US3886803A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Fluid bearing gyroscope
Assignee: Honeywell Inc
•
Filing: 1973-04-06
•
Granted: 1975-06-03
•
Expires: 1993-04-06
Abstract
Abstract A gyroscopic device for sensing angular rates about a pair of orthogonal axes and sensing linear acceleration with respect to the rotor spin axis in which the gyro rotor includes in operation a free floating cylindrical rotor member shaped like a thick disc having flat end portions which constitute axial air-bearing surfaces and a cylindrical portion between said flat end portions which constitutes a journal or radial air bearing surface. Electrically, the rotor functions simultaneously as the armature of an electrical spin motor, the armature of a plurality of capacitive electrical pick-offs, and the armature of an electrical torquer. A sealed cavity for the rotor is formed by an air bearing journal stator ring having pressure profile forming grooves spatially stabilizing the rotor radially and axial air bearing surfaces at each end of the cavity also having pressure profile forming grooves for spatially stabilizing the rotor axially. The motor stator winding assembly is axially displaced from the rotor along the longitudinal axis of the device thereby isolating any contaminants produced by the stator coil from the sealed cavity and rotor area. A plurality of elongated laminations disposed between the journal stator ring and the motor stator coil magnetically couple the driving energy produced by the stator assembly to the rotor. The capacitive pick-off circuit elements for detecting the turn rates are located closely adjacent the capacitive pick-off elements and in the space defined by the axially separated motor winding assembly and rotor thereby minimizing stray field coupling.
Inventors
- 👤 Peter E Jacobson
- 👤 Arthur W Lane
- 👤 Paul E Ashley
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 12:07
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01C; G01C19/00; G01C19/02; G01C19/04; G01C19/06; G01C19/08; G01C19/16; G01C19/20; G01C19/28; G01C19/42; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T74/00; Y10T74/12; Y10T74/1261; Y10T74/1275; Y10T74/1282
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
188 words
A gyroscopic apparatus for navigable craft comprising housing means having a longitudinal axis and a sealed internal cavity formed therein by axial fluid thrust bearing surfaces and a cylindrical magnetic saturation ring enclosIng said thrust bearing surfaces, rotor means having external surfaces which conform to the internal surfaces of said cavity but of slightly smaller overall dimensions for providing a hydrodynamic bearing gap whereby upon rotation said rotor means is hydrodynamically suspended within said sealed cavity, stator means disposed within said housing and displaced from said sealed internal cavity along said longitudinal axis for producing a rotating magnetic field, and magnetic coupling means perimetrically disposed with respect to said stator means and said rotor means for providing a flux path between said stator means and said rotor means for the lines of flux in said rotating magnetic field whereby said rotor rotates about said longitudinal axis in response to said rotating magnetic field, contaminants produced by said stator means are prevented from entering said internal sealed cavity, and said stator means is removable from said housing means without disassembling said sealed internal cavity or said magnetic coupling means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
188 words
A gyroscopic apparatus for navigable craft comprising housing means having a longitudinal axis and a sealed internal cavity formed therein by axial fluid thrust bearing surfaces and a cylindrical magnetic saturation ring enclosIng said thrust bearing surfaces, rotor means having external surfaces which conform to the internal surfaces of said cavity but of slightly smaller overall dimensions for providing a hydrodynamic bearing gap whereby upon rotation said rotor means is hydrodynamically suspended within said sealed cavity, stator means disposed within said housing and displaced from said sealed internal cavity along said longitudinal axis for producing a rotating magnetic field, and magnetic coupling means perimetrically disposed with respect to said stator means and said rotor means for providing a flux path between said stator means and said rotor means for the lines of flux in said rotating magnetic field whereby said rotor rotates about said longitudinal axis in response to said rotating magnetic field, contaminants produced by said stator means are prevented from entering said internal sealed cavity, and said stator means is removable from said housing means without disassembling said sealed internal cavity or said magnetic coupling means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
188 words
