Electric motor providing multi-directional output

• US 5,907,199 A
• Filed: 10/09/1997
• Issued: 05/25/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lear Automotive Dearborn, Incorporated (Lear Corporation)
• Original Assignee: UT Automotive Dearborn, Inc.
• Inventors: Miller, Robin Mihekun
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Nestor
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tamai, Karl I.
• Application Number:
  US08/947,706
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 310/12, 310/13, 310/15, 310/268, 310/112, 310/191, 310/209, 318/115, 90/16, 90/38
• US Class Current: 310/12.14
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 16/04 Machines with one rotor and two stators
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2201/18 Machines moving with multiple degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 23/36 having two or more windings; having two or more commutators; having two or more stators
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 41/02 Linear motors; Sectional motors

Abstract

An electric pancake motor providing multi-directional output for use in a multi-functional apparatus in an automotive setting. The electric motor may rotate an actuator shaft about its axis to provide rotary output, as well as linearly translate the actuator shaft along its axis to provide axial output. Belleville washers, springs or other elastic members may be use to prevent axial translation of the actuator shaft during normal operations. In another aspect of the present invention, the electric motor may be driven by a single power source and selectively actuates at least two mechanically coupled thereto.

Claims

1. An electric motor comprising:

a housing;

two magnetic assemblies located in parallel and spaced apart alignment within said housing;

an actuator shaft having a rotatable member extending radially from said actuator shaft, said rotatable member positioned substantially between said magnetic assemblies; and

a first conductive coil disposed on a first surface of said rotatable member facing one of said magnetic assemblies and a second conductive coil disposed on a second surface of said rotatable member facing the other of said magnetic assemblies, selectively energizing said first conductive coil and said second conductive coil selectively provides rotary motion of said actuator shaft independently from and in combination with axial motion of said actuator shaft.

2. The electrical motor of claim 1 further comprises a first brush assembly connected to said first conductive coil for energizing said first conductive coil and a second brush assembly connected to said second conductive coil for energizing said second conductive coil.

3. The electrical motor of claim 1 wherein at least one of said first conductive coil and said second conductive coil being energized to provide rotary motion of said actuator shaft.

4. The electrical motor of claim 1 wherein said first conductive coil and said second conductive coil being energized to provide rotary motion of said actuator shaft.

5. The electric motor of claim 4 further comprising a Belleville washer for restricting axial translation of said actuating shaft, said Belleville washer being coupled to the inside surface of said motor housing and engaging said actuator shaft in a first axial position.

6. The electrical motor of claim 5 wherein at least one of said first conductive coil and said second conductive coil being deenergized to axially translate said actuator shaft from said first axial position to a second axial position.

7. The electrical motor of claim 4 further comprising an elastic member being positioned around said actuator shaft on each side of said rotatable member for restricting axial translation of said actuating shaft.

8. The electrical motor of claim 7 wherein said first conductive coil being deenergized to axially translate said actuator shaft from a center axial position to a first axial position and said second conductive coil being deenergized to axially translates said actuator shaft from said center axial position to a second axial position.

9. The electrical motor of claim 7 wherein each of said elastic members are further defined as a spring being aligned between said rotatable member and a spring seat coupled to an inside surface of said motor housing.

10. The electrical motor of claim 1 further comprising:

a window wiper shaft coupled to said actuator shaft and rotatable in response to rotary motion of said actuator shaft; and

a lock linkage coupled to said actuator shaft and movable between an unlocking orientation and a locking orientation in response to axial motion of said actuator shaft.

11. The electric motor of claim 1 wherein said housing is further defined as a conical chamber and said magnetic plates being located in spaced apart and angular alignment within said housing.

12. A multi-functional apparatus for use in a motor vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

an actuator shaft;

a first actuable device connected to said actuator shaft;

a second actuable device connected to said actuator shaft; and

an axial airgap electric motor being selectively operative to rotate said actuator shaft independently from and in combination with axial translation of said actuator shaft.

