Patents Examined by Karl Tamai
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Patent number: 8188625Abstract: An oil cooling system for a motor includes a rotor, a stator core annularly positioned around the rotor, a plurality of coils annularly arranged and each wound around the stator core, and a plurality of oil discharging holes annularly arranged in a circumferential direction of the stator core, the oil discharging holes through which oil is discharged with pressure in an axial direction of the stator core to cool the coils.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2009Date of Patent: May 29, 2012Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Tomohiro Fukushima
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Patent number: 8174164Abstract: A system for generating electrical power supply signals includes at least one heat engine having a chamber that undergoes heating/cooling cycle and corresponding pressure variations. At least one piezoelectric transducer is deformed in response to the pressure variations of the heat engine. A power converter transforms the electric signals generated in response to deformation of the piezoelectric transducer(s) to a desired electrical power supply signal. The heat engine preferably uses a geothermal source of cold and an ambient source of hot or vice-versa. Hydrogen can be used as a working fluid, and metal hydride material can be used for absorbing and desorbing hydrogen during the cycle of heating and cooling of the heat engine. A phase change material can also be used. The power converter preferably includes an electromechanical battery with a flywheel storing rotational energy and possibly an electrostatic motor that adds rotational energy to the flywheel.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2011Date of Patent: May 8, 2012Inventor: Kimberly Peacock
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Patent number: 8174163Abstract: A device for assisting a relative movement of two parts of a mechanical system, for example a ball bearing or a gear device, configured to form a device with variable capacity, thereby enabling mechanical energy to be recovered and converted into electrical energy. At least one among driving and driven elements of the device includes a conductive zone separated by a variable distance during the relative movements of the elements with respect to each other of the conductive parts of the device, the conductive zone and the conductive parts being coupled to different equipotentials.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2006Date of Patent: May 8, 2012Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie AtomiqueInventor: Ghislain Despesse
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Patent number: 8164232Abstract: The present invention provides meta-materials with an actively controllable mechanical property. The meta-material includes a deformable structure and a set of activation elements. The activation elements are controllable between multiple states. The meta-material includes a first value for a mechanical property when one or more of the activation elements is in the first activation state and includes a second value for the mechanical property when the activation elements have been activated to the second activation state. In one aspect, the meta-material resembles a composite material where the connectivity between the component materials or shape and arrangement of the component materials is dynamically controllable so as to affect a mechanical property of the meta-material.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2009Date of Patent: April 24, 2012Assignee: SRI InternationalInventors: Roy D. Kornbluh, Ronald E. Pelrine, Harsha E. Prahlad, Scott E. Stanford
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Patent number: 8164223Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetic attractive force-offsetting linear motor which prevents motor thrust from varying due to changes in the position on a stator, thus enabling improvement of the motor thrust and of the accuracy of the machine tool and the quality of a processed surface. A magnetic attractive force offsetting linear motor has a base 72 that fix stators 52a and 52b by contacting stator bottom surfaces 74, two stator mounting members each provided on a side of a corresponding one of the stators 52a and 52b and each extending from the base 72 to a height substantially equal to that of a stator top surface 73, and two plate-like support members 81 fixedly connected to the stator top surfaces of the respective two stators 52a and 52b and to a base top surface 84.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2009Date of Patent: April 24, 2012Assignee: OKUMA CorporationInventor: Yoichi Kawai
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Patent number: 8164231Abstract: An electret device includes a substrate formed with a plurality of recess portions on a main surface thereof and an electret film so formed on the main surface of the substrate as to cover at least inner surfaces of the recess portions.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2007Date of Patent: April 24, 2012Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.Inventor: Katsuji Mabuchi
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Patent number: 8159108Abstract: A device for converting heat into electrical energy that is an integrated combination of thermionic and thermoelectric energy converters in a single device, or “TITE”. The electron output of thermionic portion of the TITE is the input of the thermoelectric portion of the device. The electron collector is covered by a thin layer of doped or undoped semiconductor material or a combination of doped and undoped semiconductor materials with appropriate doping and thickness to achieve increased operational temperature ranges and efficiency.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2007Date of Patent: April 17, 2012Inventors: Ned S. Rasor, Lorin K. Hansen
