Moog Gmbh

Litton Systems, Inc.

Moog Components Group Inc.

Litton Systetms, Inc.

Norris E Lewis

Barry Kent Witherspoon

K Peter Lo

Michael B Miller

Martin J Oosterhuis

Jerry Thomas Perdue

Anthony L Bowman

Larry Dean Vaught

Michael P Duncan

Michael J Day

Heath E Kouns

Hettie H Webb

Robert Thomas Rogers

Robert T Rogers, Sr

Herbert C Walker

Jean A Skiles

Thomas C Hohmann

Jerry T Perdue

James M Wright

Barry K Witherspoon

Peter K Lo

A device {i.e., a slip-ring or a homopolar motor/generator) () is adapted to provide electrical contact between a stator and a rotor (), and includes: a current-carrying brush-spring () mounted on the stator, and having two opposite surfaces; a fibrous brush assembly () mounted on the conductor, the brush assembly having a bundle of fibers () arranged such that the tips of the fibers will engage the rotor for transferring electrical current between the stator and rotor; a ribbon () of superconducting material mounted on each opposite surface of the current-carrying brush-spring and communicating with the stator and the brush assembly; and another ribbon () of superconducting material mounted on the rotor. The device is submerged in a cryogenic fluid at a temperature below the transition temperatures of the superconducting materials such that the electrical resistivity of the device will be reduced and the current-transfer capability of the device will be increased.

Superconducting devices, such as slip-rings and homopolar motors/generators

A device (i.e., a slip-ring or a homopolar motor/generator) () is adapted to provide electrical contact between a stator and a rotor (), and includes: a current-carrying brush-spring () mounted on the stator, and having two opposite surfaces; a fibrous brush assembly () mounted on the conductor, the brush assembly having a bundle of fibers () arranged such that the tips of the fibers will engage the rotor for transferring electrical current between the stator and rotor; a ribbon () of superconducting material mounted on each opposite surface of the current-carrying brush-spring and communicating with the stator and the brush assembly; and another ribbon () of superconducting material mounted on the rotor. The device is submerged in a cryogenic fluid at a temperature below the transition temperatures of the superconducting materials such that the electrical resistivity of the device will be reduced and the current-transfer capability of the device will be increased.

The present invention broadly provides improvements in a slip-ring adapted to provide electrical contact between a stator and a rotor. The improved slip-ring includes a brush assembly having a brush tube mounted on the stator and having a fiber bundle composed of a number of individual fibers. The upper marginal end portions of the fibers are received in the brush tube. The lower marginal end portions of the fibers extend beyond the brush tube toward the rotor. The improvements broadly comprise: a central portion of the fibers having been removed below the brush tube such that the fibers extending below the brush tube toward the rotor are in the form of an annulus; and wherein the tangential compliance of the fiber bundle at its point of contact with the rotor is more than twice the tangential compliance of the fiber bundle if the central portion had not been removed.

Fiber-on-tip contact design brush assemblies

The present invention relates generally to optical rotary joints () for enabling optical communication between a rotor and a stator, and to improved optical reflector assemblies for use in such optical rotary joints.

Optical reflector assemblies for use optical rotary joints

The present invention relates generally to optical rotary joints () for enabling optical communication between a rotor and a stator, and to improved methods of mounting such optical rotary joints on supporting structures such that the rotor and stator remain properly aligned.

Optical rotary joints, methods of mounting same in a properly-aligned manner, and optical reflector assemblies for use therein

The present invention provides improved collimating lens assemblies () which include: a singlemode fiber () terminating in a distal end; a step-index multimode fiber () having a proximal end abutting to the singlemode fiber distal end, and having a distal end; a graded-index multimode fiber () having a proximal end abutting the step-index multimode fiber distal end, and having a distal end; and a collimating lens () longitudinally spaced from the graded-index multimode fiber distal end by an intermediate air gap (), and operatively arranged to collimate light rays emanating from the graded-index multimode fiber distal end. The improved collimating lens assembly is characterized by the fact that there is no epoxy, silicone gel or index-matching material between the graded-index multimode fiber distal end and the collimating lens.

High-power collimating lens assemblies, and methods of reducing the optical power density in collimating lens assemblies

The present invention relates generally to optical rotary joints () for enabling optical communication between a rotor and a stator, improved methods of mounting such optical rotary joints on supporting structures such that the rotor and stator remain properly aligned, and to improved optical reflector assemblies for use in such optical rotary joints. The improved optical rotary joint enables optical communication between a rotor and a stator, said rotor having a longitudinal axis, and comprises: at least one optical source () mounted on one of said rotor and stator for transmitting an optical signal in a radial direction with respect to the longitudinal axis; at least one first reflector () mounted on the other of said rotor and stator for reflecting the optical signal transmitted from the source, said first reflector comprising a concave first reflective surface (), a line (L) in a plane taken through said first reflective surface being configured as a portion of an ellipse having first and second focal points (F, F), the first focal point being positioned substantially coincident with said rotor axis; a second reflector () having a second reflective surface () configured as a portion of a cone and positioned at the second focal point of the elliptical surface for receiving light reflected from said first reflective surface and for reflecting light in a different direction as a function of the apex angle of the second reflective surface; and a receiver () arranged to receive light reflected by the second reflective surface.

