Patents Issued in July 31, 2014
  • Publication number: 20140210275
    Abstract: A power generation system, apparatus and method to buffer power fluctuations are provided. At least one inverter (14) may be coupled to a photovoltaic power generator (10). The inverter may be subject to at least one operational constraint. A power-buffering circuitry (16) may be connected between the photovoltaic power generator and the inverter to buffer power generation fluctuations which can occur in power generated by the photovoltaic power generator, and satisfy the operational constraint of the inverter notwithstanding an occurrence of the power generation fluctuations. A controller (14) may be coupled to the power-buffering circuitry and may be responsive to the parameter of the photovoltaic power generator to perform at least one control action regarding the power fluctuations. Control actions may be performed by the controller independently of a control strategy of the inverter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Maozhong Gong, Bruce Gordon Norman
  • Publication number: 20140210276
    Abstract: A mobile terminal device performs short range communication with an R/W device and receives power from a power transmission device. The mobile terminal device includes a coil antenna, an RFID IC circuit that performs short range communication with the outside via the coil antenna, a charging circuit that receives power received by the coil antenna which is capacitively coupled with a passive electrode and switches that switch to a short range communication state in which short range communication is performed via the coil antenna or a power reception state in which power is received via the coil antenna. Accordingly, a power reception device, a power transmission device and a wireless power transmission system are provided with which wireless power transmission can be realized without obstructing size reduction by giving a single member two functions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Shinoda, Keiichi Ichikawa
  • Publication number: 20140210277
    Abstract: An inductive power transfer system comprising a primary inductor wired to a transmission controller and a power supply via a driver, and operable to inductively couple with a secondary inductor wired to an electric load via a reception circuit. The transmission controller instructs the driver to apply an oscillating driving voltage to said primary inductor in an intermittent pattern comprising an alternation of the driver being in an ON state and an OFF state, characterized by a transmission requirement profile. The level of power transmission during the ON state may be the power level at which the inductive power transfer system transfers power with high efficiency. The reception circuit may comprise a power storage element configured to store power received by said secondary inductor when said driving voltage is applied, and to provide power to said electric load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: POWERMAT TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
    Inventor: Amir BEN-SHALOM
  • Publication number: 20140210278
    Abstract: A capacitance bank system includes a plurality of voltage controlled capacitance cells and an output node. The plurality of capacitance cells have an anti-parallel configuration. The plurality of capacitance cells are configured to selectively provide cell capacitances. The output node is coupled to the plurality of capacitance cells. The output node is configured to provide an input capacitance step smaller than a minimum physical capacitor supported by a particular technology.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Inventors: David Gaied, Ahmed Nader Mohieldin
  • Publication number: 20140210279
    Abstract: A laminate panel (201) for wireless capacitive power transfer includes a clear protective top layer (206), a photographic layer (205) under the protective top layer (206), a conductive layer (202) under the photographic layer (205), and an inner core layer (203) under the conductive layer (202). One or more conductive layers in the laminate panels form a pair of transmitter electrodes, which couple to a power driver (110).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Maarten Marinus Johannes Wilhelmus Van Herpen, Coen Theodorus Hubertus Fransiscus Liedenbaum, Oscar Hendrikus Willemsen
  • Publication number: 20140210280
    Abstract: A packaged article arrangement is disclosed. The arrangement includes an article including an article energy source and an article transmitter unit for transmitting electromagnetic radiation; and a package that at least partly envelopes the article. The package includes an electronic circuit that includes a package receiver unit arranged for receiving the electromagnetic radiation transmitted by the article transmitter unit, the electronic circuit being arranged for using the received electromagnetic radiation as sole or additional power supply.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Braun GmbH
    Inventor: Martin Simeth
  • Publication number: 20140210281
