Patents Examined by R. Skudy
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Patent number: 5543671Abstract: A terminal board for a dynamoelectric machine is mounted to an end-shield of the machine. The terminal board has securing means for fixing an electrical switch to the terminal board using a single conventional fastener. A second snap-in arrangement is provided in place of additional fastener. The terminal board includes an arm spaced from the fastener hole. The arm is spaced above a surface of the terminal board and defines a slit with the terminal board through which an ear of the switch extends. A finger extends down from a free end of the arm to define a stop which maintains the switch ear in the slot. The finger and the single fastener together fix the switch to the terminal board.Type: GrantFiled: January 13, 1994Date of Patent: August 6, 1996Assignee: Emerson Electric Co.Inventor: Ronald D. Williams
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Patent number: 5541464Abstract: A thermionic generator (10) has a heated metal heat tube (11) journaled through a set of star-shaped emitters (12) and a set of electrically insulative spacers (13). The generator also has a collector (23) positioned about the grouped emitters and spacers a selected distance from the emitters. A cooling jacket (33) is positioned about the collector for cooling the collector during operation. A pair of seals (29) electrically and hermetically seal the cooling jacket about the heat tube.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 1994Date of Patent: July 30, 1996Inventors: Lonnie G. Johnson, Francis E. LeVert
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Patent number: 5541463Abstract: A flux path and core loss reduction assembly is provided. The assembly comprises a magnetizable peripheral rotor section upon which armature windings are disposed, isolated from the rest of the assembly by a non-magnetizable core. The assembly also comprises a magnetizable inner stator section upon which armature windings are disposed, isolated from the rest of the assembly by a non-magnetizable enclosure. The assembly additionally comprises flux path reduction windings wound to reduce the magnetic flux paths created when the windings are electromagnetically activated by a current. The assembly further comprises a programmable control for varying the rotor speed by varying the switching rate of stator winding polarity.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 1993Date of Patent: July 30, 1996Assignee: EKO Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Lucian L. Ellzey, Jr.
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Patent number: 5541465Abstract: An electrostatic actuator according to the present invention includes a first member having a plurality of striped electrodes insulated from one another and arranged in a prescribed direction with a prescribed spacing between them, a second member having a plurality of striped electrodes insulated from one another and arranged in a prescribed direction with a prescribed spacing between them, and continuous-waveform polyphase AC power supplies applied to the electrodes of the first member and the electrodes of the second member, one or both of the first member and second member being moved by an electrostatic coulomb force between the first member and the second member.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 1995Date of Patent: July 30, 1996Assignee: Kanagawa Academy of Science and TechnologyInventors: Toshiro Higuchi, Toshiki Niino
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Patent number: 5541460Abstract: An apparatus for rotatably journaling a rotor of a spindle motor about a shaft comprising a plurality of annular ring multi-pole magnets, each ring comprised of a plurality of axially aligned magnets whose polarity is alternated along the radius of the ring. The annular ring multi-pole magnets are disposed on both the rotor and stator of a spindle motor in opposition in attraction mode, or a complete offset repulsion mode with like poles facing one another with an full offset, thereby forming a radially stable magnetic bearing for maintaining rotor displacement about a shaft in conjunction with a conventional axial pivot.Type: GrantFiled: February 25, 1994Date of Patent: July 30, 1996Assignee: Seagate Technology, Inc.Inventors: John C. Dunfield, Kamran Oveyssi, Gunter K. Heine
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Patent number: 5539263Abstract: A direct current fan has a base, a stator assembly fixed to the base, a spindle extending from said the stator assembly, and a blade assembly rotatably mounted to the spindle. The stator assembly includes a central axle and a bobbin having electrically conductive winding formed over the central axle. Pole plates alternately extend from diametrically opposed upper and lower disks which are mounted to the respective upper and lower ends of the central axle. Each said pole plate has first and second circumferential sections located at different distances from the central axis. The blade assembly includes a cylindrical member having blades mounted thereto and a circular central recessed portion. A hub is formed in the center of the recessed portion for receiving a portion of the spindle. The hub has an aperture in its center and a plurality of tabs equally spaced around the aperture.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 1994Date of Patent: July 23, 1996Inventor: Tzu-I Lee
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Patent number: 5536988Abstract: A microelectromechanical compound stage microactuator assembly capable of motion along x, y, and z axes for positioning and scanning integrated electromechanical sensors and actuators is fabricated from submicron suspended single crystal silicon beams. The microactuator incorporates an interconnect system for mechanically supporting a central stage and for providing electrical connections to componants of the microactuator and to devices carried thereby. The microactuator is fabricated using a modified single crystal reactive etching and metallization process which incorporates an isolation process utilizing thermal oxidation of selected regions of the device to provide insulating segments which define conductive paths from external circuitry to the actuator components and to microelectronic devices such as gated field emitters carried by the actuator.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 1993Date of Patent: July 16, 1996Assignee: Cornell Research Foundation, Inc.Inventors: Z. Lisa Zhang, Noel C. MacDonald
