# US 12,191,727 B2 · Electric machine and method for operating the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,191,727 B2 - Document ID: US12191727B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/311,402 - Filed: 2019-11-27 - Published: 2022-01-27 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2018-12-07 - Assignees: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG - Applicants: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG - Inventors: Matthias Gramann; Christian Nolte - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12191727B2 ## CPC - H02K 3/28: Layout of windings or of connections between windings (windings for pole-changing H02K17/06, H02K17/14, H02K19/12, H02K19/32) - H02K 11/20: for measuring, monitoring, testing, protecting or switching (rectifiers H02K11/04; power electronics H02K11/33) - H02K 2213/06: Machines characterised by the presence of fail safe, back up, redundant or other similar emergency arrangements - H02K 2213/09: Machines characterised by the presence of elements which are subject to variation, e.g. adjustable bearings, reconfigurable windings, variable pitch ventilators - H02K 2213/12: Machines characterised by the modularity of some components - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) ## Abstract An electric machine having a stator and a rotor is divided into sub-machine systems by winding sections of the stator or rotor that can be switched separately for each phase. A winding section of each phase is assigned to each sub-machine system. Each sub-machine system acts as an electric machine. The sub-machine systems can be operated individually or in combination, depending on the requirements placed on the electric machine; the winding sections are correspondingly switched for this purpose. The switching between the winding sections is advantageously carried out mechanically with a contact disc. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electric machine, comprising: a stator; a rotor including a plurality of rotor magnets; a plurality of sub-machine systems formed by dividing windings for each phase on the stator or on the rotor into separately switchable winding sections, each said winding section being assigned to each said respective sub-machine system for each said phase and each said sub-machine system being configured to act as an electric machine; and at least one permanent magnet that is configured for temporary demagnetization of at least one of the plurality of rotor magnets, wherein rotation of the at least one permanent magnet is matched with rotation of the rotor such that polarization of the at least one permanent magnet and the plurality of rotor magnets are opposite to one another. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electric machine according to claim 1, wherein each said sub-machine system is optimized for a different operating point. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electric machine according to claim 1, wherein switching operations between said winding sections take place mechanically. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The electric machine according to claim 3, further comprising a contact disc by which the mechanical switching between the winding sections takes place. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The electric machine according to claim 4, wherein the contact disc carries contacts on both sides for contacting the winding sections. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electric machine according to claim 1, wherein demagnetization comprises at least reducing the magnetization of at least one of the plurality of rotor magnets compared to before demagnetization. ### Claim 7 A method for operating an electric machine comprising a stator, a rotor, and a plurality of sub-machine systems formed by dividing windings for each phase on the stator or on the rotor into separately switchable winding sections, each said winding section being assigned to each said respective sub- machine system for each said phase and each said sub-machine system being configured to act as an electric machine, the method comprising: switching the winding sections of the sub-machine systems such that one or more of the sub-machine systems are operated, respectively depending on at least one of speed and torque requirements for the electric machine; wherein a connection between the winding sections takes place mechanically by a contact disc, and the connection between the winding sections of the electric machine comprises the following steps: moving the contact disc axially in a direction along an axis of rotation of the contact disc to interrupt an electrically conductive connection between contacts of the contact disc and at least one said winding section of at least one said sub-machine system; rotating the contact disc about the axis of rotation of the contact disc to select a type of interconnection between the winding sections of the sub- machine systems; and moving the contact disc axially in the direction along the axis of rotation of the contact disc to establish an electrically conductive connection between contacts of the contact disc and at least one said winding section of at least one said sub-machine system; wherein for switching between the winding sections of the electric machine initially demagnetizing at least one permanent magnet of the electric machine, and then magnetizing the at least one permanent magnet of the electric machine, wherein the demagnetizing comprises at least reducing the magnetization of the permanent magnet compared to before demagnetization of the permanent magnet. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, further comprising carrying out the demagnetization and the magnetization by at least one rotating magnet. ### Claim 9 An electric machine, comprising: a stator; a rotor, wherein the stator includes three sub-machine systems comprising separately switchable winding sections for each phase, and each of the three sub-machine systems being configured to act as an electric machine, and wherein the three sub-machine systems comprises a first sub-machine system, a second sub-machine system, and a third sub-machine system consecutively arranged in a repeating pattern around an outer surface of the rotor; and at least one permanent magnet, and a device for temporary demagnetization of the at least one permanent magnet, wherein demagnetization comprises at least reducing the magnetization of the permanent magnet compared to before demagnetization of the permanent magnet. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The electric machine according to claim 9, wherein each said sub-machine system is optimized for a different operating point. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The electric machine according to claim 9, further comprising a mechanical switch for switching between said winding sections. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The electric machine according to claim 11, wherein the mechanical switch comprises a contact disc. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The electric machine according to claim 12, wherein the contact disc includes contacts on both sides for contacting the winding sections.