Synchronous magnetic drive assembly with laminated barrier

Claim 2

A magnetic drive assembly comprising: a housing including spaced apart end flange members; an annular drive member containing a plurality of drive magnets; a cylindrical driven member containing a plurality of driven magnets, the driven and drive members being concentrically bearingly sup-ported by said end flange members so that rotation of the drive member will result, through magnetic interaction, in rotation of the driven member; a cylindrical barrier extending between said end flange members and separating said drive member from said driven member whereby said barrier and said end flange members define a chamber containing said driven member, said barrier being formed of a plurality of abutting axially adjacent annular laminations held in axial compression by said end flange members, each lamination being formed of a non-magnetic ductile material to reduce eddy current losses; and means for hermeti-cally sealing said barrier and said chamber.

Claim 3

The assembly of claim 1 wherein each of said lamina-tions in radial cross-section has a chevron shape whereby adjacent laminations are nestable with each other.

Claim 4

The assembly of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said sealing means includes a non-conductive insulating material coating the mating faces of each of said laminations.

Claim 5

The assembly of claim 1 wherein said sealing means includes a thin wall non-magnetic cylindrical sleeve positioned within said chamber, extending between said end flange members, the outer wall of said sleeve having a force fit with the inner cylindrical surface of said barrier.

Claim 6

The assembly of claim 4 wherein each of said lamina-tions in radial cross-section has a rectangular shape.

Claim 7

The assembly of claim 1, 2 or 5 including: means on each end flange member for radially and axially supporting said barrier; and means for interconnecting said flanges so as to apply a compressive axially directed force on said barrier.

Claim 8

The assembly of claim 1 or claim 2 including an inwardly directed annular boss on each end flange member; an annular thrust washer on each boss, each washer abutting a respective end of said barrier and the adjacent end flange member; bearing means mounted on each thrust washer for bearingly supporting said drive member; and a plurality of bolts interconnecting said end flange members to apply an axially directed compressive force to said barrier through said thrust washers.

Claim 9

The assembly of claim 4 or claim 5 including an inwardly directed annular boss on each end flange member, said bosses supporting said cylindrical sleeve at each end thereof; an annular thrust washer on each end of said sleeve concentric with the respective boss supporting said sleeve, each washer abutting a respective end of said barrier and the adjacent end flange member; bearing means mounted on each thrust washer for bearingly supporting said drive member; and a plurality of bolts interconnecting said end flange members to apply an axially directed compressive force to said barrier through said thrust washers.

Claim 10

A magnetic drive assembly comprising a housing including a pair of spaced apart end flanges, one of said flanges having a central recess containing bearing means for supporting one end of a driven shaft therein, the other of said flanges having a bore therethrough axially aligned with said recess and containing bearing means for supporting a portion of said shaft extending therethrough; a carrier member mounted on said shaft between said flanges and supporting a plurality of circumferentially spaced permanent magnet elements; axially inwardly directed boss means on each of said end flanges positioned radially outwardly of said shaft; an annular barrier member extending between said end flanges radially outwardly of said carrier member and including a plurality of axially adjacent annular laminations nested together over the length of said barrier member, each lamination having a chevron shape in radial cross-section, each lamination being formed of a non-magnetic ductile material; said barrier and said end flanges defining a chamber within said housing containing said shaft and carrier member; means hermetically sealing said chamber; bearing means on each of said boss means supporting a rotatable cylindrical drive member containing a plurality of circumferentially spaced permanent magnet elements facing said barrier; means for rotating said drive member; and means interconnecting said flanges to apply an axially directed compressive force to said barrier member.

