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US 10,518,115 B2Granted
Braking mechanisms
AssigneeEddy Current Limited Partnership
InventorsChristopher James Allington, Andrew Karl Diehl, Bruce John Robertson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An eddy-current braking mechanism including a rotor, rotatable about a rotor axis; at least one electrically conductive member coupled to the rotor for rotation therewith; at least one magnet configured to apply a magnetic field extending at least partially orthogonal to the plane of rotation of the conductive member, and characterised in that upon rotation of the rotor, the conductive member is configured to move at least partially radially from the rotor axis into the applied magnetic field.
Claims60
An eddy-current braking mechanism including:
- a rotor, rotatable about a rotor axis;
- at least one electrically conductive member pivotally attached to the rotor for rotation therewith and configured to pivot about a pivot axis or axes on rotor rotation;
- at least one magnet configured to apply a magnetic field extending at least partially orthogonal to the plane of rotation of the at least one electrically conductive member;
- and
- a biasing device attached to the at least one electrically conductive member at a point distal to the pivot axis and to the rotor at a position to provide a bias opposing the at least one electrically conductive member movement resulting from rotor rotation;
- wherein, upon rotation of the rotor, the at least one electrically conductive member moves at least partially away from the rotor axis via the pivot axis or axes into the applied magnetic field, the magnetic field applying a frictionless braking force to the at least one electrically conductive member as the at least one electrically conductive member intersects an increasing portion of the magnetic field thereby providing a controlled speed of rotation of the rotor over an operating range of applied torques by balancing an increase in an applied torque with an equal and opposite increase in a braking torque arising from an induced eddy-current;
- and
- wherein the biasing device comprises a calibration mechanism configured to selectively increase and/or decrease the level of biasing device bias applied.
5 more elements
An eddy-current braking mechanism including:
- a rotor, rotatable about a rotor axis;
- at least two electrically conductive members pivotally attached to the rotor for rotation therewith and configured to pivot about a pivot axis or axes on rotor rotation;
- and
- at least one magnet configured to apply a magnetic field extending at least partially orthogonal to the plane of rotation of the at least one electrically conductive member;
- wherein, upon rotation of the rotor, the at least two electrically conductive members move at least partially away from the rotor axis via the pivot axis or axes into the orthogonally-extending applied magnetic field, the magnetic field applying a frictionless braking force to the at least two electrically conductive members as the at least two electrically conductive members intersect an increasing portion of the magnetic field thereby providing a controlled speed of rotation of the rotor over an operating range of applied torques by balancing an increase in an applied torque with an equal and opposite increase in a braking torque arising from an induced eddy-current;
- wherein the at least two electrically conductive members nest together when stationary;
- and
- wherein the at least one magnet rotates upon rotation of the rotor at a different angular velocity to that of the rotor.
5 more elements
An eddy-current braking mechanism including:
- a rotor, rotatable about a rotor axis;
- at least one electrically conductive member pivotally attached to the rotor for rotation therewith and configured to pivot about a pivot axis or axes on rotor rotation;
- a stop configured to limit the range of movement of the at least one electrically conductive member;
- and
- at least one magnet configured to apply a magnetic field extending at least partially orthogonal to the plane of rotation of the at least one electrically conductive member;
- wherein, upon rotation of the rotor, the at least one electrically conductive member moves at least partially away from the rotor axis via the pivot axis or axes into the orthogonally-extending applied magnetic field, the magnetic field applying a frictionless braking force to the at least one electrically conductive member as the at least one electrically conductive member intersects an increasing portion of the magnetic field thereby providing a controlled speed of rotation of the rotor over an operating range of applied torques by balancing an increase in an applied torque with an equal and opposite increase in a braking torque arising from an induced eddy-current;
- and
- wherein the at least one magnet rotates upon rotation of the rotor at a different angular velocity to that of the rotor.
5 more elements
An eddy-current braking mechanism including:
- a rotor, rotatable about a rotor axis;
- at least one electrically conductive member pivotally attached to the rotor for rotation therewith and configured to pivot about a pivot axis or axes on rotor rotation;
- a stop configured to limit the range of movement of the at least one electrically conductive member;
- and
- at least one magnet configured to apply a magnetic field extending at least partially orthogonal to the plane of rotation of the at least one electrically conductive member;
- wherein, upon rotation of the rotor, the at least one electrically conductive member moves at least partially away from the rotor axis via the pivot axis or axes into the orthogonally-extending applied magnetic field, the magnetic field applying a frictionless braking force to the at least one electrically conductive member as the at least one electrically conductive member intersects an increasing portion of the magnetic field thereby providing a controlled speed of rotation of the rotor over an operating range of applied torques by balancing an increase in an applied torque with an equal and opposite increase in a braking torque arising from an induced eddy-current;
- and
- wherein the controlled speed is a constant speed despite different applied torque through the operating range.
5 more elements
An eddy-current braking mechanism including:
- a rotor, rotatable about a rotor axis;
- at least two electrically conductive members pivotally attached to the rotor for rotation therewith and configured to pivot about a pivot axis or axes on rotor rotation;
- and
- at least one magnet configured to apply a magnetic field extending at least partially orthogonal to the plane of rotation of the at least one electrically conductive member;
- wherein, upon rotation of the rotor, the at least two electrically conductive members move at least partially away from the rotor axis via the pivot axis or axes into the orthogonally-extending applied magnetic field, the magnetic field applying a frictionless braking force to the at least two electrically conductive members as the at least two electrically conductive members intersect an increasing portion of the magnetic field thereby providing a controlled speed of rotation of the rotor over an operating range of applied torques by balancing an increase in an applied torque with an equal and opposite increase in a braking torque arising from an induced eddy-current;
- wherein the at least two electrically conductive members nest together when stationary;
- and
- wherein the controlled speed is a constant speed despite different applied torque through the operating range.
5 more elements
An eddy-current braking mechanism including:
- a rotor, rotatable about a rotor axis;
- at least one electrically conductive member pivotally attached to the rotor for rotation therewith and configured to pivot about a pivot axis or axes on rotor rotation;
- a stop configured to limit the range of movement of the at least one electrically conductive member;
- and
- at least one magnet configured to apply a magnetic field extending at least partially orthogonal to the plane of rotation of the at least one electrically conductive member;
- wherein, upon rotation of the rotor, the at least one electrically conductive member moves at least partially away from the rotor axis via the pivot axis or axes into the orthogonally-extending applied magnetic field, the magnetic field applying a frictionless braking force to the at least one electrically conductive member as the at least one electrically conductive member intersects an increasing portion of the magnetic field thereby providing a controlled speed of rotation of the rotor over an operating range of applied torques by balancing an increase in an applied torque with an equal and opposite increase in a braking torque arising from an induced eddy-current;
- and
- wherein the at least one magnet is coupled to the rotor for rotation therewith in a substantially opposing direction to that of the rotor.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.