Patents by Inventor Michael D. Bradfield

Michael D. Bradfield 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).

  • Publication number: 20140300234
    Abstract: A rotor for a rotary electric machine, the rotor including first and second pole pieces each having a respective magnetic hub arranged for rotation about an axis along which they are spaced. Pluralities of magnetic first and second pole fingers are spaced from each other and extend between the hubs. Each pole finger has a proximal end connected to its respective hub, and an axially opposite distal end. The first and second pole fingers circumferentially alternate about the axis, and each pole finger has a respective radially inner surface defining a cavity that extends axially from the distal end to a cavity terminus. Relative to each pole finger, at a respective axial position between the distal end and the cavity terminus the radial distance between the axis and the radially inner surface is substantially greater inside of the cavity than outside of the cavity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2013
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: Remy Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Michael D. Bradfield
  • Publication number: 20140290615
    Abstract: A vehicle starter motor arrangement comprises a battery, a first vehicle starter motor including a first pinion and a second vehicle starter motor including a second pinion. The first vehicle starter motor is connected in series to the battery and the second vehicle starter motor is connected in series to the first vehicle starter motor. Accordingly, the battery, the first vehicle starter motor, and the second vehicle starter motor are all connected in series. The first pinion gear and the second pinion gear are configured to engage an engine ring gear when electrical current flows through the first vehicle starter motor and the second vehicle starter motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Publication date: October 2, 2014
    Inventors: Michael D. Bradfield, Attila Nagy
  • Publication number: 20140265679
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a starter that includes a motor with an armature that is coupled to a pinion. In some embodiments, the starter can include a main field coil that can be configured and arranged to produce a main magnetic field flux. Some embodiments include at least one auxiliary flux assembly arranged in close proximity with the main field coil and electrically disconnected from it. In some embodiments, a control system can operatively power the main field coil to produce a magnetic field flux. In some embodiments, the at least one auxiliary flux assembly can provide a supplementary field flux adding to the main magnetic field flux that interacts with the armature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Remy Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Michael D. Bradfield
  • Publication number: 20140265671
    Abstract: An alternator includes a B+ bolt, rectifier B+ terminals, a bus having bends respectively surrounding ones of the rectifier B+ terminals and having an end formed into a ring terminal, and a stop, where the bus ring terminal is placed onto the B+ bolt and a load cable ring terminal may be placed onto the B+ bolt in direct contact with the bus ring terminal and secured thereto by the stop. A method of connecting B+ on an alternator includes bending a copper bus conductor so that one side of the bus conductor surrounds and abuts each of the rectifier B+ terminals, shaping one end of the bus conductor into a ring terminal, and placing the ring terminal of the bus conductor onto the B+ stud. A method includes coupling the B+ terminals and the B+ stud together with a copper bus conductor, and cooling the copper bus conductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: REMY TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventor: Michael D. Bradfield
  • Publication number: 20140265672
    Abstract: An alternator includes a phase lead insulator structured for electrically insulating and routing phase leads, the insulator including a channel guide having a width substantially equal to a width of one phase lead, the insulator including a retainer for retaining a phase lead within the channel guide. The phase lead insulator may include a circumferential channel guide having a width substantially equal to a width of a conductor and having a height substantially greater than or equal to a plurality of heights of such conductors and may include a retainer for retaining a conductor within the channel guide. A method of placing phase leads of an alternator includes bending at least one phase lead into the channel guide, and routing phase lead(s) to a corresponding connection position of a bridge rectifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Remy Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Michael D. Bradfield
  • Publication number: 20140265680
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a starter that includes a motor with an armature that is coupled to a pinion. In some embodiments, the starter can include a main field coil that can be configured and arranged to produce a main magnetic field flux. Some embodiments of the invention provide a starter that includes an auxiliary field coil capable of being electrically coupled with the main field coil and can be configured and arranged to produce a supplemental magnetic field flux. In some embodiments, the auxiliary field coil is capable of being electrically coupled in series with the main field coil. In some other embodiments, the auxiliary field coil is capable of being electrically coupled in parallel with the main field coil. Some embodiments include a starter system. In some embodiments, a control system can operatively power the main field coil and the auxiliary field coil within the starter system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Remy Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Michael D. Bradfield
