US3727121A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Step motor damping method and apparatus
Assignee: Gerber Systems Corp
•
Filing: 1971-04-08
•
Granted: 1973-04-10
•
Expires: 1991-04-08
Abstract
Abstract A step motor damping apparatus and method which provide electrical damping of the step motor motion. A damping control signal is derived from the electromotive force induced in certain stator pole windings of the step motor by the moving motor armature. A damping force on the armature is produced by energizing the same or other motor poles in response to the damping signal.
Inventors
- 👤 L Rich
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 05:05
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02P; H02P8/00; H02P8/32; H02K; H02K37/00; H02K37/10; H02K37/12; H02K37/14; H02K37/18; H02K37/22
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
128 words
In a step motor drive system having a controller which excites the windings of the motor poles in a phased electrical excitation cycle to produce both excited and non-excited motor poles in each step of the phased electrical excitation cycle and to thereby produce motive forces resulting in a stepping motion of the motor armature, the improvement comprising: sensing means incorporating the windings of the motor poles which produce the motive forces for detecting movement of the motor armature through non-excited windings in each phase of the electrical excitation cycle and producing a damping signal; and force generating means including the motor pole windings for imposing through the non-excited windings a damping force on the motor armature in response to the damping signal produced by said sensing means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
128 words
In a step motor drive system having a controller which excites the windings of the motor poles in a phased electrical excitation cycle to produce both excited and non-excited motor poles in each step of the phased electrical excitation cycle and to thereby produce motive forces resulting in a stepping motion of the motor armature, the improvement comprising: sensing means incorporating the windings of the motor poles which produce the motive forces for detecting movement of the motor armature through non-excited windings in each phase of the electrical excitation cycle and producing a damping signal; and force generating means including the motor pole windings for imposing through the non-excited windings a damping force on the motor armature in response to the damping signal produced by said sensing means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
An improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said sensing means further includes first sequencing means having inputs connected respectively with the motor pole windings and a signal transmitting output for sequentially detecting electromotive forces induced in the respective pole windings by movement of the motor armature and for sequentially providing the detected electromotive forces at the output.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
An improvement as defined in claim 2 wherein said first sequencing means is a synchronous switching means connected to the controLler and having a switching rate synchronized by the controller with the stepping motion of the armature.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
An improvement as defined in claim 3 wherein said synchronous switching means has a phase relationship with the stepping motion of the armature which sequentially associates the output of said synchronous switching means with the inputs of said synchronous switching means associated with selected non-excited motor pole windings in the phased electrical excitation cycle.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
110 words
An improvement as defined in claim 3 in the drive system for a step motor having teeth on both the armature and the stationary motor poles which teeth are pitched to cyclically assume symmetric and asymmetric positional relationships with one another as the armature moves relative to the stationary motor poles during the phased electric excitation cycle wherein said synchronous switching means has a phase relationship with the stepping motion of the armature which sequentially associates the output of said synchronous switching means with the inputs of said synchronous switching means associated with the windings of selected motor poles assuming the asymmetric positional relationship in the phased electrical excitation cycle.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
57 words
An improvement as defined in claim 2 wherein the force generating means includes reversible current driver means connected to the signal transmitting output of said first sequencing means and with the motor pole windings for supplying the motor pole windings with a reversible current in response to the induced electromotive forces detected by said first sequencing means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
94 words
An improvement as defined in claim 6 wherein said reversible current driver means in the force generating means includes a signal amplifier and second sequencing means having an input connected with the amplifier and outputs connected respectively with the motor pole windings for sequentially imposing the amplified signal on the windings and wherein said first and second sequencing means are synchronous switching means connected to the controller of the drive system to synchronize the sequencing of the first and second sequencing means with the phased excitation of the motor pole windings by the controller.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
114 words
An improvement as defined in claim 6 in the driving system having a controller which produces at least two non-excited windings during each phase of a bi-polar electrical excitation cycle wherein said first sequencing means is a synchronous switching means connected to the controller and having a switching rate phased by the controller with the stepping motion of the armature for connecting the output of said first sequencing means with an input of said first sequencing means associated with one of the non-excited motor pole windings and said driver means is phased by the controller with the stepping motion of the armature for supplying current to the other of the non-excited motor pole windings.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
