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Electric motor

April 29, 2008

An electric motor has a hollow-cylindrical motor housing containing end plates that are mounted in the motor housing via respective centering flanges. A discrete electrical component is connected in parallel to electrical connections of the electric motor that are formed by contact elements disposed on the first end plate. The component is linked with at least one of the contact elements via a lead. The lead is inserted in a first, substantially V-shaped groove that tapers in the direction of insertion. The groove is provided with a recess into which the contact element can be pressed.

Methods and systems for supporting acoustical transducers

April 29, 2008

Apparatuses and methods related to transducer arrays are disclosed. In one embodiment, an acoustical system includes a substrate with a plurality of conductive paths. A plurality of acoustical transducers can be carried by the substrate and positioned to form an array having at least one dimension. The acoustical transducers can be configured to sense sound and to transmit input signals to the substrate. The substrate can be configured to receive the input signals and to transmit an output signal to an output device. In another embodiment, a plurality of substrates having a plurality of conductive paths can carry a plurality of acoustical transducers, and can be coupled together and recoupled to fit into different volumes.

Laminated armature core for an electric motor

April 29, 2008

In an armature packet ( 1 ) for an electric motor, having a plurality of armature laminations ( 2, 3 ), in each of which a plurality of winding slots ( 4 ) for receiving an armature winding ( 5 ) are embodied, and the winding slots ( 4 ) of adjacent armature laminations ( 2, 3 ) are located in alignment with one another and form a conduit ( 6 ), a better positional fixation of the armature winding ( 5 ) is attained by providing that the winding slots ( 4 ), associated with one conduit ( 6 ), of different armature laminations ( 2, 3 ) have different geometries. The same is attained by providing that at least some of the winding slots ( 4 ) each have an influx conduit ( 11 ), each of which discharges into its region oriented toward the center of the armature packet ( 1 ).

Piezoelectric vibrating element and piezoelectric vibrator

April 29, 2008

A piezoelectric vibrating element that includes: a main vibrating unit vibrating in a constant direction, an exciting electrode being formed on a top face and a bottom face of the main vibrating unit; an open end formed on at least one of a plurality of ends provided in a vibrating direction of the main vibrating unit; an outer frame unit formed so as to surround the main vibrating unit; a connecting unit formed so as to connect the main vibrating unit and the outer frame unit, wherein the connection unit is provided between the main vibrating unit and the outer frame unit except an area where the open end is formed, and is composed of a recess concave to a top face of the main vibrating unit and a flat part approximately in parallel with the top face of the main vibrating unit; and a connecting electrode formed in a manner of starting from the exciting electrode, passing at least through the top face of the flat part, to the top face of the outer frame unit, wherein an angle θ 1 that makes the top face of the flat part with respect to a connecting face to which the flat part and the outer frame unit are connected, and an angle θ 2 that makes the top face of the outer frame unit with respect to the connecting face satisfy a relation: 90°<θ 1 <270° and 90°<θ 2 ≦180°.

Low noise stator winding having a phase angle shift

April 29, 2008

A stator for an electric machine includes a generally cylindrically-shaped stator core having a plurality of core teeth that define a plurality of core slots, the core slots extend between first and second ends of the stator core. A stator winding has a plurality of phases, N, each phase including at least one conductor having a plurality of slot segments housed in the core slots, the slot segments are alternately connected at the first and second ends by a plurality of end loop segments. At least one conductor has a slot segment that is switched with an adjacent conductor such that the conductor has an end loop segment having a pitch equal to N+1 and the end loop segment of the adjacent conductor has a pitch equal to N−1, wherein the end loop segments of the conductor and the adjacent conductor do not cross one another. The stator also reduces overall noise of an electric machine.

Brushless DC motor with molded resin housing

April 29, 2008

An invention is provided wherein the bearings of a molded motor do not become electro-eroded. An inner rotor type, brushless DC motor 10 is provided having a stator 22 which has a stator core 12 wound with a coil 16 , a housing 26 formed by covering the outside surfaces of the motor 10 with an unsaturated polyester, molding resin having electrical insulating properties, and an earth electrode 40 made of metal, installed to go through a metal bracket 38 and the housing 26 to reach the stator core 12 , such that electric current flows from the stator core 12 and the bracket 38 to the exterior, preventing electro-erosion and resulting deterioration of bearings 30, 32.

