Patents by Inventor Reto Schob

Reto Schob 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: 6355998
    Abstract: A sensor arrangement in an electromagnetic rotary drive which is designed as a bearing-free motor with a magnetically journalled, permanent magnetic rotor (1) and a stator (2), the sensor arrangement serving for the determination of the direction of the rotor magnetization and/or of the axial position of the rotor (1), comprises at least two sensors (S1, S2, S3) for the determination of a magnetic flux. The two sensors (S1, S2, S3) are arranged in such a manner with respect to the rotor (1) that partial fluxes of that magnetic field which the stray field of the permanent magnetic rotor (1) produces can be determined with them. Furthermore, a method for the determination of the direction of the rotor magnetization is proposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Levitronix LLC
    Inventors: Reto Schöb, Natale Barletta
  • Patent number: 6351048
    Abstract: An electrical rotary drive, designed as a bearingless motor, has a magnetically journalled rotor (3) and a stator (2) which comprises a drive winding (6) having at least two loops (61, 62) for producing a magnetic drive field which produces a torque on the rotor (3), and has a control winding (7) having at least three loops (71, 72, 73, 74) for producing a magnetic control field by means of which the position of the rotor (3) with respect to the stator (2) can be regulated, with each loop (61, 62) of the drive winding (6) belonging to a different electrical drive phase and each loop (71-74) of the control winding (7) belonging to a different electrical control phase, and having a setting device (4) which supplies each loop (61, 62) of the drive winding (6) and each loop (71-74) of the control winding (7) with a phase current or a phase voltage as a setting parameter, with the setting device (4) being designed in such a manner that the setting parameter for each loop (61, 62) of the drive winding (6) and for e
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: Levitronix LLC
    Inventors: Reto Schob, Thomas Gempp
  • Patent number: 6297574
    Abstract: A magnetic bearing apparatus for the journalling of a body (3), in particular of a rotor (3), comprises a stator (2) with a control winding (22) having at least three loops (22a, 22b, 22c) for the production of a magnetic control field by means of which the position of the body (3) relative to the stator (2) can be regulated, with each loop (22a, 22b, 22c) belonging to a different electrical phase, and a control device (4) which in a first operating mode supplies each loop (22a, 22b, 22c) with in each case a phase current (Ia, Ib, Ic) or in each case a phase voltage (Ua, Ub, Uc) as a control parameter. Means are provided in order to regulate the control parameter for each loop (22a, 22b, 22c) independently of the control parameter for the other loops (22a, 22b, 22c) as well as a monitoring unit (5) which can switch the bearing apparatus into a second operating mode in which a reduced number of phases, which is at least two, produces the magnetic control field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2001
    Assignee: Lust Antriebstechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Reto Schöb, Peter Jenckel, Hans-Georg Reiter
  • Patent number: 6278251
    Abstract: A permanent magnetically excited electrical rotary drive for a blood pump is proposed, comprising a permanent magnetic rotor and a stator, said stator comprising a drive winding having at least two loops for the production of a magnetic drive field which produces a torque on the rotor, with each loop belonging to a different electrical phase, furthermore comprising a setting device which supplies each loop in each case with a phase current or in each case with a phase voltage as a setting parameter, with the setting device comprising a separate power amplifier for each loop so that the setting parameter for each loop can be regulated independently of the setting parameter for the other loops.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignees: Sulzer Electronics AG, Lust Antriebstechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Reto Schöb
  • Publication number: 20010013733
    Abstract: A radial, active magnetic bearing apparatus (6) comprising at least three electromagnets (2u, 2v, 2w) which are distributedly arranged is excited by a three-phase rotary current controller (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 1998
    Publication date: August 16, 2001
    Inventor: RETO SCHOB
  • Patent number: 6249067
