Cross plane wide-gap motor system for gimbal
First Claim
1. A motor system adapted for use with a gimbal ball wherein said gimbal ball is supported by an outer axis structure that includes means for providing for the motion of said gimbal ball about an external elevation axis and about an external azimuth axis, comprising:
- at least three motors that are separated with respect to each other, and wherein each of said motors is disposed proximate a common plane, said common plane passing through said gimbal ball, and wherein each of said motors is disposed in said gimbal ball away from a yaw axis of said gimbal ball, and wherein a portion of each of said motors is attached to said gimbal ball and a remaining portion thereof is attached to a payload that is disposed in said gimbal ball, and wherein each of said motors is adapted to displace said payload with respect to said gimbal ball, and wherein said portion of each of said motors that is attached to said gimbal ball is attached to an outer elevation drive thereof.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for the control and alignment of a sensor on a moving vehicle is provided that includes a gimbal ball supported by an outer axis structure and adapted to pivot about an outer elevation axis and about an outer azimuth axis. The outer axis structure is mounted to a vehicle. An inner axis structure includes a cardan shaft that is provided in the ball and is used to support a payload. An inner elevation axis passes through the cardan shaft. The payload is moved about inner pitch inner roll and inner yaw axes over a limited range of motion by the use of a plurality of permanent magnet wide-gap motors that are disposed on the plane of the cardan shaft and maximally away from the yaw axis in the ball. The motors are adapted to each urge the payload to move in two perpendicular axes, depending upon the current that is applied through conductors which pass through a flux field. Control circuitry is used to energize the motors in any desired combination to produce motion in roll, pitch, or yaw.
35 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A motor system adapted for use with a gimbal ball wherein said gimbal ball is supported by an outer axis structure that includes means for providing for the motion of said gimbal ball about an external elevation axis and about an external azimuth axis, comprising:
at least three motors that are separated with respect to each other, and wherein each of said motors is disposed proximate a common plane, said common plane passing through said gimbal ball, and wherein each of said motors is disposed in said gimbal ball away from a yaw axis of said gimbal ball, and wherein a portion of each of said motors is attached to said gimbal ball and a remaining portion thereof is attached to a payload that is disposed in said gimbal ball, and wherein each of said motors is adapted to displace said payload with respect to said gimbal ball, and wherein said portion of each of said motors that is attached to said gimbal ball is attached to an outer elevation drive thereof. - 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)
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24. A method for increasing the rate of slew for a yaw axis of a gimbal, including the steps of:
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(a) providing a motor system adapted for use with a gimbal ball wherein said gimbal ball is supported by an outer axis structure that includes means for providing for the motion of said gimbal ball about an external elevation axis and about an external azimuth axis, and including at least three motors that are oppositely disposed with respect to each other, and wherein each of said motors is disposed proximate a common plane, said common plane passing through said gimbal ball, and wherein each of said motors is disposed in said gimbal ball distally away from a yaw axis of said gimbal ball, and wherein a portion of each of said motors is attached to said gimbal ball and a remaining portion thereof is attached to a payload that is disposed in said gimbal ball, and wherein each of said motors is adapted to displace said payload about said yaw axis with respect to said gimbal ball, and attaching a first half of each of said at least three motors to an outer elevation axis of said gimbal ball and attaching a remaining half of each of said at least three motors to a payload; and (b) slewing said gimbal ball about said yaw axis.
