Method and apparatus for delivering power to a mechanical or electrical system

• US 6,307,358 B1
• Filed: 04/25/2000
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: Omachron Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MATTHEW VAN
• Application Number:
  US09/557,223
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 323/220, 323/265, 323/266, 323/268, 323/270, 323/271, 323/273, 323/282
• US Class Current: 323/282
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/32 with means for connecting a hose hose couplings for suction cleaners A47L9/24
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2821 Pressure, vacuum level or airflow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2831 Motor parameters, e.g. motor load or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2873 Docking units or charging stations for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2889 Safety or protection devices or systems, e.g. for prevention of motor over-heating or for protection of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/06 using dc to ac converters or inverters H02P27/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/047 with pulse width modulation from a DC power source
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

A power control system for use in providing mechanical or electrical power to a load is used to operate a system to provide a series of pulses to the system wherein the pulses within each series provide differing amounts of power. Preferably, a portion of the series which has a duration of 10% of the cycle delivers more than 20% of the total power to the load which the load receives each cycle.

Claims

1. A method of controlling the electrical power applied to a load, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) producing a pulse train comprising a series of pulses defining a cycle in which a portion of the pulse train having a duration of 10% of the cycle delivers more than 20% of the total power to the load which the load receives each cycle by providing a first electrical signal to the load and periodically superimposing a second signal to the load whereby the load periodically receives a pulse at a higher voltage than the first electrical signal; and

,

(b) supplying the pulse train to the load to supply power to the load.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of providing an electric power supply and the pulse train is produced by modulating the electric power supply to produce the pulse train.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the portion provides 30-70% of the total power the load receives each second.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the portion provides 40-60% of the total power the load receives each second.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the portion provides 45-55% of the total power the load receives each second.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cycle has a frequency of 6-20 Hz.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the cycle has a frequency of 9-15 Hz.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein each cycle comprises 1-20 pulses.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein each cycle comprises 5-15 pulses.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the signal is non-uniform.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the load comprises a motor and impact member assembly and the pulse train is modulated to vary the acceleration of the impact member to reduce degradation of a Prandtl layer which forms on the impact member as the fluid travels over the impact member.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the load comprises a radiation emitting device having a radiation emitting member which emits radiation in a plurality of bands when a uniform electrical signal is provided to the radiation emitting member and the pulse train is modulated to excite electrons to selected quantum states to preferentially produce radiation in a selected spectrum.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the load comprises a member selected from the group consisting of a fluorescent light bulb and a sodium lamp and the pulse train is modulated to excite electrons to selected quantum states to preferentially produce light.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the load comprises a rechargeable battery in which, during the discharge of the battery, chemical reactions occur that can utilize electrons having differing potentials and during recharging, the chemical reactions are reversed and the pulse train is modulated to preferentially use electrons having a higher potential to reverse chemical reactions requiring higher potential electrons.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the load comprises a rechargeable battery in which, during the discharge of the battery, chemical reactions occur that can utilize electrons having differing potentials and during discharging the pulse train is modulated to preferentially use higher potential electrons to provide energy to an external load.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the load comprises a motor and fan blade assembly for a vacuum cleaner and the method further comprises the step of using the pulse train to operate the motor and fan blade assembly whereby the motor and fan blade assembly causes air to travel from a dirty air inlet and through filtration means for the vacuum cleaner.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the load comprises a motor and fan blade assembly for a vacuum cleaner and the vacuum cleaner has a hose having a first dirty air inlet for above the floor cleaning and a cleaning head having a second dirty air inlet for cleaning a floor and the method further comprises the step of using the pulse train to operate the motor and fan blade assembly whereby the motor and fan blade assembly causes a different flow pattern of air through the hose than through the cleaning head.

18. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the load comprises a motor and fan blade assembly for a vacuum cleaner and the vacuum cleaner has a hose having a first dirty air inlet for above the floor cleaning and a cleaning head having a second dirty air inlet for cleaning a floor and the method further comprises the step of using the pulse train to operate the motor and fan blade assembly whereby the motor and fan blade assembly causes a higher flow rate of dirty air through the hose than through the cleaning head.