The invention provides an improvement in a slip ring () adapted to provide electrical contact between a stator () and a rotor (). The improvement includes: a current-carrying conductor () mounted on the stator; a brush tube () mounted on the conductor; a fiber bundle composed of a number of individual fibers(), the upper marginal end portions of the fibers being received in said brush tube, a portion of the brush tube being crimped or swaged to hold the upper marginal end portions of said fibers therein, the lower ends of the fibers in the bundle extending beyond said brush tube and being adapted to engage said rotor; a collimator tube() integral with or surrounding a portion of the brush tube and extending therebeyond, the lower end of the collimator tube being adapted to limit lateral movement of the lower marginal end portions of said fibers in said bundle when the rotor rotates relative to said stator; and a fluid reservoir () mounted on the collimator tube. The fluid may be an lubricant, a corrosion inhibitor, a fluid having a high dielectric strength additive to prevent arcing, or some other fluid.

Fluid-dispensing reservoir for large-diameter slip rings

A compact slip ring (), which is particularly adapted for use in small spaces, is adapted to provide electrical contact between a rotor () and a stator (). The improved slip ring broadly includes an electrically-conductive monofilament () having one end () mounted on the stator and having a distal end (); a sleeve () mounted on and secured to the marginal end portion of the monofilament, adjacent the distal end; and a fiber bundle () having a longitudinal axis (), one marginal end portion of the fiber bundle being recessed in and secured to the sleeve, the other end of the fiber bundle engaging the rotor such that the longitudinal axis of the fiber bundle will be substantially perpendicular to an imaginary line tangent to the rotor surface at the point of contact with the longitudinal axis.

Compact slip ring incorporating fiber-on-tips contact technology

The invention provides an improvement in a slip ring () adapted to provide electrical contact between a stator () and a rotor (). The improvement includes: a current-carrying conductor () mounted on the stator; a brush tube () mounted on the conductor; a fiber bundle composed of a number of individual fibers (), the upper marginal end portions of the fibers being received in said brush tube, a portion of the brush tube being crimped or swaged to hold the upper marginal end portions of said fibers therein, the lower ends of the fibers in the bundle extending beyond said brush tube and being adapted to engage said rotor; a collimator tube () surrounding a portion of the brush tube and extending therebeyond, the lower end of the collimator tube being adapted to limit lateral movement of the lower marginal end portions of said fibers in said bundle when the rotor rotates relative to said stator; and a fluid reservoir mounted on the collimator tube (). The fluid may be an lubricant, a corrosion inhibitor, a fluid having a high dielectric strength additive to prevent arcing, or some other fluid.

The present invention provides several improvements in a slip ring () that is adapted to provide electrical contact between a rotor () and stator (). In one aspect, a brush tube () is crimped around the upper marginal end portions of a plurality of individual fibers () inserted therein. In another aspect, a collimator tube () extends downwardly beyond the end of the brush tube to limit lateral movement of the fibers in the bundle when the rotor rotates. In yet another arrangement, a spring () is arranged to bear against a current-carrying conductor to adjustably vary the force by which the lower ends of the fibers are urged to move toward the rotor.

Electrical contact technology and methodology for the manufacture of large-diameter electrical slip rings

A fiber optic rotary joint and an associated reflector assembly are provided for supporting optical communications between a rotor and a stator. The fiber optic rotary joint includes at least one optical source carried by the rotor or the stator for transmitting optical signals. The fiber optic rotary joint also includes a reflector mounted upon the other one of the rotor and stator for reflecting the optical signals. Further, the fiber optic rotary joint includes a receiver for receiving the optical signals following their reflection. The reflector is generally shaped and positioned such that the path length along which the optical signals propagate from the optical source(s) to the receiver is equal, regardless of the rotational position of the rotor to the stator. The reflector may have a reflective surface shaped to define a portion of an ellipse and/or a reflective surface shaped to define a portion of a hyperbola.

Fiber optic rotary joint and associated reflector assembly

An m-input/n-output (e.g. 1&times;1, 1&times;2, 2&times;2) optical fiber switch includes a switch substrate formed with v-grooves in which singlemode fibers are disposed with their ends operatively arranged in relation to a deflecting mirror to transmit or receive optical signals. To prevent misalignment between the optical paths defined by these singlemode fibers, a lens is fused to directly to each of the singlemode fiber ends to eliminate the need for separate collimating lens and create a stable and dimensionally invariable interface between the fiber and the lens, resulting in a more compact optical switch arrangement.

Fiber lens assembly for singlemode optical switches

The present invention is directed to segmented waveguide for a fiber optic rotary joint. The segmented waveguide is mountable to the existing stator surface. The segmented waveguide is capable of receiving signals from the rotor. The fiber optic rotary joint includes a rotor and an existing stator surface. The rotor is rotatable through a full 360&deg; and is concentric to the existing stator surface. The rotor has one of a plurality of light transmitters and light receivers connected to a first circumference of the rotor. The segmented waveguide includes a reflective waveguide surface shaped to match a potion of existing stator surface. At least one waveguide support supports the reflective waveguide surface and is connectable to the existing stator. At least one of a light transmitter or light receiver is optically coupled to a reflective waveguide surface.

Growing community of inventors

Christiansburg, VA, United States of America

Norris E Lewis