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US 6,788,022 B2Granted
Electric motor
AssigneeA. O. Smith Corporation
InventorsJeffrey Raymond Sopko, Jackie Earl Woody
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electric motor controllable to operate at a number of distinct output speeds. The electric motor includes a single set of mechanical parts in combination with a multiple sets of electromagnetic parts having different configurations, where the number of electromagnetic parts corresponds to the number of distinct output speeds of the electric motor.
Claims47
An electric motor controllable by a controller, the controller configured to provide a first power or a second power, the electric motor comprising:
- a housing;
- a first stator fixed relative to the housing and adapted to receive the first power, the first stator producing a first magnetic field when the first stator receives the first power, wherein the first stator includes a first number of poles;
- a second stator fixed relative to the housing and adapted to receive the second power, the second stator producing a second magnetic field when the second stator receives the second power, wherein the second stator includes a second number of poles, and wherein the first number is greater than the second number;
- and
- a rotor including a shaft rotatable relative to the housing, a first rotating member connected to the shaft for rotation therewith and adapted to interact with the first magnetic field, and a second rotating member connected to the shaft for rotation therewith and adapted to interact with the second magnetic field, the rotor rotating at a first speed when the first magnetic field interacts with the first rotating member and rotating at a second speed when the second magnetic field interacts with the second rotating member.
2 more elements
An electric motor controllable by a controller, the controller configured to provide a first power or a second power, the electric motor comprising:
- a housing;
- a first stator fixed relative to the housing and adapted to receive the first power, the first stator producing a first magnetic field when the first stator receives the first power, wherein the first stator includes a standard speed connection and at least one alternative speed connection;
- a second stator fixed relative to the housing and adapted to receive the second power, the second stator producing a second magnetic field when the second stator receives the second power;
- and
- a rotor including a shaft rotatable relative to the housing, a first rotating member connected to the shaft for rotation therewith and adapted to interact with the first magnetic field, and a second rotating member connected to the shaft for rotation therewith and adapted to interact with the second magnetic field, the rotor rotating at a first speed when the first magnetic field interacts with the first rotating member and rotating at a second speed when the second magnetic field interacts with the second rotating member.
2 more elements
A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system comprising:
- an electric motor controllable to operate in a first mode or a second mode, the electric motor including
- a housing,
- a first stator fixed relative to the housing, wherein the first stator includes a standard speed connection and at least one alternative speed connection,
- a second stator fixed relative to the housing, and
- a rotor having a shaft rotatable relative to the housing, a first rotating member connected to the shaft for rotation therewith relative to the first stator, and a second rotating member connected to the shaft for rotation therewith relative to the second stator;
- a controller operable to independently provide a first power to the first stator to energize the first stator in the first mode and to independently provide a second power to the second stator to energize the second stator in the second mode;
- and
- a blower assembly drivingly coupled to the shaft.
5 more elements
A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system comprising:
- a controller configured to provide a first power and a second power;
- an electric motor electrically coupled to and controllable by the controller, the electric motor including
- a housing,
- a first stator fixed relative to the housing and adapted to receive the first power, the first stator producing a first magnetic field when the first stator receives the first power, wherein the first stator includes a first number of poles,
- a second stator fixed relative to the housing and adapted to receive the second power, the second stator producing a second magnetic field when the second stator receives the second power, wherein the second stator includes a second number of poles, and wherein the first number is greater than the second number, and
- a rotor including a shaft rotatable relative to the housing, a first rotating member connected to the shaft for rotation therewith and adapted to interact with the first magnetic field, and a second rotating member connected to the shaft for rotation therewith and adapted to interact with the second magnetic field, the rotor rotating at a first speed when the first magnetic field interacts with the first rotating member and rotating at a second speed when the second magnetic field interacts with the second rotating member;
- and
- a blower assembly drivingly coupled to the shaft to move a first volume of air per minute when driven at the first output speed and a second volume of air per minute when driven at the second output speed, the first and second volumes of air being different.
5 more elements
An electric motor controllable by a controller, the controller configured to provide a first power or a second power, the electric motor comprising:
- a housing;
- a first stator fixed relative to the housing and adapted to receive the first power, the first stator producing a first magnetic field when the first stator receives the first power, the first stator comprising a first speed connection and a second speed connection, the second speed connection being different than the first speed connection;
- a second stator fixed relative to the housing and adapted to receive the second power, the second stator producing a second magnetic field when the second stator receives the second power;
- and
- a rotor including a shaft rotatable relative to the housing, a first rotating member connected to the shaft for rotation therewith and adapted to interact with the first magnetic field, and a second rotating member connected to the shaft for rotation therewith and adapted to interact with the second magnetic field, the rotor rotating at a first speed when the first magnetic field interacts with the first rotating member and rotating at a second speed when the second magnetic field interacts with the second rotating member.
2 more elements
A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system comprising:
- an electric motor controllable to operate in a first mode or a second mode, the electric motor including
- a housing,
- a first stator fixed relative to the housing, wherein the first stator includes a first number of poles,
- a second stator fixed relative to the housing, wherein the second stator includes a second number of poles, and wherein the first number is greater than the second number, and
- a rotor having a shaft rotatable relative to the housing, a first rotating member connected to the shaft for rotation therewith relative to the first stator, and a second rotating member connected to the shaft for rotation therewith relative to the second stator;
- a controller operable to independently provide a first power to the first stator to energize the first stator in the first mode and to independently provide a second power to the second stator to energize the second stator in the second mode;
- and
- a blower assembly drivingly coupled to the shaft.
5 more elements
A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system comprising:
- an electric motor controllable to operate in a first mode or a second mode, the electric motor including
- a housing,
- a first stator fixed relative to the housing, the first stator comprising a first speed connection and a second speed connection, the second speed connection being different than the first speed connection, and
- a second stator fixed relative to the housing, and
- a rotor having a shaft rotatable relative to the housing, a first rotating member connected to the shaft for rotation therewith relative to the first stator, and a second rotating member connected to the shaft for rotation therewith relative to the second stator;
- a controller operable to independently provide a first power to the first stator to energize the first stator in the first mode and to independently provide a second power to the second stator to energize the second stator in the second mode;
- and
- a blower assembly drivingly coupled to the shaft.
5 more elements
A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system comprising:
- a controller configured to provide a first power and a second power;
- an electric motor electrically coupled to and controllable by the controller, the electric motor including
- a housing,
- a first stator fixed relative to the housing and adapted to receive the first power, the first stator producing a first magnetic field when the first stator receives the first power, the first stator comprising a first speed connection and a second speed connection, the second speed connection being different than the first speed connection;
- a second stator fixed relative to the housing and adapted to receive the second power, the second stator producing a second magnetic field when the second stator receives the second power, and
- a rotor including a shaft rotatable relative to the housing, a first rotating member connected to the shaft for rotation therewith and adapted to interact with the first magnetic field, and a second rotating member connected to the shaft for rotation therewith and adapted to interact with the second magnetic field, the rotor rotating at a first speed when the first magnetic field interacts with the first rotating member and rotating at a second speed when the second magnetic field interacts with the second rotating member;
- and
- a blower assembly drivingly coupled to the shaft to move a first volume of air per minute when driven at the first output speed and a second volume of air per minute when driven at the second output speed, the first and second volumes of air being different.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.