Abstract: A motor driving device controls a three-phase motor and a single-phase motor to operate in parallel. The motor driving device includes a dc terminal in which an upper and a lower DC-link capacitor are located. The motor driving device also includes a neutral terminal disposed between the upper and lower DC-link capacitors. The motor driving device includes an inverter that includes three pairs of upper switching elements and lower switching elements. Two pairs of upper switching elements and lower switching elements among three pairs are connected to a-phase terminal and b-phase terminal of the three-phase motor, respectively. The other pair of upper switching elements and lower switching elements among three pairs is connected to a first terminal of the single-phase motor. The neutral terminal is connected to c-phase terminal of the three-phase motor and a second terminal of the single-phase motor.

Abstract: A method for providing the clamping force generated by an electric brake motor in a parking brake, the clamping force being determined as a function of the motor constants of the brake motor based on instantaneous measured values of the motor current and the motor voltage.

Abstract: In the hybrid vehicle, a boost converter is controlled to make a post-boost voltage or a voltage on the side of an inverter become a target post-boost voltage corresponding to a target operation point of a motor in accordance with a target post-boost voltage setting map that divides an operation region of the motor into a non-boost region and a boost region when a operation point of the motor is included in the boost region. The target post-boost voltage setting map is prepared so that the non-boost region includes a region in which a loss produced by driving the motor when not boosting the post-boost voltages becomes smaller than the loss produced when boosting the post-boost voltage and the boost region includes a region in which the loss produced when boosting the post-boost voltage becomes smaller than the loss produced when not boosting the post-boost voltage.

Abstract: An actuator system for assisting extension of a biological joint is provided with a motor assembly, a rotary-to-linear mechanism, and an extension stop. The rotary-to-linear mechanism includes a screw that accepts rotational output of the motor assembly, and a nut that cooperates with the screw to convert rotational movement of the screw to linear movement of the nut. The extension stop is driven by linear movement of the nut in an extension direction to cause extension of the biological joint. The motor assembly, the rotary-to-linear mechanism and the extension stop cooperate to allow unpowered flexion of the joint. The system is configured without a flexion stop, and is configured such that the nut cannot drive the joint in a flexion direction. Methods of use are also disclosed.

Abstract: An electromechanical system is configured with a variable frequency drive power supply which provides power to both a three-phase motor and to a single-phase motor. In some embodiments, the variable frequency drive also powers one or more additional motors.

Abstract: Provided is a method and apparatus for controlling a motor of a disk drive. The method is used to stably control the startup current of a motor by considering a voltage drop and the disk drive uses the method. The method includes managing power-on reset retry information generated during the startup of the motor and determining the startup current of the motor that corresponds to a power-on reset retry count included in the power-on reset retry information.

Abstract: A multi-powered electric motor system (21) is provided for a vehicle. The system includes first and second direct current motors (12, 14), each constructed and arranged to operate at a single speed. Current limiting structure (R1) is constructed and arranged to lower electrical input power to the motors so that a speed of the motors is reduced when the motors are powered together with the current limiting structure, as compared to a speed of the motors powered absent the current limiting structure. Switching structure (K1, K2, K3) is selectively operable to cause the motors to operate at various speeds resulting in three discrete power levels of the system.

Abstract: A mechanism controller for controlling power to motors of a mechanism having several motors, such as a robot. Each motor has a resolver for indicating the motor position. A driver unit is associated with each motor to supply power to the motor. Each driver unit includes a monitoring unit to monitor indications from the resolver of the associated motor. In one embodiment a control unit is connected to the driver units in a series circuit to control power to the motors and to receive the monitored indications from the monitoring units. In a second embodiment, the control unit is connected to the driver units in a ring circuit, rather than in a series circuit. Preferably, each driver unit also includes a memory device, and the control unit can send commands to the driver units and receive data from the driver units in sets equal in number to the number of driver units so that the commands and data do not need to include the addresses of the specific driver units.

Abstract: A winding circuit for use with different input signals includes a first main winding, a second main winding, and an auxiliary branch having an auxiliary winding permanently and serially connected to a capacitor. The windings and auxiliary branch are alternatively configurable in one of a first configuration or a second configuration for use with respective first and second input voltages. When in the first configuration, the first main winding, the second main winding, and the auxiliary branch are connected in parallel. The input voltage signal then may be applied across the first main winding. When in the second configuration, the first and second main windings are serially connected, and the auxiliary branch is connected in parallel with one of the first and second main windings. The input voltage signal then may be applied across the first main winding and the second main winding.

Abstract: Balanced-drive multiple motors each including an armature rotatably actuated by a field winding. Cross-coupled series excitation of the field windings is accomplished by electrically connecting the field winding of each motor in series with the armature of another motor, thereby balancing the rotational speed of all the motors when unequal loads are applied. A means for adjusting the proportionate speed of the motors is also disclosed.

