Spring Or Gravity Drive Patents (Class 310/75A)
  • Patent number: 6140723
    Abstract: An oral hygiene device comprises a rotating body 22 mounted to a rotating shaft 21 of an electric motor 14, an output shaft 11 resiliently supported via a resonance pin 25 to be swingable finely, a drive magnetic body 23 provided on the rotating body 22, and a driven magnetic body 31 provided on the output shaft 11 to face the drive magnetic body 23 so as to be out of contact therewith. The drive magnetic body 23 and the driven magnetic body 31 are composed of permanent magnets, and as the rotating body 22 revolves, a varying magnetic field is generated between the both magnetic bodies 23, 31 to cause vibration of the output shaft 11 at high speed. In this manner, there are provided a vibration generating device, which can be manufactured at low cost and efficiently transmits vibration, and an oral hygiene device using the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: Sunstar Inc.
    Inventors: Tsuguo Matsui, Michihisa Sugimoto, Masaharu Kita
  • Patent number: 6097675
    Abstract: A generator of an electronically controlled mechanical timepiece comprises a mechanical energy source, a generator, a train wheel and an electronic circuit. The train wheel connects the mechanical energy source and the generator. The generator includes a rotor, a first plate-shaped stator, a second plate-shaped stator, a pair of semi-circular stator holes and at least a first coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2000
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Osamu Takahashi, Tatsuo Hara, Masatoshi Moteki, Eiichi Nagasaka
  • Patent number: 6091177
    Abstract: A support system for an electric generator having a spring bar connected between the stator frame and a vertical spring plate mounted on a foundation. The spring bar provides flexibility in the tangential direction to minimize the magnitude of torque loads transmitted to the foundation during short circuit operating conditions. The spring plate provides flexibility in the radial direction to minimize the magnitude of vibration loads transmitted to the foundation during normal operating conditions. The combination of a spring bar with a spring plate allows the support system designer to optimize the natural frequency of the support system in both the tangential and radial directions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2000
    Assignee: Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation
    Inventors: Luis Enrique Carbonell, John Barry Sargeant, Lon W. Montgomery
  • Patent number: 6081056
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor which comprises a drive system which has a stator (10) and a rotor (14), and a control system which controls the drive system and has circuit boards (21), (22), both being housed in a casing (2), wherein the casing (2) has a first conductive pin (25) for flowing a current to input power to the control system and a second conductive pin (26) for flowing a current to output from the control system to respective phases of a coil, and the circuit boards are supported by the first and second conductive pins. And, the invention relates to a method of manufacturing a motor which comprises the steps of using a first die (101) and a second die (102) which are mutually connected with a die split face (104) therebetween and a third die (103) which is inserted in the middle of the first and second dies, inserting and fixing a motor stator, a metallic cylinder and embedding members into a cavity formed by the first, second and third dies, and pouring a molten resin to effect resin molding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2000
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Kunihiko Takagi, Michio Sato, Akiyoshi Ishiguro, Kunio Tabata, Osamu Shinkawa
  • Patent number: 5923619
    Abstract: A generator, for miniature power consuming devices in particular, comprises a rotor wheel (4), which is coupled to a driven shaft and which has magnetized poles, a stator (5) having a plurality of windings for providing an electric voltage, a driving means (2, 33) for driving the driven shaft (3), and a transmission means having a resilient body (34) for providing a resilient transmission between said driving means and said driven shaft. Interrupting means (37) are provided for at least substantially interrupting the transmission between said driving means and said driven shaft as a function of the spring tension of said resilient body. The interrupting means preferably comprise a number of leaf springs, arranged around a disc, or a free-wheel clutch (37).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1999
    Assignee: Kinetron B.V.