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25. A motor system adapted for use with a gimbal ball wherein said gimbal ball is supported by an outer axis structure that includes means for providing for the motion of said gimbal ball about an external elevation axis and about an external azimuth axis, comprising:
at least three motors that are separated with respect to each other, and wherein each of said motors is disposed proximate a common plane, said common plane passing through said gimbal ball, and wherein each of said motors is disposed in said gimbal ball away from a yaw axis of said gimbal ball, and wherein a portion of each of said motors is attached to said gimbal ball and a remaining portion thereof is attached to a payload that is disposed in said gimbal ball, and wherein each of said motors is adapted to displace said payload with respect to said gimbal ball and wherein said motors include permanent magnet magnetic torque motors, and wherein each of said permanent magnet magnetic torque motors includes a pair of permanent magnets that are disposed in a spaced apart relationship whereby a magnetic flux path is formed intermediate said pair of permanent magnets and wherein said portion of each of said motors that is attached to said gimbal ball includes said pair of permanent magnets, and wherein each of said permanent magnet magnetic torque motors includes a portion of a conductor that is disposed within said magnetic flux path and wherein said remaining portion thereof that is attached to a payload includes said conductor and wherein said payload is supported by a cardan shaft and wherein when a sufficient current is passed through said conductor, a force is experienced by said conductor that is sufficient to displace said payload with respect to said gimbal ball, and wherein each of said permanent magnet magnetic torque motors includes a second pair of permanent magnets that are disposed in a spaced apart relationship wherein a second magnetic flux path is formed intermediate said second pair of permanent magnets, and wherein each of said second pair of permanent magnets is attached to said gimbal ball, and wherein said conductor includes an extension that is disposed within said second magnetic flux path. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. A motor system adapted for use with a gimbal ball wherein said gimbal ball is supported by an outer axis structure that includes means for providing for the motion of said gimbal ball about an external elevation axis and about an external azimuth axis, comprising:
at least three motors that are separated with respect to each other, and wherein each of said motors is disposed proximate a common plane, said common plane passing through said gimbal ball, and wherein each of said motors is disposed in said gimbal ball away from a yaw axis of said gimbal ball, and wherein a portion of each of said motors is attached to said gimbal ball and a remaining portion thereof is attached to a payload that is disposed in said gimbal ball, and wherein each of said motors is adapted to displace said payload with respect to said gimbal ball, and 1 wherein said motors include permanent magnet magnetic torque motors, and wherein each of said permanent magnet magnetic torque motors includes a pair of permanent magnets that are disposed in a spaced apart relationship whereby a magnetic flux path is formed intermediate said pair of permanent magnets and wherein said portion of each of said motors that is attached to said gimbal ball includes said pair of permanent magnets, and wherein each of said permanent magnet magnetic torque motors includes a portion of a conductor that is disposed within said magnetic flux path and wherein said remaining portion thereof that is attached to a payload includes said conductor and wherein said payload is supported by a cardan shaft and wherein when a sufficient current is passed through said conductor, a force is experienced by said conductor that is sufficient to displace said payload with respect to said gimbal ball, and wherein said magnetic torque motors include four permanent magnet magnetic torque motors, and wherein two of said four permanent magnet magnetic torque motors are disposed in a pair, said pair being disposed in a maximally spaced-apart orientation and on an opposite side of said gimbal ball, whereby a balanced torque is applied to said payload when an equal magnitude force is applied to each motor of said pair.
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28. A motor system adapted for use with a gimbal ball wherein said gimbal ball is supported by an outer axis structure that includes means for providing for the motion of said gimbal ball about an external elevation axis and about an external azimuth axis, comprising:
at least three motors that are separated with respect to each other, and wherein each of said motors is disposed proximate a common plane, said common plane passing through said gimbal ball, and wherein each of said motors is disposed in said gimbal ball away from a yaw axis of said gimbal ball, and wherein a portion of each of said motors is attached to said gimbal ball and a remaining portion thereof is attached to a payload that is disposed in said gimbal ball, and wherein each of said motors is adapted to displace said payload with respect to said gimbal ball, and wherein said motors include permanent magnet magnetic torque motors, and wherein each of said permanent magnet magnetic torque motors includes a pair of permanent magnets that are disposed in a spaced apart relationship whereby a magnetic flux path is formed intermediate said pair of permanent magnets and wherein said portion of each of said motors that is attached to said gimbal ball includes said pair of permanent magnets, and wherein each of said permanent magnet magnetic torque motors includes a portion of a conductor that is disposed within said magnetic flux path and wherein said remaining portion thereof that is attached to a payload includes said conductor and wherein said payload is supported by a cardan shaft and wherein when a sufficient current is passed through said conductor, a force is experienced by said conductor that is sufficient to displace said payload with respect to said gimbal ball, and wherein each of said permanent magnet magnetic torque motors includes a second pair of permanent magnets that are disposed in a spaced apart relationship and parallel with respect to said pair of permanent magnets and wherein a second magnetic flux path is formed intermediate said second pair of permanent magnets, and wherein each of said second pair of permanent magnets is attached to said gimbal ball, and wherein said conductor includes an extension that is disposed within said second magnetic flux path, and wherein subsequent to said sufficient current being applied through said conductor, a first force vector is generated by said pair of permanent magnets and is applied to said conductor and wherein a second force vector is generated by said second pair of permanent magnets and is applied to said conductor and wherein said first force vector is additive with respect to said second force vector.
Specification