Abstract: A system, which may be a cooling system for a motor vehicle engine, has two direct current motors together with switching circuits which provide selective connection of the windings of the two motors to a direct current voltage source in such a way as to obtain different operating modes for each motor. One of the motors has four brushes, the first of which is permanently connected to the first polarity of the source, while its second, third and fourth brushes are arranged so that they can be connected to the appropriate source polarities respectively through either three interruptors or two. The second motor has two brushes permanently connected, respectively, to the same first source polarity and to the third or fourth brush of the first motor.

Abstract: A hard disk drive having a plurality of disks mounted on the rotor of a current limited, electronically commutated dc motor. Windings on the stator of the motor are divided into serially connected run and start sections and first and seconds drive circuits are provided to operate the motor by alternatively enabling the first drive circuit to pass currents serially through the two sections of the winding and enabling the second drive circuit to pass currents through only the run sections of the windings. During spin up of the disk drive to operating speed, the first drive circuit is enabled and the second drive circuit is disabled to drive the disks to the speed at which the back emf limits on the acceleration of the motor using both sections of the windings reduces the acceleration to the maximum acceleration achievable at the current limit using the run sections alone. Spin up is then completed by enabling the second drive circuit and disabling the first drive circuit.

Abstract: A two motor assembly for driving two fan blades to move air through a heat exchanger comprising a first two speed DC motor comprising magnets for establishing a fixed magnetic field, an armature rotor rotatable to drive a first fan blade, a multiplicity of armature coil turns on the armature rotor, a commutator assembly on the armature rotor, and sets of brushes including a tap brush cooperating with the commutator assembly to alternatively operate the two speed DC motor (1) is a first speed mode wherein (A) a system voltage is applied and distributed across all of the multiplicity of armature coil turns to produce a net total back EMF and armature reaction interacting with the magnetic field to cause the armature rotor to rotate in the first speed mode and (B) a tap voltage intermediate the system voltage reduced across a predetermined number of armature coil turns less than all of the multiplicity of armature coil turns is provided through the tap brush and (2) a different second speed mode.

Abstract: The invention disclosed provides a control system for an electric vehicle which automatically slows the vehicle during a turn and causes it to be increasingly slowed as the sharpness of the turn increases. The invention includes means for regulating the field excitation in accordance with a field regulating signal; means providing an armature current indicative signal; means providing a turning angle signal which is indicative of the turning angle of the vehicle; and a field excitation selector which receives the armature current indicative signal and the turning angle signal and then selects one or the other or a minimum reference value as the field regulating signal. The signal which produces the maximum field excitation is thus automatically selected. If a turning maneuver is being carried out, the turning angle signal increases until, at some point, the field excitation becomes a function of the steering angle and the vehicle is then automatically slowed as a function of the sharpness of the turn.

Abstract: A mixing valve for mixing a first liquid with a second liquid. A control handle allows an operator to control both the ratio of the two liquids in the mixture and the flow rate of the mixture. A spherical guide body is rotatably disposed within an inside spherical cavity of a valve body. Separate inlet orifices inject a first liquid and a second liquid into the spherical cavity, while a third orifice discharges the mixture from the spherical cavity. A spherical guide body is rotatably disposed within the spherical cavity. A mixing cavity is disposed in the guide body to communicate with the discharge orifice and the two inlet orifices. A handle is connected to the guide body to allow an operator to rotate the guide body. If the guide body is rotated in one direction, the ratio of the area of the first inlet orifice communicating with the mixing cavity to the area of the second inlet orifice communicating with the mixing cavity is varied, changing the composition of the mixture.

Abstract: An electrically operated dual motor drive system having first and second reversible traction motors (14, 16) driven by a power source (18). Motor control circuitry (10, 12) for controlling the direction of current flow through the motors (14, 16) is designed to be actuated by only two coils (36, 42). Preferably, control circuits (10, 12) employ an arrangement of normally open (32a, 32b, 38a, 38b) and normally closed (34a, 34b, 40a, 40b) contacts such that the two motors (14, 16) operate in reverse directions in the event of a complete system malfunction. A line contactor (20) is advantageously utilized to simultaneously serve as a main power disconnect for a variety of motors within the system.

Abstract: A motor drive apparatus has G groups (G.gtoreq.2) of m-phases inverter units and G groups (G.gtoreq.2) of m-phases AC windings for feeding through the m-phases inverter units to the m-phases AC windings and G groups (G.gtoreq.2) of DC power sources which are connected to G groups of the inverter units so as to form alternative series closed loops on the DC circuit.

Abstract: A thyristor pulse controller in which current supply to each of a plurality of d.c. loads is controlled by respective main thyristors and a single commutating capacitor common to all the main thyristors is provided, the capacitor being connected across the main thyristors to commutate them one at a time at intervals not less than the time required to forward charge the commutating capacitor from the d.c. source and to reverse the charge on the capacitor.