Patents by Inventor Alfred Merkle

Alfred Merkle has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5661351
    Abstract: A disc drive having a housing which encloses a clean room that is provided with a brushless DC drive motor having an external rotor and three pole shoes on a substantially ring-shaped stator for each two pole on the rotor. The stator winding is commutated by a three-phase commutation network in such a fashion that first, second and third networks in the stator winding are cyclically connected to an external DC source in accordance with rotor position. Each of the networks comprises at least one stator coil wrapped around a neck of a single corresponding one of the pole shoes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 26, 1997
    Assignee: Papst Licensing, GmbH
    Inventors: Johann von der Heide, Rolf Muller, Alfred Merkle
  • Patent number: 5652470
    Abstract: A brushless DC drive motor with an external rotor has three pole shoes on a substantially ring-shaped stator for each two poles on the rotor. The stator winding is commutated by a three-phase commutation network in such a fashion that first, second and third networks in the stator winding are cyclically connected to an external DC source in accordance with rotor position. Each of the networks comprises at least one stator coil wrapped around a neck of a single corresponding one of the pole shoes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 29, 1997
    Assignee: Papst Licensing, GmbH
    Inventors: Johann von der Heide, Rolf Muller, Alfred Merkle
  • Patent number: 5382853
    Abstract: A brushless DC drive motor with an external rotor has three pole shoes on a substantially ring-shaped stator for each two poles on the rotor. The stator winding is commutated by a three-phase commutation network in such a fashion that first, second and third networks in the stator winding are cyclically connected to an external DC source in accordance with rotor position. Each of the networks comprises at least one stator coil wrapped around a neck of a single corresponding one of the pole shoes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 1990
    Date of Patent: January 17, 1995
    Assignee: Papst Licencing GmbH
    Inventors: Johann von der Heide, Rolf Muller, Alfred Merkle
  • Patent number: 4902941
    Abstract: A drive unit for direct drive of an information-storage disk comprises a brushless dc external-rotor motor having a permanent-magnet rotor magnet arrangement of considerably reduced axial length. Electrostatic charge is removed from the rotor shaft by a metallic spring element which engages the shaft periphery from within the interior of the rotor housing. An electromagnetic braking arrangement is located interiorly of the housing. The packet of stator plates for the stator has an axial length shorter than that of the rotor magnet arrangement, but is provided at its axial end faces with skirted-rim flux-conducting elements whose peripheral skirt portions form useful-air-gap extensions in cooperation with the rotor magnet arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1987
    Date of Patent: February 20, 1990
    Assignee: Papst-Motoren GmbH & Co KG
    Inventors: Alfred Merkle, Georg Moosmann, Rolf Muller
  • Patent number: 4701653
    Abstract: A drive unit for direct drive of an information-storage disk comprises a collectorless D.C. external-rotor motor having a permanent-magnet rotor magnet arrangement of considerably reduced axial length. Electrostatic charge is removed from the rotor shaft by a metallic spring element which engages the shaft periphery from within the interior of the rotor housing. An electromagnetic braking arrangement is located interiorly of the housing. The packet of stator plates for the stator has an axial length shorter than that of the rotor magnet arrangement, but is provided at its axial end faces with skirted-rim flux-conducting elements whose peripheral skirt portions form useful-air-gap extensions in cooperation with the rotor magnet arrangement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1985
    Date of Patent: October 20, 1987
    Assignee: Papst-Motoren GmbH & Co KG
    Inventors: Alfred Merkle, Georg Moosmann, Rolf Muller
  • Patent number: 4629919
    Abstract: Direct drive motor, particularly for disk storage drives, spindle drives and the like, with a rotor shaft rotatably mounted in a bearing support by two axially spaced bearings, whose outer rings are fixed with respect to the bearing support. The inner ring of one bearing is fixed to the rotor shaft and the inner ring of the other bearing is connected to the rotor shaft in friction fit manner, which prevents radial movements and permits a relative axial movement between the inner ring and rotor shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 1983
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1986
    Assignee: Papst-Motoren GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Alfred Merkle
  • Patent number: 4128778
    Abstract: The motor includes an internal stator and an external rotor. A rotor shaft is connected to and rotates with the rotor. A mounting flange is located at one of the two axial ends of the motor. A bridge is fixedly connected with the mounting flange, and is in the form of a cylindrical housing connected at one axial end to the mounting flange, the end of the cylindrical housing remote from the end connected to the mounting flange extending radially inward with axial spacing from the rotor and having at such remote end at least one opening for the flow of external air therethrough. The external rotor is generally bell-shaped. Blower blades are provided on the external rotor in the region of the bottom of the bell-shaped external rotor. The motor at the axial end thereof provided with the mounting flange is provided with at least one opening for the axial flow of air through the interior of the cylindrical housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 1976
    Date of Patent: December 5, 1978
    Assignee: Papst-Motoren KG
    Inventors: Alfred Merkle, Georg F. Papst
  • Patent number: 3953751
    Abstract: There is provided a support structure for a motor. The motor includes a stator and a rotor. The Stator is comprised of a generally plate-shaped winding arrangement including a generally plate-shaped winding support arrangement connected to and supported by the support structure. The winding arrangement further includes a plurality of windings supported on the generally plate-shaped winding support arrangement. The stator further comprises a central support portion supported by the plate-shaped winding support arrangement. The rotor comprises a rotor shaft supported on the central support portion and extending transversely to the generally plate-shaped winding arrangement. The rotor further includes permanently magnetized material and magnetic return structure mounted on the rotor shaft for rotation therewith. Preferably, the motor is supported exclusively by the support structure, with the support structure being connected exclusively to the generally plate-shaped winding support arrangement of the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1974
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1976
    Assignee: Papst Motoren KG
    Inventors: Alfred Merkle, Fritz Schmieder, Werner Heinzmann
  • Patent number: RE36168
    Abstract: A brushless DC drive motor with an external rotor has three pole shoes on a substantially ring-shaped stator for each two poles on the rotor. The stator winding is commutated by a three-phase commutation network in such a fashion that first, second and third networks in the stator winding are cyclically connected to an external DC source in accordance with rotor position. Each of the networks comprises at least one stator coil wrapped around a neck of a single corresponding one of the pole shoes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 30, 1999
    Assignee: Papst Licensing,GmbH
    Inventors: Johann von der Heide, Rolf Muller, Alfred Merkle