Patents by Inventor Peter R. Frise

Peter R. Frise 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: 7097140
    Abstract: A momentum management system for attitude control of a spacecraft includes a housing to be fixed to the spacecraft and a momentum wheel rotor in the housing for storing angular momentum. A gimbal assembly mounts the rotor in the housing. The rotor is driven by a drive with its output coupled to the rotor. A torque generation imparts torque to the rotor about axes orthogonal to the drive axis. The gimbal assembly includes a gimbal ring coupling the drive output to the rotor. The gimbal ring in turn includes flexure joints connecting the gimbal ring to the drive and the rotor. The flexure joints are configured to permit the rotor to tilt about two flexure axes orthogonal to the drive axis to incline the rotor axis through a range of angles from about 0 degrees to about 7 degrees with respect to the drive axis under the control of said torque generation device. The preferred flexure joint is formed from two resilient, crossing webs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Bristol Aerospace Limited
    Inventors: Douglas A. Staley, George Tyc, Peter R. Frise