Balancing device for a rotating member and associated methods

• US 20030089193A1
• Filed: 11/13/2002
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lord Corporation (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lord Corporation (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Inventors: Hacket, Brian, Altieri, Russell E., Schulte, Thomas E., Sharp, Jeffry
• Granted Patent: US 7,267,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/573R
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/36 operating automatically , i.e. where, for a given amount of unbalance, there is movement of masses until balance is achieved damping vibrations of washing machines by displacing, supplying or ejecting a material, e.g. liquid, into or from counterbalancing pockets D06F37/245
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 1/36 by adjusting position of masses built-in the body to be tested
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2114 Adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2127 with electrical or magnetic damping

Abstract

A balancing device including a positionable member associated with a rotating member having an axis, wherein the positionable member has a substantially constant mass, and wherein the positionable member is disposed at a first position about the axis of the rotating member. The balancing device also including an actuation device disposed at a distance from the positionable member, wherein the actuation device is operable for selectively generating a force, and wherein the force is operable for moving the positionable member from the first position to a second position about the axis of the rotating member, thereby balancing the rotating member.

Claims

1. A balancing device, comprising:

a positionable member associated with a rotating member having an axis, wherein the positionable member has a substantially constant mass, and wherein the positionable member is disposed at a first position about the axis of the rotating member; and

an actuation device disposed at a distance from the positionable member, wherein the actuation device is operable for selectively generating a force, and wherein the force is operable for moving the positionable member from the first position to a second position about the axis of the rotating member.

2. The balancing device of claim 1, wherein the positionable member is disposed within the interior of the rotating member.

3. The balancing device of claim 1, wherein the positionable member is disposed outside of the rotating member.

4. The balancing device of claim 1, wherein the positionable member comprises a magnetic material.

5. The balancing device of claim 4, wherein the force generated by the actuation device comprises a magnetic force operable for moving the positionable member from the first position to the second position about the axis of the rotating member.

6. The balancing device of claim 1, wherein the positionable member comprises a conductive material.

7. The balancing device of claim 6, wherein the force generated by the actuation device comprises a force resulting from an eddy current operable for moving the positionable member from the first position to the second position about the axis of the rotating member.

8. The balancing device of claim 1, wherein the positionable member comprises both a magnetic material and a conductive material.

9. The balancing device of claim 1, wherein the actuation device comprises a permanent magnet.

10. The balancing device of claim 1, wherein the actuation device comprises an electromagnet.

11. The balancing device of claim 1, further comprising a friction member engaged with the positionable member, wherein the friction member is operable for resisting movement of the positionable member from the first position to the second position about the axis of the rotating member.

12. The balancing device of claim 1, further comprising a magnetic detent engaged with the positionable member, wherein the magnetic detent is operable for resisting movement of the positionable member from the first position to the second position about the axis of the rotating member.

13. The balancing device of claim 1, wherein the actuation device is further operable for determining the position of the positionable member about the axis of the rotating member.

14. The balancing device of claim 13, wherein the actuation device determines the position of the positionable member about the axis of the rotating member by measuring back-electromagnetic force.

15. The balancing device of claim 1, wherein the actuation device is selectively removable from the balancing device.

16. A balancing device, comprising:

a positionable member associated with a rotating member having an axis, wherein the positionable member has a substantially constant mass, and wherein the positionable member is disposed at a first position about the axis of the rotating member; and

an actuation device disposed at a distance from the positionable member, wherein the actuation device is operable for selectively generating a force, and wherein the force is operable for moving the positionable member from the first position to a second position about the axis of the rotating member; and

wherein the actuation device is further operable for determining the position of the positionable member about the axis of the rotating member.

17. The balancing device of claim 16, wherein the positionable member is disposed within the interior of the rotating member.

18. The balancing device of claim 16, wherein the positionable member is disposed outside of the rotating member.

19. The balancing device of claim 16, wherein the positionable member comprises a magnetic material.

20. The balancing device of claim 19, wherein the force generated by the actuation device comprises a magnetic force operable for moving the positionable member from the first position to the second position about the axis of the rotating member.

21. The balancing device of claim 16, wherein the positionable member comprises a conductive material.

22. The balancing device of claim 21, wherein the force generated by the actuation device comprises a force resulting from an eddy current operable for moving the positionable member from the first position to the second position about the axis of the rotating member.

23. The balancing device of claim 16, wherein the actuation device comprises a permanent magnet.

24. The balancing device of claim 16, wherein the actuation device comprises an electromagnet.

25. The balancing device of claim 16, further comprising a friction member engaged with the positionable member, wherein the friction member is operable for resisting movement of the positionable member from the first position to the second position about the axis of the rotating member.

