WO2001082453A2

WO2001082453A2 - Electric motor assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2001082453A2
Application number: PCT/US2001/040576
Authority: WO
Inventors: Chaz Haba
Original assignee: Chaz Haba
Priority date: 2000-04-21
Filing date: 2001-04-20
Publication date: 2001-11-01
Also published as: WO2001082453A3; AU2001259798A1

Abstract

A motor (10) which includes a stator, a selectively movable rotor (20), and several brushes (26, 28). The stator generates several magnetic fields and each brush (26, 28) contacts the rotor (20) only when each brush (26, 28) respectively receives only one of the several magnetic fields which are generated from the stator.

Description

Description Electric Motor Assembly Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an electric motor assembly and more particularly to an electric motor assembly having improved efficiency, operation, and operating life. Background of the Invention

Electric motors are used to provide torque or rotational energy which is used to operate apparatuses or devices and/or which is further and/or alternatively used to perform some desired function or objective.

One type of electric motor includes several stationary and electrically conductive field windings or inductors which cooperatively form a "stator" and several electrically conductive windings or members which cooperatively form an electrically conductive coil and which are deployed upon a member which is selectively and movably contained between the various field windings. The electrically conductive windings and the member cooperatively form or are typically referred to as a "rotor". The motor further includes several brushes, which selectively contact the rotor windings, as the rotor moves and/or rotates.

Electrical energy may be selectively applied to the rotor and the stator (i.e. to the respective electrically conductive members or coils), effective to generate magnetic fields which cooperatively and/or interactively cause the rotor to move or produce torque. The brushes contact the moving rotor in order to substantially ensure that the rotor continues to selectively rotate, move, and provide torque in a desired direction. While these prior motors do provide torque, a relatively undesirable

"spark" or electrical arc frequently develops or is created between each of the contacting brushes and portions of the stationary electrically conductive field windings. This arc reduces the overall operating life of the motor by causing damage and/or reducing the overall operating life of the brushes and other portions of the motor. The arc also causes energy to be wasted, thereby reducing the efficiency of the motor and causes the motor to operate in an "unsmooth" or substantially "rough" manner.

There is therefore a need to provide a motor which has a relatively long and/or improved operating life, which operates in a relatively smooth manner, and which does not undesirably arc. The present invention addresses these and other needs. Summary of the Invention

It is a first object of the present invention to provide a motor, which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior motors. It is a second object of the present invention to provide a motor which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior motors and which has a relatively long and/or improved operating life.

It is a third object of the present invention to provide a motor which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior motors and which includes relatively thin and low profile brushes.

According to a first aspect of the present invention a motor is provided having a starter; a rotor; and at least one relatively thin and low profile brush which selectively contacts the rotor, effective to allow the motor to selectively produce torque.

According to a second aspect of the present invention a method for use with a motor of the type having at least one brush of a certain width and at least one selectively energizable coil which cooperates with the at least one brush to produce an electric arc is provided. The method comprises the step of reducing the certain width of the at least one brush effective to substantially eliminate the arc.

These and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and by reference to the attached drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a motor, which is made in accordance with the teachings of the preferred embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a side view of one of the brushes which are shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a top view of the brush, which is shown in Figure 2. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment of the Invention Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown an electric motor 10, which is made in accordance with the teachings of the preferred embodiment of the invention. As shown, electric motor 10 includes four stationary, electrically conductive, and selectively energizable coils or inductors 12, 14, 16, and 18 which, in one non-limiting embodiment of the invention, are substantially disposed upon a circle or form a circular arrangement. Other numbers and spatial configurations of coils or inductors 12, 13, 16, and 18 may be used in other non-limiting embodiments of the invention. Each of the coils 12, 14, 16, and 18 are physically and electrically coupled to an electrical power source 20 which selectively energizes (i.e., provides electrical power to) the coils 12, 14, 16, and 18. In this manner, the coils 12-18 cooperatively form a stator assembly or member.

