Patents Examined by Quyen Leung
  • Patent number: 8362631
    Abstract: A marine energy hybrid includes a support structure locatable at or near the surface of a body of water and at least two of (a) a hubless upper carriage movable along an upper track of the support structure with at least one wind vane mounted at the upper carriage to induce motion of the upper carriage relative to the support structure by reaction with the wind stream, (b) a hubless lower carriage movable along a lower track of the support structure with at least one water vane mounted at the lower carriage to induce motion of the lower carriage relative to the support structure by reaction with the water current, and (c) at least one wave energy conversion device integral with the support structure and operable to generate electrical or mechanical power in response to wave motion of the body of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Inventors: Justin C. Roe, Michael H. Yount
  • Patent number: 8358046
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for a hybrid electric power system for use in a multi-wheeled hybrid electric vehicle, and particularly for use in hybrid electric vehicles designed for operation in hostile environments where reliability and survivability of the propulsion system of the vehicle are important. The hybrid electric power system advantageously comprises at least one segmented electrical machine having multiple pairs of parallel stator segments with a magnetic rotor segment between each pair, for generating power from a thermodynamic engine, or for providing power to a driven wheel of the hybrid electric vehicle. A hybrid electric power system is also provided which comprises at least one distributed segmented electrical machine which comprises a distributed electrical energy storage system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Inventor: Mihai C. Platon
  • Patent number: 8358041
    Abstract: An electric motor having a wire connection structure includes a stator including a stator coil, a rotor, a motor housing accommodating the stator and the rotor and having a hole, a cable retaining portion formed on the motor housing for retaining end portions of feed cables, a fixing portion formed on the stator, first terminals connected to the stator coil and arranged on the fixing portion in an orientation different from an orientation of the end portions, second terminals each projecting from each of the end portions to face the corresponding first terminal after being inserted into the hole, at least one of the second terminals being bent, and screw members engaged with the fixing portion after being inserted into the corresponding first and second terminals, each of the screw members jointly fastening the first and second terminals to the fixing portion to electrically connect the first and second terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shigetaka Isogai, Masafumi Sakuma, Ryoji Mizutani
  • Patent number: 8358039
    Abstract: A system contains a first actuator half containing a first pair of actuator coils and a second pair of actuator coils located above the first pair of actuator coils, wherein the first pair of actuator coils is connected to a first metallic backing. A second actuator half is also providing within the system, which contains a first pair of actuator coils and a second pair of actuator coils located above the first pair of actuator coils, wherein the first pair of actuator coils is connected to a second metallic backing. The system also contains a mechanical flexure suspension having at least one flexure supporting a permanent magnet that is capable of moving, wherein the mechanical flexure suspension is located between the first actuator half and the second actuator half.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: David L. Trumper, Ian MacKenzie
  • Patent number: 8358047
    Abstract: In accordance with the invention, there are micro-electromechanical devices and methods of fabricating them. An exemplary micro-electromechanical device can include a first dielectric layer; a buried conductive trace disposed over the first dielectric layer, such that the buried conductor trace is electrically connected to an outside power source; a second dielectric layer disposed over the buried conductive trace; at least one conductive electrode disposed over the second dielectric layer and electrically connected to the buried conductive trace; and at least one conductive membrane including membrane anchors disposed over the second dielectric layer, such that the at least one conductive membrane is electrically isolated from the at least one conductive electrode and the buried conductor trace, wherein the at least one conductive electrode is electrically connected to the power source through the buried conductive trace.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Peter M. Gulvin, Peter J. Nystrom
  • Patent number: 8358043
    Abstract: A submersible electric motor has feature to enhance thermal conductivity from the motor interior to the exterior. The motor has a cylindrical housing and a stator rigidly mounted within housing. A rotatable rotor is located within the stator. A gap formed between the stator's outer diameter and the inner wall of the housing is filled with a high thermal conductivity material to improve heat transfer from the motor. The remaining portion of the housing may be filled with a dielectric lubricant that has lesser thermal conductivity than the high thermal conductivity material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Steven K. Tetzlaff, Ketankumar K. Sheth, John M. Knapp, Earl B. Brookbank, William F. Pranger, Thien Q. Tran, Suresha R. O'Bryan
