Abstract: A motion device (100) includes a shape memory transducer (110) having a preset memory state and logically divided into first and second portions (116, 118). A coupled electrical circuit (130) is operable to selectively energize the first portion (116) to create a force that moves the first portion (116) toward its memory state which moves the second portion (118) in a first direction out of its memory state, and to selectively energize the second portion (118) to create a force that moves the second portion (118) towards its memory state which moves the first portion (116) away from its memory state in a second direction different from the first direction. A feedback system (120) is preferably included to provide for precise motion control.

Abstract: A coaxial starter motor assembly that includes a housing. An electrical motor is provided in the housing that has a rotatable armature shaft that is linked with a drive shaft. A pinion assembly is provided that is engageable at one end with the drive shaft and includes a pinion at the other end engageable with a flywheel of an engine. A solenoid assembly is provided for selectively energizing the electrical motor. The solenoid assembly is coaxial with the drive shaft. The solenoid assembly includes a plunger having a bore. The plunger is engageable with the pinion assembly to move the pinion assembly including the pinion into engagement with the flywheel. The plunger is also engageable with a moveable contact to move the moveable contact to electrically connect with a pair of fixed contacts. A return spring is provided that is positioned at least in part within the bore of the plunger of the solenoid assembly for moving the pinion assembly including the pinion away from engagement with the flywheel.

Abstract: A grid-type engine generator apparatus which can prevent reduction in the operational efficiency due to the stop motion of an engine at the cancellation of the interconnection and minimize loads exerted on the startup device for the engine. A network protector is provided for generating a fault signal when detecting a fault on the network source. Upon receiving the fault signal, an interconnection relay is opened to cancel the interconnection and simultaneously, a timer is started. The cancellation permits the engine to run with no load. When the fault signal is maintained until the setting duration of the timer is timed up, a time-out signal is released to stop the engine. On the other hand, when the fault signal is eliminated by canceling the cause of the fault before the setting duration of the timer is passed, the interconnection relay is closed to establish the interconnection again and the timer is reset.

Abstract: A generator structure is provided having an improved air flow arrangement. The generator structure includes an enclosure having an interior for receiving an engine and an alternator therein. A roof structure is positioned on the enclosure and includes an eave portion and an attic portion. The eave portion has an inlet which communicates with the ambient air external of the generator structure, an outlet communicating with the interior of the enclosure and input flow path therebetween. The attic portion has an inlet communicating with the interior of the enclosure, an outlet communicating with the ambient air external of the generator structure and an exit flow path therebetween. An air flow generator draws ambient air through the inlet flow path in the eave portion of the roof structure into the interior of the enclosure to cool the engine and the alternator and urges air from the interior of the enclosure through the exit flow path in the attic portion and out of the generator structure.

Abstract: A starter motor assembly is provided. A motor housing encloses an electrical motor having a rotatable armature shaft. A rotatable drive shaft is provided that is engageably linked with the armature shaft. A pinion assembly is also provided, which includes a pinion that is engageable with the drive shaft for turning a flywheel of an engine. A solenoid assembly is provided, which includes a plunger. The plunger, when the solenoid assembly is energized, is moved in an axial direction to close electrical contacts to start the electrical motor and to move the pinion into-engagement with the engine flywheel. Once the engine is cranked and the solenoid is deenergized, a return spring moves the pinion away from engagement with the engine flywheel. The return spring of the present invention moves the pinion without utilizing contact between the spring and the pinion (or any pinion shaft) to move the pinion away from engagement.

Abstract: A ferrofluidic electromagnetic power supply firmly attached to an agitating object, such as the interior of a vehicular tire generates electric current in an electrical coil deposited between and firmly attached to an hermetically sealed housing made of non-magnetic material partially filled with ferrofluid and a permanent magnet axially polarized. The ferrofluid and the permanent magnet form a magnetic circuit extending from the ferrofluid through the coil to the permanent magnet and back to the ferrofluid. Agitation of the power supply will cause dislocation of the magnetized ferrofluid within the sealed housing causing induction in the electrical coil.

Abstract: Molecular dipolar rotors comprising a base, an axle connected to said base and oriented substantially perpendicular to said base, and a rotor portion having an electric dipole moment are provided. The molecular dipolar rotors may be attached to a surface. Arrays of molecular dipolar rotors attached to surfaces are provided. Molecular dipolar rotors are useful in preparation of small devices.

