Patents Examined by Karl Tamai
  • Patent number: 8188625
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomohiro Fukushima
  • Patent number: 8174164
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Inventor: Kimberly Peacock
  • Patent number: 8174163
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventor: Ghislain Despesse
  • Patent number: 8164232
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: SRI International
    Inventors: Roy D. Kornbluh, Ronald E. Pelrine, Harsha E. Prahlad, Scott E. Stanford
  • Patent number: 8164223
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: OKUMA Corporation
    Inventor: Yoichi Kawai
  • Patent number: 8164231
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsuji Mabuchi
  • Patent number: 8159108
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Inventors: Ned S. Rasor, Lorin K. Hansen
  • Patent number: 8138655
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tamio Ikehashi, Hiroaki Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8129872
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Resmed Motor Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Leslie C. Hoffman, Barton J. Kenyon, David B. Sears
  • Patent number: 8120229
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Kolo Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Yongli Huang
  • Patent number: 8110961
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventor: John S. Hsu
  • Patent number: 8102096
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Tempronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Tarek Makansi
  • Patent number: 8093780
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Osamu Tsuboi, Norinao Kouma, Hiromitsu Soneda, Hisao Okuda
  • Patent number: 8089185
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kenta Hatano, Hirofumi Doi, Toshihiko Miyake
  • Patent number: 8089184
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2012
    Assignee: Nidec Corporation
    Inventors: Yusuke Yoshida, Kouji Muraoka
  • Patent number: 8084907
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nam Seok Kim, Pyo Kim, Sang Ok Choi
  • Patent number: 8049394
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventors: Norinao Kouma, Osamu Tsuboi, Hiromitsu Soneda, Satoshi Ueda, Ippei Sawaki
  • Patent number: 8044552
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Tamio Ikehashi
  • Patent number: 8040000
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute
    Inventors: Seung-Kyu Baik, Young-kil Kwon, Ho-min Kim
  • Patent number: RE42990
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: JTEKT Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuhito Tanaka