Abstract: In a piezoelectric transformer for a fluorescent lamp, the size of an electrode at a central region of each side on a first face is smaller than that of electrodes at the corner region thereof. As a result, the stress generated in the piezoelectric block is minimized and the heat caused by stress is prevented, so that the damage of the piezoelectric block and the deterioration of the efficiency may be prevented. The input electrode can be formed in various shapes such as diamond, cross, and rhombic shapes.

Abstract: A mechanically-commutated DC motor has a mechanical commutation system and an “inside-out” configuration, in which the stator assembly comprises the windings and the rotor assembly comprises the permanent magnet. The motor includes a rotor assembly, a stator assembly, a plurality of terminating conductive pads, and positive and negative stationary power supply terminals. The stator assembly includes a plurality of lamination stacks positioned around a central aperture and a plurality of copper coils, each coil being wound around one of the lamination stacks. The rotor assembly includes a rotor body with a permanent magnet ring and a non-conductive timing cam integrated into one face of the rotor body. The permanent magnet ring is radially magnetized in an alternating polarity pattern with at least one pair of poles. The mechanical commutation system comprises the timing cam integrated into the rotor assembly, the power supply terminals, and the conductive pads.

Abstract: Objects of this invention are to reduce costs, improve ease of operation, improve the water-resistance within the terminal case, and improve reliability. To these ends, in this invention the motor stator of an electric motor is mounted in a motor case which is mounted on the cylinder block of an engine; the motor rotor of the electric motor is mounted on a rotor mounting member which is mounted on the engine crankshaft; on the outer periphery of the case periphery wall of the motor case is formed a terminal box, with vertical walls standing integrally, and having an aperture portion directed in the outward radial direction; in the case periphery wall, enclosed by the vertical walls, is formed a motor-side through hole, directed in the outward radial direction; on the motor-side coil wire is mounted a motor-side connection terminal; this motor-side connection terminal is embedded and retained in the motor-side through hole by molding, and by means of this molding the motor-side through hole is sealed.

Abstract: An interlocking assembly of a voice coil motor for a hard disk drive having an arcuate shaped hollow structure formed by metal injection molding. The hollow structure has a bottom plate member that is separated from a top plate member by a pair of upright members disposed therebetween. The upright members joined with the inside surfaces of the plate members. The uprights are disposed at each end of the hollow structure. A tapered recess is formed in the top surface of the bottom plate, the recess ingress's from a convex edge of the bottom plate and narrows while extending through to an opposite concave edge, the tapered recess has side edges shaped to tightly interlock with a flat arcuate shaped permanent magnet having dovetail side edges to slidely interlock with the tapered recess of the bottom plate of the hollow structure, thus eliminating the need for adhesive fastening.

Abstract: A brush assembly has a base with a member to secure the base to a motor end cap assembly. A brush housing is associated with the base. The brush housing includes first and second open ends. A brush, defining an axis, is slidably supported within the housing. The brush extends from one of the first and second open ends. The brush includes a surface with a spring retention plunge. The spring retention plunge defines an arcuate face angled relative to the axis. A biasing member exerts a force directly on the arcuate face to bias the brush into contract with a commutator. An electrical connection is made between the commutator and a power supply.

Abstract: A linear motor includes an improved heat dissipation mechanism, which has the function of increasing the area of heat dissipation from coils of the linear motor, reducing the weight of the rotor, and simplifying the heat dissipation mechanism. The coils of the present invention have open centers which serve as heat dissipation holes. A heat sink compound is smeared around the heat holes to increase the area of heat dissipation, and reduce the weight of the rotor such that the thrust and operating life of the motor is increased. Furthermore, the present invention also can include a heat dissipation mechanism (such as a heat pipe or an air blowing pipe) set into the heat holes near the heat source to raise heat dissipation efficiency.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to an electrical slip ring assembly having a plurality of conductive rings held in place by multiple spaced apart comb-like structures advantageously eliminates the need for molding the conductive rings as part of the base or plating the conductive rings into completed bases. Further, the present invention eliminates the need to machine an annular base or perform expensive and time consuming operations to roll conductive strips into a machined base member.

