Patents Examined by Patrick R. Salce
  • Patent number: 4930059
    Abstract: A switched mode DC/DC power converter for high outputs includes two parallel channels. Each channel consists of a flyback transformer (Fb-Tr1, Fb-Tr2) with a timed primary switch (S1, S2) on the primary side and a secondary switch (S3, S4) on the secondary side. The output flow within one channel from the primary supply voltage Ub through the primary power switch (S1; S2), the flyback transformer (Fb-Tr1, Fb-Tr2), and the secondary power switch (S3; S4) to the secondary output voltage (Ua1, Ua2) occurs, respectively, during the blockage phase. The two flyback transformers (Fb-Tr1, Fb-Tr2) are loosely linked with each through a link circuit (L.C.). The link circuit (L.C.) transmits energy from the transformer which is, respectively, in the forward phase to the other transformer. The power switches (S1, S3; S2, S4) are actuated by a control unit (C.U.) so as to be of correct frequency and phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 29, 1990
    Inventor: Winfried P. Rutt
  • Patent number: 4929857
    Abstract: An electric starter comprising a dc motor; an output rotary shaft which is rotated by an armature shaft; an overrunning clutch fitted on the output rotary shaft so that the clutch is slidable in the axial direction thereof; a splined tube coupled to outer member of the clutch and engaged with the helical splines of the output rotary shaft so as to transmit the torque of the shaft to the outer member. A shift lever is engaged at the lower end thereof with the peripheral portion of the tube and at the upper end with the actuator of an electromagnetic switch provided at the peripheral portion of the dc motor, so that the lever is swingable about the fulcrum thereof, wherein the fulcrum is shaped as a cylindrical body, the bottom of the inside of which is shaped as an arc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 29, 1990
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuzoo Isozumi
  • Patent number: 4928029
    Abstract: An in-spindle disk drive motor incorporating a novel two-piece aluminum spindle and a method for fabricating the same. The spindle is hollow and contains a removable steel flux sleeve on which plastic permanent magnets are mounted. The spindle is mounted by means of two bearings to a non-rotating stator shaft disposed through the center of the spindle and rigidly attached to a disk drive base. One of the bearings is located in a removeable bearing sleeve at the top of the spindle and the other is located beyond the steel sleeve at the bottom end of the spindle. The aluminum spindle eliminates thermal distortion effects caused in prior art in-spindle motors by thermal expansion differences between aluminum disks and non-aluminum spindles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Assignee: Maxtor Corporation
    Inventor: Harold T. Wright
  • Patent number: 4928056
    Abstract: A voltage regulator circuit is set forth in which the series pass transistor has its high impedance (collector/drain) electrode connected to the output terminal and a shunt transistor has its low impedance (emitter/source) electrode connected to the output terminal. The circuit is arranged to ensure that the shunt transistor is always conductive so that its low impedance electrode will stabilize the operation of the circuit without requiring any external components. The circuit can be fabricated in either bipolar or CMOS form and a low dropout configuration is employed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Robert A. Pease
  • Patent number: 4928028
    Abstract: A direct current linear drive actuator including first and second electromagnets, each having a cup-shaped ferromagnetic stator core with an axially extending concentric annular main pole member on the centerline thereof. First and second independent stator coils are recieved within the annular recesses of the stator cores. The open ends of the stator cores face one another with a washer-shaped ferromagnetic common pole member, positioned intermediate the open ends in perpendicular relation to the stator main poles. The armature is spring biased to a neutral position and includes a disc-shaped permanent magnet configured for being received within the inner opening of the common pole and is sandwiched between first and second disc-shaped pole members, each having an overall configuration sufficient to overlap the perimeter of the common pole in the radial direction. Air gaps are formed between the stator poles and the armature poles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Assignee: Hydraulic Units, Inc.
    Inventor: Gregory Leibovich
  • Patent number: 4928054
    Abstract: A switch mode electrical power controller arranged to provide a width modulated output pulse signal in response to a control input signal representing a parameter controlled by the power controller, in which a signal processing network for generating the width modulated waveform is arranged to execute all its operations in parallel. The performance, in parallel, of the operations required for the generation of the output signal minimizes the delay along a critical signal path and facilitates high frequency operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Assignee: Seagate Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Fernando Martin-Lopez
  • Patent number: 4928220
    Abstract: A switching rectifier power supply circuit has a power MOS transistor connected in series with half of the primary of a center-tapped transformer, and has rectifiers in series with an inductive load on the secondary side. The gate of the power transistor is driven by a pulse source which is pulse-width modulated in response to the load voltage, and also controlled in response to the current through the power transistor. To prevent leading-edge current spikes due to turn-on of the power transistor from adversely affecting the pulse-width modulator, yet allow trailing-edge current spikes due to transformer saturation to be compensated for, an inhibit circuit is included in the control path responding to current through the power transformer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Assignee: Compaq Computer Inc.
