Patents Examined by Judson H. Jones
  • Patent number: 6995528
    Abstract: A linear motor apparatus which drives a mover of a linear motor in a stable manner, by using only information on change of relative position, without using an absolute value sensor. The apparatus has a coil array of plural phases of coils and a magnet relatively movable to the coil array, plural drivers, at least one of which being provided for each phase, to feed a current to all the same phase coils of the coil array, a sensor for measuring a change of relative position of the magnet moved by the current to the coil array, and a controller to determine the polarity of the current applied to the same phase coils based on the change of the relative position measured by the sensor, and apply a drive current to drive the magnet in a desired direction to the same phase coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mikio Sato
  • Patent number: 6992408
    Abstract: A linear drive device has a stator and an armature able to be moved in relation to the stator in a linear manner. The device furthermore comprises an electrodynamic linear direct drive system and a fluid power drive system. Using the two drive systems it is possible in an independent manner for setting forces to be applied electrodynamically and by fluid power to the armature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2006
    Assignee: Festo AG & Co.
    Inventors: Matthias Finkbeiner, Thomas Feyrer, Rüdiger Neumann, Armin Hartmann
  • Patent number: 6984945
    Abstract: A linear motor apparatus which drives a mover of a linear motor in a stable manner, by using only information on change of relative position, without using an absolute value sensor. The apparatus has a coil array of plural phases of coils and a magnet relatively movable to the coil array, plural drivers, at least one of which being provided for each phase, to feed a current to all the same phase coils of the coil array, a sensor for measuring a change of relative position of the magnet moved by the current to the coil array, and a controller to determine the polarity of the current applied to the same phase coils based on the change of the relative position measured by the sensor, and apply a drive current to drive the magnet in a desired direction to the same phase coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Mikio Sato
  • Patent number: 6982504
    Abstract: A limited rotation torque motor is disclosed including a rotor with at least one pair of magnetic poles and a stator with at least one pair of stator coils. Each stator coil includes a plurality of layers of interconnected flexible circuit composites. Each flexible circuit composite includes a dielectric material and a patterned conductive material on one side of said dielectric material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2006
    Assignee: GSI Group Corporation
    Inventor: David C. Brown
  • Patent number: 6979928
    Abstract: A magnetic shield assembly for confining rotor windings in a generator includes a substantially cylindrical tubular shield of two or more part-annular segments adapted to enclose the rotor windings; a plurality of axially spaced rings located on the tubular shield; and a plurality of annular spacers radially between the tubular shield and the plurality of rings and axially between adjacent rings to thereby present physical barriers to axial migration of the plurality of rings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Ronald Ralph Cairo
  • Patent number: 6977474
    Abstract: A motor driving apparatus for driving a linear vibration motor includes an order output determining unit for determining a motor output which is required of the linear vibration motor, and a driving frequency determining unit for determining a driving frequency of the linear vibration motor based on the determined motor output. An amplitude-fixed AC voltage having a frequency which is equal to the determined driving frequency is applied to the linear vibration motor, whereby the output of the linear vibration motor can be controlled without changing the amplitude value of the driving voltage which is applied to the linear vibration motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuo Ueda, Hideki Nakata, Makoto Yoshida
  • Patent number: 6975048
    Abstract: A drive apparatus overcomes the problems of ensuring accurate mounting of a plurality of armature coils relative to a plurality of magnetic pole position detectors, limitations concerning the location for mounting, and the extension of primary-side length. The drive apparatus comprises a primary side including an arrangement of a plurality of armatures each having a core made of a magnetic material with coil windings. It also comprises a secondary side including a permanent magnet movably supported relative to the armatures via a gap. A magnetic pole position detector is disposed between adjacent armatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Houng Joong Kim, Kohji Maki, Hisao Tadokoro, Hideki Shimane, Hitoshi Shibata, Keijirou Sakai
  • Patent number: 6975081
    Abstract: A path module for a linear motor system includes a controller coupled to one or more amplifiers that are operative to control associated windings in the module. The controller receives control information via a communications link. The controller controls the amplifier based on the received control information so as to selectively energize the associated windings in the module. In one aspect, a plurality of such modules may be connected together to form a path along which one or more stages are moveable according to energization of the windings in the path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Anorad Corporation
    Inventors: Mustansir Faizullabhoy, Anwar Chitayat, Joseph Cardamone
  • Patent number: 6972499
    Abstract: Outflow of heat generated by a linear motor to the outside is suppressed. A linear motor according to the present invention is a linear motor used in a vacuum atmosphere, including a stator, a movable element movable relative to the stator, and a metal film formed on the surface of at least one of the stator and the movable element. This decreases the emissivity and reduces the outflow of heat by radiation from the linear motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Keiji Emoto
  • Patent number: 6969932
    Abstract: A water-cooled stator bar clip for electrical generators and a method for applying a corrosion-resistant protective coating, preferably Sc, Ti, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta, W, Ni, and Al, and their alloys or oxides to existing stator bar end fittings in order to significantly reduce the possibility of leaks through the brazed connections of the copper stator bar end connections. The coatings can be applied locally using various known physical vapor deposition (“PVD”), chemical vapor deposition (“CVD”) or other direct coating techniques known in the art. For example, the coatings can be applied using ion plasma deposition, sputtering or wire arc techniques (all PVD processes) or by using electroplating, high velocity oxygen free (“HVOF”) deposition, DC arc or electroless plating. Preferably, the coatings are applied either to new stator bar clips or to existing clips in the field using a known pencil coater technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: General Electric Co.