110 words
An improvement as defined in claim 6 in the driving system having a controller which produces at least two non-excited windings during each phase of a bi-polar electrical excitation cycle wherein said first sequencing means is a synchronous switching means connected to the controller and having a switching rate phased by the controller with the stepping motion of the armature for connecting the output of said first sequencing means with an input of said first sequencing means associated with a non-excited motor pole winding and said driver means is phased by the controller with the stepping motion of the armature for supplying current to the same non-excited motor pole winding.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
61 words
An improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said force generating means further includes synchronous switching means connected to the motor pole windings and the controller and having a switching rate synchronized by the controller with the stepping motion of the armature for sequentially switching the damping signal between motor pole windings in synchronism with the stepping motion of the armature.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
83 words
The method of damping movements of a step motor armature where the movements are produced by sequentially exciting the windings of the motor poles in a phased electrical excitation cycle comprising the steps of sequentially sensing the electromotive forces induced in selected non-excited motor pole windings by the armature movements in synchronism with the sequential excitation of the phased electrical excitation cycle and; sequentially imposing a damping force on the armature through selected non-excited motor poles in response to the sensed electromotive forces.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
83 words
The method of damping movements of a step motor armature where the movements are produced by sequentially exciting the windings of the motor poles in a phased electrical excitation cycle comprising the steps of sequentially sensing the electromotive forces induced in selected non-excited motor pole windings by the armature movements in synchronism with the sequential excitation of the phased electrical excitation cycle and; sequentially imposing a damping force on the armature through selected non-excited motor poles in response to the sensed electromotive forces.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
95 words
A method of damping as defined in claim 11 where during each phase of the electrical excitation cycle the armature movements induce electromotive forces uniquely associated with the armature velocity in one set of the non-excited motor pole windings and induce electromotive forces not uniquely associated with the armature velocity in another set of the non-excited motor pole windings wherein the step of sensing further comprises sensing the induced electromotive forces uniquely associated with the armature velocity in said one set of the non-excited motor pole windings during one phase of the electrical excitation cycle.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method of damping as defined in claim 11 wherein the step of imposing comprises sequentially energizing the selected non-excited motor pole windings in synchronism with the phased electrical excitation cycle to generate a magnetomotive damping force on the motor armature.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
115 words
A method of damping as defined in claim 11 in which method the movements of the motor armature at a commanded position of the armature induce electromotive forces having a zero value in a first set of the non-excited motor pole windings and electromotive forces having a non-zero value in a second set of the non-excited motor pole windings wherein the step of sensing comprises sequentially sensing the induced electromotive forces in the non-excited motor pole windings of the second set; and the step of imposing comprises sequentially energizing the non-excited motor pole windings of the second set in response to the induced electromotive forces sensed in the motor pole windings of the second set.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
107 words
The method of damping oscillations of a magnetically polarized motor armature in a step motor as the armature is moved in a stepped manner between commanded positions by excitation of a set of motor pole windings in a phased sequence comprising sensing reversible electromotive forces induced in a non-excited motor pole winding of the set by the armature movements about a commanded position during one phase of the excitation sequence; generating a reversible damping signal in response to the sensed electromotive forces; and energizing a non-excited motor pole winding of the set during the one phase of the excitation sequence in accordance with the reversible damping signal.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
107 words
The method of damping oscillations of a magnetically polarized motor armature in a step motor as the armature is moved in a stepped manner between commanded positions by excitation of a set of motor pole windings in a phased sequence comprising sensing reversible electromotive forces induced in a non-excited motor pole winding of the set by the armature movements about a commanded position during one phase of the excitation sequence; generating a reversible damping signal in response to the sensed electromotive forces; and energizing a non-excited motor pole winding of the set during the one phase of the excitation sequence in accordance with the reversible damping signal.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3274471A
Cited
US3304481A
Cited
US3345547A
Cited
US3385984A
Cited
US3423658A
Cited
US3530347A
Cited
US3466520A
Cited
US3573593A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-04-09 | 1976-10-09 | 1977-04-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-04-09 | 1980-10-09 | 1981-04-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-04-09 | 1984-10-09 | 1985-04-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |