Patents Examined by Terrance Kenerly
  • Patent number: 9641051
    Abstract: An electromechanical flywheel machine includes a flywheel mass and a motor-generator having a rotor rotatable about a stator wherein the stator is supported by a fluid cooled stator support. The electromechanical flywheel has the rotor encircling a stationery stator and stator windings including a field winding encircling an axis of stator rotation and an armature winding that does not encircle the axis of stator rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Rotonix Hong Kong Limited
    Inventor: Claude Michael Kalev
  • Patent number: 9634529
    Abstract: A method of making generally symmetrical lamination stacks for electrical machines comprises producing generally symmetrical pole tips from alternating asymmetrical pieces that each have an additional layer in the asymmetrical portion. With the alternating asymmetrical pieces combined, the resulting pole tip is generally symmetrical with a larger possible pole tip width compared with currently-used interleaved stamping techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Fisher & Paykel Appliances Ltd.
    Inventors: Gregory P. Hill, John Julian A. Williams, Gerald D. Duncan, Kerrin E. Burnnand, Mark G. Benson
  • Patent number: 9634536
    Abstract: An enclosure system includes a stator enclosure defining an enclosure opening, and an adapter having a first entry port, and defines a center cavity having a first volume. Enclosure system includes a conduit enclosure coupled to one or more of stator enclosure and adapter. Conduit enclosure includes a base member having at least one side wall, a rear wall coupled to side wall and defining a second entry port, an interior cavity, and a terminal connection block coupled to base member and having at least one terminal. Enclosure system includes at least one electrical lead extending from the stator enclosure through first enclosure opening, through first entry port, through center cavity, through second entry port, and into the interior cavity. Electrical lead occupies a portion of first volume and leaves a remaining volume. Enclosure system includes sealing compound coupled with adapter such that substantially all of remaining volume is occupied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Sasidharan Nair, Praveen Kumar Garlapati
  • Patent number: 9627934
    Abstract: A commutated DC motor (10) includes a stator (12) and a rotor (14) mounted in the stator (12). The stator (12) has 2P magnetic poles, wherein P is an integer greater than 1. The rotor (14) includes a rotor shaft (81) with a rotor core (85), and a commutator (83) fixed thereto. The rotor core (85) has multiple teeth defining m×P slots therebetween, wherein m is an odd integer greater than 1. The commutator (83) has k×m×P segments, wherein k is 1 or 2. A rotor winding (87) formed by winding a single continuous wire is received in the slots of the rotor core (85) and connected to the segments of the commutator (83), and has k×m winding units. Each winding unit includes P coils in series connection and is directly connected to only two segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Johnson Electric S.A.
    Inventors: Rui Feng Qin, Fei Liu, Ji Yu Liang, Shu Hai Yuan, Xin Hui Guan
  • Patent number: 9624938
    Abstract: An electric submersible well pump assembly includes a rotary pump and an electrical motor. The motor has a motor housing filled with a dielectric lubricant. A stator formed of a stack of stator disks with a stator bore is stationarily mounted within the motor housing. A motor shaft extends through the bore. A rotor is mounted to the shaft for rotating the shaft and has a stack of rotor disks. Axially spaced-apart radial stabilizing portions along the rotor have outer peripheries that are greater in outer diameter than remaining portions of the rotor. The outer peripheries of the stabilizing portions rotate with the rotor and are closely spaced to the inner diameter of the stator to radially stabilize the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventor: Michael A. Forsberg
  • Patent number: 9627945
    Abstract: Systems and methods for preventing electrical arcing in motors by placing an electrically conductive roller assembly between the stator and rotor of the motor. A rotor is mounted on a shaft, and this assembly is positioned within the bore of a stator. The roller assembly has a stationary portion that is secured to the stator. The roller assembly also has a movable portion on which a roller is mounted. The movable portion of the roller assembly is spring-loaded to urge the roller toward the shaft and thereby maintain contact between the roller and the shaft. When the shaft rotates within the bore, the roller rotates and rolls on the surface of the shaft, maintaining contact without rubbing against the shaft. An electrically conductive pathway is formed from the stator, through the roller assembly to the shaft and rotor thereby preventing an electrical potential from developing between the rotor and stator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated
    Inventors: Stephen G. Biggs, Christopher G. Watson
  • Patent number: 9627780
    Abstract: An electrical system having a current path formed in a region between first and second electrodes. When a low pressure is sustained in the region, and a plasma is generated in a portion of a gap between the electrodes, current flows across the gap from the first electrode to the second electrode. In one embodiment the system is operable as a motor or a generator, having a first electrode and a member including a second electrode which is rotatable with respect to the first electrode. In another embodiment a first conductor is positioned to carry current toward or away from a first terminal at a high temperature, and a second conductor is spaced apart from the first terminal to carry current toward or away from a second terminal when the second conductor is at a low temperature relative to the temperature of the first region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Advanced Magnet Lab, Inc.
