Nidec Motor Corporation

Emerson Electric Company

Emerson Climate Technologies Gmbh

James L Skinner

Prakash B Shahi

Douglas D Glenn

Joseph Gerald Marcinkiewicz

Charles E Green

Jeffrey Scott Sherman

Chetan O Modi

Anandan C Velayutham

Christopher D Schock

Raymond D Heilman

John P Powers

Mark E Carrier

James Patrick Meagher

Randy L Bomkamp

Michael L Largent

John G Schrader

J Stephen Thorn

John S Thorn

Charles L Geiler

Robert J Ploof, Jr

Richard A Belley

Craig Nordby

Steven Paul Randall

Bret S Clark

Yue Li

Pradeep K Sood

Charles E B Green

Douglas M Petty

Craig J Nordby

Gregory R Maes

Steven Faust

Joseph G Mercinkiewicz

John Stephen Thorn

A spacing-assured gas discharge tube assembly is installed on a printed circuit board, which may be part of a motor controller. The discharge tube assembly includes a tube body and an electrostatic spacing shield disposed at least partially around the tube body. The shield is configured to prevent close physical proximity of adjacent structures having electrostatic fields that may alter the breakdown voltage of the tube body.

Spacing-assured electric field shield for gas discharge tube of motor control

An electric motor assembly includes a stator, a rotor, a motor housing, a rotatable shaft, a radial fan, and an air scoop. The motor housing at least partly houses the stator and rotor and presents an exterior motor surface. The rotatable shaft is associated with the rotor for rotational movement therewith, with the rotatable shaft extending along a rotational axis. The radial fan is mounted on the rotatable shaft exteriorly of the motor housing and is rotatable with the shaft to direct airflow in a radially outward direction. The air scoop extends radially outwardly relative to the radial fan and axially to receive radial airflow from the radial fan and turn the airflow axially to flow along the exterior motor surface. The air scoop includes spaced apart axially extending airflow vanes to guide the airflow as the airflow is turned axially.

Heatsink clamp for multiple electronic components

A clamp assembly is operable to engage at least three heat-generating electrical components arranged side-by-side and clamp the electrical components relative to a heat sink. The clamp assembly includes a clamp bar and a fastener to secure the clamp bar to the heat sink. The clamp bar includes at least three spaced apart projections configured to be located in engagement with the respective electrical components. The clamp bar presents a slot positioned between a spaced apart pair of the projections and defines respective clamp bar sections on opposite sides thereof. The slot permits the clamp bar sections to shift relative to one another and thereby facilitate clamping engagement of the projections with the electrical components.

A motor assembly includes a motor, a controller for controlling at least one aspect of operation of the motor, a housing, and an insulation system. The housing defines a motor chamber at least substantially receiving the motor and a controller chamber at least substantially receiving the controller. The housing includes a generally annular sidewall at least in part defining the controller chamber. The sidewall includes an electrically conductive portion adjacent the controller, such that a generally radially extending potentially electrical pathway is defined between the controller and the electrically conductive portion. The insulation system extends along the electrically conductive portion, in electrically insulative engagement therewith, to at least in part obstruct the pathway.

Insulative insert for motor controller can

A system for detecting a decrease in or loss of an input phase to a motor. A power rectifier rectifies and combines three input voltages to produce an output voltage to power the motor. A PFC circuit manages the power flowing to the motor. A sensing circuit located between the power rectifier and the PFC senses a voltage level of the power rectifier's output voltage. Alternatively, a sensing rectifier is connected before the power rectifier, and the sensing circuit senses the voltage level of the sensing rectifier's output voltage. A microprocessor compares the sensed voltage level to a threshold voltage level which is indicative of the decrease in or loss of one of the three input voltages, and if the former drops below the latter, then the microprocessor sends a signal to either shut off the motor or cause the PFC circuit to reduce the power flowing to the motor.

System and method for detecting loss of input phase by sensing before power rectifier

A system-specific interface module for a motor control subassembly for controlling operation of an electric motor within a larger system which uses a particular system communication method. The motor control subassembly includes a standard power module and the interface module. The power module includes a controller processor configured to receive input for controlling and to generate output regarding operation of the motor. The interface module includes a communication interface hardware block configured to exchange input and output signals with the larger system, and an interface processor configured to translate the input and output signals between the particular system communication method used by the larger system and a standard internal communication method used by the power module. Thus, the motor control subassembly can be configured to accommodate any of a variety of different system communication methods and other input/output options by selecting and inserting the appropriate interface module.

System-specific interface module for motor control subassembly for electric motor

A tool for programming a controller of an electric motor by engaging a connection block of the motor and providing high voltage power and communicating programming signals to the controller. The tool includes a body having an interface for engaging the connection block, and internal wiring presenting tool terminals at the interface for making contact with corresponding motor terminals to allow for providing power and communicating signals between the tool and the controller. An energy-limited transformer having an isolated high impedance secondary winding provides both electrical isolation to protect against shock and low energy output to protect against arc flash. Redundant interlocks include a software interlock which allows the power to be present at the interface only during actual programming of the controller. A light ring encircling the body indicates the presence of high voltage and is visible from multiple directions.

Motor programming tool

System and method for detecting loss of input phase by sensing after power rectifier

A system and method for limiting the vibration of an electric motor so as to avoid situations in which extreme vibration may result in damage to the motor or other equipment. A motor control subsystem runs the motor in accordance with a command specifying a speed or torque. A vibration sensor, such as a three-axis accelerometer, senses a vibration of the electric motor, or, alternatively, software indirectly detects the vibration based on phase or torque ripple. Such vibration may be caused by, e.g., a broken fan blade or an accumulation of snow or ice. A control element receives data regarding the vibration, determines whether the vibration exceeds a pre-determined limit, and if so, takes action to reduce the vibration of the electric motor below the pre-determined limit. Such action may involve slowing or stopping the motor, thereby avoiding damage, increasing reliability, and reducing cost.

System and method for limiting vibration of electric motor

A motor control system for adjusting motor speed if a current overload condition occurs. The motor control system may include a motor, a power factor correction (PFC) circuit providing current to the motor, and a signal processor. The PFC circuit may limit current provided to the motor based on an output voltage sensed by the PFC circuit. The signal processor may sense input voltage of the PFC circuit to determine a power limit, then compare sensed or calculated drive power of the motor with the power limit. If the drive power sensed or calculated is greater than the power limit, the signal processor may output a signal for reducing the drive power to the power limit. Limiting the drive power provided to the motor limits or decreases a speed of the motor.

Motor control system and method for input current protection

Growing community of inventors

Collinsville, IL, United States of America

James L Skinner