Belt drive system with outer rotor motor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An exercise treadmill, comprising:
- a) a frame structure;
b) a first and a second pulley, said pulleys rotatably secured to said frame structure and positioned substantially parallel to each other;
c) a belt secured over said pulleys so as to move in a longitudinal direction when said first pulley is rotated;
d) a control system;
e) a control panel secured to said frame structure and operatively connected to said control system wherein said control panel includes at least one display and a set of user controls effective to permit a user to control the speed of said belt; and
f) a motor, integral with and for rotating said first pulley wherein said motor includes;
i) a rotor having a housing that forms a generally cylindrical outer surface for said first pulley and includes a plurality of permanent magnets forming a set of poles secured to and spaced about the inner circumference of said housing, ii) a heat transfer coolant, iii) a stator shaft extending through said rotor and fixed to said frame structure, wherein at least a portion of said shaft is configured with a coolant channel adapted to permit said coolant to flow along said coolant channel effective to provide convective cooling of said motor, iv) a stator configured with a plurality of slots fixed to said stator shaft and forming an air gap with said poles, v) a plurality of stator windings wound through said slots, and vi) at least one bearing secured between said stator shaft and said rotor for permitting said rotor to rotate with respect to said stator shaft; and
g) a motor controller operatively connected to said control system for controlling the speed of said motor.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An outer rotor motor comprises a tubular shaft for maximum motor cooling effect. Coolant may flow through coolant channels of the shaft and the motor in various configurations to carry away the heat. A thermally conductive component may be inserted into the hollow shaft under the stator section to optimize the airflow and cooling. Physical construction of the motor and control algorithms may further enhance motor performance with appropriate sensors. A compact, smooth, and cool operating motor may thus be achieved for applications such as treadmills or other belt drive systems.
-
Citations
39 Claims
-
1. An exercise treadmill, comprising:
-
a) a frame structure;
b) a first and a second pulley, said pulleys rotatably secured to said frame structure and positioned substantially parallel to each other;
c) a belt secured over said pulleys so as to move in a longitudinal direction when said first pulley is rotated;
d) a control system;
e) a control panel secured to said frame structure and operatively connected to said control system wherein said control panel includes at least one display and a set of user controls effective to permit a user to control the speed of said belt; and
f) a motor, integral with and for rotating said first pulley wherein said motor includes;
i) a rotor having a housing that forms a generally cylindrical outer surface for said first pulley and includes a plurality of permanent magnets forming a set of poles secured to and spaced about the inner circumference of said housing, ii) a heat transfer coolant, iii) a stator shaft extending through said rotor and fixed to said frame structure, wherein at least a portion of said shaft is configured with a coolant channel adapted to permit said coolant to flow along said coolant channel effective to provide convective cooling of said motor, iv) a stator configured with a plurality of slots fixed to said stator shaft and forming an air gap with said poles, v) a plurality of stator windings wound through said slots, and vi) at least one bearing secured between said stator shaft and said rotor for permitting said rotor to rotate with respect to said stator shaft; and
g) a motor controller operatively connected to said control system for controlling the speed of said motor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. An exercise treadmill, comprising:
-
a) a frame structure;
b) a first and a second pulley, said pulleys rotatably secured to said frame structure and positioned substantially parallel to each other;
c) a belt secured over said pulleys so as to move in a longitudinal direction when said first pulley is rotated;
d) a control system;
e) a control panel secured to said frame structure and operatively connected to said control system wherein said control panel includes at least one display and a set of user controls effective to permit a user to control the speed of said belt; and
f) a motor, integral with and for rotating said first pulley wherein said motor includes;
i) a rotor having a housing that forms a generally cylindrical outer surface for said first pulley and includes a plurality of permanent magnets forming a set of poles secured to and spaced about the inner circumference of said housing, ii) a stator shaft fixed to said frame structure, iii) a heat transfer coolant, iv) a coolant transfer mechanism for transferring said coolant through at least a portion of said motor, wherein the operation of said mechanism is independent of the rate of rotation of said motor, v) a stator configured with a plurality of slots fixed to said stator shaft, vi) a plurality of stator windings wound through said slots, and vii) at least one bearing secured between said stator shaft and said rotor for permitting said rotor to rotate with respect to said stator shaft, and g) a motor controller operatively connected to said control system for controlling the speed of said motor. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
-
-
23. An exercise treadmill, comprising:
-
a) a frame structure;
b) a first and a second pulley, said pulleys rotatably secured to said frame structure and positioned substantially parallel to each other;
c) a belt secured over said pulleys so as to move in a longitudinal direction when said first pulley is rotated;
d) a control system;
e) a control panel secured to said frame structure and operatively connected to said control system wherein said control panel includes at least one display and a set of user controls effective to permit a user to generate a speed command signal for controlling the speed of said belt to a desired speed; and