13. The multi-functional apparatus of claim 12 wherein said first actuable device being further defined as a window wiper shaft, said window wiper shaft rotatable by said actuator shaft, and said second actuable device being further defined as a lock linkage, said lock linkage axially translated between an unlocked position and a locked position by said actuator shaft.

14. The multi-functional apparatus of claim 12 wherein said electric motor further comprises:

a housing;

two magnetic assemblies located in parallel and spaced apart alignment within said housing, such that a rotatable member of said actuator shaft extending radially from said actuator shaft and positioned substantially between said magnetic assemblies;

a first conductive coil disposed on a first surface of said rotatable member facing one of said magnetic assemblies; and

a second conductive coil disposed on a second surface of said rotatable member facing the other of said magnetic assemblies, selectively energizing said first and second conductive coils provides rotary motion of said actuator shaft independently from and in combination with axial motion of said actuator shaft.

15. The multi-functional apparatus of claim 14 further comprises a first brush assembly connected to said first conductive coil for energizing said first conductive coil and a second brush assembly connected to said second conductive coil for energizing said second conductive coil.

16. The multi-functional apparatus of claim 14 wherein at least one of said first conductive coil and said second conductive coil being energized to provide rotary motion of said actuator shaft.

17. The multi-functional apparatus of claim 14 wherein said first conductive coil and said second conductive coil being energized to provide rotary motion of said actuator shaft.

18. The multi-functional apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a Belleville washer for restricting axial translation of said actuating shaft, said Belleville washer being coupled to the inside surface of said motor housing and engaging said actuator shaft in a first axial position.

19. The multi-functional apparatus of claim 18 wherein at least one of said first conductive coil and said second conductive coil being deenergized to axially translate said actuator shaft from said first axial position to a second axial position.

20. The multi-functional apparatus of claim 17 further comprising an elastic member being positioned around said actuator shaft on each side of said rotatable member for restricting axial translation of said actuating shaft.

21. The multi-functional apparatus of claim 20 wherein said first conductive coil being deenergized to axially translate said actuator shaft from a center axial position to a first axial position and said second conductive coil being deenergized to axially translates said actuator shaft from said center axial position to a second axial position.

22. The multi-functional apparatus of claim 20 wherein each of said elastic members are further defined as a spring being aligned between said rotatable member and a spring seat coupled to an inside surface of said motor housing.

23. The multi-functional apparatus of claim 14 wherein said housing is further defined as a conical chamber and said magnetic plates being located in spaced apart and angular alignment within said housing.

24. The multi-functional apparatus of claim 12 wherein said electrical motor further comprises:

a housing;

first and second stator assemblies located in parallel and spaced apart alignment within said housing, such that a rotatable member of said actuator shaft extending perpendicularly from said actuator shaft and positioned between said stator assemblies;

a first magnetic member disposed on a first surface of said rotatable member facing said first stator assembly; and

a second magnetic member disposed on a second surface of said rotatable member facing said second stator assembly, selectively energizing said first and second stator assemblies provides rotary motion of said actuator shaft independently from and in combination with axial motion of said actuator shaft.

25. A multi-functional apparatus for use in a motor vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

a housing;

at least two magnetic assemblies located in parallel and spaced apart alignment within said housing;

an actuator shaft having a rotatable member extending radially from said actuator shaft, said rotatable member positioned substantially between said magnetic assemblies;

a first actuable device connected to said actuator shaft;

a second actuable device connected to said actuator shaft; and

a first conductive coil disposed on a first surface of said rotatable member facing one of said magnetic assemblies and a second conductive coil disposed on a second surface of said rotatable member facing the other of said magnetic assemblies, selective energization said first conductive coil and said second conductive coil to actuate said actuator shaft, wherein actuation of said actuator shaft selected from the group comprising rotary motion of said actuator shaft without axial motion of said actuator shaft, axial motion of said actuator shaft without rotary motion of said actuator shaft, and rotary and axial motion of said actuator shaft.