    Abstract: In a method for the determination of the radial position of a permanent magnetic rotor (1) in an electromagnetic rotary drive which is designed as a bearing-free motor with a stator (2) and the magnetically journalled rotor (1) the magnetic flux which is produced by the rotor (1) is determined by means of sensors (LS1, LS2, LS3) in the space between the rotor (1) and the stator (2) at least at two different measurement locations. The radial position of the rotor (1) is established with the help of the magnetic flux which is determined at the measurement locations and with the help of the magnetic flux which results at the measurement locations when the rotor (1) is arranged so as to be centered. Furthermore, a sensor arrangement for the determination of the radial position of the permanent magnetic rotor is proposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignees: Sulzer Electronics AG, Lust Antriebstechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Reto Schob, Natale Barletta
  • Patent number: 6220832
    Abstract: A centrifugal pump for delivering a fluid has a pump housing that comprises a first and a second inlet as well as a first and a second outlet for the fluid, a magnetically mounted impeller located inside pump housing, said impeller being rotatable around a rotation axis, and comprising a magnetically active rotor in the shape of a disk or ring, as well as two sets of vanes, with one set of vanes being provided on each of the two axial boundary surfaces of rotor. The two outlets are offset with respect to one another in the axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignees: Sulzer Electronics AG, Lust Antriebstechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Reto Schöb
  • Patent number: 6222290
    Abstract: A sensor arrangement in an electromagnetic rotary drive which is designed as a bearing-free motor with a magnetically journalled, permanent magnetic rotor (1) and a stator (2), said sensor arrangement serving for the determination of the direction of the rotor magnetisation and/or of the axial position of the rotor (1), comprises at least two sensors (S1, S2, S3) for the determination of a magnetic flux. The two sensors (S1, S2, S3) are arranged in such a manner with respect to the rotor (1) that partial fluxes of that magnetic field which the stray field of the permanent magnetic rotor (1) produces can be determined with them. Furthermore, a method for the determination of the direction of the rotor magnetisation is proposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignees: Sulzer Electronics AG, Lust Antriebstechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Reto Schöb, Natale Barletta
  • Patent number: 6181040
    Abstract: A magnetically journalled rotational arrangement comprises a bearing stator and a rotor, with the bearing stator being magnetically coupled to the rotor and producing a magnetic journalling of the rotor. The bearing stator is rotatably journalled. Furthermore, a rotary drive which is associated with the bearing stator is provided, with a rotation of the bearing stator producing a rotation of the rotor via the magnetic coupling of the stator to the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignees: Sulzer Electronics AG, Lust Antriebstechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Reto Schöb
  • Patent number: 6171078
    Abstract: A centrifugal pump for delivering a fluid, especially for delivering blood, has a pump housing (2) that has an inlet (3) and an outlet (4) for the fluid, as well as an impeller (5) located inside pump housing (2), said impeller having a plurality of vanes (51) and being rotatable around a rotational axis (A), as well as means for driving impeller (5). Outlet (4) is located offset in the axial direction with respect to impeller (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2001
    Assignees: Sulzer Electronics AG, Lust Antriebstechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Reto Schöb
  • Patent number: 6130494
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for the contact-free journalling of a rotor by rotary field machine stators. The rotary field machine stators are magnetically coupled, on the one hand, via the rotor of ferromagnetic material and, on the other hand, via a flux conduction ring of a ferromagnetic material and/or a housing of a ferromagnetic material. The radial magnetic bearing forces in the rotary field machine stators are produced in that means are present in the arrangement which produce magnetic unipolar fluxes flowing through the rotary field machine stators. Two-pole control fluxes are superimposed on the unipolar fluxes in the rotary field machine stators, and the control fluxes are controlled by the currents in two-pole rotary field windings. The position of the rotor is measured by position sensors. A control apparatus calculates the required phase currents as a result of the position signals and feeds the rotary field windings in such a manner that the rotor is held in suspension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Assignees: Sulzer Electroncis AG, Lust Antriebstechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Reto Schob
  • Patent number: 6053705