Abstract: A system 10 is provided for recovering the potential energy of a hydrogen gas fuel supply within a fuel cell powered vehicle 14. The system 10 includes a conventional storage tank 16 which receives and stores hydrogen gas at a relatively high pressure, an expander 18, a compressor 20, a motor/generator 76 which selectively generates electrical power and torque, pressure regulators 22, 24, a valve 26, an electrical charge storage device or battery 28, a controller 30, vehicle sensors 32 and electrical switches or switching module 34. The system 10 selectively channels pressurized hydrogen gas through expander 18 which lowers the pressure of the hydrogen gas, rotatably drives compressor 20 and generates electricity. Controller 30 causes the generated electricity to be selectively communicated to electrical accessories 72, and/or to battery 28 by use of switching module 34, based upon vehicle attribute data received from sensors 32.

Abstract: A power factor control apparatus comprises a target power factor setting section which sets a target power factor range of the plurality of power generators in a fixed cycle, a comparing section which compares a voltage of a bus with a predetermined voltage value range, a first control section which performs control, based on a result of the comparing section, to drop a voltage of at least one power generator whose power factor is the lowest, and raise a voltage of at least one power generator whose power factor is the highest, and a second control section which performs control of a voltage of a power generator, whose power factor is out of the target power factor range, such that the power factor thereof falls within the target power factor range.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a ring-type piezoelectric ultrasonic motor that is different from the electro-magnetically driven conventional motors and that has applications in robots and automation equipments. More specifically, the present invention relates to a ring-type piezoelectric ultrasonic motor that is driven by a frictional force between rotor and stator, and stator is produced a mechanical displacement by a piezoelectric ceramics applying an alternate electric field with an ultrasonic frequency (above 16 kHz).

Abstract: A motor 12 includes a cylindrical rotor 20, a stator 19 arranged at a predetermined distance from an outer periphery of the rotor 20, and a position sensor 23 for detecting a rotational position of the rotor 20, wherein the stator 19 includes a stator core 19a and a plurality of stator windings 19b arranged along a circumferential direction of the stator core 19a at substantially equal distances from one another. A shield plate 26 for shielding magnetic flux from the stator windings 19b to the position sensor 23 is mounted against the stator core 19a. Magnetic flux from the stator windings pass through a closed loop starting from the stator windings 19b through the stator core 19a and the shield plate 26 and back to the stator windings to prevent the magnetic flux leakage from the stator windings 19b from flowing to another member. With this arrangement, the magnetic flux leakage from the stator windings does not affect the position sensor (magnetic sensor) which detects the rotational position of the rotor.

Abstract: A vibration motor comprising at least one stationary part and one part driven to move relative to the fixed part, together with excitation that is suitable for exerting forces that tend to move rigid contact sectors presented by the fixed part and/or the moving part and to cause the rigid sectors to vibrate in vibration modes that combine tangential vibration and normal vibration, thereby driving the movement of the moving part, the motor presenting for the tangential vibration or the normal vibration a main resonant mode and at least one secondary resonant mode, wherein the secondary resonant mode is at a frequency that is substantially equal to a harmonic frequency of the main resonant mode.

Abstract: A pneumatically driven electric power generator includes a cylinder having one end connected to an air supply passage for receiving pressurized air and a piston having an associated magnetic moment. A portion of the piston is free to move into and out of the open end of the cylinder. An O-ring prevents airflow between the piston and the cylinder when a portion of the piston is located within the cylinder. A spring forces the piston from a position outside of the cylinder to a position inside the cylinder, so that the piston oscillates, moving into and out of the cylinder, driven by air supplied through the air supply passage. One or more electric coils are placed to enclose changing magnetic flux caused by the magnetic moment associated with the oscillating piston whereby an emf is generated in the coil(s) so that an external circuit connected to the coil(s) to complete a circuit through the coil(s) may receive electric power from the coil(s).

Abstract: A generator control unit (200) includes a field current modulator (212) that repeatedly switches between an ON state and an OFF state to control the flow of field current to the generator (20), a free-wheeling path (216) that feeds excitation current from the generator (20) back to the generator (20) as a field current component when the field current modulator (212) is in the OFF state, and an impedance circuit (220) that selectively and temporarily absorbs excitation current in the free-wheeling path (216) to reduce voltage overshoot of the generator (20) upon occurrence of an operating transition, such as a transition from high load to low load. In one implementation, the impedance circuit (220) is an RC circuit and a by-pass switch (222) is provided across the RC circuit. When excitation current in the free-wheeling path (216) is not to be absorbed by the RC circuit, the by-pass switch (222) is ON, thereby providing a low-impedance path for the excitation current.

