Other

Launchpoint Technologies, Inc.

Magtube, Inc.

Orlo James Fiske

Bradley Evan Paden

Michael Richard Ricci

Chen Chen

David Brian Paden

Brian A Paden

Murat Okcuoglu

An electromagnetic valve apparatus with nonlinear springs for variable valve timing in an internal combustion engine. The apparatus includes a valve, floating spring assembly, translational cam, and motor. The cam and spring serve to minimize lash and valve stem bending forces. During opening and closing of the valve, spring potential energy is converted into valve kinetic energy and then back into potential energy at the end of the motion. The potential energy is then available for the next opening/closing event. The motor initiates motion, replaces friction and vibration losses, and terminates motion. However, the motor supplies minimal energy as the valve opens and closes, and vice-versa, naturally due to combined effects of system inertia and the nonlinear spring. In addition to valve control, the apparatus may be applied to fuel injectors, or any reciprocating linear or rotary mechanism where electronic control is used.

Electromagnetic valve apparatus with nonlinear spring

A magnetically levitated transportation system employs permanent magnet rails along a guideway that interact with permanent magnets on a vehicle. The rails are optimized to reduce magnetic mass and cost of materials, while maximizing lift force. The vehicle is stabilized in the lateral and yaw directions with feedback controlled lateral control coils that interact with the permanent magnet rails on the guideway. A track switching structure employs permanent magnet rails that gradually widen along a segment of track and separate into two identical diverging rails. Feedback controlled lateral control coils in a moving vehicle stabilize that vehicle over one or the other pairs of diverging rails, as directed by a control computer, thereby causing the vehicle to continue along one path or the other, with no moving or active elements required in the track.

Track switching for a magnetically levitated transportation system and method

Arrays of magnets configured to create linear or rotary magnetic springs with multiple equilibrium points. Some of the equilibrium points are stable, while others are unstable. No mechanical contact is required between moving and stationary elements of the magnetic springs, resulting in a virtually unlimited lifetime. The magnetic springs can be utilized in conjunction with low force electromagnetic actuators to implement multi-step linear or rotary actuators with high force, very short movement time between unstable equilibrium points, and with near-zero holding power required to maintain actuator position at any unstable equilibrium point. Specific applications that embody the present invention may include, but are not limited to, optical filters, linear valves, or any mechanism that would benefit from an efficient magnetic spring.

Magnetic spring and actuators with multiple equilibrium positions

One or more permanent magnets, or one or more permanent magnet arrays are used to produce shear force levitation. A primary application of shear force levitators is a levitated ring energy storage device. Such a levitated ring energy storage device includes a round support structure having a first magnetic levitator or levitator array encircling its outer periphery, and a ring encircling the support structure and having a second magnetic levitator or levitator array encircling its inner periphery, such that the first and second magnetic levitators (or levitator arrays) interact to produce a vertical force that levitates the ring.

Shear force levitator and levitated ring energy storage device

A magnetically levitated transportation system employs permanent magnet rails along a guideway that interact with permanent magnets on a vehicle. The rails are optimized to reduce magnetic mass, while maximizing lift force. In one example, the arrays are composed of arrays of magnets having rotating magnetizations, such as Halbach arrays. In another example, the arrays are cup-shaped to provide stronger magnetic field forces in the central portion of the array, relative to the lateral portion of the array. The vehicle may be stabilized in the lateral and yaw directions with feedback controlled lateral control coils that interact with the permanent magnet rails on the guideway. Vertical, pitch and roll motions may be controlled or damped with eddy-current damper coils or plates or with active feedback control to control the coils.

Magnetically levitated transportation system and method

A ground-based capsule pipeline with greatly improved speed, energy efficiency, and cost for transportation of freight and/or people. Passive magnetic levitation is used to suspend inert, rugged capsules within an air-evacuated pipeline, where they are propelled by a linear motor. Permanent magnet pole arrays incorporated in the capsules interact with inductively-enhanced conductive loops on the interior of the pipeline to produce a low &ldquo;take-off&rdquo; speed, high lift, and a high lift-drag ratio.

Magnetic levitation transportation system and method

A data storage and retrieval system reads and/or writes data onto a data storage disk defining a recording surface having a radial dimension and at least one data track directed generally transverse to the radial dimension. The system includes a housing having an interior for receiving the one data storage disk. The disk is rotated upon being received in the housing interior. A head array having a plurality of read and/or write heads is arranged in a longitudinal dimension, for communicating with the recording surface of the data storage disk. A head array support arm is disposed within the housing interior, for supporting the head array adjacent the recording surface of the storage disk, with the longitudinal dimension of the arrangement of heads extending in a cross-track direction of the disk recording surface and spanning more than one half of the radial dimension of the recording surface. An actuator is coupled to selectively move the head array support arm and head array in a cross-track direction.

Data storage and/or retrieval method and apparatus employing a head

A disk drive system and method employs sheet lift effect to suspend a data storage disk during high speed rotation. The system includes a data storage disk composed, at least partially, of an electrically conductive, nonmagnetic material and having at least one disk surface through which data communication may occur. The disk is rotated within an air-evacuated housing adjacent at least one magnet member. The interaction of the magnet member and the conductive, nonmagnetic material on the disk provides a sheet lift force suitable to suspend the disk during high speed rotation, such that the disk makes no physical contact with the housing or any structure fixed relative the housing. A read/write head assembly may also be provided with at least one magnet member which interacts with the conductive, nonmagnetic material on the disk to support the head assembly in a spaced relation to the disk surface.

Growing community of inventors

Goleta, CA, United States of America

Orlo James Fiske