    Inventor: Alan V. White
  • Patent number: 4928027
    Abstract: A radiation type heat dissipator for use in a plasma engine is formed of a refractory metal layer upon which there is deposited a radiation emissive coating made of a high emissivity material such as zirconium diboride. The radiation emissive coating has a surface emissivity coefficient substantially greater than the emissivility coefficient of the refractory metal and thereby enhances the optical radiating efficiency of the heat dissipator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 22, 1990
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: William D. Deininger, David Q. King
  • Patent number: 4926109
    Abstract: A circuit is shown in which a voltage regulator has an output stage that operates as a Darlington when the input-output differential exceeds a threshold. The circuit automatically switches to a common emitter output and an emitter-follower driver when the differential falls below the threshold. A current limiter prevents excessive common current when the output transistor is saturated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1990
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Matsuro Koterasawa
  • Patent number: 4926305
    Abstract: There is disclosed an improved method and apparatus for operating an electric power station including a cycled transformer having a primary winding and a plurality of secondary windings, in a manner that includes the changing of the current permeability of a variable load component connected in parallel to one of the secondary windings for preventing the current flowing within the circuitry thereof from decreasing below a predetermined value during a no-load condition at the output terminal of such secondary winding, thus assuring that the widths of the direct current pulses admitted into the primary winding are maintained above a predetermined value and that the energy transfer to each of the secondary windings is sufficient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1990
    Assignee: Kabelmetal Electro GmbH
    Inventors: Martin Brahms, Christian Prenner
  • Patent number: 4926078
    Abstract: A brush and terminal assembly for use in an engine starter having a motor including a commutator mounted on an armature rotary shaft comprises a support plate having two major surfaces, a central opening for receiving therein the commutator of the motor and a terminal bolt and a connection terminal unit. Positive and negative brushes are mounted to one side of the support plate and spring biased for resilient contact with the commutator in the central opening. A pair of stationary contacts are projectingly mounted to the other side of the support plate for use as contacts of an on/off switch of the electric motor, and two stationary contacts are electrically connected to the terminal bolt and the connecting terminal unit, respectively. The lead conductors connected to and extending from the positive brushes are connected together to the connecting terminal unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1990
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shuzoo Isozumi, Keiichi Konishi
  • Patent number: 4926075
    Abstract: An electric motor includes a commutator and a brush assembly. The brush assembly includes a pair of brushes, each disposed in operative relation to the commutator, a pair of brush holders each supporting at least one of the brushes, and an assembly base (69, 74) for securing the brush holders thereto. The assembly base includes a base plate of insulating material and at least two severable conductive passages (71, 72) each secured to the base plate. The conductive passages are adapted to supply electric current to the pair of brushes from different directions and drive the electric motor for rotation in either forward or reverse direction when either one of the passages is severed for permitting use of a single brush assembly in different kinds of motors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1990
    Assignee: Makita Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Fusao Fushiya, Kenji Yoshida, Akira Naitoh, Tetsuya Sawa
  • Patent number: 4926304
    Abstract: A switched-mode power supply circuit for converting a DC input voltage into a DC output voltage comprises a series arrangement of a controllable power switch and an inductive element coupled between the input voltage terminals. Control means are provided for rendering the power switch alternately conducting and non-conducting and a rectifier is coupled to the inductive element for making the output voltage available. The inductive element and a capacitor coupled thereto form a part of a resonant circuit in which a voltage oscillation is present in the time periods when the switch and the rectifier are currentless. The circuit further comprises means for interrupting the oscillation present in the resonant circuit at an instant when the voltage across the inductive element or the current through the capacitor is substantially zero. In one embodiment, the dissipation in the circuit is reduced and the circuit is synchronized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1990
    Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation
    Inventor: Antonius A. M. Marinus
  • Patent number: 4926081
    Abstract: A retention arrangement for retaining a motor cover and a thermal protection device over one end of a dynamoelectric motor uses connection bolts already available on the motor for mounting the stator and positions the protector in an annulus between the cover side wall and stator end turns and below the upward extension of the stator end turns. The retention arrangement includes a pair of plates being bolted to the motor and encircling the end turns of the stator with first interengageable portions securing the cover to the plates and second interengageable portions securing at least one plate to a holder to which the protector is mounted, such retention assuring that after the air space between the stator and rotor is set a suction duct will be positioned to cool the protection device and the end turns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1990
    Assignee: Copeland Corporation
    Inventors: Michael A. DiFlora, James M. Brown, Steven L. Rice, Jeffery D. Ramsey
  • Patent number: 4926082
    Abstract: Superconducting material improves the operating efficiency and reduces the operating power demand for a disk drive suitable for interchanging data with a magnetic or optic medium. The arm containing the head is moved along a path by a balanced superconductor-to-magnetic-field interface such as for radial positioning relative to a circular medium and is maintained in constant spatial relation with respect to the medium by advantageous application of superconductive layers and magnetic field sources. The superconductor environment also permits efficient bearing support for the medium as well as accommodating superconductor motors for driving the medium, and the use of various circuit elements associated with the drive electronics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1990
    Assignee: University of Colorado Foundation, Inc.