Abstract: A motor includes (a) a cylindrical frame made of ferromagnetic material, (b) a pipe fitted in and disposed within the frame concentrically, (c) a sintered bearing press-fitted into the pipe, (d) a cylindrical magnet fixed on an outer wall of the pipe at an inner wall of the magnet, and (e) a cylindrical coil facing the magnet via an annular space, where the frame and the pipe are welded at a fitted section therebetween. This structure allows the motor to withstand a strong enough shock. An apparatus requiring a vibration motor can employ this motor having a large vibrator, so that great vibrations are available for the apparatus. As a result, the apparatus—utilizing the great vibrations as various functions—is obtainable.

Abstract: A bearing supporter and stator supporter concentric with the bearing supporter and for being mounted with a stator assembly are provided on a motor base. Around the bearing supporter, lower faces of metal terminals are exposed from a bottom face of a base section. The stator assembly is fit on and fixed to the stator supporter. Further the motor base has a stator stopper protruded from the base section, and the stator stopper faces closely a lower end face of an outer wall of the stator assembly in axial direction. This structure allows a motor to be reflow-soldered to a board of an apparatus using this motor, and increases impact-resistance against radial load and thrust load applied to a radial and thrust bearings, a coupling section of the bearing supporter and the motor base, a coupling section of a shaft, a coupling section of the motor and the apparatus.

Abstract: An engine cooling module includes a shroud structure 12. A housing 20 of a d.c. electric motor is formed integrally with the shroud structure 12. The housing has an open end 21. The motor has a drive shaft 26. A heat sink 22 is disposed opposite the open end and is insert molded with respect to the housing 20. The heat sink 22 defines a seat for a bearing 24 supporting the shaft 26. A flux ring assembly 48 is insert molded with respect to the housing. The flux ring assembly includes permanent magnets 33. An armature assembly 28 is disposed in the housing and fixed to the shaft for rotation in response to a magnetic field generated by the magnets 33. A commutator 32 is disposed in the housing and electrically connected with the armature assembly 28 and mounted for movement with the armature assembly. A brush card assembly 36 is coupled to the open end 21 of the housing to define an end cap covering the open end. The brush card assembly 36 has brushes 42 associated with the commutator 32.

Abstract: A piezoelectric/electrostrictive device includes a functional element. The functional element includes a base portion; a deformable portion assuming the form of a thin plate and extending from the base portion to thereby form a plane; a piezoelectric/electrostrictive element formed on the deformable portion; and a reflective portion extending from the deformable portion so as to form an active plane intersecting with the plane of the deformable portion, and having a light-reflecting member disposed on the active plane. Operation of the piezoelectric/electrostrictive element causes the deformable portion to be deformed in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the deformable portion to thereby change a reflection angle of light reflected from the reflective portion.

Abstract: It is featured that a generator can respond to a variation in the load with a generous margin regardless of the its temperature. The output current of the generator 1 is rectified with a converter 3 consisting mainly of a thyristor bridge. A direct current output of the converter 3 is then converted by an inverter 4 into an alternating current at a commercial frequency and then connected to the load 5. The engine speed is controlled so that the on state angle of the thyristors in the converter 3 is maintained to a target angle. Since the target angle is set within a range not higher than the maximum limit, the generator can constantly run with a generous margin and readily respond to a variation in the load. The target angle can be modified depending on the temperature of the generator 1 in order to inhibit the engine from being overloaded and its speed from increasing excessively.

Abstract: A stator includes a cylindrical stator core and a stator winding composed of a three-phase stator winding portion constructed by connecting three winding phase portions into a three-phase star connection, a neutral point of the stator winding being electrically connected to a rectifier for rectifying alternating-current output, wherein each of strands of wire constituting the three winding phase portions is led out from a coil end group of the stator winding to an outer side to constitute a neutral-point terminal, each of the neutral-point terminals has a flat side surface portion, and a neutral-point joint portion of aid stator winding is constructed by abutting and electrically joining the flat side portions of the neutral-point terminals.