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Patent number: 5536987Abstract: An alternating current generator for a motor vehicle includes magnet type field cores, i.e., field cores with claw poles on which permanent magnets are interposed in the spaces between the claw poles, where the generator has a ratio of number of claw poles/outside diameter of the field core that allows generation of a large output current. The alternating current generator includes permanent magnets disposed in spaces between peripherally adjacent claws which reduce the magnetic flux leakage caused by the field coil occurring in the spaces. When a residual magnetic flux density higher than 0.25 tesla is applied in advance in a direction that reduces magnetic flux, a large output current is obtained when the above-noted ratio is in the range of from about 1.6.times.10.sup.-1 to 2.0.times.10.sup.-1 (1/mm).Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 1994Date of Patent: July 16, 1996Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd.Inventors: Seiji Hayashi, Atsushi Umeda, Shin Kusase
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Patent number: 5534739Abstract: An electric machine includes an exciter part and an induction part disposed adjacent the exciter part. The exciter part and the induction part define an air gap there-between and are movable relative to one another thereby defining a direction of movement. The induction part includes teeth disposed adjacent one another and projecting in a direction toward the air gap. The teeth define grooves therebetween, each of the teeth having a tooth base and a tooth tip adjacent the air gap. In addition, each of a plurality of the teeth further includes a middle portion having two ends and a constant width defined in a direction along the air gap and perpendicular to the direction of movement; and a pair of tooth widening portions, each of the tooth widening portions having a free end and a transition end and being located at one of the two ends of the middle portion at the transition end thereof for forming one of the plurality of the teeth with the middle portion.Type: GrantFiled: July 14, 1992Date of Patent: July 9, 1996Assignee: Magnet-Motor Gesellschaft fur magnetmotorische Technik mbHInventors: Gotz Heidelberg, Andreas Grundl, Peter Ehrhart
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Patent number: 5534740Abstract: An electrostatic actuator incorporates a sensor for detecting both position and the state of distribution of charges and is efficiently driven in high-speed operation. A first member has a plurality of driving electrodes thereon, each having the shape of a strip, a second member is placed in contact with the first member, and a control means is provided for changing the voltages applied to the driving electrodes to produce relative movement of the first member and the second member. Detecting electrodes are arranged on the first member at predetermined phases, independently of the driving electrodes, and a detecting unit detects the position of the second member and the state of charges induced on the second member, through the detection of electric signals induced in the detecting electrodes by the charges distributed on the second member.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 1993Date of Patent: July 9, 1996Assignees: Fujitsu Limited, Toshiro HiguchiInventors: Toshiro Higuchi, Saku Egawa, Toshiki Niino, Katsuhide Natori, Fumio Tabata
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Patent number: 5534737Abstract: A plurality of rotating bodies each consisting of an armature, a permanent magnet rotor, or the like are rotatably supported in parallel and rotary shafts thereof are gear-connected to each other so that they may be interlockingly rotatable. Between the mutually nearest positions between respective outer peripheries of the adjacent rotating bodies and inner wall surfaces of the relevant yoke on first- or second-, half rotation sides of the rotating bodies as viewed in the rotation direction, partitioning walls are disposed so as to block the passage of the magnetisms between the adjacent rotating bodies while, on the other hand, opening portions are secured on the other rotation sides thereof as viewed in the rotation direction so as not to block the passage of the magnetisms between the adjacent rotating bodies, whereby forces of magnetic attraction or repulsion act to promote the interlocking rotations of the rotating bodies.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 1994Date of Patent: July 9, 1996Inventor: Masayuki Nishimura
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Patent number: 5534736Abstract: An electric vehicle comprising a body, an axle rotatably supported by the body, a rotor supported by the body for rotation about a longitudinal axis, a gearing assembly for selectively drivingly connecting the rotor to the axle, and a stator supported by the body. The stator includes a stator core which has a longitudinal opening housing the rotor and which has an outer surface. The outer surface includes upper and lower longitudinally extending recesses oppositely disposed relative to the axis. The stator also includes upper and lower cleats respectively mounted in the upper and lower recesses, the cleats and the longitudinal axis defining a common vertical plane.Type: GrantFiled: November 8, 1994Date of Patent: July 9, 1996Assignee: A. O. Smith CorporationInventor: J. Herbert Johnson
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Patent number: 5532532Abstract: A hermetically sealed superconducting magnet motor includes a rotor separated from a stator by either a radial gap, an axial gap, or a combined axial and radial gap. Dual conically shaped stators are used in one embodiment to levitate a disc-shaped rotor made of superconducting material within a conduit for moving cryogenic fluid. As the rotor is caused to rotate when the field stator is energized, the fluid is pumped through the conduit.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 1993Date of Patent: July 2, 1996Assignee: Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc.Inventors: Robert C. DeVault, Benjamin W. McConnell, Benjamin A. Phillips