Abstract: An electrical machine comprises a magnetically permeable core. The core is elongated to thereby define a lengthwise direction and a profile that is transverse to the lengthwise direction. Coils are wound about the core profile and sequentially disposed along the lengthwise direction. The core profile has a surface that is bowed outward.

Abstract: Various piezoelectric transducers are provided. In one form, a polymer film or thin ceramic piezoelectric transducer is formed of various piezoelectric (active) and dielectric (inactive) layers in which the piezoelectric effect may be attenuated locally at any given point on the surface of the transducer, by use of printed circuit patterns, preferably made by photolithography. This provides a practical realization of a distributed piezoelectric transducer with a bi-dimensional polarization profile that varies smoothly over the surface of the piezoelectric structure. Flexibility of the fabrication procedure provides a way to optimize the design of a distributed piezoelectric transducer for applications such as active vibration control. In another form, a segmented piezoelectric transducer includes a set of active elements such as piezofilms, electronics and flexible printed circuits and connected with external electronic circuitry.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling the load dump voltage of a permanent magnet (PM) alternator having a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) bridge. The apparatus includes a voltage divider, a peak detector, and a comparator. The voltage divider attenuates the bridge output voltage, which is further fed through a peak detector to hold the peak value for improved stability. The comparator changes states when the bridge output exceeds a predetermined voltage level (e.g., 55 volts) that is less than the load dump threshold limit (e.g., 60 volts), but greater than the normal operating voltage (e.g., 42 volts). The comparator output change-in-state deactivates a gate pulse generator, thereby suppressing further operation of the SCR bridge. Voltage transients that may otherwise occur at the bridge output for the remainder portion of a half cycle from the PM alternator are clamped using a varistor or zener diode.

Abstract: A command and control system and method for multiple turbogenerators in a grid parallel system includes a master controller to start, sequence, coordinate power commands, and provide fault handling to each of the individual turbogenerators and the specific control modes. A bidirectional power meter, that measures the load consumption (or production when a turbogenerator system is installed) in a building or application, may also be utilized. This power meter can provide a reference or setpoint to the master controller for controlling the individual turbogenerators.

Abstract: To provide a rotor for a motor capable of effecting improved torque variation due to improvement in the induced voltage waveform and of effecting improved magnet torque in a permanent magnet type synchronous motor utilizing reluctance torque. A rotor 11 comprises a core 12 made of a ferromagnetic material, a given member of permanent magnets 14 are mounted in the outer surface of the core 12 circumferentially at equal intervals, and arrangement of the permanent magnets 14 is such that polarities N, S of the permanent magnets on the sides facing a stator are disposed alternately. Also, in the core 12 between the center axis of the core and the permanent magnets 14 are embedded arc-shaped permanent magnets 16 corresponding to the permanent magnets 14, respectively, and arrangement of the permanent magnets 14 is the same as that of the corresponding permanent magnets 16.

Abstract: Pseudoelastic elements are shaped in order to form springs which exhibit relatively constant force levels over a major fraction of maximum deflection capacity during loading and also during unloading. The shape of sail pseudoelastic elements is chosen to concentrate at least one of flexural and torsional deformations within limited regions. The element may be braced outside said regions in order to further concentrate deformations within said regions. Loading of said pseudoelastic springs thus produces strains within said regions which are largely corresponding to the upper pseudoelastic stress plateau where strain variations cause relatively small changes in stress. Unloading of said pseudoelastic springs also produces strains within said regions which are largely corresponding to the lower stress plateau of the pseudoelastic stress-strain curve where stress is subject to relatively small changes with strain variations.

