The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 15, 2005
Filed:
Feb. 21, 2003
Wilhelm Frey, Mountain View, CA (US);
Zhiyu Pan, Mountain View, CA (US);
Andreas Niendorf, Berlin, DE;
Wilhelm Frey, Mountain View, CA (US);
Zhiyu Pan, Mountain View, CA (US);
Andreas Niendorf, Berlin, DE;
Robert Bosch GmbH, Stuttgart, DE;
Abstract
A device for levitating a disk including three bottom electrodes situated below the disk and equidistantly around a top circle and three top electrodes situated above the disk, opposite the three bottom electrodes, and situated equidistantly around a bottom circle. Two bottom reference electrodes are situated below the disk, a first bottom reference electrode forming a bottom inner circle on a bottom inner perimeter of the set of three bottom electrodes, a second bottom reference electrode forming a bottom outer circle on a bottom outer perimeter of the set of three bottom electrodes. Two top reference electrodes are situated above the disk, a first top reference electrode forming a top inner circle on a top inner perimeter of the set of three top electrodes, a second top reference electrode forming a top outer circle on a top outer perimeter of the set of three top electrodes. A drive circuit for driving the three bottom electrodes, the three top electrodes, the two bottom reference electrodes, and the two top reference electrodes. A method of levitating a disk includes applying a first plurality of voltages to three bottom electrodes situated below the disk. A second plurality of voltages is applied to three top electrodes situated above the disk and opposite the three bottom electrodes. A third plurality of voltages is applied to two bottom reference electrodes situated below the disk. A fourth plurality of voltages is applied to two top reference electrodes situated above the disk. A fifth plurality of voltages may be applied to side electrodes to rotate the disk.