Brush holder assemblies including brush holders with handles

April 29, 2008

Brush holder assemblies are detailed. The assemblies permit on-line brush replacement and are interchangeable with devices currently provided by original equipment manufacturers. As well, they allow use of brushes longer than those employed in existing on-line replacement assemblies.

Electric generator

April 29, 2008

An electric generator 10 of the present invention comprises a permanent magnet 14 , a coil 30 , a yoke 20 , and attracted means 19 composed of a plurality of attracted pieces 18 which are arranged radially around the rotation axis 12 and are magnetized by the permanent magnet 14 . The permanent magnet 14 , the coil 30 , the yoke 20 , and the attracted means 19 are mounted on the rotation axis 12 and the attracted pieces 18 that constitute the attracted means 19 are each placed in positions that correspond to positions that bisect the spaces between the metal pieces that constitute the yoke 20 , so that the cogging torque exerted the rotation axis 12 is reduced.

Positioning apparatus and charged-particle-beam exposure apparatus

April 29, 2008

A positioning apparatus including a movable member for transmitting a driving force in a driving-axis direction to a stage, a first electromagnet for driving the movable member in the driving-axis direction by forming a magnetic path between the movable member and the first electromagnet and generating first magnetic flux, and a second electromagnet, which is positioned away from the first electromagnet and arranged in an overlapping direction, for driving the movable member in the driving-axis direction by forming a magnetic path between the movable member and the second electromagnet and generating second magnetic flux having an inverted polarity from the first magnetic flux.

Stator for an electrical machine

April 29, 2008

In a plurality of stator coils arranged on the yoke, each coil has a pair of ends, each end being adjacent to a respective end of an adjacent coil to form pairs of adjacent ends. A plurality of mutually insulated concentrically arranged linking conductors each has a plurality of circumferentially arranged terminal elements, each terminal element being electrically connected to a respective pair of adjacent ends to form a contact area in a common axial and radial position.

Piezoelectric crystal resonator, piezoelectric crystal unit having the crystal resonator and electronic apparatus having the crystal resonator

April 29, 2008

A piezoelectric crystal tuning fork resonator comprises a tuning fork base and a plurality of tuning fork tines connected to the tuning fork base, each of the tuning fork tines having opposite main surfaces and side surfaces, a groove having a plurality of stepped portions being formed in at least one of the opposite main surfaces of each of the tuning fork tines, a plurality of first electrodes being disposed on the stepped portions of the groove in at least one of the opposite main surfaces of each of the tuning fork tines, a plurality of second electrodes being disposed on the side surfaces of each of the tuning fork tines, the piezoelectric crystal tuning fork resonator comprising three electrode terminals and each of the three electrode terminals having a different electrical polarity.

Motor housing for small form factor drives

April 29, 2008

The present invention is a motor housing. The motor housing includes a centrally located rotor. The motor housing includes a stator having a plurality of stator teeth and a plurality of stator slots radially and symmetrically arranged about the rotor. Each stator tooth is spaced apart from each other by one of the stator slots. The motor housing also includes at least one printed circuit component deposited in at least one stator slot.

Securing assembly of bandages for synchronous motors with outer permanent magnets

April 29, 2008

A rotor structure for an electric motor includes a cylindrical rotor core assembly and a plurality of permanent magnets disposed on an outer circumference of the rotor core assembly. Wrapped around the rotor core assembly is a bandage to secure the permanent magnets in place, wherein the bandage has a bandage edge arranged in proximity of an end surface of the rotor core assembly. In order to securely fix the bandage edge in place, a securing ring is disposed radially over the bandage edge of the bandage to hold the bandage against the rotor core assembly.

Motor stator having transposed winding layers

April 29, 2008

An electric motor is provided with a multi-layered winding stator core configuration. A plurality of individual layers of wire strands are successively formed on each stator pole of a pole pair. Each winding layer is fabricated of the same relatively thin wire gauge. A first layer is applied directly on a pole and each successive layer is assembled on top of the last previous layer. Each layer of one pole of the pole pair is connected in series with a layer of the other pole of the pole pair to obtain a number of individual series coil connections equal in number to the number of layers. As inductance and resistance characteristics of the layers differ from each other as the layers increase in distance from each pole, layers from one pole of the pole pair are connected to respective layers different in order from that of the other pole pair.

