Patents by Inventor Tom HILLMAN

Tom HILLMAN 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: 12062957
    Abstract: Various implementations include an axial flux machine including a rotor bearing a set of permanent magnets and a stator containing electro-magnetic coil assemblies disposed circumferentially at intervals about an axis. Each coil assembly has an axially extending stator tooth, one or more coils wound around the tooth, and one or more end shoes at an end of the stator tooth. The end shoes each have at least one circumferential edge adjacent a neighbouring coil assembly. In some implementations, radially innermost and outermost portions of the at least one circumferential edge are separated by a step projecting from the at least one circumferential edge. In some implementations, at least part of the at least one circumferential edge has a thickness less than a thickness of the inner radial edge thereby reducing a leakage flux between neighbouring electro-magnetic coil assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: YASA Limited
    Inventors: Tom Hillman, Richard Phillips, Tim Woolmer
  • Patent number: 12057749
    Abstract: Various implementations include a stator assembly for an axial flux permanent magnet machine. The stator assembly may include a set of stator bars and a set of shoes for the stator bars. A shoe may be provided at one or each end of a stator bar. The stator assembly may further include a set of coils each wound around a respective stator bar. Each shoe has an inner surface adjacent to the end of one of the stator bars. The end of each stator bar has a rim, and each inner surface has a cut-away region over part of the rim to reduce a component of magnetic flux at the end of the stator bar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: YASA Limited
    Inventors: Tom Hillman, Richard Phillips, Ryan Potter, Tim Woolmer
  • Patent number: 12040668
    Abstract: A stator having a plurality of stator bars disposed circumferentially at intervals around an axis is provided. Each of the stator bars has a set of windings wound therearound for generating a magnetic field generally parallel to the axis. A plurality of radially outwardly disposed electrical interconnects for connecting two or more windings together are provided radially outwardly of the plurality of stator bars and extending circumferentially along at least a portion of the outer periphery of the stator bars. A plurality of radially inwardly disposed electrical interconnects for connecting two or more windings together are also provided radially inwardly of the stator bars and extending circumferentially along at least a portion of the inner periphery of the stator bars. The outer periphery of the stator is devoid of radially outwardly disposed interconnects along one or more portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: YASA LIMITED
    Inventors: Tim Woolmer, Tom Hillman
  • Publication number: 20240106308
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing permanent magnets for an axial flux permanent magnet machine. The axial flux permanent magnet machine comprises a stator with a set of coils disposed circumferentially at intervals about a machine axis, and a rotor bearing a set of permanent magnets disposed circumferentially at intervals about the machine axis. The rotor and stator are spaced apart to define a gap in which magnetic flux is generally in an axial direction. The method comprises, for each (permanent) magnet, mounting the magnet in a magnet fixture in a cutting position relative to a cutting machine configured to cut along an array of cutting lines, and moving the magnet and the array of cutting lines to simultaneously make an array of cuts across the magnet, each extending through a thickness of the magnet. The cutting machine may be a wire cutting machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Inventors: Tim WOOLMER, Tom HILLMAN
  • Publication number: 20240014705
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electric axial flux machine comprising a stator, a rotor having a rotor shaft and at least a first disk-shaped rotor body that is rotationally and linearly fixedly arranged on the rotor shaft, and comprising a cooling device for cooling the axial flux machine. According to the invention, the cooling device comprises a first cooling channel module for holding a coolant, said cooling channel module being designed such that is can be placed as a separate component axially directly adjacent to the rotor body, on the side remote from the stator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2021
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Vitali REH, Christian LUTZ, Tom HILLMAN, Tim WOOLMER
  • Publication number: 20220247291
    Abstract: A stator having a plurality of stator bars disposed circumferentially at intervals around an axis is provided. Each of the stator bars has a set of windings wound therearound for generating a magnetic field generally parallel to the axis. A plurality of radially outwardly disposed electrical interconnects for connecting two or more windings together are provided radially outwardly of the plurality of stator bars and extending circumferentially along at least a portion of the outer periphery of the stator bars. A plurality of radially inwardly disposed electrical interconnects for connecting two or more windings together are also provided radially inwardly of the stator bars and extending circumferentially along at least a portion of the inner periphery of the stator bars. The outer periphery of the stator is devoid of radially outwardly disposed interconnects along one or more portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Tim WOOLMER, Tom HILLMAN
  • Publication number: 20220239177
    Abstract: Various implementations include a stator assembly for an axial flux permanent magnet machine. The stator assembly may include a set of stator bars and a set of shoes for the stator bars. A shoe may be provided at one or each end of a stator bar. The stator assembly may further include a set of coils each wound around a respective stator bar. Each shoe has an inner surface adjacent to the end of one of the stator bars. The end of each stator bar has a rim, and each inner surface has a cut-away region over part of the rim to reduce a component of magnetic flux at the end of the stator bar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Tom Hillman, Richard Phillips, Ryan Potter, Tim Woolmer
  • Publication number: 20220239210
    Abstract: Various implementations include an axial flux machine including a rotor bearing a set of permanent magnets and a stator containing electro-magnetic coil assemblies disposed circumferentially at intervals about an axis. Each coil assembly has an axially extending stator tooth one or more coils wound around the tooth. and one or more end shoes at an end of the stator tooth. The end shoes each have at least one circumferential edge adjacent a neighbouring coil assembly. In some implementations, radially innermost and outermost portions of the at least one circumferential edge are separated by a step projecting from the at least one circumferential edge. In some implementations, at least part of the at least one circumferential edge has a thickness less than a thickness of the inner radial edge thereby reducing a leakage flux between neighbouring electro-magnetic coil assemblies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Tom Hillman, Richard Phillips, Tim Woolmer
  • Patent number: 11276622
    Abstract: A semiconductor arrangement and an inverter incorporating the semiconductor arrangement, in particular to an inverter for use with traction power units e.g. for on and off road vehicles and stationary power inversion, are described. In the arrangement, semiconductor devices are thermally and electrically coupled to a heatsink as a module. The heatsink is configured as a bus bar to electrically connect the one or more semiconductor devices together to transmit power between the one or more semiconductor devices. The semiconductor devices may be cooled using the structure to which they are attached, and also immersed in a cooling medium to further increase the cooling of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: YASA LIMITED
    Inventors: Simon David Hart, Tim Woolmer, Christopher Stuart Malam, Tom Hillman, Richard Phillips
  • Publication number: 20200227334
    Abstract: A semiconductor arrangement and an inverter incorporating the semiconductor arrangement, in particular to an inverter for use with traction power units e.g. for on and off road vehicles and stationary power inversion, are described. In the arrangement, semiconductor devices are thermally and electrically coupled to a heatsink as a module. The heatsink is configured as a bus bar to electrically connect the one or more semiconductor devices together to transmit power between the one or more semiconductor devices. The semiconductor devices may be cooled using the structure to which they are attached, and also immersed in a cooling medium to further increase the cooling of the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Inventors: Simon David HART, Tim WOOLMER, Christopher Stuart MALAM, Tom HILLMAN, Richard PHILLIPS