Abstract: This invention is a method and system for determining whether the engine should be running in a Hybrid Electric Vehicle during vehicle idle conditions. Specifically, a controller determines if the vehicle is in idle and if engine operation is necessary. To determine whether engine operation is necessary, the controller determines whether the battery needs charging, whether vacuum needs to be replaced in the climate control system or brake system reservoir, whether the vapor canister requires purging, whether the adaptive fuel tables require fast adapting, whether the engine or catalyst temperatures are unacceptable, or whether the air conditioning has been requested. Once the controller determines that the engine must be running, the controller determines in which control mode to run the engine, either speed control mode (using powertrain controllers) or torque control mode (using a generator and generator controller).

Abstract: A transport system includes at least one product carrier which is adapted to be moved along a slide way by means of a linear motor drive unit comprising a primary part and a secondary part. In order to improve the transport system in such a way that basically any number of product carriers can be moved along the slide way independently of one another and can be used in a versatile manner for transporting different types of products or workpieces, the product carrier is provided with a substantially flat base plate for transporting objects, the base plate having associated therewith the primary part, and the slide way having associated therewith the secondary part.

Abstract: A motor allowing multiple degrees of output freedom is disclosed. The motor includes a stator having an interior surface forming at least a portion of a sphere or curved surface and first and second substantially orthogonally positioned stator coils wound on the interior surface. A rotor is fixed to an output shaft and movably supported adjacent the stator with an air gap disposed between the rotor and the stator. The rotor includes a plurality of magnets disposed thereon and is movable along the interior surface in directions defining at least first and second degrees of freedom. Upon energization of the first stator coil, a first magnetic field is established to force at least a first one of the magnets and the rotor in a direction in the first degree of freedom. Upon energization of the second stator coil, a second magnetic field is established to force at least a second one of the magnets and the rotor in a direction in the second degree of freedom.

Abstract: The present invention relates a vibration generating motor providing simple and fast assembly, and ready recycling. A motor includes a plurality of rotors around a rotary shaft, a plurality of coil winding portions on respective rotors, and a coil on each respective coil winding portion. At least a two part weight is positioned between selected coil winding portions and has an seperably upper and lower part, allowing weight maximization at low cost while conserving space.

Abstract: In a linear motor coil assembly (12), and a method for manufacturing the same, a plurality of coils (14) are arranged in a line in a direction of movement and have respective coil axes perpendicular to the direction of movement of the motor. A flat cooling tube (20) is arranged to meander inside the plurality of coils. The cooling tube has a cross section elongated in a direction parallel to the coil axes, and a plurality of clearance holes (25) through which coolant flows are formed inside the cooling tube. The cooling tube has interleaved folds at least equal in number to the number of coils. The coils being fitted into these folds. At the time of manufacture of the coil assembly, the coils are wound around cores that are divided for each coil, and the cores are inserted into the folds of the cooling tube.

Abstract: A motor device, in which decentering during rotation of a disk can be prevented, is provided with a bearing unit including a cylindrical bearing and a flange formed integrally with each other, the upper face of the flange being perpendicular to a rotational shaft. Sizing is performed by using the upper face of the flange as a reference. A spacer made of resin and having the same shape as that of the flange is provided on the upper face of the flange. The spacer has an upper face inclined with respect to the upper face of the flange. A core unit is fixed inclined to the spacer on the upper face thereof, thereby tilting the rotational shaft, whereby the rotational shaft is urged toward one side of a coupling hole.

Abstract: A rotor for a flywheel magneto generator comprising a flywheel having a reluctor of projection provided on an outer face of a peripheral wall portion of the flywheel and a hole provided in a bottom wall portion of the flywheel at a position close to the reluctor for correcting static unbalance of the flywheel caused by a presence of the reluctor, the flywheel further comprising at least one recess provided in the peripheral wall portion of the flywheel on an end face thereof on the opening side of said peripheral wall portion for getting dynamic balance of the flywheel.