A gyroscopic apparatus for navigable craft comprising housing means having a longitudinal axis and a sealed internal cavity formed therein by axial fluid thrust bearing surfaces and a cylindrical magnetic saturation ring enclosIng said thrust bearing surfaces, rotor means having external surfaces which conform to the internal surfaces of said cavity but of slightly smaller over-all dimensions for providing a hydrodynamic bearing gap whereby upon rotation said rotor means is hydrodynamically suspended within said sealed cavity, stator means disposed within said housing and displaced from said sealed internal cavity along said longitudinal axis for producing a rotating magnetic field, and magnetic coupling means perimetrically disposed with respect to said stator means and said rotor means for providing a flux path between said stator means and said rotor means for the lines of flux in said rotating magnetic field whereby said rotor rotates about said longitudinal axis in response to said rotating magnetic field, contaminants produced by said stator means are prevented from entering said internal sealed cavity, and said stator means is removable from said housing means without disassembling said sealed internal cavity or said magnetic coupling means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
188 words
A gyroscopic apparatus for navigable craft comprising housing means having a longitudinal axis and a sealed internal cavity formed therein by axial fluid thrust bearing surfaces and a cylindrical magnetic saturation ring enclosIng said thrust bearing surfaces, rotor means having external surfaces which conform to the internal surfaces of said cavity but of slightly smaller over-all dimensions for providing a hydrodynamic bearing gap whereby upon rotation said rotor means is hydrodynamically suspended within said sealed cavity, stator means disposed within said housing and displaced from said sealed internal cavity along said longitudinal axis for producing a rotating magnetic field, and magnetic coupling means perimetrically disposed with respect to said stator means and said rotor means for providing a flux path between said stator means and said rotor means for the lines of flux in said rotating magnetic field whereby said rotor rotates about said longitudinal axis in response to said rotating magnetic field, contaminants produced by said stator means are prevented from entering said internal sealed cavity, and said stator means is removable from said housing means without disassembling said sealed internal cavity or said magnetic coupling means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
61 words
A gyroscopic apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which said cylindrical ring includes chevron-shaped pressure profiling grooves formed on the inner surface of said cylindrical ring adjacent the conforming cylindrical surface of said rotor means for increasing the dynamic stability of said rotor means within said cavity thereby providing a gyroscopic apparatus having improved null repeatability from turn-on to turn-on.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
57 words
A gyroscopic apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which said axial thrust bearing surfaces include surfaces of ceramic material and said conforming surfaces on said rotor means adjacent said axial thrust bearing surfaces include surfaces of metallic materials for substantially reducing the probability of said rotor means welding to said thrust bearing surfaces during frictional contact.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
89 words
A gyroscopic apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which said rotor means includes a thick disc-shaped rotor having a magnetically permeable cylindrical surface portion which is tapered from the middle of said cylindrical surface to the external edge surfaces thereof for providing a magnetizable rotor portion having a greater diameter across the middle of its cylindrical surface than across its edge surfaces thus shaping the magnetic flux gap between said stator means and said rotor and thereby improving the angular rate range and null stability of the apparatus.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
31 words
A gyroscopic apparatus as recited in claim 4 in which said magnetically permeable surface portion is fabricated of 18% cobalt and monel and forms an integral part of said disc-shaped rotor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
49 words
A gyroscopic apparatus as recited in claim 4 in which said rotor includes an external metallic coating of non-magnetizable material covering at least said tapered surface whereby said rotor has a tapered cylindrical surface for said magnetic flux gap and a right cylindrical surface for said hydrodynamic bearing gap.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
A gyroscopic apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which said flux coupling means includes a plurality of bundles of elongated laminated metal flux conducting plates. Separated from said stator means and said rotor means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
72 words
A gyroscopic apparatus as recited in claim 7 further including at least one electronics board having a plurality of solder pads positioned between said stator means and one end of said housing, and conducting rods disposed between said bundles of laminated metal plates and extending through said solder pads and beyond said one end of said housing thereby providing means for electrically connecting said board to said rods externally of said housing.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
88 words
The gyroscopic apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said magnetic coupling means includes a plurality of elongated pole pieces extending longitudinally of said housing, said stator means comprises a generally cylindrical wound stator coaxial with said housing axis and having a corresponding plurality of pole pieces for producing a rotating flux field, aNd said stator means being removably fit within said pole piece extensions at one end thereof and said sealed internal cavity being supported within the said pole piece extensions at the other end thereof.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