  • Publication number: 20140260792
    Abstract: Some embodiments include a starter that includes at least one solenoid coil winding that is integrated with a pinion and plunger assembly. Some embodiments include a starter with an output shaft including a rotational axis coupled to a pinion including pinion teeth, and at least one solenoid coil winding at least partially circumferentially surrounding the pinion, the pinion teeth and the output shaft. In some embodiments, the solenoid coil winding is capable of providing a magnetic field flux within the pinion, the output shaft or both. Some embodiments provide a starter with a pinion that can move bi-directionally with respect to the rotational axis of the output shaft. In other embodiments, the output shaft includes splines and the pinion includes a slot with spline contours. In some further embodiments, a starter control system includes a starter that is capable of being in communication with an electronic control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: Remy Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Michael D. Bradfield
  • Patent number: 8829845
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a starter machine including an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit can be in communication with one or more sensors. The control system can include a starter machine that is in communication with the electronic control unit. The starter machine can comprise a solenoid assembly that includes a plurality of biasing members, a motor that is coupled to a pinion, and power module and controller that is coupled to the motor. In some embodiments, at least one of the power module and the controller are configured to control a speed of the pinion to substantially synchronize the pinion speed and the speed of an engine component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Remy Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Michael D. Bradfield
  • Publication number: 20140240067
    Abstract: A solenoid for a vehicle starter includes at least one coil with a passage extending through the coil in an axial direction. The solenoid further includes a plunger configured to move in the axial direction within the passage. The plunger includes a cylindrical outer surface with a substantially uniform diameter and a circumferential notch. The cylindrical outer surface includes a first portion with a first diameter on one side of the circumferential notch, and a second portion with the first diameter on an opposite side of the circumferential notch. The circumferential notch includes a portion with a second diameter that is less than the first diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2014
    Publication date: August 28, 2014
    Applicant: Remy Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Stephen P. Santichen, Michael D. Bradfield
  • Publication number: 20140217851
    Abstract: An electric machine and a method of forming a commutator for an electric machine includes forming a commutator assembly including a plurality of commutator bar members linked through a corresponding plurality of bridge elements, rolling the commutator assembly into a commutator form having a substantially continuous, uninterrupted, outer surface, introducing an internal support member that receives an end portion of each of the plurality of commutator bar members into an inner diameter of the commutator form, and separating the plurality of commutator bar members by removing each of the plurality of bridge elements creating a discontinuous outer surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: REMY TECHNOLOGIES, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Michael D. Bradfield
  • Patent number: 8776753
    Abstract: A starter motor arrangement comprises a battery, a first starter motor including a first pinion and a second starter motor including a second pinion. The first starter motor is connected in series to the battery and the second starter motor is connected in series to the first starter motor. Accordingly, the battery, the first starter motor, and the second starter motor are all connected in series. The first pinion gear and the second pinion gear are configured to engage an engine ring gear when electrical current flows through the first starter motor and the second starter motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Remy Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Michael D. Bradfield, Attila Nagy
  • Patent number: 8754731
    Abstract: A solenoid for a vehicle starter includes at least one coil with a passage extending through the coil in an axial direction. The solenoid further includes a plunger configured to move in the axial direction within the passage. The plunger includes a cylindrical outer surface with a substantially uniform diameter and a circumferential notch. The cylindrical outer surface includes a first portion with a first diameter on one side of the circumferential notch, and a second portion with the first diameter on an opposite side of the circumferential notch. The circumferential notch includes a portion with a second diameter that is less than the first diameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Remy Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Stephen P. Santichen, Michael D. Bradfield
  • Patent number: 8749103
    Abstract: A permanent magnet rotor assembly for an electric machine includes a rotor core including one or more axially-extending openings and one or more permanent magnets located in the one or more axially-extending openings defining one or more gaps between the one or more permanent magnets and the one or more axially-extending openings. One or more thermally-conductive bars are located in the one or more gaps to transfer thermal energy from an interior of the rotor assembly toward an axial end of the rotor assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Remy Technologies, L.L.C.