    Inventor: Rainer Meinke
  • Patent number: 9627951
    Abstract: A power system with regeneration may include an electric power storage element, an electric motor in electrical communication with the electric power storage element, a rotatable shaft operably coupled to the electric motor for rotation by the electric motor and adapted to provide rotational energy to a power take-off device, and a regeneration component operably coupled to the rotatable shaft and adapted for converting rotational energy of the shaft to electrical energy, the regeneration component being in electrical communication with the electric power storage element and adapted to recharge the electric power storage element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Inventor: Kevin Schawitsch
  • Patent number: 9621004
    Abstract: An armature includes a core having a plurality of teeth, which are radially formed with a rotation axis as the center, a plurality of coils where each coil is wound around each set of teeth containing at least two teeth. The plurality of coils have a plurality of inside coils placed on a rotation axis side of the teeth and a plurality of outside coils placed outside the inside coils. The plurality of inside coils are circularly arranged so that inside coils adjacent to each other are not wound around the same tooth. The plurality of outside coils are circularly arranged so that outside coils adjacent to each other are not wound around the same tooth. The outside coils are wound around a second set of combinations of teeth, which are different from a first set of combinations of teeth around which the inside coils are wound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Mabuchi Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Kimura, Takashi Muramoto, Hisashi Ogino
  • Patent number: 9621078
    Abstract: A micro machine may be in or less than the micrometer domain. The micro machine may include a micro actuator and a micro shaft coupled to the micro actuator. The micro shaft is operable to be driven by the micro actuator. A tool is coupled to the micro shaft and is operable to perform work in response to at least motion of the micro shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: MicroZeus, LLC
    Inventor: Harold L. Stalford
  • Patent number: 9621001
    Abstract: A rotor assembly for an electric machine includes a plurality of lamination sheets. Each of the lamination sheets defines an aperture. The lamination sheets are disposed adjacent each other to define a laminated stack. The apertures are aligned with each other to define a slot extending parallel with a central axis of the laminated stack. A magnet is disposed within the slot. The lamination sheets include a group of recess lamination sheets and a tab lamination sheet. The tab lamination sheet includes a tab that extends into the slot, and into abutting engagement with the magnet to bias the magnet against a wall of the slot. The apertures of the group of recess lamination sheets include a groove portion that defines a groove. The tab of the tab lamination sheet is at least partially disposed within the groove defined by the recess lamination sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Edward L. Kaiser, Paul Buchholz
  • Patent number: 9614404
    Abstract: A stator of a rotary electric machine includes a stator core and coils. The stator core is provided with a plurality of slots extending in an axial direction and being spaced apart from one another in a circumferential direction. The coils are wound around through the slots. The coils include coil end portions which protrude outward in the axial direction from an end surface of the stator core. The stator includes a restricting member situated on an inner side of the coil end portions in the radial direction. The restricting member serves to prevent deformation of the coil end portions inward in the radial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Fanuc Corporation
    Inventors: Shinobu Takano, Yohei Arimatsu
  • Patent number: 9614406
    Abstract: A stator for use in an electric motor is disclosed. The stator comprises an annular core, a plurality of wedges, and a plurality of wedge-retaining structures. The core includes a plurality of arcuately spaced apart teeth. Each of the teeth includes a generally radial leg and a head projecting from the leg to present a pair of arcuately spaced apart head ends. A slot opening is defined between the opposed head ends of each adjacent pair of teeth. Each of the wedges is received within a corresponding slot opening. Each wedge-retaining structure is at least in part fixed relative to the core and cooperates with a respective one of the wedges to compressibly retain the respective wedge between the head ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Nidec Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Philip S. Johnson, Daniel E. Hilton, Keith I. Hoemann, Daniel E. Bailey
  • Patent number: 9608496
    Abstract: Provided is a reaction force compensation device capable of compensating for a reaction force caused by a motor that is continuously rotating. The reaction force compensation device is configured to compensate for a reaction force generated when a motor including a stator and a rotor, which is combined with the stator to be rotatable, is driven, and includes a housing disposed below the motor, and a rotation support member disposed between the housing and the rotor and configured to support the stator to be rotatable with respect to the housing. The stator rotates by a reaction force generated when the rotor rotates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Foundation of Soongsil University-Industry Cooperation
    Inventors: Hyeong-Joon Ahn, Kyoung-Rock Kim, Dong-Jun Kim
  • Patent number: 9601973