26. The balancing device of claim 16, further comprising a magnetic detent engaged with the positionable member, wherein the magnetic detent is operable for resisting movement of the positionable member from the first position to the second position about the axis of the rotating member.

27. The balancing device of claim 16, wherein the actuation device determines the position of the positionable member about the axis of the rotating member by measuring back-electromagnetic force.

28. The balancing device of claim 16, wherein the actuation device is selectively removable from the balancing device.

29. A power generation/transmission system, comprising:

a rotating member having an axis;

a positionable member associated with the rotating member, wherein the positionable member has a substantially constant mass, and wherein the positionable member is disposed at a first position about the axis of the rotating member; and

an actuation device disposed at a distance from the positionable member, wherein the actuation device is operable for selectively generating a force, and wherein the force is operable for moving the positionable member from the first position to a second position about the axis of the rotating member.

30. The power generation/transmission system of claim 29, wherein the positionable member is disposed within the interior of the rotating member.

31. The power generation/transmission system of claim 29, wherein the positionable member is disposed outside of the rotating member.

32. The power generation/transmission system of claim 29, wherein the positionable member comprises a magnetic material.

33. The power generation/transmission system of claim 32, wherein the force generated by the actuation device comprises a magnetic force operable for moving the positionable member from the first position to the second position about the axis of the rotating member.

34. The power generation/transmission system of claim 29, wherein the positionable member comprises a conductive material.

35. The power generation/transmission system of claim 34, wherein the force generated by the actuation device comprises a force resulting from an eddy current operable for moving the positionable member from the first position to the second position about the axis of the rotating member.

36. The power generation/transmission system of claim 29, wherein the actuation device comprises a permanent magnet.

37. The power generation/transmission system of claim 29, wherein the actuation device comprises an electromagnet.

38. The power generation/transmission system of claim 29, further comprising a friction member engaged with the positionable member, wherein the friction member is operable for resisting movement of the positionable member from the first position to the second position about the axis of the rotating member.

39. The power generation/transmission system of claim 29, further comprising a magnetic detent engaged with the positionable member, wherein the magnetic detent is operable for resisting movement of the positionable member from the first position to the second position about the axis of the rotating member.

40. The power generation/transmission system of claim 29, wherein the actuation device is further operable for determining the position of the positionable member about the axis of the rotating member.

41. The power generation/transmission system of claim 40, wherein the actuation device determines the position of the positionable member about the axis of the rotating member by measuring back-electromagnetic force.

42. The power generation/transmission system of claim 29, wherein the actuation device is selectively removable from the power generation/transmission system.

43. A method for balancing a rotating member having an axis, the method comprising:

disposing a positionable member at a first position about the axis of the rotating member, wherein the positionable member has a substantially constant mass;

disposing an actuation device at a distance from the positionable member, wherein the actuation device is operable for selectively generating a force, and wherein the force is operable for moving the positionable member from the first position to a second position about the axis of the rotating member;

selectively generating the force using the actuation device; and

moving the positionable member from the first position to the second position about the axis of the rotating member.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein disposing the positionable member at the first position about the axis of the rotating member comprises disposing the positionable member within the interior of the rotating member.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein disposing the positionable member at the first position about the axis of the rotating member comprises disposing the positionable member outside of the rotating member.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the positionable member comprises a magnetic material.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein selectively generating the force using the actuation device comprises selectively generating a magnetic force operable for moving the positionable member from the first position to the second position about the axis of the rotating member.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein the positionable member comprises a conductive material.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein selectively generating the force using the actuation device comprises selectively generating a force resulting from an eddy current operable for moving the positionable member from the first position to the second position about the axis of the rotating member.

50. The method of claim 43, wherein the actuation device comprises a permanent magnet.

51. The method of claim 43, wherein the actuation device comprises an electromagnet.

52. The method of claim 43, further comprising providing a friction member engaged with the positionable member, wherein the friction member is operable for resisting movement of the positionable member from the first position to the second position about the axis of the rotating member.

53. The method of claim 43, further comprising providing a magnetic detent engaged with the positionable member, wherein the magnetic detent is operable for resisting movement of the positionable member from the first position to the second position about the axis of the rotating member.

54. The method of claim 43, further comprising determining the position of the positionable member about the axis of the rotating member.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein determining the position of the positionable member about the axis of the rotating member comprises determining the position of the positionable member about the axis of the rotating member by measuring back-electromagnetic force.

56. The method of claim 43, further comprising selectively removing the actuation device.