Permanent magnet drive apparatus and operational method
First Claim
1. A magnetic drive apparatus, comprising:
- a first magnet carrier carrying a first permanent magnet arrangement;
a second magnet carrier carrying a second permanent magnet arrangement;
an intermediate magnet carrier disposed between said first and second magnet carriers and carrying a third permanent magnet arrangement;
said intermediate magnet carrier and said first and second magnet carriers being arranged for rotation relative to each other (relative rotation);
said first permanent magnet arrangement, said second permanent magnet arrangement and said third permanent magnet arrangement being configured to produce magnetic interactions when said intermediate magnet carrier and said first and second magnet carriers undergo said relative rotation;
said magnetic interactions producing power stroke forces that cause said intermediate magnet carrier and said first and second magnet carriers to undergo reciprocation relative to each (relative reciprocation) other in first and second stroke directions during power zone portions of said relative rotation;
said magnetic interactions producing substantially no power stroke forces during dead zone portions of said relative rotation, said dead zones comprising relative rotational positions of said magnet carriers wherein opposing magnetic poles of said first permanent magnet arrangement, said second permanent magnet arrangement and said third permanent magnet arrangement are mutually coaxially aligned but produce a substantially equal balance of push and pull magnetic forces; and
said relative rotation and said relative reciprocation being synchronizable so that said dead zones can be made to occur proximate to top dead center and bottom dead center positions of said relative reciprocation, and so that said power zones occur between said top dead center and bottom dead center relative reciprocation positions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A magnetic drive apparatus includes first and second magnet carriers carrying first and second permanent magnet arrangements. An intermediate magnet carrier disposed between the first and second magnet carriers carries a third permanent magnet arrangement. The magnet carriers are arranged for rotation relative to each other such that the magnet arrangements produce magnetic interactions that result in power stroke forces causing the magnet carriers to undergo relative reciprocation in first and second stroke directions during power zone portions of the relative rotation. The magnetic interactions impart substantially no power stroke forces during dead zone portions of the relative rotation. The dead zones include magnet carrier relative rotation positions wherein opposing magnetic poles are mutually coaxially aligned but produce a substantially equal balance of push and pull magnetic forces. The apparatus may be synchronized so that the dead zones coincide with top dead center and bottom dead center relative reciprocation positions.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A magnetic drive apparatus, comprising:
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a first magnet carrier carrying a first permanent magnet arrangement; a second magnet carrier carrying a second permanent magnet arrangement; an intermediate magnet carrier disposed between said first and second magnet carriers and carrying a third permanent magnet arrangement; said intermediate magnet carrier and said first and second magnet carriers being arranged for rotation relative to each other (relative rotation); said first permanent magnet arrangement, said second permanent magnet arrangement and said third permanent magnet arrangement being configured to produce magnetic interactions when said intermediate magnet carrier and said first and second magnet carriers undergo said relative rotation; said magnetic interactions producing power stroke forces that cause said intermediate magnet carrier and said first and second magnet carriers to undergo reciprocation relative to each (relative reciprocation) other in first and second stroke directions during power zone portions of said relative rotation; said magnetic interactions producing substantially no power stroke forces during dead zone portions of said relative rotation, said dead zones comprising relative rotational positions of said magnet carriers wherein opposing magnetic poles of said first permanent magnet arrangement, said second permanent magnet arrangement and said third permanent magnet arrangement are mutually coaxially aligned but produce a substantially equal balance of push and pull magnetic forces; and said relative rotation and said relative reciprocation being synchronizable so that said dead zones can be made to occur proximate to top dead center and bottom dead center positions of said relative reciprocation, and so that said power zones occur between said top dead center and bottom dead center relative reciprocation positions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A magnetic drive torque converter apparatus, comprising:
