Patents by Inventor Robert J. Atmur

Robert J. Atmur 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: 10574109
    Abstract: A wobble plate motor includes a wobble plate and a stator. The wobble plate is made of magnetically susceptible material and has a wobble axis. The stator includes a permanent magnet and a set of electromagnetic coils and has a stator axis. The wobble plate is configured to nutate around the stator with the wobble axis precessing around the stator axis. The wobble plate has a mobile point of closest approach with respect to the stator. The mobile point of closest approach moves around the stator axis as the wobble plate nutates. The permanent magnet and the set of electromagnetic coils are configured to create a magnetic field having a flux density between the stator and the wobble plate with a highest flux density at a mobile location ahead of the mobile point of closest approach in an angular direction around the stator axis as the wobble plate nutates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Robert J. Atmur
  • Patent number: 10567714
    Abstract: Methods, systems and components are disclosed relating to the exclusive optical addressing of information for image display systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey H. Hunt, Robert J. Atmur
  • Patent number: 10543903
    Abstract: Actuators for high lift devices on aircraft are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes an actuator for a high lift device of an aircraft including a motor and a transmission, where the transmission includes a first gear stage and a second gear stage, the first gear stage including a first worm gear and the second gear stage including a second worm gear, the first worm gear, the second worm gear and the motor operative to prevent backdrive of the actuator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Christopher J. Heiberg, Patrick J. McCormick, Robert J. Atmur
  • Patent number: 10520063
    Abstract: A mechanical virtual elliptical drive, including an input motor, a wobble plate, a stator gear, and an output plate. The input motor may have a rotation axis, a substantially flat surface, and a rounded protrusion extending from the flat surface. The wobble plate may have a wobble axis disposed at a non-zero angle relative to the rotation axis. The rounded protrusion of the motor may engage a substantially flat face of the wobble plate, thereby causing the wobble plate to nutate around the stator gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Robert J. Atmur, William Patrick Sargent
  • Patent number: 10454404
    Abstract: A method to provide control for an alternating current generator. The method includes controlling the alternating current generator by modulating a three-phase wound rotor to counter-rotate the magnetic field relative to a shaft rotation, or alternatively to become synchronous to the shaft rotation. The three-phase wound rotor controls a frequency and a voltage of the alternating current generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Robert J. Atmur
  • Publication number: 20190264791
    Abstract: An optimized harmonic drive (“OHD”) is disclosed. The OHD includes a wave generator, a flex spline, and a circular rigid spline. The wave generator includes a wave generator contour that minimizes a velocity profile of the wave generator during a high load condition. The flex spline is attached to the wave generator and the circular rigid spline is mechanically engaged to the flex spline. The flex spline includes a plurality of flex spline teeth and the circular rigid spline includes a plurality of rigid spline teeth. The plurality of rigid spline teeth is greater than the plurality of flex spline teeth and the high load condition exists when the rigid spline teeth of the plurality of rigid spline teeth are fully engaged with flex spline teeth of the plurality of flex spline teeth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2018
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Robert J. Atmur, William Patrick Sargent
  • Patent number: 10392094
    Abstract: Example transmissions for rotating coaxial drive shafts in opposite directions are described herein. An example apparatus includes a first face gear coupled to a first drive shaft, a first elliptically interfacing gear coupled to a second drive shaft and facing toward the first face gear, the second drive shaft disposed within and coaxially aligned with the first drive shaft, and a wobble plate disposed between the first face gear and the first elliptically interfacing gear. The wobble plate has a second face gear on a first side of the wobble plate engaged with the first face gear and a second elliptically interfacing gear on a second side of the wobble plate engaged with the first elliptically interfacing gear. The wobble plate is to rotate the first face gear and the first elliptically interfacing gear in opposite directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Robert J. Atmur, William Patrick Sargent
  • Publication number: 20190249753
    Abstract: A self-aligning wobble plate drive, including a stator gear, a wobble plate, and an output plate. The stator gear has a central stator axis and a plurality of stator teeth. The wobble plate has a wobble axis, a plurality of face teeth, and a plurality of wobble teeth, and is disposed such that the wobble axis is at a non-zero wobble angle relative to the stator axis. The output plate includes a plurality of output teeth and is substantially aligned with the stator axis. At least two of the pluralities of teeth are configured to engage with each other in a self-aligning manner such that as the wobble plate nutates around the stator gear, the wobble angle remains constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Applicant: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Robert J. Atmur, William Patrick Sargent
  • Publication number: 20190212701
    Abstract: Methods and systems and components made according to the methods and systems, are disclosed relating to the generation of a holographic image, including a color-containing holographic image, generated exclusively optically addressing information to a projection system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2019
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Jeffrey H. Hunt, Robert J. Atmur
  • Publication number: 20190158003
    Abstract: A method to provide control for an alternating current generator. The method includes controlling the alternating current generator by modulating a three-phase wound rotor to counter-rotate the magnetic field relative to a shaft rotation, or alternatively to become synchronous to the shaft rotation. The three-phase wound rotor controls a frequency and a voltage of the alternating current generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventor: Robert J. Atmur
  • Patent number: 10267383