    Inventor: Frank S. Barnes
  • Patent number: 4924171
    Abstract: Between two units which are separately arranged, a power source signal is supplied from one of the two units to the other unit via electromagnetic induction coupling by using induction coils, and data signals are mutually transmitted and received between both of the units. A change in coupling distance between the induction coils provided for the two units is detected from a signal level of a reception signal from the unit which receives the power supply. When the reception signal level decreases, the signal level of the power supply signal is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1990
    Assignee: Tokyo Keiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Fujio Baba, Kunihiko Takeuchi, Shinichi Horinouchi
  • Patent number: 4924373
    Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for controlling switching elements (51-56) of a PWM-controlled value type inverter by a software program using a microcomputer (10). The control apparatus of the present invention produces a switching element control signal (an on/off signal) according to the following steps. When a control command value commanding the output of the inverter is determined, a control mode corresponding to the commanded output value is selected from among a plurality of control modes (M1-M6) previously contained in a table to determine the switching elements to which the control signal is applied and the order of controlling the switching elements. Further, on the basis of the control command value, the difference between a modulation signal and a predetermined reference value is computed for each phase to determine the timing of controlling the switching elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1990
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromi Inaba, Kiyoshi Nakamura, Akira Kimura, Sadao Hokari, Naoyuki Oouchi
  • Patent number: 4924126
    Abstract: A coaxial type starter device comprises an armature rotary shaft disposed in a dc motor, a rotary output shaft having a pinion at its one end and supported so as to be slidable in the axial direction, a solenoid-type an electromagnetic switch disposed in alignment with the axial line of the rotary output shaft, wherein the electromagnetic switch comprises a cylindrical casing surrounding through bolts extending in the axial direction along the inner circumferential surface of the casing, an exciting coil disposed in the casing and a plunger disposed at the inner part of the casing so as to be slidable in the axial direction. The exciting coil is in the shape of a race track in cross section and has a portion extending near the inner circumferential surface of the casing except for areas where the through bolts extend.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1990
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shuzoo Isozumi
  • Patent number: 4924123
    Abstract: A linear generator according to the present invention is adapted to generate a voltage proportional to the speed of a movable member or rotor and enable the movable member to be smoothly moved. The linear generator includes a first part having permanent magnets fixed to a yoke which are magnetized to the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of a shaft, and a second part having a coil wound around the bobbins and a housing enclosing the coil. A plurality of magnetic poles are provided between the magnets and coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1988
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1990
    Assignees: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha, Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho
    Inventors: Takanori Hamajima, Yukio Inaguma
  • Patent number: 4924130
    Abstract: A reluctance synchronous electric machine whose rotor is of the kind with a magnetically axial segmentation and includes magnetically axial layers of a ferromagnetic material alternated with intercalary layers of a non-ferromagnetic material. Some permanent magnets are inserted within the intercalary layers and they are oriented in such a way that they produce a magnetic flux oriented along the quadrature axis of the rotor in the sense opposite the magnetic flux produced along the same quadrature axis by the feed current flowing through the stator windings. Preferably the permanent magnets are proportioned in order to compensate at least by approximation the magnetic flux along the quadrature axis when the current flowing through the stator windings is the nominal current of the machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 8, 1990
    Inventor: Antonino Fratta