sealed cavity near a housing interface between an electric machine housing and gearbox housing to route oil to the rotor shaft bearing for cooling and lubrication thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: DANA HEAVY VEHICLE SYSTEMS GROUP, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas W. LaForce, Maxime Veillette
  • Patent number: 11942740
    Abstract: A motor includes a frame having an outer diameter of 10 millimeters or less and an inner surface. The motor also includes an annular magnet attached to the inner surface of the frame, a bracket provided at the frame, and a columnar brush formed of carbon and having an outer peripheral surface. In addition, the motor includes a commutator contacting the outer peripheral surface of the brush, and an elastic member supporting the brush at the bracket. A part of the elastic member is disposed inside of the columnar brush.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Minebea Mitsumi Inc.
    Inventors: Mikio Umehara, Atsushi Omura, Kazuaki Sato
  • Patent number: 11923755
    Abstract: A lubricant supported electric motor includes a stator presenting a stator raceway, and a rotor movable relative to the stator about an axis. The rotor presents a rotor raceway disposed in radially spaced and opposing relationship with the stator raceway to define a gap therebetween. A lubricant is disposed in the gap for supporting the rotor relative to the stator. The stator raceway includes a bearing structure comprised of a plurality of hydrodynamic surfaces aligned in parallel relationship along the stator raceway and a plurality of hydrostatic pockets disposed in radially recessed relationship relative to the hydrodynamic surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Neapco Intellectual Property Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Donald Remboski, Jacqueline Dedo, Mark Versteyhe, Bruno Lequesne
  • Patent number: 11909278
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are a production apparatus of a motor laminated core and a method for producing the same, the production apparatus comprises an upper die assembly, a lower die assembly and an adhesive spraying device, the adhesive spraying device comprises an adhesive spraying plate, a first die plate and a second die plate successively from top to bottom, and channels are disposed between the plates, and respective channels communicate with first adhesive spraying openings and second adhesive spraying openings so as to coat an adhesive on a portion of a metal strip used for forming an core sheet, and after the core sheet is formed, a plurality of core sheets are cured and bonded at normal temperature in the production apparatus with the aid of a hydraulic cylinder so as to form a motor laminated core.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Suzhou Fine-Stamping Machinery Technology Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Yuan Xiang, Xiudong Huang, Renyi Yang, Hongbo Wang, Bo Yang, Haodong Shi, Bajin Wu
  • Patent number: 11909332
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure provide a comb drive, a comb drive system, and a method of operating the comb drive to rotate bi-directionally in a MEMS environment. An exemplary comb drive system may include a comb drive, at least one power source, and a controller. The comb drive may include a stator comb having a first electrically conductive layer spaced apart from a second electrically conductive layer. The comb drive may also include a rotor comb having a first electrically conductive layer spaced apart from a second electrically conductive layer. The controller may be configured to apply first and second voltage levels having opposite polarities to the first and second electrically conductive layers of the rotor comb, respectively. The controller may also be configured to apply an intermediate voltage level to one of the first or second electrically conductive layers of the stator comb.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: BEIJING VOYAGER TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Qin Zhou, Youmin Wang, Yue Lu, Lingkai Kong
  • Patent number: 11909276
    Abstract: An electric motor includes a rotor assembly rotatable about a vertical center axis, a stator assembly around the rotor assembly, a housing inside of which the stator assembly is fixed, and a bearing mechanism rotatably supporting the rotor assembly. The housing includes a cylindrical wall portion inside of which the stator assembly is located, a bottom at a bottom vertical end of the cylindrical wall portion and extending radially outward, and a cover plate on one side of the stator assembly opposite to the bottom. The cover plate includes electrically conductive elements and at least one columnar projection protruding away from the stator assembly so that the at least one projection contacts at least one grounding contact of a controller on one side of the cover plate, the controller being electrically connected to a ground potential through the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventor: Keisuke Fukunaga
  • Patent number: 11909283