Motor 10 further includes a generally cylindrical and selectively movable member 22 upon which several electrical conductors or selectively energizable members, such as electrical conductor 24, are disposed. The selectively movable member 22 is selectively and movably positioned between and/or is "contained" within the stationary coils 12, 14, 16, and 18 and, in one non-limiting embodiment of the invention, the conductors 24 may be selectively coupled to the source of electrical power 20 which selectively and electrically energizes the conductors 24. In this manner, the conductors 24 and member 22 cooperatively form a rotor. As further shown best in Figure 1 , motor 10 includes a pair of substantially identical brushes 26, and 28 which are disposed in contacting proximity to the conductors 24. It should be realized that additional numbers of brushes 26, 28 may be provided in other non-limiting embodiments of the invention.

In operation, as the coils 12, 14, 16, and 18 and the conductors 24 are selectively energized, magnetic fields are created by the energized coils 12, 14, 16, 18, and the conductor 24. These magnetic fields interactively cooperate to cause the member 22 to rotate in a certain direction, such as direction 30, and to provide torque. As the member 22 rotates, the brushes contact the conductors 24, thereby ensuring and/or causing continued rotation in the desired direction 30.

As shown best in Figure 2, each brush 26, 28 is substantially identical and is relatively thin and/or of a relatively low profile. In this manner, each of the brushes 26, 28 substantially receives or "is under the influence of* only a single magnetic field emanating from one of the coils 12, 14, 16, and 18 when the brushes respectfully contact the rotor 22, thereby substantially preventing the previously described and undesirable arcing. That is, Applicant has found that such undesirable and previously delineated arcing may be substantially reduced and/or eliminated if the brushes 26, 28, receive or are under the influence of only a single magnetic field from the stator when contacting the rotor. As used throughout the specification, the terms "low profile" and relatively thin cooperatively refer to the geometric configuration of the brushes 26, 28 and cooperatively mean a geometric configuration which substantially ensures that only one such stator generated magnetic field is received by a brush during rotor contact. In one non-limiting embodiment width 40 may be about 0.4 inches and height 42 may be about 0.3 inches, although other dimensions may be utilized. Further, it should be appreciated that other "non-thin" or "non-low profile" configuration may be utilized and may be effective to provide the same desirable and operational results.

It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact construction and method which has been illustrated and described above, but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as is described in the following claims.

Further, it should be realized that substantially the same improvements may be achieved by using wide or conventional brushes 26-28 and by spatially narrowing the magnetic fields generated by the coils 12, 14, 16, 18 (i.e. by modifying the shape of the magnetic field) to substantially ensure that end brush

26, 28 is under the influence of a single stator generated magnetic field when the brush 26, 28 contacts the rotor.

Claims

What is Claimed is:

(1) A motor having a stator which selectively generates a plurality of magnetic fields; a rotor; and at least one brush which selectively contacts said stator only when said brush receives only one of said plurality of said magnetic field.

(2) The motor of Claim 1 wherein said brush has a relatively low profile.

(3) The motor of Claim 2 wherein said brush is relatively thin.

(4) The motor of Claim 1 wherein said stator comprises a plurality of electrical coils.

(5) The motor of Claim 4 wherein said plurality of said electrical coils are substantially identical.

(6) The motor of Claim 1 wherein said rotor comprises a cylindrical member; and a plurality of electrical conductors, which are disposed upon, said cylindrical member.

(7) A motor comprising: a plurality of selectively energizable coils, each of which selectively generate a respective magnetic field; a rotor; and at least one brush, which is configured, to contact said rotor upon receiving only one of said respective magnetic fields.

(8) The motor of Claim 7 when said brush has a relatively low profile.

(9) The motor of Claim 8 when said brush is relatively thin.

(10) A motor comprising: a stator that generates a plurality of relatively narrow magnetic fields; a rotor; and at least one brush which contacts said rotor only upon receiving only one of said narrow magnetic fields.

(11) The motor of Claim 10 wherein said stator comprises a plurality oi electrical coils.

(12) The motor of Claim 11 wherein said plurality of said electrical coils are substantially identical.

(13) A method for use with a motor of the type having at least one brush of a certain width and at least one selectively energizable coil which cooperates with the at least one brush to produce an electric arc, said method comprising the step of: reducing the certain width of the at least one brush, effective to substantially eliminate the arc.

(14) The method of Claim 13 further comprising the step of causing said at least one brush to have a relatively low profile.