    Abstract: A method for interconnecting electronic power modules of a polyphase rotary electric machine. The power modules are disposed in open cavities of a heat sink and comprise substrates on which are provided MOSFETs of a synchronous rectifier bridge and integrated control circuits. The method comprises the production of: a planar connector (6) including at least one layer of conductive traces (64); a plurality of interconnection elements (512) arranged in multiple geometric formations and ultrasonically welded or brazed (S2) directly to the substrates (51) and/or the MOSFETs; and openings (65) in the planar connector (6) allowing the free passage of the upper ends (5120) of the connection elements (512) and a mechanical contact with the conductive traces (64). The electrical connections are obtained by means of laser (8) transmission welding (S1) or electric resistance welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Valeo Equipements Electriques Moteur
    Inventors: Regis Seidenbinder, Bryann Lafabrie, Fabrice Tauvron, Cyrille Dheripre, David Delplace, Marc Tunzini, Romaric Guillard, Ruth Lopez, Jie Wen
  • Patent number: 9601965
    Abstract: An enclosure system for isolating a conduit enclosure for an explosion proof motor is provided. The enclosure system includes a stator enclosure defining a first enclosure opening. The enclosure system also includes a conduit enclosure coupled to the stator enclosure. The conduit enclosure comprises at least one side wall, a rear wall coupled to the side wall, and an interior cavity. The rear wall defines a first entry port having a first volume. The enclosure system further includes at least one electrical lead. The at least one electrical lead extends through the first enclosure opening, through the first entry port, and into the interior cavity. The at least one electrical lead occupies a portion of the first volume and leaves a remaining volume. The enclosure system also includes sealing compound. The sealing compound is coupled with the first entry port such that substantially all of the remaining volume is occupied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Praveen Kumar Garlapati, Sachin Vitthal Mahajan, Sasidharan Nair
  • Patent number: 9595894
    Abstract: A triboelectric generator includes a first contact charging member and a second contact charging member. The first contact charging member includes a first contact layer and a conductive electrode layer. The first contact layer includes a material that has a triboelectric series rating indicating a propensity to gain electrons due to a contacting event. The conductive electrode layer is disposed along the back side of the contact layer. The second contact charging member is spaced apart from and disposed oppositely from the first contact charging member. It includes an electrically conductive material layer that has a triboelectric series rating indicating a propensity to lose electrons when contacted by the first contact layer during the contacting event. The electrically conductive material acts as an electrode. A mechanism maintains a space between the first contact charging member and the second contact charging member except when a force is applied thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation
    Inventors: Zhong Lin Wang, Sihong Wang, Long Lin, Guang Zhu, Zong-Hong Lin
  • Patent number: 9595854
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the invention, an electric machine for use in an environment having moisture is provided. The machine includes a housing that has an inner surface defining a cavity in the housing. The housing defines a leak path exit adapted to remove moisture accumulating within the housing away from the housing. The electric machine further includes a stator secured to the housing and a rotor that is rotatably secured to the housing. The electric machine further includes a moisture guide positioned at least partially within the cavity and adapted to guide at least some of the moisture toward the leak path exit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Regal Beloit America, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Lyon Klopp, Zachary Joseph Stauffer, Michael Allen Marks
  • Patent number: 9583983
    Abstract: An electric motor assembly includes a housing and a stator. The housing includes an outer housing surface, an inner housing surface defining an interior housing cavity, and a plurality of housing protrusions extending from the inner housing surface. The stator is disposed in the inner housing cavity and includes an outer stator surface, an inner stator surface, and a plurality of stator protrusions extending from the outer stator surface toward the outer housing surface. The stator protrusions are configured to mate with the housing protrusions to frictionally couple the stator to the housing in order to fix the stator relative to the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Timothy J. Alfermann, Edward L. Kaiser, Ryan Van Tiem
  • Patent number: 9577499
    Abstract: An apparatus including a rotating member, a resolver and a mounting structure. The resolver includes a resolver stator and a resolver rotor fixedly mounted on the rotating member via a mounting structure. The mounting structure has a low magnetic relative permeability and isolates the resolver rotor from the rotating member by preventing direct contact between the rotating member and the resolver rotor. The disclosed apparatus may be an electric machine having a rotor fixed to the rotating member and be suitable for use in a hybrid vehicle. The mounting structure advantageously has a relative permeability of no greater than about 2 and may be formed out of stainless steel material. The rotating member may be a rotor hub formed out of steel material having a relative permeability of at least about 50.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Remy Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: David Fulton, Arlen Phillip Suter, George Pelton, Jim Shaw