    Abstract: An electric machine system disclosed herein comprises first and second electric machines configured to drive a load. The first electric machine has a plurality of first rotors. The second electric machine has a plurality of second rotors. At least one of the second rotors is indexed relative to a respective one of the first rotors to, in use, provide a torque phase offset between the first and second electric machines. A shaft is coupled to the load and connects the respective one of the first rotors with the at least one of the second rotors. The respective one of the first rotors is coaxial with and axially spaced apart from the at least one of the second rotors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Eric Latulipe, Richard Freer
  • Patent number: 11909274
    Abstract: An electric driving device and an electric power steering device. An electric driving device includes a motor and an electronic control unit that controls rotation of the motor. The electronic control unit includes a first circuit board, a second circuit board, a second housing, a lid, and an inter-board connector. The second circuit board includes a control circuit that controls an electric current supplied to a transistor of the first circuit board. The second housing accommodates the second circuit board and has a first through hole passing therethrough in the axial direction. The lid covers the second housing. The inter-board connector connects the second circuit board disposed on the anti-load side of the second housing to the first circuit board disposed on the load side of the second housing. The inter-board connector is disposed in the first through hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: NSK LTD.
    Inventor: Masakazu Morimoto
  • Patent number: 11892619
    Abstract: A micro-sized optical device may comprise a mirror suspended on a set of hinges that are mounted to the substrate and that are configured to tilt the mirror about an axis, wherein a hinge of the set of hinges is a two-layer structure with a pivot point that aligns with a mass center of the mirror; and a three-layer comb actuator structure associated with the hinge of the set of hinges, wherein the three-layer comb actuator structure includes a rotor comb actuator, a first stator comb actuator, and a second stator comb actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: Lumentum Operations LLC
    Inventors: Wenlin Jin, Stephen Bagnald, Gonzalo Wills
  • Patent number: 11894755
    Abstract: A power tool includes a housing and an electric motor. The electric motor includes a rotor assembly including a rotor shaft and a stator assembly including a plurality of stator segments. Each stator segment includes a core, an insulator at least partially covering the core, and a coil winding. The insulator includes a mounting portion. The electric motor also includes a printed circuit board assembly configured to direct electric current to each coil winding, and a bus bar assembly attached to at least one of the mounting portions and configured to electrically connect the coil windings to the printed circuit board assembly. The bus bar assembly includes a molded body and a plurality of conductors. The bus bar assembly defines a bearing pocket. The electric motor further includes rotor bearing that is received into the bearing pocket and that supports the rotor shaft for rotation relative to the stator assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: MILWAUKEE ELECTRIC TOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Keith M. Klosterman, Matthew R. Bailey, Jorge L. Ibarra, Lu Yang, Hongru Huang
  • Patent number: 11894744
    Abstract: A stator assembly for a brushless DC motor includes a stator core including stator poles and an outer surface, at least one magnet wire wound on the poles forming stator windings, and a bus bar including a non-conductive mount arranged on the outer surface and conductive terminals. Each conductive terminal includes: a main portion mounted on the non-conductive mount substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the motor, a tang portion folded over the main portion from a first longitudinal end of the main portion, and a connection tab at a second longitudinal end of the main portion. At least a contact portion of the at least one magnet wire is wrapped around the tang portion and fused to make an electric connection to the conductive terminal, and the connection tab makes electric contact with a wire supplying electric power to the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: BLACK & DECKER INC.
    Inventors: David J. Smith, Justin H. Ayers, David E. Gillespie, Eric E. Hatfield, Earl M. Ortt, Stephen P. Osborne, Brian Friedman, Jarrett A. Dunston
  • Patent number: 11894742
    Abstract: An electric machine system described herein comprises a first and second electric machines configured to drive a load. The first electric machine has a plurality of first rotors driven using electric power having a first phase. The second electric machine has a plurality of second rotors driven using electric power having a second phase. The second phase differs from the first phase. Each of one or more shafts connects a first rotor with a second rotor. The first rotor is coaxial with and axially spaced apart from the second rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP.
