Apparatus for axial magnetic field electric motor
First Claim
1. An electric motor, comprising:
- a fixed magnet assembly comprising a plurality of fixed magnets arranged circularly around a shaft, wherein said fixed magnets have north-south axes parallel to said shaft;
a coil assembly comprising a plurality of coil layers arranged in a stack, each coil layer in said stack comprising a plurality of electromagnetic coils arranged circularly around said shaft, each of said electromagnetic coils having a top side and a bottom side, and comprising a plurality of conductive coil winds, a first lead, and a second lead, wherein said plurality of coil winds and said first lead are in a first plane and said second lead either crosses above said coil winds in a second plane or below said coil winds in a third plane, said stack of coil layers comprising;
a first layer of electromagnetic coils, wherein said coil winds and said first leads of each electromagnetic coil are in said first plane that is substantially perpendicular to said shaft, and said second leads of each of said electromagnetic coils cross below said coil winds in said second plane that is substantially perpendicular to said shaft,a second layer of electromagnetic coils adjacent to said first layer of electromagnetic coils, wherein said coil winds and said first leads of each electromagnetic coil are in said second plane, and said second leads of each electromagnetic coil cross above said coil winds and are in said first plane, such that said second leads of said electromagnetic coils in said second layer are between coil winds of said electromagnetic coils in said first layer, and said second leads of said electromagnetic coils in said first layer are between said coil winds of said electromagnetic coils in said second layer, andeach of said coil layers is mechanically coupled to another of said coil layers; and
a controller configured to provide each of a plurality of drive signals to one of said coil layers, wherein each of said drive signals has a different phase.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatuses, circuits, and methods for driving an axial field electric motor, and systems using the same. The electric motor generally comprises a fixed magnet assembly having a plurality of fixed magnets arranged circularly around a shaft, a coil assembly including a plurality of coil layers, and a controller configured to provide each of a plurality of drive signals to one of the coil layers. Each of the drive signals generally has a different phase (e.g., each drive signal may pulse and/or oscillate with different phase offsets). The fixed magnets generally have north-south axes parallel to the shaft (e.g., the magnetic field is axial to the shaft). Each of the coil layers generally comprises a plurality of electromagnetic coils arranged circularly around the shaft in plane that is substantially perpendicular to the shaft. Each of the electromagnetic coils comprises a conductive spiral wound in the plane of the coil layer. Each coil layer is mechanically coupled to another of the coil layers in the coil assembly. Electric motors according to the present invention are advantageously efficient and lightweight and provide for coil assemblies that can be stacked for additional torque.
54 Citations
30 Claims
-
1. An electric motor, comprising:
-
a fixed magnet assembly comprising a plurality of fixed magnets arranged circularly around a shaft, wherein said fixed magnets have north-south axes parallel to said shaft; a coil assembly comprising a plurality of coil layers arranged in a stack, each coil layer in said stack comprising a plurality of electromagnetic coils arranged circularly around said shaft, each of said electromagnetic coils having a top side and a bottom side, and comprising a plurality of conductive coil winds, a first lead, and a second lead, wherein said plurality of coil winds and said first lead are in a first plane and said second lead either crosses above said coil winds in a second plane or below said coil winds in a third plane, said stack of coil layers comprising; a first layer of electromagnetic coils, wherein said coil winds and said first leads of each electromagnetic coil are in said first plane that is substantially perpendicular to said shaft, and said second leads of each of said electromagnetic coils cross below said coil winds in said second plane that is substantially perpendicular to said shaft, a second layer of electromagnetic coils adjacent to said first layer of electromagnetic coils, wherein said coil winds and said first leads of each electromagnetic coil are in said second plane, and said second leads of each electromagnetic coil cross above said coil winds and are in said first plane, such that said second leads of said electromagnetic coils in said second layer are between coil winds of said electromagnetic coils in said first layer, and said second leads of said electromagnetic coils in said first layer are between said coil winds of said electromagnetic coils in said second layer, and each of said coil layers is mechanically coupled to another of said coil layers; and a controller configured to provide each of a plurality of drive signals to one of said coil layers, wherein each of said drive signals has a different phase. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
-
Specification