Claim 11

A magnetic drive assembly comprising a housing including a pair of spaced apart end flanges, one of said flanges having a central recess containing bearing means for supporting one end of a driven shaft therein, the other of said flanges having a bore therethrough axially aligned with said recess and containing bearing means for supporting a portion of said shaft extending therethrough; a carrier member mounted on said shaft between said flanges and supporting a plurality of circumferentially spaced permanent magnet elements; axially inwardly directed boss means on each of said end flanges positioned radially outwardly of said shaft; an annular barrier member extending between said end flanges radially outwardly of said carrier member and including a plurality of axially adjacent annular laminations nested together over the length of said barrier member, each lamination having a chevron shape in radial cross-section, each lamination being formed of a non-magnetic ductile material; said barrier and said end flanges defining a chamber within said housing containing said shaft and carrier member; means hermetically sealing said chamber; bearing means on each of said boss means supporting a rotatable cylindrical drive member containing a plurality of circumferentially spaced permanent magnet elements facing said barrier; means for rotating said drive member; and means interconnecting said flanges to apply an axially directed compressive force to said barrier member.

Claim 12

The magnetic drive assembly of claim 9 wherein said sealing means comprises a non-conductive insulating material coating the mating faces of each of said laminations.

Claim 13

The magnetic drive assembly of claim 9 or claim 10 wherein annular thrust washer means are positioned on said boss means between each end of said barrier member and the adjacent end flange of said housing; said washer means serving to transmit said compressive force to said barrier member.

Claim 14

A magnetic drive assembly comprising a housing including a pair of spaced apart end flanges, one of said flanges having a central recess containing bearing means for supporting one end of a driven shaft therein, the other of said flanges having a bore therethrough axially aligned with said recess and containing bearing means for supporting a portion of said shaft extending therethrough; a carrier member mounted on said shaft between said flanges and supporting a plurality of circumferentially spaced permanent magnet elements; axially inwardly directed boss means on each of said end flanges positioned radially outwardly of said shaft; a thin wall cylindrical non-magnetic sleeve extending between said end flanges and supported at each end on a respective one of said boss means; an annular barrier member extending between said end flanges radially outwardly of said sleeve and having a force fit therewith, said barrier including a plurality of axially adjacent annular laminations abutting each other over the length of said barrier member, each lamination having a rectangular shape in radial cross-section, each lamination being formed of a non-magnetic ductile material; said barrier, said sleeve and said end flanges defining a chamber within said housing containing said shaft and carrier member; means hermetically sealing said chamber; bearing means on each end of said sleeve at said boss means supporting a rotatable cylindrical drive member containing a plurality of circumferentially spaced permanent magnet elements facing said barrier; means for rotating said drive member; and means interconnecting said flanges to apply an axially directed compressive force to said barrier member.

Claim 15

A magnetic drive assembly comprising a housing including a pair of spaced apart end flanges, one of said flanges having a central recess containing bearing means for supporting one end of a driven shaft therein, the other of said flanges having a bore therethrough axially aligned with said recess and containing bearing means for supporting a portion of said shaft extending therethrough; a carrier member mounted on said shaft between said flanges and supporting a plurality of circumferentially spaced permanent magnet elements; axially inwardly directed boss means on each of said end flanges positioned radially outwardly of said shaft; a thin wall cylindrical non-magnetic sleeve extending between said end flanges and supported at each end on a respective one of said boss means; an annular barrier member extending between said end flanges radially outwardly of said sleeve and having a force fit therewith, said barrier including a plurality of axially adjacent annular laminations abutting each other over the length of said barrier member, each lamination having a rectangular shape in radial cross-section, each lamination being formed of a non-magnetic ductile material; said barrier, said sleeve and said end flanges defining a chamber within said housing containing said shaft and carrier member; means hermetically sealing said chamber; bearing means on each end of said sleeve at said boss means supporting a rotatable cylindrical drive member containing a plurality of circumferentially spaced permanent magnet elements facing said barrier; means for rotating said drive member; and means interconnecting said flanges to apply an axially directed compressive force to said barrier member.

Claim 16

The magnetic drive assembly of claim 12 wherein said sealing means comprises a non-conductive insulating material coating the mating faces of each of said laminations.

Claim 17

The magnetic drive assembly of claim 12 or claim 13 wherein annular thrust washer means are positioned on each end of said sleeve concentric with the respective boss means supporting said sleeve, each washer abutting a respective end of said barrier member and the adjacent end flange of said housing, said washer means serving to transmit said compressive force to said barrier member.