Patent ID: 6351049
Filing Date: 2002-02-26
Classification: F16C,Y10T

Abstract:
A magnetic bearing for centering a first body, the first body being mobile in tilting within an angular range of movement of at least 5Â° about a center of tilting, relative to a second body having a reference axis passing through the center of tilting, the magnetic bearing including:a hollow outer part at least part of which is made from a ferromagnetic material, wherein the hollow outer part is attached to the first body and has an inside surface whose shape is a portion of a sphere whose center is substantially coincident with the center of tilting, and wherein the hollow outer part extends around a mobile reference axis having an inclination that can be zero to the reference axis, such that the hollow outer part extends on either side of a transverse plane that is perpendicular to the reference axis and passes through the center of tilting; an inner part that is attached to the second body, wherein the inner part includes two separate members that are disposed on respective opposite sides of the transverse plane, wherein each of the two separate members includes a plurality of ferromagnetic areas, each ferromagnetic area having a group of windings that includes a specific winding, wherein the ferromagnetic areas are offset angularly about the reference axis, wherein each ferromagnetic area defines in conjunction with the inside surface of the hollow outer part two air-gaps offset relative to the reference axis, and wherein the specific winding of each ferromagnetic area generates magnetic flux lines closing across a respective one of the two air-gaps, and wherein the two separate members are separated in a direction parallel to the reference axis by a space having a reluctance that prevents magnetic flux lines generated by at least one of the group of windings of one of the two separate members from crossing the space; and an excitation circuit for selectively applying excitation currents to the group of windings of each member to generate magnetic fields in the air-gaps to center the hollow outer part relative to the inner part in directions transverse to and parallel to the reference axis.