f) a motor, integral with and for rotating said first pulley wherein said motor includes;
i) a rotor having a housing that forms a generally cylindrical outer surface for said first pulley and includes a plurality of permanent magnets forming a set of poles secured to and spaced about the inner circumference of said housing, ii) a stator shaft fixed to said frame structure, iii) a stator configured with a plurality of slots fixed to said stator shaft, iv) a plurality of stator windings wound through said slots, v) at least one bearing secured between said stator shaft and said rotor for permitting said rotor to rotate with respect to said stator shaft, and vi) a high resolution sensing mechanism operatively connected to said rotor for generating a rotor position information signal, g) a motor controller operatively connected to said control system and said sensing mechanism responsive to said speed command signal in combination with said rotor speed, and position signals to apply power to said stator windings for controlling the speed of said motor to achieve said desired belt speed. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
-
-
28. An exercise treadmill, comprising:
-
a) a frame structure;
b) a first and a second pulley, said pulleys rotatably secured to said frame structure and positioned substantially parallel to each other;
c) a belt secured over said pulleys so as to move in a longitudinal direction when said first pulley is rotated;
d) a control system;
e) a control panel secured to said frame structure and operatively connected to said control system wherein said control panel includes at least one display and a set of user controls effective to permit a user to control the speed of said belt; and
f) a motor, integral with and for rotating said first pulley wherein said motor includes;
i) a rotor having a housing that forms a generally cylindrical outer surface for said first pulley and includes a plurality of permanent magnets forming a set of poles secured to and spaced about the inner circumference of said housing, ii) a stator shaft fixed to said frame structure, iii) a stator configured with a plurality of slots fixed to said stator shaft and forming an air gap with said poles, iv) a plurality of stator windings wound through said slots, v) wherein said motor is configured to minimize cogging torque wherein said configuration is selected from the group consisting of said stator windings having a fractional pitch, said stator slots orientated in a skewed relationship with said the edges of said permanent magnets, and said magnets are shaped so as to result in a substantially sinusoidally distributed magnetic flux in said air gap, and vi) at least one bearing secured between said stator shaft and said rotor for permitting said rotor to rotate with respect to said stator shaft; and
g) a motor controller operatively connected to said control system for controlling the speed of said motor. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
-
34. An exercise treadmill, comprising:
-
a) a frame structure;
b) a first and a second pulley, said pulleys rotatably secured to said frame structure and positioned substantially parallel to each other, said first pulley is rotatably secured to a rearward portion of said frame structure;
c) a belt secured over said pulleys so as to move in a longitudinal direction when said first pulley is rotated;
d) a control system;
e) a control panel secured to said frame structure and operatively connected to said control system wherein said control panel includes at least one display and a set of user controls effective to permit a user to control the speed of said belt; and
f) a motor, integral with and for rotating said first pulley wherein said motor includes;
i) a rotor having a housing that forms a generally cylindrical outer surface for said first pulley and includes a plurality of permanent magnets forming a set of poles secured to and spaced about the inner circumference of said housing, ii) a stator shaft extending through said rotor, iii) a stator configured with a plurality of slots fixed to said stator shaft and forming an air gap with said poles, iv) a plurality of stator windings wound through said slots, and v) at least one bearing secured between said stator shaft and said rotor for permitting said rotor to rotate with respect to said stator shaft; and
g) a motor controller operatively connected to said control system for controlling the speed of said motor.
-
-
35. An exercise treadmill, comprising:
-
a) a frame structure;
b) a first and a second pulley, said pulleys rotatably secured to said frame structure and positioned substantially parallel to each other;
c) a belt secured over said pulleys so as to move in a longitudinal direction when said first pulley is rotated;
d) a control system;
e) a control panel secured to said frame structure and operatively connected to said control system wherein said control panel includes at least one display and a set of user controls effective to permit a user to control the speed of said belt; and
f) a motor, integral with and for rotating said first pulley wherein said motor includes;
i) a rotor having a housing that forms a generally cylindrical outer surface for said first pulley and includes a plurality of permanent magnets forming a set of poles secured to and spaced about the inner circumference of said housing, ii) a stator shaft extending through said rotor iii) a stator configured with a plurality of slots fixed to said stator shaft and forming an air gap with said poles, iv) a plurality of stator windings wound through said slots, and v) at least one bearing secured between said stator shaft and said rotor for permitting said rotor to rotate with respect to said stator shaft; and
g) at least one clamping mechanism including a resilient material for clamping said stator shaft to said frame structure wherein said resilient material is effective to insulate said frame structure from vibrations generated by said motor. h) a motor controller operatively connected to said control system for controlling the speed of said motor.