  • Patent number: 8354755
    Abstract: In a cogeneration system having three generation units each equipped with a generator and an internal combustion engine, a single hot water tank is prepared for the three generation units to contain hot water heated by exhaust heat of the engine. The temperature of the hot water contained in the tank and a power demand of an electrical load are detected. Then, the number of the generation unit or units to be operated is determined based on the detected power demand when the detected hot water temperature is equal to or less than a first predetermined value, and operation of the generation unit or units determined to be operated is controlled, thereby reducing a space for the installment of the tank and heat loss from the tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Yuri
  • Patent number: 8350434
    Abstract: For providing a permanent magnet type rotary electric machine that can reduce magnetic fluxes concentrated to one side in rotating direction on a magnetic pole circumferential face that causes torque ripple as well as ensure the mechanical strength, in the present invention, an outer circumference of respective magnetic poles is formed in a circular arc having a same curvature as well as the magnetic pole center axes of the respective magnetic poles are displaced with respect to the rotation center of a rotor so that an air gap between a stator and the respective magnetic pole outer circumferences at one side in the rotating direction is widened in comparison with the air gap at the other side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Hori, Daisuke Kori, Akiyoshi Komura
  • Patent number: 8350433
    Abstract: It comprises stator including stator core having yoke and a plurality of teeth protruded from yoke, which is formed with slots between adjacent teeth, and rotor having rotor core and permanent magnet formed with a plurality of magnetic poles, which confronts tip ends of teeth via gaps, wherein rotor core is formed by rotor core materials circumferentially equally divided into the predetermined number of divisions, and the least common multiple being N for the number of slots and the number of magnetic poles and the least common multiple being M for the number of slots and the number of divisions, then N is equal to M.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hu Li, Yuichi Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Murakami
  • Patent number: 8350438
    Abstract: The invention relates to a stator for an electric motor comprising several poles (P) that are directed inwards towards the motor axis (2) and that surround a rotor (1), each pole (P) being provided with one winding (L) and the coils of the windings (L) being wound around the poles (P) one after the other without interruption. The stator (20) contains at least three pole groups (n), having at least three poles (P) and each group having the same number of poles (P). The windings (L) run out from the end face at least at the respective beginning and end of a pole group and are contacted there in such a way that the windings (L) associated with each pole group contain their own connection pair (U-U?, V-V?, W-W?) and one connection (U?, V?, W?) of each of these connection pairs is connected to a star point (Y) on the end face of the stator (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Thyssenkrupp Presta AG
    Inventor: Christian Staudenmann
  • Patent number: 8350435
    Abstract: An interior permanent magnet machine has non-contiguous, non-magnetic radial slots between the magnets and the cylindrical periphery and the magnets have non-magnetic radial end slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.
    Inventors: Keith I. Hoemann, Todd A. Walls
  • Patent number: 8350426
    Abstract: A voltage regulator negative electrode terminal is mounted to an axially outer end surface of a rear bracket so as to be in a state of electrical connection with the rear bracket by fastening a flange portion to a mounting pedestal of the rear bracket using a voltage regulator fixing second screw. A screw loosening restricting lug is disposed so as to project from a floor portion of a protective cover so as to face the voltage regulator fixing second screw so as to have a predetermined clearance in an axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kazunori Tanaka, Kyoko Higashino
  • Patent number: 8350419
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a linear motor provided with a magnetic body and an armature. The liner motor is adapted to produce a force causing the magnet body and the armature to be relatively displaced along a given linear moving direction by interaction of magnetic fluxes generated between the magnetic body and the armature during an operation of supplying electric power to the armature. In a typical aspect, the linear motor of the present invention comprises a movable section attached to a base plate adapted to set the moving direction on a base surface thereof, in such a movable manner as to relatively reciprocate along the moving direction with respect to the base plate. A mover is provided on the movable section and formed as one of the magnetic body and the armature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Yamaha Hatsudoki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Naoki Hanamura, Kiyotaka Sakai
  • Patent number: 8350421