    Inventor: Michael D. Bradfield
  • Patent number: 8659374
    Abstract: A solenoid arrangement includes a plunger configured to move in an axial direction and a coil wound radially outward from the plunger. The coil includes a first winding layer and at least one additional winding layer positioned radially outward from the first winding layer. The first winding layer includes a first portion wound in a first winding direction and a second portion wound in a second winding direction that is opposite the first winding direction. The at least one additional winding layer is wound in the second winding direction radially outward from both the first portion and the second portion of the first winding layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Remy Technologies LLC
    Inventor: Michael D. Bradfield
  • Patent number: 8648506
    Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide an electric machine module including a rotor assembly. The rotor assembly can include a rotor hub, a first set of rotor laminations which can include a portion having a first inner radius, and a second set of rotor laminations which can include a portion having a second inner radius larger than the first inner radius. At least one circumferential flow channel defined by the first set of rotor laminations, the second set of rotor laminations, and the rotor hub can at least partially circumscribe the rotor hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Remy Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Michael D. Bradfield
  • Patent number: 8629585
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide an electric machine module including an electric machine with a stator assembly. The stator assembly includes a plurality of stator laminations coupled together and a plurality of conductors positioned through axial slots of the plurality of stator laminations. The electric machine module also includes a coolant channel at least partially defined within the axial slots and a housing. The housing at least partially circumscribes the electric machine and at least partially defines a machine cavity which is in fluid communication with the coolant channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Remy Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Michael D. Bradfield
  • Patent number: 8629597
    Abstract: An electric machine includes a stator and a rotor configured to rotate about an axis of rotation in a direction of angular rotation. The rotor includes a first claw-pole segment and an opposing second claw-pole segment. The first claw-pole segment includes a plurality of fingers extending from an end ring. Each finger includes a distal end and a proximal end with the proximal end fixed to the end ring. Each finger also includes an interior side and an exterior side with the exterior side facing the stator. A leading side and a trailing side are defined on each finger by the direction of angular rotation. A chamfer is formed on the exterior trailing side of each finger at the proximal end of the finger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Remy Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Michael D. Bradfield
  • Publication number: 20140009018
    Abstract: A rotary electric starter machine including an electric motor, a housing surrounding the motor, and a pinion connected to the motor, at least one of the motor and the housing comprising a magnetically active portion of the machine, wherein the magnetically active motor portion is made of an enhanced performance steel material having a flux density at a given magnetizing force level that is at least about 20% less than the flux density at the given magnetic force level of a conventional low carbon steel material chosen from the group consisting of AISI 1008 and AISI 1010 steel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Inventor: Michael D. Bradfield
  • Patent number: 8614538
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide an electric machine module and a method for cooling an electric machine. The electric machine module contains an electric machine including a stator with stator end turns and a housing with at least two removably-coupled frame members. Each of the at least two removably-coupled frame members include an inner wall, an outer wall, and a coolant cavity defined between the inner wall and the outer wall. The coolant cavity can be positioned substantially around one of the stator end turns radially and substantially beside the one stator end turn axially.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Remy Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Michael D. Bradfield
  • Patent number: 8593021
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a coolant drainage system including a module housing and a drain pan coupled to the module housing. The module housing at least partially defines a machine cavity and includes an inner wall and at least one end cap at least partially enclosing an electric machine within the machine cavity. The coolant drainage system also includes a plurality of drain holes through the module housing and adjacent to the drain pan. The plurality of drain holes provide fluid pathways from the machine cavity to the drain pan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Remy Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Michael D. Bradfield