Ultrasonic motor

April 29, 2008

An ultrasonic motor includes a circular stator having a piezoelectric element and a comb-tooth body having a plurality of comb teeth which are circumferentially arranged thereon, and a circular rotor having a rotation shaft, the circular rotor being in press-contact with the comb teeth of the circular stator. The circular rotor is provided with a projection which is in the press-contact with the comb teeth, wherein a width of the projection is smaller than a radial width of the comb teeth, and wherein a radial position of the projection varies along a circumferential direction of the circular rotor.

Method for displacing a movable element by means of a least two actuators facing each other and positioned on a stator, as well as a wave motor, displacing device and assembly

April 29, 2008

A method for displacing a movable element ( 3 ) by means of at least two actuators ( 4, 5 ) facing each other on a stator ( 2 ). Electrical wave signals are simultaneously applied to at least two actuators facing each other so that oppositely directed waves are generated in the surface of the stator. The two oppositely directed waves form a compound wave in the surface of the stator by means of which the movable element is displaced over a moving area located between the actuators.

Driving system for vibrating type actuator and method of driving vibrating type actuator

April 29, 2008

Provided is a driving system for a vibrating type actuator capable of simplifying a driving circuit. A vibrating body of the vibrating type actuator can generate a first mode and a second mode which are different in a vibration form, in accordance with an alternate current signal to be supplied. An alternate current signal having a frequency close to a resonance frequency in the first mode or the second mode is applied either between an electrode Va and a common electrode Vc or between an electrode Vb and the common electrode Vc of the vibrating body of the vibrating type actuator. One of the electrodes to be supplied with the alternate current signal is selected by a switching element operated based on a signal from a driving direction switch.

Alternator directly connected to engine

April 29, 2008

An alternator is composed of a frame, a rotor rotatably supported in the frame, a stator contained in the frame outside the rotor and other associated components. A front end of the alternator is directly mounted on a mounting surface of an engine having a fairly large size, and a front end of a rotor shaft is directly connected to an engine shaft. The frame includes inlet windows for introducing cooling air into the alternator and outlet windows for exhausting the cooling air after cooling a stator coil and other components in the alternator. The inlet and outlet windows are positioned so that cool air is always introduced into the alternator, preventing hot air once exhausted from the alternator from staying between an engine bracket and the inlet windows and being sucked again into the alternator. Further, the outlet windows are positioned at a radial outside of a front coil end of a stator winding, so that the front coil end is fully exposed to the cooling air.

High-torque motor

April 29, 2008

A motor that delivers high force linear motion or high torque rotary motion to a moving element. The motor may include a driving brake, a driver, a holding brake and a flexible moving element. Operation of the motor may involve activating the holding brake, activating the driver to flex the moving element, activating the holding brake to maintain the position of a portion of the moving element, releasing the driving brake, and restoring the moving element to an unflexed position. The elements are arranged to provide linear motion, belt-driven rotary motion, or directly-coupled rotary motion using brakes and drivers arranged in linear or circular fashion. Drivers may be linear or rotary actuators or motors based on electrostatic, piezoelectric, magnetic, or electrostrictive properties. The brakes may be applied through electrostatic forces, magnetic forces, or mechanical gears engaged with a linear or rotary driving mechanism.

Composite rotor and output shaft for galvanometer motor and method of manufacture thereof

April 29, 2008

A rotor is disclosed for a galvanometer system. A rotor includes a permanent magnet core, a sleeve and at least one shaft unit. The sleeve encloses and attaches to at least a portion of the permanent magnet core. The sleeve is formed of a material having a density of less than about 0.283 lb/in 3 . The shaft unit is attached to both the permanent magnet core and to the sleeve. An output device may be coupled to the shaft unit, and the shaft unit is formed of a material having a dynamic stiffness of at least about 1.00×10 9 lb in 7 /slug.