65 words
The apparatus as set forth in claim 9 further including high frequency capacitive pick-off means in a wall of said internal cavity for detecting motion of said rotor, and circuit means responsive to said pick-off means including at least one circuit board positioned between said stator means and said internal cavity whereby to reduce the conductor lengths between said pick-off means and said circuit means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
102 words
The gyroscopic apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said thrust bearing surfaces include surfaces fabricated from hard ceramic material within the hardness range of sapphire and further including capacitive pick-off means comprised of a plurality of metallic plates disposed in one of said thrust pads and symmetrically radially displaced from said spin axis, and circumferential thrust pad surfaces also fabricated from hard ceramic materials within the hardness range of sapphire extending radially beyond said pick-off plates for providing a hard landing ring for said rotor upon overrating of said apparatus whereby to minimize damage to said rotor and pick-off plates.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
71 words
A gyroscopic apparatus as recited in claim 1 further including capacitive pick-off means comprised of plates disposed in one of said axial thrust bearing surfaces, and torquer pole means disposed in the other of said axial thrust bearing surfaces, said plates and said poles being recessed from said axial thrust bearing surfaces thereby minimizing damage to said rotor means, said plates and said poles during overrate operation of said gyroscopic apparatus.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
139 words
A gyroscopic apparatus as recited in claim 1 which further includes a first pair of capacitive pick-off plates cooperable with said rotor for detecting precession of said rotor in response to angular rates of said housing means about a first axis, a second pair of capacitive pick-off plates cooperable with said rotor for detecting precession of said rotor in response to angular rates of said housing means about a second axis perpendicular to said first axis, a source of high frequency voltage excitation coupled between said plates and said rotor means, and said rotor means functions as a second common capacitive plate for each of said capacitive pick-off plates whereby said first and second pairs of capacitive pick-off plates provide output voltage signals in accordance with the angular rates of said housing about said first and second axes respectively.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
55 words
A gyroscopic apparatus as recited in claim 13 which further includes a full wave rectifying bridge circuit connected to each of said capacitive pick-off plates and mounted adjacent said capacitive pick-off plates to provide output d.c. signals thereby eliminating the necessity of physically shielding said output signals from electrical signals produced by said stator means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
54 words
A gyroscopic apparatus as recited in claim 14 which further includes an operational amplifier coupled to said full wave rectifying bridge circuits associated with one pair of said capacitive pick-off plates for providing an output signal in accordance with the linear acceleration of said rotor means along the spin axis of said rotor means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
37 words
A gyroscopic apparatus as recited in claim 13 which further includes trim capacitors coupled to each of said capacitive pick-off plates thereby providing means for equalizing individual scale factors associated with each of said capacitive pick-off plates.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
43 words
A gyroscopic apparatus as recited in claim 16 in which said trim capacitors include capacitors having adjusting means that are accessible through the walls of said housing whereby the capacitance of said capacitors may be varied without any disassembly of said gyroscopic apparatus.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
93 words
A gyroscopic apparatus as recited in claim 1 which further includes a first pair of torquers aligned parallel to a first axis, a second pair of torquers aligned parallel to a second axis perpendicular to said first axis, a source of voltage coupled to said first and second pair of torquers and said rotor means functions as the armature of said first and second pairs of torquers whereby a fixed magnetomotive force is produced in either or both axes which is unbalanced to apply torques about a diametrical axis of said rotor means.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
31 words
A gyroscopic apparatus as recited in claim 18 in which each torquer comprises a solenoid type torquer including a pole piece and coils perimetrically disposed with respect to said pole piece.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-06-02 | 1978-12-02 | 1979-06-03 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-06-02 | 1982-12-02 | 1983-06-03 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-06-02 | 1986-12-02 | 1987-06-03 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |