Centerless brushless DC motor

Claim 2

A gearless drive apparatus powered by a DC source, comprising: a. a generally cylindrical housing; b. a rigid centerless cylindrical drive tube, rotatable about a central axis longitudinally extending therethrough; c. bearing means in said housing operatively engaging said drive tube at opposite ends thereof for supportingly mounting said tube to said housing for rotation about said central axis, wherein the internal sUrface of said drive tube as mounted defines a cylindrical passageway through said housing; d. a plurality of permanent magnets circumferentially mounted to the outer surface of said drive tube for rotation therewith; e. electrical winding means fixedly mounted in said housing for creating when energized a plurality of induced magnetic fields spaced from and circumferencially disposed around said drive tube and in cooperative alignment with said permanent magnets; and f. energizing means operatively responsive to said rotational movement of said drive tube for selectively and sequentially energizing said winding means from said DC source to create said plurality of induced magnetic fields having predetermined polarities, which induced magnetic fields cooperate with the magnetic fields of said permanent magnets to exert a rotational torque about said central axis upon said drive tube.

Claim 3

A gearless drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said electrical winding means comprises: a. generally cylindrical stator coaxially aligned with said central axis having a plurality of alternating raised and lowered portions regularly disposed around its inner surface in cooperative alignment with said permanent magnets; b. a continuous conductor interwound among said lower portions of said stator in a predetermined wiring pattern such that when energized by current passing therethrough, said magnetic fields are created within said raised portions of said stator which define said plurality of induced magnetic fields; and c. a plurality of electrical contacts operatively connected at predetermined intervals along the length of said continuous winding for providing electrical energization access to said conductor at regular intervals therealong; and wherein said energizing means includes switching means for operatively connecting positive and negative polarities of said DC source with selected ones of said plurality of electrical contacts in response to rotational movement of said drive tube, creating said induced magnetic fields of predetermined polarities within selected ones of said raised portions of said stator.

Claim 4

A gearless drive apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of electrical contacts are positioned at generally equally spaced intervals along said conductor and have projecting tab portions annularly disposed around and in spaced relationship with said drive tube, and wherein said energizing means comprises: a. a plurality of circular conductive slip-ring members having centers generally coaxial with said central axis and interposed between the outer surface of said drive tube and said plurality of electrical contact tabs; b. means for mounting said plurality of slip-ring members for slipping movement relative one another and relative said central axis such that each of said slip-ring members is movable to electrically contact each of said plurality of contact tabs; c. means for operatively connecting said positive and negative polarities of said DC source selectively with said plurality of slip-ring members; and d. a plurality of positioning elements mounted to the external surface of said drive tube for rotation therewith and positioned at predetermined circumferential positions relative one another, one each of said positioning elements operatively slidably engaging the inner circumference of a respective one of said slip-ring members for continuously slidably displacing that engaged slip-ring about said central axis, causing said slip-ring to sequentially engage respective ones of said plurality of contact tabs as said drive tube rotates.

Claim 5

A gearless drive apparatus according to claim 3, wherein consecutively aligned ones of said plurality of contact tabs are operatively connected to consecutive lengths of said conductor as wound about said stator, in a manner representing consecutively aligned ones of said plurality of magnetic poles, and wherein said plurality of positioning elementS are mounted to slidably engage respective ones of said slip-ring members such that each of said engaged slip-ring members electrically contacts only one of said contact tabs at a time.

Claim 6

A gearless drive apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the number of said slip-ring elements equals the number of said rotating permanent magnets, causing the number of said induced magnetic fields produced at any instant of time to equal the number of said permanent magnet fields; and wherein said plurality of positioning elements are circumferentially oriented on said drive tube relative said permanent magnets to cause said induced magnetic fields to always appear arcuately displaced about said central axis from magnetic fields of said permanent magnets in an induction-repulsion manner providing uniform rotational torque to said drive tube.

Claim 7

A gearless drive apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said plurality of permanent magnets are arcuately shaped for conforming engagement to the external surface of said drive tube and wherein the entire external surface of each of said plurality of permanent magnets is of a singular magnetic polarity.

Claim 8

A gearless drive apparatus according to claim 1, including propulsion means secured to the inner surface of said drive tube for exerting a propulsion force in the general direction of said central axis upon said drive tube when said drive tube is rotating.

Claim 9

A gearless drive apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said drive apparatus is suitable for submersion within a liquid media; wherein said apparatus includes insulation means for insulating said electrical winding means from operative contact with said liquid media; and wherein said propulsion means is configured to exert a reciprocal propulsion force upons said liquid media within the internal cavity of said drive tube when said housing is submersed within said liquid media.

Claim 10

A gearless drive apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said propulsion means comprises a centerless helical member generally symmetrically configured about said central axis, having is outer peripheral edges secured to the inner surface of said drive tube in a manner providing an unobstruced passageway therethrough when said drive tube is rotating.

Claim 11

A centerless brushless DC motor for use with a DC source, comprising: a. a generally cylindrical housing; a b. a cylindrical centerless rigid rotor mounted to said housing for rotation about a longitudinally extending central axis in a manner such that the internal surface of said rotor defines a cylindrical passageway about said central axis through said housing, said rotor having a; plurality of permanent magnets mounted in balanced configuration in an annular ring around the outer circumference of said rotor for rotation therewith; c. stator means fixedly secured within said housing and operatively connected for energization by said DC source, for producing a plurality of induced magnetic poles when energized comprising: i. a generally cylindrical stator core having a slotted inner surface confrontingly operatively aligned in spaced relationship around said rotatable magnets; and ii. a continuous length of conductor wound in predetermined manner amoung the slots of said stator core such that said conductor when energized causes said induced magnetic poles having predetermined polarities to be generated around the inner surface of said stator core; and d. energization means operatively connecting said DC source with said wound conductor for directionally causing current flow through selected lengths of said conductor in response to rotation of said rotor, thus creating said plurality of induced magnetic poles which cooperatively react with the magnetic fields of said permanent magnets to exert rotational torque upon said rotor.

Claim 12

A centerless brushless DC motor for use with a DC source, comprising: a. a generally cylindrical housing; a b. a cylindrical centerless rigid rotor mounted to said housing for rotation about a longitudinally extending central axis in a manner such that the internal surface of said rotor defines a cylindrical passageway about said central axis through said housing, said rotor having a; plurality of permanent magnets mounted in balanced configuration in an annular ring around the outer circumference of said rotor for rotation therewith; c. stator means fixedly secured within said housing and operatively connected for energization by said DC source, for producing a plurality of induced magnetic poles when energized comprising: i. a generally cylindrical stator core having a slotted inner surface confrontingly operatively aligned in spaced relationship around said rotatable magnets; and ii. a continuous length of conductor wound in predetermined manner amoung the slots of said stator core such that said conductor when energized causes said induced magnetic poles having predetermined polarities to be generated around the inner surface of said stator core; and d. energization means operatively connecting said DC source with said wound conductor for directionally causing current flow through selected lengths of said conductor in response to rotation of said rotor, thus creating said plurality of induced magnetic poles which cooperatively react with the magnetic fields of said permanent magnets to exert rotational torque upon said rotor.

Claim 13

A centerless brushles DC motor, according to claim 10, wherein said plurality of permanent magnets are arcuately shaped for cooperative mounting to the outer surface of Said rotor with the outer surfaces of said permanent magnets generally lying in a circle concentric with said central axis; wherein said slotted inner surface of said stator core comprises a plurality of regularly spaced alternating groove and raised pole piece portions circumferentially disposed around the inner surface of said stator core said continuous conductor being wound within said plurality of grooves and said plurality of raised pole piece portions being aligned in close cooperative confronting spaced realtionship with the outer surfaces of said permanent magnets; and wherein said energization means includes means for energizing said wound conductor in a manner creating said plurality of induced magnetic poles within the raised pole piece portions of said stator core at predetermined spaced intervals around the inner circumference thereof.

Claim 14

A centerless brushless DC motor according to claim 11, wherein said energization means including switching means responsive to rotation of said rotor for sequentially energizing successive selected lengths of said wound conductor in response to rotation of said rotor such that at any instant of time the induction-repulsion interaction status between the magnetic poles of the rotating permanent magnets and the plurality of induced magnetic poles within the raised pole pieces portions of said stator core, remains constant.

Claim 15

A centerless brushless DC motor according to claim 12, wherein said switching means comprises: a. a plurality of electrical contact elements operatively connected to selected lengths of said wound conductor for energization thereof; and b. slip-ring assembly means within said housing having a plurality of annular slip-ring members concentrically disposed about said central axis and about said rotor, operatively connected with said DC source for selectively sequentially energizing said plurality of electrical contact elements in response to rotation of said rotor.