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Patent number: 8138655Abstract: An electrostatic actuator includes first and second lower electrodes formed apart from each other above a substrate, an electrode portion formed above the first and second lower electrodes and first and second upper electrodes, a distance between the first upper electrode and the first lower electrode at a first portion being greater than that at a second portion, a distance between the second upper electrode and the second lower electrode at a third portion being greater than that at a fourth portion, a first boundary portion between the first and third upper electrodes having a convex shape, a second boundary portion between the second and third upper electrodes having a convex shape, and the electrode portion driving the third upper electrode, and first and second layers formed in the first and second boundary portions.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2008Date of Patent: March 20, 2012Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Tamio Ikehashi, Hiroaki Yamazaki
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Patent number: 8129872Abstract: An impeller and at least a portion of a cooperating peripheral volute may be integrated are integrally injection molded with, concentric outer rotor and inner stator assemblies, respectively, to achieve a low profile precision impeller mechanism based on an improved brushless D.C. motor with low length to diameter ratio and suitable for use in a variety of other applications. A rotating cap has an inner circumference which is molded about an outer ferromagnetic back ring that in turn supports a rotor magnet having a number of poles of alternating polarity and separated by a relatively small cylindrical air gap from a fixed stator assembly. The fixed stator assembly is integrally molded into a base housing having a bearing support that extends upwardly through the center of the stator assembly and that is rotatably coupled to a rotating shaft that extends downwardly from the center of the rotating cap.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2010Date of Patent: March 6, 2012Assignee: Resmed Motor Technologies Inc.Inventors: Leslie C. Hoffman, Barton J. Kenyon, David B. Sears
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Patent number: 8120229Abstract: A micro-electro-mechanical transducer (such as a cMUT) is disclosed. The transducer has a substrate, a top plate, and a middle spring layer therebetween. The substrate and the middle spring layer define cavities therebetween sidewalled by standing features. The middle spring layer is anchored by the standing features to create cantilevers over the cavities to enable a vertical displacement of connectors placed on the middle spring layer. The connectors define a transducing space between the middle spring layer and the top plate. The top plate is transported by the vertical displacement of the connectors in a piston-like motion to change the transducing space and to effectuate energy transformation. Various configurations of cantilevers, including single cantilevers, back-to-back double cantilevers and head-to-head double cantilevers (bridges) are possible.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2006Date of Patent: February 21, 2012Assignee: Kolo Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Yongli Huang
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Patent number: 8110961Abstract: A permanent magnet-less, brushless synchronous system includes a stator that generates a magnetic rotating field when sourced by an alternating current. An uncluttered rotor disposed within the magnetic rotating field is spaced apart from the stator to form an air gap relative to an axis of rotation. A stationary excitation core spaced apart from the uncluttered rotor by an axial air gap and a radial air gap substantially encloses the stationary excitation core. Some permanent magnet-less, brushless synchronous systems include stator core gaps to reduce axial flux flow. Some permanent magnet-less, brushless synchronous systems include an uncluttered rotor coupled to outer laminations. The quadrature-axis inductance may be increased in some synchronous systems. Some synchronous systems convert energy such as mechanical energy into electrical energy (e.g., a generator); other synchronous systems may convert any form of energy into mechanical energy (e.g., a motor).Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2009Date of Patent: February 7, 2012Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLCInventor: John S. Hsu
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Patent number: 8102096Abstract: An improved design for maintaining separation between electrodes in tunneling, resonant tunneling, diode, thermionic, thermo-photovoltaic and other devices is disclosed. At least one electrode 1 is made from flexible material. A magnetic field B is present to combine with the current flowing in the flexible electrode 1 and generate a force or a thermal expansion force combined with a temperature distribution that counterbalances the electrostatic force or other attracting forces between the electrodes. The balancing of forces allows the separation and parallelism between the electrodes to be maintained at a very small spacing without requiring the use of multiple control systems, actuators, or other manipulating means, or spacers. The shape of one or both electrodes 1 is designed to maintain a constant separation over the entire overlapping area of the electrodes, or to minimize a central contact area.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2007Date of Patent: January 24, 2012Assignee: Tempronics, Inc.Inventor: Tarek Makansi
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Patent number: 8093780Abstract: A micro-oscillation element facilitates adjusting the natural frequency relevant to the oscillating motion of the oscillating portion. The micro-oscillation element includes, for example, an oscillating portion, a frame, and a link portion that connects the oscillating portion and the frame. The link portion defines the oscillation axial center of oscillating motion of the oscillating portion with respect to the frame. The oscillating portion includes a main oscillating body, and a weight portion attached to the main oscillating body. The weight portion is movable in a direction intersecting the oscillation axial center.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2007Date of Patent: January 10, 2012Assignee: Fujitsu LimitedInventors: Osamu Tsuboi, Norinao Kouma, Hiromitsu Soneda, Hisao Okuda