    Inventors: Eric Latulipe, Richard Freer
  • Patent number: 11885229
    Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to electric machines such as electric propulsion systems for aircraft that integrated cooling systems, and methods of cooling such an electric machine. Exemplary electric machines include an electric motor that has a stator, a rotor, and a drive shaft operably coupled to the rotor. Exemplary electric machines further include a motor cooling conduit that defines a pathway for conveying a cooling fluid through or around at least a portion of the electric motor, a casing assembly that circumferentially surrounds at least a portion of the electric motor, a casing assembly conduit integrally formed within at least a portion of the casing assembly which defines a pathway for conveying the cooling fluid through the at least a portion of the casing assembly, and a pump or compressor operably coupled to the drive shaft and configured to circulate the cooling fluid through the motor cooling conduit and the casing assembly conduit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: William Dwight Gerstler, Florian Stefan Hoefler, Mark Aaron Chan Chan
  • Patent number: 11881325
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a nuclear radiation particle power converter and method of forming such power converter are disclosed. In one or more embodiments, the power converter can include first and second electrodes, a three-dimensional current collector disposed between the first and second electrodes and electrically coupled to the first electrode, and a charge carrier separator disposed on at least a portion of a surface of the three-dimensional current collector. The power converter can also include a hole conductor layer disposed on at least a portion of the charge carrier separator and electrically coupled to the second electrode, and nuclear radiation-emitting material disposed such that at least one nuclear radiation particle emitted by the nuclear radiation-emitting material is incident upon the charge carrier separator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
    Inventors: Andreas Fenner, David A. Ruben, Anna J. Malin, Paul F. Gerrish, Bruce C. Fleischhauer, Larry E. Tyler
  • Patent number: 11876479
    Abstract: A DC electric motor having a stator mounted to a substrate, the stator having a coil assembly having a magnetic core, a rotor mounted to the stator with a first set of permanent magnets distributed radially about the rotor to facilitate rotation of the rotor and a second set of permanent magnets on the rotor to facilitate determination of an absolute position of the rotor. The motor further includes first and second set of sensors for detection of the magnets of the inner and outer rings. During operation of the motor passage of the permanent magnets over the sensors produces a substantially sinusoidal signal of varying voltage substantially without noise and/or saturation, allowing an absolute position of the rotor relative the substrate to be determined from the sinusoidal signals without requiring use of an encoder or position sensors and without requiring noise-reduction or filtering of the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Cepheid
    Inventor: Tien Phan
  • Patent number: 11862543
    Abstract: An electric drive unit having a stator, a rotor received in the stator and rotatable about a central longitudinal axis, and an inverter assembly that includes a plurality of power semiconductors, a plurality of heat sinks and an end plate. The power semiconductors are thermally coupled to the heat sinks. Each of the heat sinks has a plurality of fins that extend into a flow channel that is coaxial with the plurality of sets of field windings. The end plate is coupled to the power semiconductors and has a projection, which is sealingly coupled to the stator and which and partly defines an annular cavity, and a coolant port that is coupled in fluid communication with the annular cavity. The flow channel is in fluid communication with and disposed in a flow path between the annular cavity and the cooling channels in the stator body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventors: James P. Downs, David Crecelius, Jeffrey J. Ronning, Paul J. Valente, John C. Morgante
  • Patent number: 11863086
    Abstract: An electrostatic motor includes a cylindrical rotor and a stator. Electrodes are disposed on an inside cylindrical surface of the stator. Electrets and/or electrically conductive electrodes are disposed on the cylindrical rotor and a dielectric fluid fills space between the rotor and the stator to prevent discharge of the electrets. A mask is used to charge portions of an electret cylinder or other curved surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Louis Beryl Kratchman, James A. Bickford