    Inventors: Petrus Matheus Josephus Knapen, Paulus Adrianus Ferdinand Maria Goemans, Bernardus Johannes Meyer
  • Patent number: 5917259
    Abstract: An improved connection coupling for providing rotary motion from an electric motor rotor to a load wherein a mechanical coupling element is attached to an end of the rotor and to the shaft of the load. The free end of the rotor includes a cavity which extends axially from the end surface of the rotor inward to allow for insertion of a portion of the mechanical coupling element in the cavity. The walls of the cavity do not contact the portion of the mechanical coupling element to allow this mechanical coupling element to move freely in the rotation direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 29, 1999
    Assignee: Stridsberg Innovation AB
    Inventor: Lennart Stridsberg
  • Patent number: 5386165
    Abstract: In order to be able to completely eliminate the axial play of an armature spindle of an electric motor, especially for a windshield wiping system of a motor vehicle, even though conditions change over time, a prestressing member acted upon by a spring leg continuously presses against the end of the armature spindle. The prestressing member does not necessarily have to abut directly on the end of the armature spindle, but rather a cap is inserted onto the end of the armature spindle and non-rotatably fixed to the motor housing or a gear housing. An eccentric formed as the housing of the prestressing member abuts on the outside of the bottom of the cap. In an alternative embodiment, a mushroom shaped prestressing member having a mushroom head presses against the end of the armature spindle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1993
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1995
    Assignee: SWF Auto-Electric GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Bruhn, Bernd Walther
  • Patent number: 5205534
    Abstract: A zone valve for a hydronic system (either heating or cooling) in which a motor-driven actuator rotates a ball valve through approximately 90.degree., between closed and opened positions. The ball valve provides lower flow resistance than that of conventional heat-motor and motorized zone valves, allowing the use of lower rated pumps, and allowing a single size valve to serve most applications. A restoring torque is provided by a tension spring so configured that it provides sufficient restoring torque to overcome the frictional torque of the ball valve. The restoring torque is kept from building up during rotation by configuring the spring in such a manner that its force varies inversely with the effective moment arm. The restoring torque varies by no more than 20% (preferably no more than 10%) during rotation of the ball valve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: April 27, 1993
    Assignee: Taco, Inc.
    Inventor: Attilio G. Giordani
  • Patent number: 4644246
    Abstract: An electric power supply system for portable miniature size power consuming devices, comprising an AC generator, a rechargeable battery and a charging device to be fed from the AC generator and maintaining the battery charging level, the AC generator comprising a multi-polar rotor wheel having permanently magnetized poles, a stator having one or more windings providing the AC current and an eccentric mass driving the permanently magnetized rotor wheel; the rotor wheel, the stator and the eccentric mass being mounted coaxially, a transmission being arranged between the eccentric mass and the rotor wheel. According to the invention the transmission is a loose coupling means to be tightened by magnetic fields between the poles of the rotor wheel and the respective poles of the stator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1987
    Assignee: Kinetron B. V.
    Inventor: Petrus M. J. Knapen
  • Patent number: 4598594
    Abstract: An impulse generator for a fluid meter register is comprised of a rotatable armature which produces a magnetic field and which is intermittently driven by the register gear train against the bias of a spring. When released from the gear train the armature rotates under the influence of the spring, the magnetic field acting on the turns of a coil to produce a voltage pulse in the coil. A release mechanism between the armature and the register gear train is arranged so that the resisting torque applied to the gear train by the spring when the armature is driven against the spring bias, is substantially constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1985
    Date of Patent: July 8, 1986
    Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
    Inventor: Elmer F. Painley
  • Patent number: 4494024
    Abstract: A motor shaft is inserted through the center of a first and second coil spring. A first end of each spring is attached to the motor shaft and the second end is wound against its respective spring force and tied to the motor housing by a respective heat severable cord which is wound about a respective heater element. The first spring places a clockwise torque on the shaft and the second spring places a counterclockwise torque on the shaft. Each heater element may be selectively heated as by flow of electrical current, to heat a selected one element and heat sever its respective cord to release the torque on the second end of a respective one spring to rotate the shaft under the torque of the other spring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 1983
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1985
    Assignee: Magnavox Government and Industrial Electronics Company
    Inventor: Gerald W. Braun
  • Patent number: 4405872
    Abstract: Both a method and an apparatus for generating electrical energy from the rotation of a wheel are disclosed. The apparatus is disposed within a pneumatic tire of a non-magnetic wheel and includes a non-magnetic support track circumferentially attached around the wheel, at least one coil positioned along the track, a magnet slidably engaging the track, and an actuator attached to the magnet for developing a drag upon the magnet to cause relative motion between the magnet and coil as the wheel is rotated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1981
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1983
    Inventor: Stephen E. Thomas
  • Patent number: 4020689
    Abstract: A flow meter for measuring the consumption of a fluid such as tap water and indicating it digitally at a remote place from the detecting section, having a pulse generator; means for giving intermittent rotation to the rotor of the generator which comprises a cam plate with a dwell portion of the same radius and a plurality of recesses formed at the outer periphery thereof, a driving disc placed coaxially therewith and capable of rotating relatively to the cam plate within a prescribed angle, and an intermittently-driven member provided with a plurality of projections capable of being engaged with said recesses at the outer periphery thereof correspondingly to the cam plate and connected to the rotor shaft of the pulse generator; and a pulse motor capable of operating the indicating wheels by using the pulse voltage from the pulse generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1977
    Assignee: Kimmon Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hajime Onoda, Hiroshi Watanabe