    Abstract: A power supply system wirelessly transmits power from a power transmission device to a power receiving device, in which the power transmission device includes a calculation unit configured to calculate a distance from the power transmission device to the power receiving device, a storage unit configured to store a preset relationship between a power transmission efficiency and a distance from the power transmission device to the power receiving device, and a wireless transmission unit configured to wirelessly transmit the distance calculated by the calculation unit and the relationship stored in the storage unit to the power receiving device, and the power receiving device includes a receiving unit configured to wirelessly receive the distance and the relationship from the power transmission device and a notification unit configured to notify a user of the distance and the relationship received by the receiving unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takehiro Ito, Makoto Kikugawa
  • Publication number: 20140210282
    Abstract: Wobbling the operating frequency of a phase-locked loop (PLL), preferably by adding a periodic variation is feedback gain or delay in reference signal phase allows the avoidance of any non-detection zone that might occur due to exact synchronization of the phase locked loop operating frequency with a reference signal. If the change in PLL operating frequency is periodic, it can be made of adequate speed variation to accommodate and time requirement for islanding detection or the like when a reference signal being tracked by the PLL is lost. Such wobbling of the PLL operating frequency is preferably achieved by addition a periodic variable gain in a feedback loop and/or adding a periodically varying phase delay in a reference signal and/or PLL output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Dong Dong, Dushan Boroyevich, Paolo Mattavelli
  • Publication number: 20140210283
    Abstract: An operator control device includes: an activation element configured to provide haptic feedback to an operator, the activation element having a touch-sensitive operator control surface, and the activation element being configured to be activatable by an input member of the operator, triggering an activation signal; a pivoting axis to which the activation element is mounted so as to be pivotable about the axis between a position of rest and a switching position; a rotationally mounted magnetically influenceable element; and an electromagnetic actuator configured to be actuatable by the activation signal so as to generate a magnetic field that moves the rotationally mounted magnetically influenceable element from an initial position into a pivoting position. The movement of the magnetically influenceable element results in a torque sufficient to move the activation element out of the position of rest into the switching position being applied directly or indirectly to the activation element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2012
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Inventors: Thorsten Alexander Kern, Ingo Zoller
  • Publication number: 20140210284
    Abstract: A motor includes a rotation shaft, a stator, and a rotor. The stator includes an armature winding and a stator core including a main core portion with an axial stack of core sheets and a magnetic plate on an end thereof. Each core sheet includes a tooth formation portion around which the armature winding is wound. The magnetic plate includes a stacked portion and an axially extending portion. The stacked portion stacked on the axial end of the main core portion and includes an end located toward the rotor. The axially extending portion extends toward the outer side in the axial direction from the end of the stacked portion located toward the rotor and is opposed to the rotor in a radial direction of the motor. The axially extending portion is shaped to be magnetically skewed in a circumferential direction relative to the tooth formation portion and the stacked portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Inventors: Tatsunori BANBA, Hiroshi KATAI, Yuusuke TATEISHI, Yuuji YAMASHITA, Takumi SUZUKI, Kenji OBATA, Yoshimasa KINPARA, Takashi NAGAYA
  • Publication number: 20140210285
    Abstract: A reluctance machine includes a stator having N stator poles and a rotor having N rotor poles. Each stator pole has a stator winding, and the windings of the N stator poles are configured for excitation in a single phase. The current flow in the windings is controlled to support a constrained flux path across two air gaps provided by circumferentially adjacent rotor/stator pole pairs. The rotor may further be structurally configured to support that constrained flux path and preclude diagonal flux across the rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Inventor: Babak Fahimi
  • Publication number: 20140210286
    Abstract: A stator for an electric machine includes a stator core having a first and a second face and a circular row of stator slots extended between said faces and which are distributed around a stator axis; and, a winding bar comprising a plurality of basic conductors and a plurality of special conductors interconnected with one another to form the bar winding. The basic conductors each comprise two basic conductor legs and a connecting portion of basic conductor between said legs. The basic conductors are inserted into the stator slots with the free end portions protruding from said second face. The special conductors comprise a jumper of a first type having a first and a second leg of jumpers connected respectively to two of said free end portions, and one jumper connection portion between said legs of jumpers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2011
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: TECNOMATIC S.P.A.