Claim 16

A centerless brushless DC motor according to claim 13, wherein said plurality of electrical contact elements are fixedly mounted within said housing in a generally annular ring with successive ones of said contact elements being operatively connected to energize lengths of said conductor representing successively aligned ones of said raised pole piece portions of the stator; and wherein said slip-ring assembly means further includes a plurality of rubbing block elements mounted to the outer surface of said rotor and circumferentially disposed at predetermined regular intervals thereon, one each of said rubbing block elements being operatively aligned and cooperatively engaging one each of said slip-ring members for eccentrically displacing said engaged slip-ring members about said central axis as said rotor rotates, causing simultaneous electrical engagement of said slip-ring elements with said electrical contact elements, each of said slip-ring elements contacting only one of said electrical contact elements at a time.

Claim 17

A centerless brushless DC boat propulsion motor usable with a DC source, comprising: a. a generally cylindrical housing suitable for immersion within a liquid media; b. means for positioning said housing below the lower surface of a boat; c. a cylindrical centerless drive tube rotatable about a central axis and having a plurality of permanent magnets affixed to the outer surface thereof for rotation therewith; d. thrust bearing means operatively engaging said drive tube for rotatably mounting said drive tube within said housing, the inner surface of said drive tube as rotatably mounted defining a cylindrical passageway through said housing for passage of said liquid media therethrough; e. generally cylindrical stator means fixedly secured within said housing for providing when energized a plurality of induced magnetic poles aligned with and in close confronting relationship to said permanent magnets; f. slip-ring means for selectively energizing said stator means by Said DC source to create said plurality of induced magnetic poles of predetermined polarity, said induced magnetic poles having predetermined polarities remaining fixed relative one another but rotatably advancing relative said stationary stator means in response to rotation of said drive tube, said induced and permanent magnetic fields reacting to create a rotational torque upon said drive tube; and g. propulsion means operatively connected to the inner surface of said drive tube and rotatable therewith for exerting a propulsion force upon said liquid media within said cylindrical passageway defined by said drive tube in a direction generally parallel to said central axis.

Claim 18

A centerless brushless DC boat propulsion motor usable with a DC source, comprising: a. a generally cylindrical housing suitable for immersion within a liquid media; b. means for positioning said housing below the lower surface of a boat; c. a cylindrical centerless drive tube rotatable about a central axis and having a plurality of permanent magnets affixed to the outer surface thereof for rotation therewith; d. thrust bearing means operatively engaging said drive tube for rotatably mounting said drive tube within said housing, the inner surface of said drive tube as rotatably mounted defining a cylindrical passageway through said housing for passage of said liquid media therethrough; e. generally cylindrical stator means fixedly secured within said housing for providing when energized a plurality of induced magnetic poles aligned with and in close confronting relationship to said permanent magnets; f. slip-ring means for selectively energizing said stator means by Said DC source to create said plurality of induced magnetic poles of predetermined polarity, said induced magnetic poles having predetermined polarities remaining fixed relative one another but rotatably advancing relative said stationary stator means in response to rotation of said drive tube, said induced and permanent magnetic fields reacting to create a rotational torque upon said drive tube; and g. propulsion means operatively connected to the inner surface of said drive tube and rotatable therewith for exerting a propulsion force upon said liquid media within said cylindrical passageway defined by said drive tube in a direction generally parallel to said central axis.

Claim 19

A centerless brushless DC boat propulsion motor according to claim 15, wherein said propulsion means comprises a centerless helical member generally symmetrically configured about said central axis, having its outer peripheral edges secured to the inner surface of said drive tube in a manner providing an unobstructed passageway for said liquid media therethrough when said drive tube is rotating.

Claim 20

A centerless brushless DC boat propulsion motor according to claim 15, wherein said stator means comprises a generally cylindrical stator having a plurality of alternating grooves and raised pole piece portions and a continuous conductor mounted within said grooves and interwound among said raised pole piece portions, said induced magnetic poles being presented at said raised pole piece portions; and wherein said slip-ring means comprises: a. plurality of electrical contact elements fixedly mounted within said housing around said drive tube and operatively connected to energize selected lengths of said conductor winding; b. a plurality of slip-ring members concentrically disposed around said central axis and about said rotor and operatively connected with said DC source for selectively sequentially energizing said plurality of electrical contact elements, said slip-ring members being configured to contact only one of said electrical contact members at a time; and c. a plurality of rubbing block elements mounted to the outer surface of said drive tube and circumferencially disposed at predetermined regular intervals thereon, one each of said rubbing block elements being operatively aligned with and cooperatively engaging one each of said slip-ring members for causing said slip-ring member to eccentrically move about said central axis in response to rotation of said drive tube for selectively energizing said plurality of electrical contact elements.

Claim 21

A centerless brushless DC boat propulsion motor according to claim 17, wherein said slip-ring means includes means for sealing the electrical contact area between said plurality of slip-ring members and said plurality of electrical contact elements from exposure to said liquid media.