Rotary press for making tablets

April 29, 2008

Rotary press for making tablets with a rotor, which rotor exhibits a die plate and guides for the upper and lower punches, a rotor shaft and an electric drive motor, which electric drive motor rotates the rotor shaft and exhibits a runner and a stator, wherein the runner is disposed directly on the rotor shaft in a torque proof manner or is coupled coaxially with the rotor shaft in a torque proof manner

Piezoelectric actuator of an ink-jet printhead and method for forming the same

April 29, 2008

A piezoelectric actuator for providing a driving force to a pressure chamber of an ink-jet printhead for ejecting ink by deforming a vibration plate, the vibration plate forming an upper wall of the pressure chamber, the piezoelectric actuator including a lower electrode formed on the vibration plate, a piezoelectric film having either: (a) peripheral portions, the piezoelectric film formed on the lower electrode at a position that corresponds to the pressure chamber and having a space between the peripheral portions and the lower electrode, or (b) a lateral surface, the piezoelectric film formed on the lower electrode at a position that corresponds to the pressure chamber, the lateral surface of the piezoelectric film substantially forming a right angle with respect to a top surface of the lower electrode, and an upper electrode formed on the piezoelectric film for applying a voltage to the piezoelectric film.

Hard disk drive device, and fluid dynamic bearing spindle motor and assembling method thereof

April 29, 2008

A hydrodynamic bearing for a hard disk drive device is disclosed. An oil is filled in a clearance between an inner surface of the hub and an outer surface of the shaft, whereby a hydrodynamic radial bearing is formed between the inner periphery of the hub and the outer periphery of the shaft, and a hydrodynamic thrust bearing is formed between the top face of the shaft and the thrust plate. Between an outer peripheral part at the base end of the shaft and an inner peripheral part at the open end of the hub is formed a seal part in which a larger clearance is formed between the shaft and the hub than a clearance in the hydrodynamic radial bearing and in which the oil surface is positioned. An oil surface adjusting hole and a plug for sealing the hole are provided in the case opposite the seal part.

Method of assembling a sealed type motor-driven compressor

April 29, 2008

A sealed type motor-driven compressor includes a cylindrical motor housing and an annular stator core fastened to the interior of the motor housing. A method of assembling the compressor includes fastening the stator core to the motor housing by mechanically deforming at least one of the motor housing and the stator core. It is thus possible to set the fastening interference between the motor housing and the stator core to a sufficiently great level for suppressing loosening of the stator core with respect to the motor housing, which may otherwise be caused by a relatively high pressure produced by refrigerant gas.

Method of determining resonant frequency

April 29, 2008

A method for operating a torsion oscillator at its resonant frequency. The method performs an open-loop frequency sweep starting with nominal operation parameters saved from the factory or from a previous operation of the torsion oscillator. The sweep determines an open-loop resonant frequency and an open-loop drive level. A closed-loop resonant frequency sweep is performed and a closed-loop steady-state resonant frequency is determined. This frequency is used to calculate a closed-loop overshoot and a closed-loop steady-state drive level. The torsion oscillator is then operated in a closed-loop mode at the closed-loop steady-state resonant frequency and starting at the closed-loop steady-state drive level. Finally, the nominal operation parameters are updated and stored in non-volatile memory. The method minimizes the effects of ambient environmental conditions including air density on the steady-state operation of the torsion oscillator.

Crash management system for implementation in flywheel systems

April 29, 2008

A crash management system for implementation in a flywheel energy storage system (FESS) is provided. Implementation of such a system entails designing an FESS rim that is highly failure resistant, and designing the FESS such that if one, some, or even all of its components fail, they are physically prevented from accumulating and releasing enough energy to cause rim burst, thus leaving the rim intact and capable of safely remaining spinning even after one or more FESS component failures have occurred.

Sloping electrodes in a spatial light modulator

April 29, 2008

A method of tilting a micromirror includes forming a substrate, a micromirror outwardly from the substrate, and at least one electrode inwardly from the micromirror. The method further includes applying, by the at least one electrode, electrostatic forces sufficient to pivot the micromirror about a pivot point. In addition, the method includes providing the at least one electrode with a sloped outer surface. The sloped outer surface has a first end and a second end. The second end is closer to the pivot point than the first end, and the first end is closer to the substrate than the second end. The method also includes providing at least a portion of the at least one electrode with material properties that at least partially contribute to the sloped profile of the sloped outer surface.