    Inventor: Sante Guercioni
  • Publication number: 20140210287
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an annular-shaped stator structure includes forming an elongate stator body, the elongate stator body extending along a longitudinal axis, the elongate stator body including first and second ends and a plurality of slots. Electrically-conductive wires are inserted into the slots of the elongate stator body, whereby each of the electronically conductive wires includes a first end and a second end. The elongate stator body is then formed into an annular shape. The first end of the annular-shaped stator body is coupled to the second end of the annular-shaped stator body, and the first end of each electrically-conductive wire is coupled to that wire's respect second end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Victory Industrial Corporation
    Inventors: Chun-Yuan WANG, Chih-Chin CHANG
  • Publication number: 20140210288
    Abstract: A structure of a Brushless Direct Current (BLDC) motor includes a control board having an electric circuit therein, and a housing electrically connected to the control board. The housing includes a rotor having a permanent magnet, a stator in which a coil is wound, a protruding member protruding to one side of the housing, and a terminal electrically connected to the coil and disposed at the protruding member. The control board includes a socket electrically connected to the electric circuit and disposed at the control board. When the housing and the control board are coupled, the terminal and the socket come into contact with each other so as to be electrically connected to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicants: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, DH HOLDINGS CO. LTD,, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hoo-Sang PARK, Jong-Sang NOH, Jong-Man LEE
  • Publication number: 20140210289
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for providing a pre-determined axial thrust force profile for use in a rotating machine that includes a magnetically permeable rotor with first and second surfaces and a generally perpendicular shaft is disclosed. One or more bearings support the shaft and a coil induces flux in the rotor. First and second pole pieces disposed adjacent to the first and second surfaces define first and second gaps. A series magnetic circuit including the pole pieces, the gaps and the rotor carries flux generated by current flowing in the coil. Pole pieces and gaps provide substantially similar reluctance in both gaps. Magnetic saturation characteristics of a series magnetic circuit may provide a pre-determined axial force profile as a function of coil current. A first magnetic saturation characteristic may provide a maximum axial force at a first current magnitude. A second magnetic saturation characteristic may provide a lower axial force at a current greater than the first current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Inventors: JAMES T. ANDREWS, KARL THOMAS SCHUETZE
  • Publication number: 20140210290
    Abstract: A power generation device including a rotation member rotatable by an operation force and a supporting member supporting the rotation member by attracting the rotation member with a magnetic force, the power generation device inducing a current to a coil by a magnetic flux of a magnet caused by rotation of the rotation member, and where, when the operation force is applied in a first state in which the rotation member is supported by the supporting member by being attracted to a first and second portions of the supporting member at respective first and second positions, the rotation member transitions to a second state by rotating with the first position of the supporting member as a first supporting point, and further transitions to a third state by rotating with a position of the supporting member different from the first position as a second supporting point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yohei TSUKANAKA, Satoru NISHIMAKI, Takeshi MIYASAKA
  • Publication number: 20140210291
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a flux focusing magnetic gear assembly using ferrite magnets or the like. The present invention also relates generally to a flux focusing magnetic gear assembly using ferrite magnets or the like that incorporates an outer stator assembly that converts a variable input to a constant output. The present invention further relates generally to an axially aligned flux focusing magnetic gear assembly using ferrite magnets or the like. The improved flux focusing magnetic gear assemblies of the present invention find applicability in traction, wind, and ocean power generation, among other applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2012
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Inventor: Jonathan Bird
  • Publication number: 20140210292
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods for manufacturing magnets, and magnets, having magnetically oriented grains, and apparatus including such magnets. The field of a permanent magnet may be shaped by applying an external field to the material from which the magnet is made in such a way as to magnetize different regions of the material in different directions. The apparatus may include, and the methods may involve, a metal-powder press that may press metal powder in the presence of a magnetic field. The press may compress the powder in an axial direction. The field may have flux lines that are transverse to the axial direction. The field may have flux lines that are along the axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: ARNOLD MAGNETIC TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Gerhard Martinek, Urs Wyss
  • Publication number: 20140210293
