Back to results
US 11,804,790 B2Granted
Piezoelectric motor
AssigneeTaurus Technologies Holdings, Inc.
InventorsMarta Magnusson, Stefan Magnusson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A brushless electric motor is disclosed. A group of permanent magnets are physically attached to a group of piezoelectric actuators which push them toward or pull them away from a second group of permanent magnets when the piezoelectric actuators are electrically activated. The second group of permanent magnets may also be pushed and pulled with a second group of piezoelectric actuators. Alternate configurations using electromagnets are also disclosed. A novel configuration for the groups of electromagnets which maximizes efficiency in a piezoelectrically actuated motor is also disclosed.
Claims14
A brushless electric motor comprising:
- a) A group of piezoelectric actuators, the group of piezoelectric actuators comprising at least one piezoelectric actuator, all of the piezoelectric actuators electrically connected to a power supply;
- b) A group of actuator magnets, the group of actuator magnets comprising at least one actuator magnet, each of the at least one piezoelectric actuators mechanically affixed to the group of actuator magnets;
- c) A group of response magnets, the group of response magnets physically opposed to the first plurality of piezoelectric elements separated by a variable gap having a size, such that when one or more of the plurality of piezoelectric actuators are energized by the power supply, the size of the variable gap changes;
- d) A motor assembly including a mobile assembly and a static assembly, the mobile assembly mechanically affixed to either the group of actuator magnets or the group of response magnets, the static assembly mechanically affixed to whichever of the group of actuator magnets or the group of response magnets the mobile assembly is not mechanically affixed, such that when the size of the variable gap changes, a magnetic force is exerted on the mobile assembly, causing the mobile assembly to move relative to the static assembly;
- and,
- e) A group of actuator capacitor plates, the group of actuator capacitor plates comprising at least one actuator capacitor plate, the group of actuator capacitor plates connected to the power supply and mechanically affixed to a housing of the brushless electric motor such that when the group of capacitor plates are energized by the power supply, they form a capacitor circuit with one or more of the piezoelectric actuators, causing a current to be induced in the piezoelectric actuators in the capacitor circuit.
3 more elements
A brushless electric motor comprising:
- a) At least one group of static piezoelectric actuators, the at least one group of static piezoelectric actuators comprising at least one static piezoelectric actuator, all of the static piezoelectric actuators electrically connected to a power supply;
- b) A group of static magnets, the group of static magnets comprising at least one static magnet, each of the at least one static piezoelectric actuators mechanically affixed to the group of static magnets;
- c) At least one group of mobile piezoelectric actuators, the at least one group of mobile piezoelectric actuators comprising at least one mobile piezoelectric actuator, all of the mobile piezoelectric actuators electrically connected to the power supply;
- d) A group of mobile magnets, the group of mobile magnets comprising at least one mobile magnet, each of the at least one mobile piezoelectric actuators mechanically affixed to the group of mobile magnets;
- e) A motor assembly having a mobile assembly and a static assembly, the mobile assembly mechanically affixed to the group of mobile piezoelectric actuators, the static assembly mechanically affixed to the group of static piezoelectric actuators, such that there is a variable gap having a size between the group of mobile magnets and the group of static magnets and when the size of the variable gap changes, a magnetic force is exerted on the mobile assembly, causing the mobile assembly to move relative to the static assembly.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.