    Abstract: A self-aligning wobble plate drive, including a stator gear, a wobble plate, and an output plate. The stator gear has a central stator axis and a plurality of stator teeth. The wobble plate has a wobble axis, a plurality of face teeth, and a plurality of wobble teeth, and is disposed such that the wobble axis is at a non-zero wobble angle relative to the stator axis. The output plate includes a plurality of output teeth and is substantially aligned with the stator axis. At least two of the pluralities of teeth are configured to engage with each other in a self-aligning manner such that as the wobble plate nutates around the stator gear, the wobble angle remains constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Robert J. Atmur, William Patrick Sargent
  • Patent number: 10256757
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods to damp electromechanical device vibration are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a damping filter to be coupled between terminals of an electromechanical device. The damping filter is to enable damping of non-control signal frequencies, and to not enable damping of control signal frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventor: Robert J. Atmur
  • Patent number: 10215244
    Abstract: An elliptically interfacing gear assisted braking system may include an input shaft with a coupled input gear, a wobble plate, a rotor with a reaction gear, and an actuated brake mechanism, or brake. The input shaft may define an axis of rotation and the wobble plate may have a wobble axis disposed at a non-zero angle relative to the rotation axis. A set of face teeth disposed on one surface of the wobble plate may partially mesh with the input gear, and a set of wobble teeth on an opposite surface of the wobble plate may partially mesh with the reaction gear. Rotation of the input shaft may thereby cause rotation of the wobble plate and rotor. The brake may mate with the rotor and when actuated, slow the rotor with respect to the input shaft. Rolling contact forces between the surfaces of the wobble teeth and reaction teeth may then induce nutation in the wobble plate, thereby dissipating rotational energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Robert J. Atmur, William Patrick Sargent
  • Patent number: 10209675
    Abstract: Methods and systems and components made according to the methods and systems, are disclosed relating to the generation of a holographic image, including a color-containing holographic image, generated exclusively optically addressing information to a projection system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Jeffrey H. Hunt, Robert J. Atmur
  • Patent number: 10203022
    Abstract: A wobble plate drive system may include a stator having a central axis and a plurality of stator teeth disposed on an inner cylindrical surface. The system may further include a wobble plate having a wobble axis disposed at a non-zero angle relative to the central axis, an outer cylindrical surface, and an upper annular surface. A plurality of wobble teeth may be disposed on the outer cylindrical surface and a plurality of face teeth may be disposed on the upper annular surface. The system may further include an output gear having an output axis substantially aligned with the central axis and a lower annular surface. A plurality of output teeth may be disposed on the lower annular surface. The wobble plate may be configured to rotate, the plurality of wobble teeth may be configured to engage with the plurality of stator teeth, and the plurality of face teeth may be configured to engage with the plurality of output teeth as the wobble plate nutates around the stator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Robert J. Atmur, William Patrick Sargent
  • Publication number: 20190028679
    Abstract: Methods, systems and components are disclosed relating to the exclusive optical addressing of information for image display systems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventors: Jeffrey H. Hunt, Robert J. Atmur
  • Patent number: 10177641
    Abstract: A stator assembly for an electric motor includes a drive plate, a first magnetic core and a second magnetic core. A first core slot is formed in the first magnetic core and a second slot is formed in the second magnetic core. The first and second magnetic cores each include two elongated members joined at one end by a base member which are defined by the respective core slots. The two elongated members extend from the base member substantially parallel to each other toward the drive plate. A stator coil is wound through the first core slot and the second core slot. An electrical current flowing in the stator coil generates a magnetic field about the stator coil that is absorbed by the first magnetic core and the second magnetic core to generate a magnetic flux in each of the magnetic cores that magnetically attracts the drive plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: James L. Peck, Jr., Robert J. Atmur
  • Patent number: 10164501
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating a reluctance motor. The apparatus comprises a stator and a rotor device. The stator comprises a first stator component and a second stator component. The first stator component has at least three poles. The second stator component has at least three corresponding poles. The at least three poles and the at least three corresponding poles form pole pairs. The rotor device is positioned between the first stator component and the second stator component. The rotor device has two rotor poles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Robert J. Atmur, William Patrick Sargent
  • Publication number: 20180346086
    Abstract: Example transmissions for rotating coaxial drive shafts in opposite directions are described herein. An example apparatus includes a first face gear coupled to a first drive shaft, a first elliptically interfacing gear coupled to a second drive shaft and facing toward the first face gear, the second drive shaft disposed within and coaxially aligned with the first drive shaft, and a wobble plate disposed between the first face gear and the first elliptically interfacing gear. The wobble plate has a second face gear on a first side of the wobble plate engaged with the first face gear and a second elliptically interfacing gear on a second side of the wobble plate engaged with the first elliptically interfacing gear. The wobble plate is to rotate the first face gear and the first elliptically interfacing gear in opposite directions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventors: Robert J. Atmur, William Patrick Sargent
  • Publication number: 20180320760
    Abstract: A self-aligning wobble plate drive, including a stator gear, a wobble plate, and an output plate. The stator gear has a central stator axis and a plurality of stator teeth. The wobble plate has a wobble axis, a plurality of face teeth, and a plurality of wobble teeth, and is disposed such that the wobble axis is at a non-zero wobble angle relative to the stator axis. The output plate includes a plurality of output teeth and is substantially aligned with the stator axis. At least two of the pluralities of teeth are configured to engage with each other in a self-aligning manner such that as the wobble plate nutates around the stator gear, the wobble angle remains constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2017
    Publication date: November 8, 2018
    Applicant: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Robert J. Atmur, William Patrick Sargent