    Abstract: A permanent magnet embedded type rotating electrical machine includes a rotor includes a rotor core formed by a plurality of laminated magnetic steel plates and a plurality of permanent magnets and a stator. Each magnetic steel plate has a plurality of pairs of magnet holes, pairs of joining portions and peninsula portions. The magnet holes of each pair are disposed at positions adjacent to an outer periphery of the magnetic steel plate so as to form a V-shape that is divergent toward the outer periphery. The joining portion is configured to connect the magnet hole with a circumference of the peninsula portion. A distance between a center of the rotor core and at least one of a pair of ends of the circumference of the peninsula portion is smaller than a distance between the center and an intersection of a d-axis of the rotor and the circumference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventors: Masanao Kagami, Yoshiyuki Nakane, Satoru Mitsuda, Noriyuki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20140210294
    Abstract: A rotor includes a circular rotor core, a plurality of ? magnets, and ring-shaped Z magnets. The rotor core has a plurality of magnet holding sections formed radially with a rotating shaft as the center. The ? magnets are contained in and held by the magnet holding sections such that the same magnetic poles of adjacent magnets face each other in a circumferential direction of the rotor core. The rotor core is such that N-poles and S-poles are alternately formed in a circumferential direction of an outer circumferential surface of the rotor core. The Z magnets are such that N-poles and S-poles are alternately formed circularly on an opposed face of the auxiliary magnet facing an end face of the rotor core in a direction of the rotating shaft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: MABUCHI MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Tadayuki Wakita
  • Publication number: 20140210295
    Abstract: A motor includes a base, a rotor unit and a driving unit. The base has opposite first and second surfaces. The rotor unit includes a magnet unit disposed on a rotatable magnet carrier to face the first surface of the base. The driving unit includes a circuit board disposed between the base and the magnet unit, induction coils disposed on the circuit board and operatively associated with the magnet unit, a sensor unit disposed on the circuit board and spaced apart from the induction coils, and a rotor positioning component disposed on the second surface of the base and capable of magnet attraction with the magnet unit for positioning the rotor unit relative to the sensor unit when the rotor unit stops rotating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Yen Sun Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Chien-Jung Chen, Hsien-Wen Liu, Chih-Tsung HSU, Tzu-Wen Tsai
  • Publication number: 20140210296
    Abstract: A rotor for a permanent magnet type motor has rotor core blocks in a multistage in an axial direction in which permanent magnets of a plurality of magnetic poles are incorporated, and has a stage skew structure in which the rotor core blocks of each stage are integrally formed so as to be shifted from each other in a rotational direction. The rotor core blocks of each stage have a flux barrier portion for blocking a short circuit magnetic flux between the magnetic poles, between the magnetic poles of the permanent magnet. A skew angle is set so that the flux barrier portions of the magnetic poles between the adjacent stages at least partially overlap each other in the rotor core blocks of different stages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: SANYO DENKI CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Toshihito Miyashita
  • Publication number: 20140210297
    Abstract: A plurality of coils C1 to Cm that constitutes a whole winding L of each phase is divided into g coil groups G1 to Gg for each phase. Each coil group is, for example, constituted by coils C1 to C4 wound around four polar teeth continuously disposed. The number of turns of respective end coils C1 to C4 of the coil group is less than the number of turns of central coils C2 and C3. Further, the whole winding L includes n partial windings N1 to Nn, in which a coil Cj (j is an integer in the range from 1 to m) is constituted by n sub coils S(1,j) to S(n,j) that are formed by the n partial windings. It is feasible to set a non-integer value as an effective number of turns of a coil when the number of turns of each sub coil is appropriately selected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: OKUMA Corporation
    Inventor: Tatsuya Shizu
  • Publication number: 20140210298
    Abstract: A stator of a rotary electric machine includes an annular stator core with a plurality of slots arranged in a circumferential direction, a stator winding formed by three phases of phase windings wound around the slots, and neutral wires for commonly connecting ends of the phase windings together in star-connection. Each of the phase windings has two partial windings that are electrically connected in parallel, ends of at least two sets of the partial windings formed by combining two partial windings among the total of six partial windings in different phases and the ends of the neutral wires are connected electrically, and the partial windings connected to both ends of each neutral wire include all the phases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akito TAMURA
  • Publication number: 20140210299
    Abstract: A commutated DC motor (10) includes a stator (12) and a rotor (14) mounted in the stator (12). The stator (12) has 2P magnetic poles, wherein P is an integer greater than 1. The rotor (14) includes a rotor shaft (81) with a rotor core (85), and a commutator (83) fixed thereto. The rotor core (85) has multiple teeth defining m×P slots therebetween, wherein m is an odd integer greater than 1. The commutator (83) has k×m×P segments, wherein k is 1 or 2. A rotor winding (87) formed by winding a single continuous wire is received in the slots of the rotor core (85) and connected to the segments of the commutator (83), and has k×m winding units. Each winding unit includes P coils in series connection and is directly connected to only two segments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Johnson Electric S.A.