    Inventors: Young Jin Kim, Paul Joseph Martiniano, Reed Roeder Corderman, Scott Andrew Weaver, Alan Michael Iversen, James Rollins Maughan
  • Patent number: 6965176
    Abstract: A measure system for linear planar stepping motor which form with the magnetic sensor and the stable device. The characteristic of the measure system for linear planar stepping motor was that the stable device can change the residual magnetic field in the stator from random to order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignee: Hiwin Mikrosystem Corp.
    Inventor: Shuen-Shing Hsiao
  • Patent number: 6965177
    Abstract: System and method for establishing and maintaining resonant oscillations of a torsional hinged device such as a pivotally hinged mirror. The system and methods comprise a permanent magnet mounted to the pivoting mirror that interacts with an electromagnetic coil. The magnetic coil is periodically connected and disconnected from a DC power supply in response to a series of drive pulses having a timing and duration such that the magnetic forces generated by the interaction of the permanent magnet and the electromagnetic coil maintains resonant oscillations of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2005
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Arthur Monroe Turner, Andrew Steven Dewa, Mark W. Heaton, Philip A. Roden, Carter Bruce Simpson
  • Patent number: 6963148
    Abstract: A wireless encoder system facilitates operation and control of a motor, such as linear motor. The system includes an encoder sensor moveable with a first part of the motor. The encoder sensor is operative to sense movement of the first part relative the second part and provide an encoder signal having an electrical characteristic indicative of the sensed movement. A transmitter, which is associated with the encoder sensor, is operative to transmit a wireless transmitter signal based on the encoder signal. A remote receiver that receives the wireless transmitter signal thus may determine position and/or movement of the first part of the motor relative to a second part of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2005
    Assignee: Anorad Corporation
    Inventors: Mustansir Faizullabhoy, Anwar Chitayat
  • Patent number: 6960893
    Abstract: A driving apparatus of a linear motor which reciprocally drives a movable element supported by an elastic member, includes an inverter that converts a direct current power into an alternating-current power with a specified frequency to drive the linear motor, a current detector that detects the output current of the inverter, a voltage detector that detects the output voltage of the inverter, an amplitude detector that detects an amplitude of the movable element of the linear motor, an amplitude controller adjusts the output current or output voltage in a first control cycle so that the amplitude of the movable element is a desired constant value, and a resonant controller that adjusts the output frequency of the inverter in a second control cycle which is larger than the first control cycle so that the output current of the inverter is substantially minimum on condition that the amplitude is substantially constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Yoshida, Mitsuo Ueda
  • Patent number: 6960853
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a control apparatus for a vibration type actuator that can perform the drive of a driven member in a short time. The control apparatus for a vibration type actuator that excites vibration in a vibration body by applying a frequency signal to an electro-mechanical energy converting element and relativity moves the vibration body and a contact body contacting to this vibration body includes a determination unit determining the drive direction of the vibration type actuator, and a frequency setting unit modifying a frequency of the frequency signal according to whether the drive direction of the vibration type actuator determined by the determination unit is the same as or reverse to the last drive direction at the startup of the vibration type actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takayuki Endo
  • Patent number: 6960846
    Abstract: A linear pulse motor includes primary stators (1) in which a plurality of excitation units (3a -3d) and excitation coils (5a -5d) wound on the excitation coils are lined up in a row, and a secondary movable element (12) arranged at a predetermined gap from the stators (1) to face side surfaces of the stators (1). The stators (1) are arranged in a traveling direction of the movable element (12), and the stators (1) and the movable element (12) are supported to be movable relative to each other in the traveling direction of the movable element (12). A plurality of pole teeth (16) arranged on the movable element (12) are partitioned and integrally connected to each other by a nonmagnetic member (17). The secondary movable element is made lightweight and the response performance is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shinji Uchida
  • Patent number: 6960845
    Abstract: A moving apparatus includes a first actuator having a movable element and a stator, and a second actuator for driving the stator. The second actuator drives the stator in a direction to suppress rotation of the stator which accompanies movement of the movable element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Koide
  • Patent number: 6958554
    Abstract: A reciprocating linear actuator capable of reciprocatingly driving a plurality of movable elements (2 and 2) by a single stator (1). The movable elements (2 and 2) are connected to each other through a connection body (3) having a spring characteristic to be capable of displacement in the reciprocating direction of the movable element. The connection body (3) has such a shape that can be drawn with a single stroke on a two dimensional plane, and at least both ends thereof are connected to the movable elements (2 and 2), respectively. Since the connection body (3) is made of a flat spring, it requires less space for installation as compared to a connection body formed of a coiled spring. Further, since the entire connection body has an effective spring characteristic, a relatively smaller size is required for the connection body to provide a required spring characteristic. The less installation space for the connection body (3) is advantageous to a reduction in size of the linear actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2005
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Fujiwara, Satoshi Nakayama, Wataru Sanematsu
  • Patent number: 6954040
    Abstract: A free piston gas compressor comprising a cylinder, a piston reciprocable within the cylinder and a reciprocating linear electric motor derivably coupled to the piston having at least one excitation winding. A measure of the reciprocation time of the piston is obtained, any change in the reciprocation time is detected and the power input to said excitation winding is adjusted in response to any detected change in reciprocation time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: Fisher & Paykel Appliances Limited
    Inventors: Ian McGill, Zhuang Tian
  • Patent number: 6954041
    Abstract: Compatibility of a small spring constant and large supporting load is realized, so that a stable operation is assured even if a fine-movement linear motor fails. A supporting unit, having a plurality of magnets whose same poles are arranged facing each other, is adapted to support the self-weight of a top plate on which an object to be positioned is mounted, using a repulsive force in a direction orthogonal to the facing direction of the plurality of magnets. In a characteristic curve representing the relationship between the floating force and displacement in a floating direction, the tangent inclination when the object is at a first position in the floating direction is negative, and the relationship of floating force<the self-weight holds when the object is at a second position lower than the first position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2005
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Nobushige Korenaga