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a first magnet carrier carrying a first permanent magnet arrangement; a second magnet carrier carrying a second permanent magnet arrangement; an intermediate magnet carrier disposed between said first and second magnet carriers and carrying a third permanent magnet arrangement; an input component operatively coupled to either said intermediate magnet carrier or said first and second magnet carriers to produce relative rotation between said intermediate magnet carrier and said first and second magnet carriers; said first permanent magnet arrangement, said second permanent magnet arrangement and said third permanent magnet arrangement being configured to produce magnetic interactions when said input component produces said relative rotation; said magnetic interactions producing power stroke forces that cause said intermediate magnet carrier and said first and second magnet carriers to undergo relative reciprocation in first and second stroke directions during power zone portions of said relative rotation; an output component operatively coupled to either said intermediate magnet carrier or said first and second magnet carriers such that said relative reciprocation in said first and second stroke directions actuates said output component; said magnetic interactions producing substantially no power stroke forces during dead zone portions of said relative rotation, said dead zones comprising relative rotational positions of said magnet carriers wherein opposing magnetic poles of said first permanent magnet arrangement, said second permanent magnet arrangement and said third permanent magnet arrangement are mutually coaxially aligned but produce a substantially equal balance of push and pull magnetic forces; and said relative rotation and said relative reciprocation being synchronizable so that said dead zones can be made to occur proximate to top dead center and bottom dead center positions of said relative reciprocation, and so that said power zones occur between said top dead center and bottom dead center relative reciprocation positions. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A magnetic drive apparatus, comprising:
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first and second opposing magnet carriers respectively carrying opposing magnet arrangements; said opposing magnet arrangements being configured to produce magnetic interactions when said opposing magnet carriers undergo relative rotation; said magnetic interactions producing power stroke forces that cause said opposing magnet carriers to undergo relative reciprocation in first and second stroke directions during power zone portions of said relative rotation; said magnetic interactions producing substantially no power stroke forces during dead zone portions of said relative rotation, said dead zones comprising relative rotational positions of the magnet carriers wherein opposing magnetic poles of said opposing magnet arrangements are mutually coaxially aligned but produce a substantially equal balance of push and pull magnetic forces; and said relative rotation and said relative reciprocation being synchronizable so that said dead zones can be made to occur proximate to top dead center and bottom dead center relative reciprocation positions of said magnet carriers, and so that said power zones occur between said top dead center and bottom dead center relative reciprocation positions.
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21. A permanent magnet drive method, comprising:
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providing opposing magnet carriers respectively carrying opposing magnet arrangements, said opposing magnet arrangements being configured to produce magnetic interactions when said opposing magnet carriers undergo relative rotation; inducing relative rotation between said opposing magnet carriers to produce said magnetic interactions; said magnetic interactions producing power stroke forces that cause said opposing magnet carriers to undergo relative reciprocation in first and second stroke directions during power zone portions of said relative rotation; said magnetic interactions producing substantially no power stroke forces during dead zone portions of said relative rotation, said dead zones comprising relative rotational positions of the magnet carriers wherein opposing magnetic poles of said opposing magnet arrangements are mutually coaxially aligned but produce a substantially equal balance of push and pull magnetic forces; and synchronizing said relative rotation and said relative reciprocation so that said dead zones occur proximate to top dead center and bottom dead center positions of said relative reciprocation, and so that said power zones occur between said top dead center and bottom dead center relative reciprocation positions. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A magnetic drive apparatus, comprising:
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opposing magnet carriers respectively carrying opposing magnet arrangements; said opposing magnet arrangements having opposing magnetic poles and being configured to produce magnetic interactions when said opposing magnet carriers undergo relative rotation; said magnetic interactions producing power stroke forces that cause said opposing magnet carriers to undergo relative reciprocation in first and second stroke directions during power zone portions of said relative rotation; and said relative rotation including rotational dead zones wherein said opposing magnetic poles of said opposing magnet arrangements are mutually coaxially aligned to define an equal number of same-polarity and opposite-polarity magnetic interactions. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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Specification