    Inventors: Rui Feng QIN, Fei LIU, Ji Yu LIANG, Shu Hai YUAN, Xin Hui GUAN
  • Publication number: 20140210300
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a stator of an alternator, providing an elongated stator body having a plurality of parallel grooves, winding a plurality of wires in the plurality of different grooves, and then rolling the elongated stator body wound with the wires into an annular shape to form an annular stator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Victory Industrial Corporation
    Inventors: Chun-Yuan WANG, Chih-Chin Chang
  • Publication number: 20140210301
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a stator of an alternator, providing an elongated stator body having a plurality of parallel grooves, winding a plurality of wires in the plurality of different grooves, and then rolling the elongated stator body wound with the wires into an annular shape to form an annular stator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Victory Industrial Corporation
    Inventors: Chun-Yuan WANG, Chih-Chin CHANG
  • Publication number: 20140210302
    Abstract: A motor for use within a refrigerant atmosphere includes a plurality of laminations stacked along an axis, the laminations cooperating to define a plurality of teeth and a slot disposed between each pair of adjacent teeth, a plurality of coils each positioned around a tooth such that each coil is partially disposed in two adjacent slots, and a first phase winding formed from at least two coils, the first phase winding including a single continuous conductor. An insulating member is disposed within each of the slots and arranged to electrically insulate the coil within the respective slot from the laminations and a wedge is positioned within at least one of the slots. The wedge is operable to compress the coil within the slot. A rotor is positioned adjacent the stator and is operable to rotate about the axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Regal Beloit America, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Bernard Vodak, Martin Thomas Lange
  • Publication number: 20140210303
    Abstract: A bobbin is adapted to be mounted to a projection of a stator core of a rotary electric machine and wound with a coil wire. The bobbin includes a back stress generating portion configured to generate a stress acting in a direction opposite to a stress generated when the coil wire is wound around the bobbin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA YASKAWA DENKI
    Inventors: Manabu HARADA, Masanobu KAKIHARA, Kensuke NAKAZONO, Youichi SAKAMOTO
  • Publication number: 20140210304
    Abstract: A stator includes an annular stator core, a stator winding, and an insulating sheet member. In the stator core, slots are circumferentially arrayed. The stator winding includes conductor segments having oblique portions formed by open end portions being circumferentially twisted. The open end portions are inserted into the slots from one of two axial-direction sides and extend towards another one. The insulating sheet member is interposed between an inner wall surface of the slot and the conductor segment. The insulating sheet member is rolled into a cylindrical shape along the inner wall surface of the slot, and includes an overlapping portion and a slack portion. In the overlapping portion, two circumferential-direction end portions overlap each other. The overlapping portion is disposed on one of two radial-direction sides of each of the slots. The slack portion is disposed on another one of two radial-direction sides of each of the slots.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Akito TAMURA
  • Publication number: 20140210305
    Abstract: A reluctance machine includes a stator having a plurality of stator poles and a rotor having a plurality of rotor poles and configured to rotate about an axis of rotation. Each of the stator poles includes a primary stator pole and an auxiliary stator pole. The auxiliary stator pole is axially aligned with the primary stator pole in the direction of the axis of rotation. Furthermore, each stator poles is formed of a plurality of laminations extending in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: EVERETTE ENERGY, LLC
    Inventor: Babak Fahimi
  • Publication number: 20140210306
    Abstract: A motor includes a stator having a stator core, a first frame and a second frame, which are arranged on two axial sides of the stator core, a coupling member, which couples the first and second frames at a radially outer side of the stator while applying a holding load to the first and second frames in the axial direction, and a rotor, which is arranged at a radially inner side of the stator. The stator core includes a held portion that projects toward a radially outer side from a main circumferential portion of the stator core. The first and second frames hold, in between, at least the held portion of the stator core in the axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Inventors: Takumi SUZUKI, Yuuji YAMASHITA
  • Publication number: 20140210307
