United Technologies Motor Systems, Inc.

United Technologies Electro Systems, Inc.

Brunswick Corporation

David W Welch

Daniel P Bexten

Larry S Shannon

William A Henderson

Prentice G Moore

Joseph DiTucci

Carl G Czarnecki

Dennis R McCully

This invention relates to a trolling motor which includes a control system capable of executing a predetermined sequence of events which will clear entangled weeds from the propeller, motor housing, and support column. The control system for the trolling motor provides momentary reversal of the propeller to accomplish reliable cleaning of the submerged components of the trolling motor without disturbing the operator selected forward speed. The system includes an input for manually activating a cleaning cycle, for periodically activating cleaning cycles, or for automatically activating a cleaning cycle upon detection of weed fouling of the submerged components.

Self cleaning trolling motor

A multi-speed, direct current motor (120) incorporates a high speed (24) brush disposed between the low speed (22) and the common ground (26) brushes and having a non-arcuate end face (25) which, unlike the conventional arcuate brush end face (23,27), is not subject to speed-drift erosion. The non-arcuate end face (25) is configured of two offset surfaces (55,65 & 57,67) which intersect to provide a line of contact (43) between the end face (25) of the high speed brush (24) and the commutator (40) which is displaced from the center line of the high speed brush (24) in a direction counter to the direction of rotation of the motor, that is toward the leading edge (21) of the brush (24). The intersecting surfaces (55,65 & 57,67) may comprise either flat planar surfaces or contoured surfaces.

Commutator brush

Two windshield wiper blades are powered by separate electric motors. The blades overlap and when one blade is at its reversal point the other blade leaves part as the other blade begins to return to park. The position of the blades is encoded. The blades, if synchronized should be at identical locations and position codes at the same time. Motor power to the blade that arrives first is be removed, allowing the blade to coast. If the other blade still does not arrive at the position after an elapsed time, the first to arrive blade is dynamically braked. Intermittent wiper operation is provided in a way that initiates an immediate wipe if wiper delay is changed while the blades are parked.

Synchronizing windshield wipers

A general purpose or universal motor control is constructed as integrated circuit using a plurality of state machines and memories. The specific characteristics of a motor are programmed into a programmable 'features' memory. A lookup table contains parameters for operating the motor that are accessed as a function of the features. The features memory and the lookup table may be programmed and tested through a communications state machine. External and internal pulse width modulation is provided along with dynamic braking as options that are utilized by the state machines depending upon the features. A multiplexer acts a switch between the state machines, the memories and the motor drive.

General purpose motor controller

Multi-speed motor

A windshield wiper system has two motors. Each propels its own wiper blade. A blade parking disk is attached to each motor and contains a conductive and a non-conductive segment. Electrical power supplied through the conductive segment to the motor from a 'parking contact', is interrupted by the non-conductive segment, parking the blade. During normal operation, the voltage change on the 'parking contact' is sensed for each motor to determine if one motor is faster than the other. If the speed difference exceeds a set level, power to the faster motor is interrupted for a preset time interval during each rotation of the parking disk, until the difference is less than the set level. The voltage on the parking contact is also sensed for the higher voltage produced if the motors are operating at high speed. If the motors are operating at high speed, the preset time interval is increased and the allowable speed difference is reduced.

Dual windshield wiper motor synchronization

A brushless DC motor control circuit for efficiently controlling motor speed is described. A digital circuit for providing centered pulse turn-on during that period when the specific winding is capable of providing torque for the desired direction of rotation to the rotor is described. Each phase has its own timing circuit including an initial delay-time interval and an on-time interval. These time intervals are set to obtain desired motor speed and efficient motor operation.

Brushless motor speed control

A shift actuator for a vehicle transfer case includes a bidirectional electric motor for positioning gearing in the transfer case. An indicator mechanism associated with the drive train between the motor and the transfer case provides electrical signals indicative of the actual position in, and thus operating state, of the gearing in the transfer case. A selector switch provides electrical signals indicative of a desired operating state of the transfer case gearing. An electronic control is responsive to an input from the selector switch and to the indicator mechanism for effecting rotation of the motor in a predetermined one or other direction to attain the desired operating state. The indicator mechanism includes a contact plate, which rotates with the drive train, and a set of stationary contacts. A conductive pattern on the contact plate identifies the positioning of the operating states of the transfer case gearing. Signals indicating the condition of the vehicle, as its speed and the state of its transmission, serve to allow or to inhibit certain responses to certain selected states of the transfer case gearing.

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Columbus, MS, United States of America

David W Welch