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Patent number: 5532535Abstract: An electric drive for a vehicle includes a motor housing; bearing plates closing opposite ends of the housing; roller bearings held in the bearing plates; an electric motor accommodated in the motor housing and including an axially hollow rotor shaft affixed to a rotor and journalling in the roller bearings; a gear housing adjoining the motor housing; a gearing accommodated in the gear housing; a gear coupling the rotor shaft with an input of the gearing; and a first output shaft coupled to an output of the gearing. The first output shaft extends through an end wall of the gear housing and passes axially through the rotor shaft and through the bearing plates. The first output shaft has an end situated externally of the motor housing. The electric drive further has a second output shaft coupled to an output of the gearing. The second output shaft extends through an end wall of the gear housing and has an end situated externally of the gear housing.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 1994Date of Patent: July 2, 1996Assignee: Licentia Patent-Verwaltungs-GmbHInventor: Karl-Heinz Oltmanns
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Patent number: 5530310Abstract: For a squirrel-cage rotor of an electric machine, having a cage that passes through the stack axially and is made of electrically well-conductive short-circuit rods that are connected by short-circuit rings at the ends projecting from the stack, oscillation problems that result during operation with frequency converters are intended to be solved. In addition, higher natural torsion frequencies are intended to be achieved on the rotor, that is, the construction is to be made less sensitive by simple modifications to the squirrel cage in order to prevent the resonance effects. This object is attained in that respectively two, three or more short-circuit rods are guided together to rod assemblies at their ends, and these are connected to the short-circuit rings with material-to-material bonding.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 1994Date of Patent: June 25, 1996Assignees: AEG Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH, Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Bernd Sauer, Heinz Boehm, Egbert Scharstein
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Patent number: 5530308Abstract: An electrical stator coil for an electromagnetic pump includes a continuous conductor strip having first and second terminals at opposite ends thereof and an intermediate section disposed therebetween. The strip is configured in first and second coil halves, with the first coil half including a plurality of windings extending from the first terminal to the intermediate section, and the second coil half including a plurality of windings extending from the second terminal to the intermediate section. The first and second coil halves are disposed coaxially, and the first and second terminals are disposed radially inwardly therefrom with the intermediate section being disposed radially outwardly therefrom.Type: GrantFiled: January 15, 1993Date of Patent: June 25, 1996Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Alan W. Fanning, Leslie R. Dahl
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Patent number: 5530309Abstract: An improved homopolar machine in which a solid sliding current collector, or brush, is provided for contact with a flat, annular contact surface of a rotor. The flat plane of the contact surface is orthogonal to the rotor's axis of rotation. A plurality of such contact surfaces with corresponding brushes may be employed. Also, several means for actuating the brush into contact with the rotor contact surface are provided.Type: GrantFiled: May 4, 1993Date of Patent: June 25, 1996Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas SystemInventor: William F. Weldon
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Patent number: 5530311Abstract: A face type commutator (10) includes a hat shaped member (12) and an insulator hub (14) with an armature axis of rotation (22). The hat shaped member (12) has a plate portion (24) with a brush contact surface (26) in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation (22) and a cylindrical portion (16) that extends axially from the brush contact surface and defines a cavity (46). The hub (14) fills the cavity (46) and slots (42) in the cylindrical portion (16). Grooves (70) divide the plate portion (24) into a plurality of collector segments (72). A cylindrical sealing surface (76) is formed on the cylindrical portion (16) and portions of the hub (14) below the grooves (70). Tangs (30) integral with the cylindrical portion (16) below the cylindrical sealing surface (76) each have a radially extending leg portion (32) and a foot portion (34) that extends circumferentially from both sides of the leg portion to hold armature coil wires (40) on the leg portion.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 1994Date of Patent: June 25, 1996Assignee: McCord Winn Textron, Inc.Inventor: William E. Ziegler
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Patent number: 5528097Abstract: A system for supporting a retaining ring on an end of body portion of a rotor in an electrodynamic system includes an end wedge which is adapted to be in contact with a retaining ring, a damper bar having a first surface which abuts the end wedge member and a second, oppositely facing surface; and a filler block positioned between the second surface of the damper bar and a field winding portion of a rotor. The filler block has a tapered surface which defines a stress-reducing gap between the field winding portion and the retaining ring, so as to minimize stress in the slot cell and field windings during high-speed rotation of the rotor.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 1993Date of Patent: June 18, 1996Assignee: Westinghouse Electric CorporationInventors: William C. Gardner, Robert L. Murphy, Albert C. Sismour, Jr.
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Patent number: 5528095Abstract: A permanent magnet rotor for an electric motor has a shaft, a coupler mounted on the shaft, a flux ring fitted to the coupler and located within a ring magnet. The flux ring is a split ring having a nominal outside diameter greater than the inside diameter of the magnet and is keyed to the coupler.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 1994Date of Patent: June 18, 1996Assignee: Johnson Electric S.A.Inventor: Georg Strobl