    Abstract: The rotary pump (3) according to the invention comprises a housing (9) and a rotor (2) with blades (1b) located inside the housing (9), with the rotor (2) comprising a passive, magnetically effective rotor part (1) and the housing (9) being surrounded by a stator (7) that has electrical windings (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e, 8f, 8g, 8h) and teeth (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e, 7f, 7g, and 7h), with the stator (7) and the rotor part (1) forming a bearingless motor, and with the rotor part (1) being actively controllable and drivable by means of the electrical windings (8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e, 8f, 8g, 8h) relative to three degrees of freedom, and with the rotor part (1) and the teeth (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e, 7f, 7g, and 7h) of the stator (7) being designed to be geometrically adapted to one another and arranged with respect to one another in such fashion that the rotor part (1) can be held by passively acting reluctance forces in the stator (7) with respect to three additional non-actively-controllable degrees of freedom, in order to loc
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignees: Sulzer Electronics AG, Lust Antriebstechnik GmbH
    Inventors: Reto Schob, Jorg Hugel
  • Patent number: 5939813
    Abstract: The gap tube motor comprises a rotor, a stator and a gap tube which is arranged between the rotor and the stator, with at least two bearing apparatuses being arranged with a spacing in the axial direction (A) with respect to the rotor, and with at least one of the bearing apparatuses being designed as a bearing and drive apparatus and comprising both an electrical motor drive apparatus and a magnetic bearing apparatus in order to both drive the rotor and to journal the rotor in the radial direction without contact using this bearing and drive apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1999
    Assignees: Sulzer Electronics AG, Lust Antriebstechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Reto Schob
  • Patent number: 5917297
    Abstract: The arrangement or apparatus for operating a magnetically suspended, electromotoric drive apparatus in the event of a mains disturbance comprises a drive converter feeding the drive apparatus, a driver feeding a magnetic bearing and a voltage converter, which are connected to a common intermediate circuit. The voltage converter feeds a stopping control apparatus and the drive converter can be switched to a regeneratively acting mode of operation by the stopping control apparatus in the event of a mains disturbance in order to provide at least the driver feeding the magnetic bearing and the stopping control apparatus with electrical energy via the intermediate circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignees: Lust Antriebstechnik GmbH, Sulzer Electronics AG
    Inventors: Christian Gerster, Reto Schob, Thomas Gempp
  • Patent number: 5708346
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for the control of an AC-machine is set forth with a special winding for the combined generation of a torque and of a transverse force in the machine. In this arrangement, the magnitude and direction of a transverse force acting on the rotor of an AC-machine is controlled via the current of a control winding of the machine. For this purpose, the magnitude and direction of a flux of the machine generated by a drive winding and also the torque-forming component of the drive current is detected. From these parameters, the desired value of the control current vector can be precisely calculated via a decoupling equation in a coordinate system which is rotating with the machine flux. Through vector rotation, through the flux angle and a constant angle, which takes into account of the position of the winding axes of the drive and control windings, the desired value of the control current vector can be transformed into the stator coordinate system of the control winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1996
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1998
    Assignees: Sulzer Electronics AG, Lust Antriebstechnik GmbH
    Inventor: Reto Schob
  • Patent number: 5566063
    Abstract: A method and a device for driving a series circuit of power semicondutor switches (2) are specified. In this case, the voltage loading of the individual switches of the series circuit is balanced by providing that the voltage (Uce1 . . . Ucen) across each switch of the series circuit is measured as the controlled variable, and that this measured voltage is used to vary the switching instants in such a way that the voltage loading during switching is essentially equal for all the switches. In addition, the level of the control voltage (Ugeoff1 . . . Ugeoffn) in the blocking state can be influenced with the aid of the measured voltage in such a way that the blocking voltages of the switches are essentially equal. The advantage of the invention is to be seen in that the voltage loading of the individual semiconductors can be balanced not only during switching, but also in the blocking state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 15, 1996
    Assignee: ABB Management AG
    Inventors: Christian Gerster, Reto Schob