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods for harnessing flow-induced electrostatic energy in a tubular length and using this energy to power electrical devices (e.g., flowmeters, electrically-actuated valves, etc.). The present invention is also directed to corresponding systems through which such methods are implemented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Chevron U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Luis Phillipe Ferreira Costa Tosi, H. Mitchell Cornette, David R. Underdown
  • Publication number: 20140210308
    Abstract: An energy collection system may collect and use the energy generated by an electric field. Collection fibers are suspended from a support wire system supported by poles. The support wire system is electrically connected to a load by a connecting wire. The collection fibers may be made of any conducting material, but carbon and graphite are preferred. Diodes may be used to restrict the backflow or loss of energy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: ION POWER GROUP LLC
    Inventor: Clint McCowen
  • Publication number: 20140210309
    Abstract: Provided is an electroacoustic converter film including: a polymeric composite piezoelectric body having piezoelectric particles dispersed in a viscoelastic matrix which is formed of a polymer material exhibiting viscoelasticity at ordinary temperatures; thin film electrodes formed on both sides of the polymeric composite piezoelectric body; and protective layers formed on surfaces of the thin film electrodes. The electroacoustic converter film serves as a speaker capable of being integrated with a flexible display without impairing lightweightness or flexibility, and has considerable frequency dispersion in the storage modulus and also has a local maximum of the loss tangent around ordinary temperatures. A flexible display, a vocal cord microphone and a musical instrument sensor, in each of which the electroacoustic converter film is used, are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Tetsu MIYOSHI
  • Publication number: 20140210310
    Abstract: An acoustic wave device includes: a substrate; a functional element formed on the substrate and including an excitation electrode that excites an acoustic wave; a columnar electrode formed on the substrate and electrically connected to the excitation electrode; a metal frame body formed on the substrate and surrounding the functional element and the columnar electrode; and a ceramic substrate sealing the functional element in combination with the metal frame body, a first metal layer bonded to the columnar electrode and a second metal layer bonded to the metal frame body being formed on a surface of the ceramic substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: TAIYO YUDEN CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Takuma KUROYANAGI
  • Publication number: 20140210311
    Abstract: An electromechanical motor (1) comprises an object (2) to be moved, a vibrator beam (10), at least two protruding portions (12) attached to the vibrator beam, a normal force providing arrangement (40) applying a normal force (F) between the object and actuating ends (11) of the protruding portions for interaction with the object. The vibrator beam has vibrator beam electrodes (18A, 18B) for exciting at least one vibrator beam active volume (14) of electromechanically active material, enabling bending the vibrator beam perpendicular to a main extension direction of the vibrator beam and along the protruding portions (12). Control electronics (50), connected to the vibrator beam electrodes, is configured for providing resonance electrical signals causing the vibrator beam active volume to induce a resonant bending vibration and is further configured for providing quasi-static electrical signals causing a quasi-static motion of the actuating ends, superimposed on motion caused by the resonant bending vibration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2011
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: PIEZOMOTOR UPPSALA AB
    Inventors: Niklas Snis, Stefan Johansson
  • Publication number: 20140210312
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method of damping an actuator to reduce an amplitude of a resonance peak of the actuator, including a piezoelectric element and a translation mechanism, includes securing one surface of a restraint member having at least two surfaces to a movable part of the translation mechanism with an elastic or viscoelastic body therebetween, securing the other surface of the restraint member to a support portion of the translation mechanism with an elastic or viscoelastic body therebetween, and converting vibration energy of the movable part into thermal energy, based on distortion caused by deformation of the elastic or viscoelastic body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Akita Prefecture
    Inventor: Shigeki Mori
  • Publication number: 20140210313
    Abstract: Provided is an energy harvesting device having a self-powered touch sensor so that the energy harvesting device is capable of sensing pressure due to an external touch without using external power and harvesting and storing energy generated in response to the touch pressure. The energy harvesting device includes first and second electrodes facing each other, an energy generation layer disposed on the first electrode, and an elastic layer disposed on the second electrode layer, the elastic layer facing the energy generation layer and being configured to be elastically deformed according to pressure applied to the elastic layer. The energy generation layer is configured to generate energy according to the pressure applied to the energy generation layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyun-jin KIM, Young-jun PARK, Steve PARK
