Spherical Wheel Motor

• US 20130113307A1
• Filed: 11/09/2012
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Kim, Minki, Yang, Yil Suk
• Granted Patent: US 9,391,481 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/40.5
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2201/18 Machines moving with multiple degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 41/031 of the permanent magnet type
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/04 Casings or enclosures characterised by the shape, form or construction thereof

Abstract

Disclosed is a spherical wheel motor including: a spherical rotor having freedom of rotation along surrounding magnetized directions; a stator formed in a dome shape enclosing the rotor and configured to form magnetization at various angles through a plurality of coils distributed therein, and impart the freedom of rotation to the rotor; and a driving unit configured to identify a position of the rotor, supply current to each coil of the stator according to the position of the rotor, and drive the rotor.

Claims

1. A spherical wheel motor comprising:

a spherical rotor having freedom of rotation along surrounding magnetized directions;

a stator formed in a dome shape enclosing the rotor and configured to form magnetization at various angles through a plurality of coils distributed therein, and impart the freedom of rotation to the rotor; and

a driving unit configured to identify a position of the rotor, supply current to each coil of the stator according to the position of the rotor, and drive the rotor.

2. The spherical wheel motor of claim 1, wherein the rotor includes a permanent magnet having an N pole and an S pole.

3. The spherical wheel motor of claim 2, wherein the permanent magnet is a surface magnet or a buried magnet.

4. The spherical wheel motor of claim 1, wherein the plurality of coils surrounds the rotor with respect to a central coil, and is arranged radially.

5. The spherical wheel motor of claim 4, wherein each of the coils forms a magnetic field with an opposite polarity to another of the coils symmetrical thereto with respect to a center of the rotor.

6. The spherical wheel motor of claim 1, wherein the driving unit includes:

a position sensing unit configured to identify a position of the rotor and output a position signal;

a motor control unit configured to output a driving signal according to the position signal received from the position sensing unit; and

a power device driving unit configured to supply current to each of the coils according to the driving signal received from the motor control unit.