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Patent number: 8089185Abstract: An actuator having an output axis which is moved linearly by a rotatory force, and a boss for holding the above-mentioned output axis in such a way that the output axis can move linearly includes a connecting member for propagating the linear motion of the above-mentioned output axis to an external device. The above-mentioned connecting member is comprised of a joint connected to the above-mentioned output axis, and a link plate having an end rotatably connected to the above-mentioned joint, and another end rotatably connected to the external device. A mechanism for preventing rotation of the above-mentioned output axis is constructed of only a connecting portion for connecting the above-mentioned joint, the above-mentioned link plate, and the above-mentioned external device to one another.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2007Date of Patent: January 3, 2012Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric CorporationInventors: Kenta Hatano, Hirofumi Doi, Toshihiko Miyake
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Patent number: 8089184Abstract: In a motor, axially upper and lower end surfaces of the stator core are substantially covered by a first insulator and a second insulator, both of which are made of resin. A boss is arranged circumferentially between two neighboring teeth. Three bosses are arranged at three out of four positions defined between any two neighboring teeth. A conductor pin is inserted into each boss along an axial direction. The boss includes a hole extending axially upward from the axially lower end thereof, in which a conductor pin is fitted. An axially lower position of the conductor pin axially downwardly protrudes from the boss. The conductor pin is inserted into each of the notched portions arranged to the circuit board, and is soldered with the circuit board such that the conductor pin and the circuit board are electrically connected.Type: GrantFiled: December 13, 2010Date of Patent: January 3, 2012Assignee: Nidec CorporationInventors: Yusuke Yoshida, Kouji Muraoka
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Patent number: 8084907Abstract: The spindle motor includes a rotating shaft, a rotor cover which is secured to the rotating shaft and rotates the rotating shaft, a bearing for rotatably supporting the rotating shaft, a holder for holding the bearing, and a holding magnet which is directly mounted to an inner wall of the rotor cover. In this case, the holding magnet is positioned above the bearing to prevent oil from being discharged from the bearing to the outside.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2010Date of Patent: December 27, 2011Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Nam Seok Kim, Pyo Kim, Sang Ok Choi
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Patent number: 8049394Abstract: A micro oscillating element includes a frame and an oscillation section connected to the frame via a torsional joining section. The oscillation section includes a movable functional section, an arm section and a first comb-tooth electrode. The arm section extends from the functional section. The first comb-tooth electrode includes first electrode teeth extending from the arm section in a direction intersecting the arm section. The micro oscillating element further includes a second comb-tooth electrode to cooperate with the first comb-tooth electrode for causing the oscillation section to oscillate about an oscillation axis defined by the torsional joining section. The second comb-tooth, electrode includes second electrode teeth extending from the frame in a direction intersecting the arm section.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2010Date of Patent: November 1, 2011Assignee: Fujitsu LimitedInventors: Norinao Kouma, Osamu Tsuboi, Hiromitsu Soneda, Satoshi Ueda, Ippei Sawaki
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Patent number: 8044552Abstract: An actuator of the present invention includes a moving part, and a driving electrode which is comprised of electrode parts electrically isolated from each other and drives the moving part. A drive voltage is applied selectively to some of the electrode parts to control an electrostatic force which acts on the moving part.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2010Date of Patent: October 25, 2011Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventor: Tamio Ikehashi
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Patent number: 8040000Abstract: Disclosed herein is a structure for cooling the stator of a superconducting rotating machine. The structure includes a stator coil. Slots are axially disposed at the stator coil to support the stator coil, and a space is defined between the slots to allow the stator coil to be partially exposed. A stator yoke is disposed on the slots such that a space is defined between the exposed portion of the stator coil, the slots and the stator yoke. A cooling tube is disposed in the space defined between the exposed portion of the stator coil, the slots and the stator yoke, thus simultaneously cooling both the stator coil and the stator yoke.Type: GrantFiled: April 27, 2009Date of Patent: October 18, 2011Assignee: Korea Electrotechnology Research InstituteInventors: Seung-Kyu Baik, Young-kil Kwon, Ho-min Kim
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Patent number: RE42990Abstract: An alternator pulley includes a driving member driven and rotated via a belt from an output shaft of an engine. A driving member is disposed on an inner surface of the driving member and a one-way clutch is interposed between the driving and driven member. The one-way clutch includes rollers capable of rolling in a locked side direction along which a rotating power of the driving member is transmitted to the driven member or a free side direction along which the rotating powder is interrupted. Depending on a relative speed difference between the driving member and the driven member, the rollers are biased for pressing in the locked side direction and a torque value of the pressing is set preferably to less than 4 Nm.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2002Date of Patent: December 6, 2011Assignee: JTEKT CorporationInventor: Yasuhito Tanaka