-
-
36. An exercise treadmill, comprising:
-
a) a frame structure;
b) a first and a second pulley, said pulleys rotatably secured to said frame structure and positioned substantially parallel to each other;
c) a belt secured over said pulleys so as to move in a longitudinal direction when said first pulley is rotated;
d) a control system;
e) a control panel secured to said frame structure and operatively connected to said control system wherein said control panel includes at least one display and a set of user controls effective to permit a user to control the speed of said belt; and
f) a motor, integral with and for rotating said first pulley wherein said motor includes;
i) a rotor having a housing that forms a generally cylindrical outer surface for said first pulley and includes a plurality of permanent magnets forming a set of poles secured to and spaced about the inner circumference of said housing, ii) a stator shaft extending through said rotor iii) a stator configured with a plurality of slots fixed to said stator shaft and forming an air gap with said poles, iv) a plurality of stator windings wound through said slots, and v) at least one bearing secured between said stator shaft and said rotor for permitting said rotor to rotate with respect to said stator shaft; and
g) at least one clamping mechanism including a thermal insulation material for clamping said stator shaft to said frame structure wherein said thermal insulation material is effective to insulate said frame structure from the heat generated by said motor. h) a motor controller operatively connected to said control system for controlling the speed of said motor.
-
-
37. An exercise treadmill, comprising:
-
a) a first and a second frame structure, wherein said first and said second frame structure each is configured with at least one aperture;
b) a first and a second pulley, said pulleys rotatably secured to said frame structures and positioned substantially parallel to each other;
c) a belt secured over said pulleys so as to move in a longitudinal direction when said first pulley is rotated;
d) a control system;
e) a control panel secured to said frame structure and operatively connected to said control system wherein said control panel includes at least one display and a set of user controls effective to permit a user to control the speed of said belt; and
f) a motor, integral with and for rotating said first pulley wherein said motor includes;
i) a rotor having a housing that forms a generally cylindrical outer surface for said first pulley and includes a plurality of permanent magnets forming a set of poles secured to and spaced about the inner circumference of said housing, ii) a heat transfer coolant, iii) a stator shaft extending through said rotor and fixed at each end to said first and said second frame structures respectively, wherein at least a portion of said shaft is configured with a coolant channel adapted to permit said coolant to flow along said coolant channel and through said apertures in said frame structures effective to provide convective cooling of said motor, iv) a stator configured with a plurality of slots fixed to said stator shaft and forming an air gap with said poles, v) a plurality of stator windings wound through said slots, and vi) at least one bearing secured between said stator shaft and said rotor for permitting said rotor to rotate with respect to said stator shaft; and
g) a motor controller operatively connected to said control system for controlling the speed of said motor. - View Dependent Claims (38)
-
-
39. An exercise treadmill, comprising:
-
a) a frame structure;
b) a first and a second pulley, said pulleys rotatably secured to said frame structure and positioned substantially parallel to each other;
c) a belt secured over said pulleys so as to move in a longitudinal direction when said first pulley is rotated;
d) a control system;
e) a control panel secured to said frame structure and operatively connected to said control system wherein said control panel includes at least one display and a set of user controls effective to permit a user to control the speed of said belt; and
f) a motor, integral with and for rotating said first pulley wherein said motor includes;
i) a rotor having a housing that forms a generally cylindrical outer surface for said first pulley and includes a plurality of permanent magnets forming a set of poles secured to and spaced about the inner circumference of said housing, ii) a heat transfer coolant, iii) a stator shaft extending through said rotor and fixed to said frame structure, wherein at least a portion of said shaft is configured with a coolant channel adapted to permit said coolant to flow along said coolant channel effective to provide convective cooling of said motor, iv) a stator configured with a plurality of slots fixed to said stator shaft and forming an air gap with said poles, v) a plurality of stator windings wound through said slots, and vi) at least one bearing secured between said stator shaft and said rotor for permitting said rotor to rotate with respect to said stator shaft; and
g) a motor controller operatively connected to said control system for having field orientation control algorithms to control the speed of said motor.
-
Specification