Anti-cogging apparatus and methods for reducing cogging of rotating shaft
OwnerRaymond A. Towne, IIIinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An anti-cogging apparatus improves rotation of a rotatable shaft about an axis. The shaft has a cyclical cogging torque acting thereon in a first direction. The anti-cogging apparatus includes a first anti-cogging member and a second anti-cogging member that rotate relative to each other in concert with rotation of the shaft, and the anti-cogging members interact to provide an anti-cogging torque to the shaft in a second direction to at least partially offset the cogging torque.
Claims20
An apparatus that improves rotation of a rotatable shaft about an axis, the rotatable shaft having a cyclical cogging torque acting thereon in a first direction, the apparatus comprising:
- a first support member that is coupled to the rotatable shaft for rotation therewith;
- a second support member that is adjacent the first support member, the first support member operable to rotate relative to the second support member;
- a plurality of first magnetic members coupled to one of the first and second support members, the plurality of first magnetic members including at least one inner magnetic member disposed at a first radial distance from the axis and at least one outer magnetic member disposed at a second radial distance from the axis;
- and
- a second magnetic member coupled to the other of the first and second support members, the second magnetic member disposed at a third radial distance from the axis, the third radial distance being greater than the first radial distance and less than the second radial distance, the second magnetic member operable to magnetically interact with the at least one inner magnetic member and the at least one outer magnetic member to provide an anti-cogging torque to the rotatable shaft in a second direction that opposes the first direction to at least partially offset the cogging torque.
An apparatus that improves rotation of a rotatable shaft about an axis, the rotatable shaft having a cyclical cogging torque acting thereon in a first direction, the apparatus comprising:
- a first support member;
- a second support member that is adjacent the first support member and coupled to and rotates with the rotatable shaft, wherein the second support member is operable to rotate relative to the first support member;
- a first magnetic member coupled to one of the first and second support members;
- and
- a second magnetic member coupled to the other of the first and second support members, the second magnetic member operable to magnetically interact with the first magnetic member to provide an anti-cogging torque to the rotatable shaft in a second direction that opposes the first direction to at least partially offset the cyclical cogging torque,
- wherein the rotatable shaft is a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, and
- wherein the cyclical coming torque acting on the rotatable shaft is based on varying pressure within a cylinder of the internal combustion engine.
A method of improving rotation of a rotatable shaft about an axis, the rotatable shaft having a cyclical cogging torque acting thereon in a first direction, the method comprising:
- rotating the shaft to cause relative rotation between a first magnetic member and a second magnetic member, wherein the second magnetic member is operable to magnetically interact with the first magnetic member;
- and
- providing, via the magnetic interaction between the second magnetic member and the first magnetic member, an anti-cogging torque to the rotatable shaft in a second direction that opposes the first direction to at least partially offset the cyclical cogging torque,
- wherein
- the rotatable shaft is one of (i) a crankshaft, and (ii) a shaft of a camming system,
- the cyclical cogging torque acting on the rotatable shaft is based on a varying parameter of a device, and
- the device comprises the rotatable shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.