  • Publication number: 20140210314
    Abstract: A micro-electrical-mechanical system (MEMS) vibrating structure includes a carrier substrate, a first anchor, a second anchor, a single crystal piezoelectric body, and a conducting layer. The first anchor and the second anchor are provided on the surface of the carrier substrate. The single-crystal piezoelectric body is suspended between the first anchor and the second anchor, and includes a uniform crystalline orientation defined by a set of Euler angles. The single-crystal piezoelectric body includes a first surface parallel to and facing the surface of the carrier substrate on which the first anchor and the second anchor are formed and a second surface opposite the first surface. The conducting layer is inter-digitally dispersed, and is formed on the second surface of the single-crystal piezoelectric body. The first surface of the single-crystal piezoelectric body is left exposed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: RF Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Kushal Bhattacharjee, Sergei Zhgoon
  • Publication number: 20140210315
    Abstract: A micro-electrical-mechanical system (MEMS) vibrating structure includes a carrier substrate, a first anchor, a second anchor, a single crystal piezoelectric body, a first conducting layer, and a second conducting layer. The first anchor and the second anchor are provided on the surface of the carrier substrate. The single-crystal piezoelectric body is suspended between the first anchor and the second anchor, and includes a uniform crystalline orientation defined by a set of Euler angles. The single-crystal piezoelectric body includes a first surface parallel to and facing the surface of the carrier substrate on which the first anchor and the second anchor are formed and a second surface opposite the first surface. The first conducting layer is inter-digitally dispersed on the second surface of the single-crystal piezoelectric body. The second conducting layer is inter-digitally dispersed on the first surface of the single-crystal piezoelectric body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: RF Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Kushal Bhattacharjee, Sergei Zhgoon
  • Publication number: 20140210316
    Abstract: The present invention provides a composite substrate comprising a piezoelectric substrate that is a single-crystal lithium tantalate or lithium niobate substrate, a support substrate that is a single-crystal silicon substrate, and an amorphous layer containing argon and joining together the piezoelectric substrate and the support substrate. The amorphous layer includes, in order from the piezoelectric substrate toward the composite substrate, a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer. The first layer contains a larger amount of a constituent element of the piezoelectric substrate than the second and third layers, the third layer contains a larger amount of a constituent element of the support substrate than the first and second layers, and the second layer contains a larger amount of argon than the first and third layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicants: NGK CERAMIC DEVICE CO., LTD., NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Hori, Tomoyoshi Tai, Yasunori Iwasaki, Takahiro Yamadera, Ryosuke Hattori, Kengo Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20140210317
    Abstract: A composite substrate according to the present invention includes a piezoelectric substrate that is a single-crystal lithium tantalate or lithium niobate substrate, a support substrate that is a single-crystal silicon substrate, and an amorphous layer joining together the piezoelectric substrate and the support substrate. The amorphous layer contains 3 to 14 atomic percent of argon. The amorphous layer includes, in order from the piezoelectric substrate toward the composite substrate, a first layer, a second layer, and a third layer. The first layer contains a larger amount of a constituent element (such as tantalum) of the piezoelectric substrate than the second and third layers. The third layer contains a larger amount of a constituent element (silicon) of the support substrate than the first and second layers. The second layer contains a larger amount of argon than the first and third layers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicants: NGK CERAMIC DEVICE CO., LTD., NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoyoshi Tai, Yasunori Iwasaki, Yuji Hori, Takahiro Yamadera, Ryosuke Hattori, Kengo Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20140210318