    Abstract: A motor may include a stator formed with a rotor arrangement hole, a rotor disposed in the rotor arrangement hole, and a plate-like member disposed on at least one end side in an axial direction of the stator. The plate-like member is joined with an end face of the stator structured such that a peripheral edge part of the plate-like member is melted. In this case, it is preferable that the peripheral edge part of the plate-like member is joined with the end face of the stator structured such that an edge part on an opposite side to a face contacting with the end face of the stator is melted by irradiation of a laser beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Nidec Sankyo Corporation
    Inventor: Takeshi Shimoyama
  • Patent number: 8350430
    Abstract: An R—Fe—B sintered magnet has a structure including main phase crystal grains and a grain boundary area surrounding the crystal grains. The sintered magnet includes fluorine and a specified metal element selected from elements belonging to Group 2 through Group 16 of periodic table excepting the rare earth element, carbon and boron. The fluorine has a higher concentration in a region closer to a magnet surface than in the center. The specified element also has a higher concentration in the region closer to the surface. The sintered magnet includes oxyfluoride containing carbon, Dy and the metal element in a grain boundary area region at a distance of 1 ?m or greater from the magnet surface, and the carbon has a higher concentration than the concentration of the metal element in a region at a distance of 1 ?m to 500 ?m from the magnet surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Matahiro Komuro, Yuichi Satsu, Yoshii Morishita, Shigeaki Funyu, Mitsuo Katayose
  • Patent number: 8350439
    Abstract: This motor includes a stator whereupon a plurality of magnetic poles are arranged at first prescribed intervals on the outer circumference section, and a rotor which is rotatively arranged on the outer circumference of the stator by having a prescribed space in between and has permanent magnets magnetized to different polarities at second prescribed intervals. The magnetic pole of the stator forms an extending section which extends from a magnetic pole base section in a direction parallel to the permanent magnet, and the extending length of the extending section in the direction parallel to the permanent magnet is same as that of the magnetic pole base section in the direction parallel to the permanent magnet or shorter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Yuichi Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Murakami, Atsuyoshi Koshiba, Koji Kadowaki, Haruki Kato, Yasuo Kunishige
  • Patent number: 8350429
    Abstract: A permanent magnet motor having three chambers aligned end to end where each chamber has a bar magnet. The north pole of the bar magnet in the center chamber faces the north pole of the bar magnet in the chamber to its right and the south pole of the bar magnet in the center chamber faces the south pole of the bar magnet in the chamber to its left. Structure is provided to move the end magnets away from the center magnet and, by means of springs, alternately sequentially snap the end magnets toward the center magnet to drive the center magnet back and forth in its chamber. Shaft members which are connected to gears are provided to control the movement of the end magnets and to convert the back and forth motion of the center magnet to a rotary motion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Inventor: Marvin Goldstein
  • Patent number: 8344583
    Abstract: Provided is an automotive alternator having structure for preventing entry and discharging of foreign matters irrespective of a posture of a brush unit, to thereby allow normalization of the brush unit. The brush unit of the automotive alternator includes a slip ring, a brush, a brush holder, and a slip ring cover coaxially spaced from the slip ring and having an inner peripheral surface surrounding substantially an entire periphery of the slip ring. The inner peripheral surface of the slip ring cover has a tapered surface increasing in diameter from a first end on the frame side toward a second end having a fully-open opening. The fully-open opening is sealed by a sealing member that forms a labyrinth seal with the second end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corp.
    Inventor: Tomonori Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8344581
    Abstract: To provide an indication motor rotor capable of improving motor performance by concentrating portions under magnetic saturation conditions of rotor teeth. The rotor of an induction motor of this invention may include slots formed approximately in the shape of a T. The slots may be formed so that top slots are arranged on an outer peripheral portion of a rotor core, and bottom slots are arranged on an inner side of the top slots. The width in the circumferential direction of the top slot is wider than the width in the circumferential direction of the bottom slot, and the width in the circumferential direction of a rotor tooth between adjacent top slots is narrower than the width in the circumferential direction of the rotor tooth between adjacent bottom slots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Koji Yabe, Hayato Yoshino, Kazuhiko Baba, Tomoaki Oikawa, Takahiro Tsutsumi
  • Patent number: 8344576
    Abstract: A rotor for use in an electrical motor which includes an anti-expansion ring centrally mounted on the rotor to restrict the extent rotor elements mounted on a rotatable shaft may expand outward due to centrifugal forces generated when the motor is operated. Such motors are suited for use in high rotational speed environments such as electrically controlled turbochargers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: EcoMotors International
    Inventors: Will Robert Hippen, Franz Laimboeck, Peter Hofbauer