Research/Patents/US 6127757
US 6127757

LEVITATION DEVICE

Assignee

GEC-MARCONI LIMITED

Filed

Mar 6, 1997

Granted

Oct 3, 2000

Location

Cambridge MA (Draper Lab/MIT)

Abstract

An electromagnetic levitation device comprises an electromagnet (12) which is supported by a structure (13) and is arranged to attract armature (10) carried by another structure (11). Current to the electromagnet (12) is regulated by a control device (16) to ensure that the electromagnetic force exerted by the electromagnet (12) on the armature (10) is sufficient to cause and maintain levitation of the structures (11, 13) at a desired spacing (A in FIG. 1). A decoupling device (17) is arranged between the armature (10) and the structure (11) to accommodate a shock load (L) which reduces the flux gap (15) to zero and decouples the armature (10) from its support structure (11) by moving the stop (20) away from the structure (11). This significantly increases the extent of shock loading that can be tolerated before damage will be incurred.

Source: Google Patents

35 USC §181 Secrecy Order

Imposed

Feb 5, 1998

Rescinded

Apr 14, 2000

Duration

2 years, 2 months

Inventor

  • 1MALCOLM A. SWINBANKS

Sensitive facility: Cambridge MA (Draper Lab/MIT)

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Back to patent indexSource: USPTO 35 USC §181 secrecy order records