    Abstract: An electric device for a bicycle has a casing, a pedal shaft, a motor shaft, a rotor assembly, a stator assembly, a gear assembly, a chain wheel and a control unit. Because a normal of the circuit board of the control unit is parallel to the motor shaft, the circuit board can be axially adjacent to a side surface of the rotor assembly to detect the rotor assembly. Thus, one single circuit board can detect the rotor assembly as well as maintain electric connection with other components, thereby saving space and reducing the volume of the casing. As the casing has a reduced volume, interference with the rear wheel can be avoided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Inventor: Li-Ho Yao
  • Publication number: 20140210319
    Abstract: A motor includes a base, a rotor unit and a driving unit. The base has opposite first and second surfaces. The rotor unit includes a magnet unit disposed on a rotatable magnet carrier to face the first surface of the base. The driving unit includes induction coils disposed on a circuit board, a sensor unit that is disposed on the circuit board and spaced apart from the induction coils and that defines a first reference line with the rotation axis, and a rotor positioning component disposed on the second surface of the base, extending along a second reference line, and capable of magnet attraction with the magnet unit for positioning the rotor unit relative to the sensor unit when the rotor unit stops rotating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: Yen Sun Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Chien-Jung Chen, Hsien-Wen Liu, Chih-Tsung HSU, Tzu-Wen Tsai
  • Publication number: 20140210320
    Abstract: An electric machine having a rectifier assembly placed within a rotating shaft of the electric machine to convert the AC output of the electric machine to DC prior to transmission of the electricity from the electric machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicants: POWEREX, INC., GE AVIATION SYSTEMS LLC
    Inventors: Paul James Wirsch, JR., Hao Huang, Donald Kevin Morozowich
  • Publication number: 20140210321
    Abstract: Mechanisms are provided to control the operation of a motor. In particular, a variable frequency drive motor controller is described which resides within a motor housing. Additionally, the speed at which the motor operates is based on a signal received from a Hall Effect switch or from a communication device in communication with a remote interface. The Hall Effect switch is also described; in particular, the Hall Effect switch features a magnet rotatably connected with one side of a motor housing. A Hall Effect sensor, located on the opposite side of the motor housing, detects the position of the magnet and outputs a signal to the motor controller, located within the motor housing, indicating the detected magnet position. Additional operating features are described relating to the safe operation and control of the motor in potentially hazardous environments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Inventors: Randy J. Dixon, Townes Lee
  • Publication number: 20140210322
    Abstract: A transparent display booth for displaying products and providing product-related information. The display booth includes a bottom panel, a back panel, a transparent front plate opposite the back panel, and a transparent display device located co-extensive with the front plate. The bottom and back panels have reflective inner surfaces. The transparent display device can electronically display product-related information, and products located in an interior of the display booth are viewable through the transparent display device to showcase the products and offer them for sale. Multiple transparent display booths can be combined to form a networked retail system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
    Inventors: Ralph R. Roberts, Jane K. Wardhana, Patrick A. Thomas, Rolf W. Biernath, Brian T. Weber
  • Publication number: 20140210323
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide enclosures for electronic components and methods for manufacturing the same. In one embodiment, the enclosure includes first and second sidewalls formed from a single elongated piece of sheet metal. The first sidewall, the second sidewall, a third sidewall, and a fourth sidewall define an interior space of the enclosure. At least one of the first and second sidewalls includes an edge region folded inwardly relative to the interior space to form a mounting channel. The enclosure further includes a backwall coupled with first edges of the sidewalls and a door hingedly coupled with a second edge of at least one of the sidewalls.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Inventors: Harold Dean Lakoduk, Scott Alan Schramske, Tim Gordon Lange, Kent Gregory Messing, Ronald Matthew Wacker, Robert Marvin Kalstabakken, Steve Jerome Johnson, Sheldon Odell Modrow, Joseph Davis Ricke
  • Publication number: 20140210324
    Abstract: An appliance apparatus includes an adhesively bonded bracket or support. In another aspect, a clothing apparatus includes a moveable transparent panel, such as a glass door or lid, which has a polymeric support or bracket adhesively bonded thereto. A further aspect provides polyurethane adhesive pellets bonding a polymeric hinge bracket to only a backside of a glass appliance panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: A. Raymond et Cie
    Inventors: Dorian J. Kilgore, William Teller, Jeffrey Moser