Abstract:
A novel magnetic bearing assembly is disclosed where mutually repulsing magnetic fields are generated between an inner housing and an outer housing. In the preferred embodiment, these fields are located in pairs of cooperating rings, one set of rings having the generated field being axially aligned and the other set having a radial alignment. Thus, one section of the housing is suspended within the other without any contact.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to magnetic bearing assemblies. More specifically, it relates to a magnetic bearing assembly wherein a plurality of magnets are set in circular rings such that each side of the ring, either axially or radially has all one pole, either north or south. Thus these rings may be assembled with opposing poles pushing at one another and set in housings such that the opposing forces are set at right angles to suspend a desired object in a substantially frictionless manner. The present invention relates to environments where low friction applications would be useful, such as in a light fishing reel, or the novel arrangement described herein could be used in a decorative or promotional toy that could be set spinning for long periods of time. Alternatively, with modifications, the present invention could serve as a freewheel storage device. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     The problem of lubrication and wear in bearings and axles is as old as the utilization of these devices. Various schemes have been devised to eliminate or reduce either or both of the problems with varying degrees of success. The present invention seeks to address these issues by providing a bearing and housing structure that uses the opposing force generated by like magnetic polarities. In the illustrated embodiments, magnets are set in circular arrangements with like polarities aligned either axially or radially. In the case of axial alignment, for instance, like poles would face each other and thus hold the two disks in a spaced apart relationship, one above or below the other. Likewise, two opposing outer and inner faces of radially disposed annular disks would share like polarities to maintain the inner disk in a fixed, spaced apart relationship from the outer disk. Thus, with sets of disks disposed in a housing, an inner portion of the housing could be suspended within an outer housing and would be freely rotatable within it. The resulting device would be substantially free of friction and would require no lubrication. 
     A number of relevant patents were found in a search at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and they are discussed hereinafter: 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,043,615 issued on Aug. 27, 1991 to Shintaro Oshima discloses a non-contact bearing that uses magnetism. Axially magnetized cylindrical members, slightly different in radius and length, are disposed with opposite polarities relative to one another. Either of the members can act as the shaft in the apparatus. This is clearly dissimilar from the present invention in that the opposite polarities are proximate each other instead of the like polarities used in the instant invention. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,616,976 issued on Apr. 1, 1997 to Johan K. Fremery et al. discloses an auxiliary bearing system. Though this invention discusses the contactless motion between the stator and the rotor induced by a magnetic field, there is no teaching of the present invention&#39;s axial and radial mutually repelling magnetic fields that serve to hold the inner portion of the device in a freely rotatable state. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,635,784 issued on Jun. 3, 1997 to Joseph B. Seale there is disclosed a bearingless levitating rotor. As in the above patent, there is no teaching of the axial and radially disposed like polarities set to suspend two portions of a housing one within the other. 
     Lastly, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,610,463 and 5,619,083 both issued to John C. Dunfield et al. on Mar. 11 and Apr. 8, respectively, 1997 disclose magnetic bearings for spindle motors. These are unlike the present invention in that they do not disclose utilizing the repulsion of like polarities to suspend a portion of the bearing housing within another portion of the housing. 
     None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a novel magnetic bearing assembly where mutually repulsing magnetic fields are generated between an inner housing and an outer housing. In the preferred embodiment, these fields are located in pairs of cooperating rings, one set of rings having the generated field being axially aligned and the other set having a radial alignment. Thus, one section of the housing is suspended within the other without any contact. 
     Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a novel magnetic bearing assembly where the repulsion between like polarities is used to suspend an inner housing both axially and radially within an outer housing. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a novel magnetic bearing assembly where the magnetic repulsion is maintained by cooperating rings having a plurality of magnets embedded or otherwise located therein. 
    
    
     These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     Various other objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a partial cutaway perspective view of a first embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the first embodiment of the invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a partial cutaway perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Turning first to FIGS. 1 and 3, the first embodiment of the invention will be described. The novel bearing mechanism itself is indicated at 10. It consists of an inner axle housing portion 12, an outer housing 14, and two end caps 16, 18. Positioned on the inner axle housing portion 12 are two inner magnet rings 20, 22. Turning to FIG. 3, it is seen that in the illustrated embodiment, these magnet rings are provided with a plurality of magnets 24 embedded or otherwise fixed within them. All of these magnets 24 are aligned so that one pole or the other, in this case the north pole (indicated at N) are located on the outer periphery of the rings 20, 22. Located on and attached to the outer housing 14 are a corresponding pair of outer magnet rings 26, 28. Embedded or otherwise fixed to these rings 26, 28 are a plurality of magnets 30. These magnets 30 are aligned so that the north pole (in the embodiment described herein) is directed inwardly as indicated at 32 in FIGS. 1 and 3. Thus, as seen in the cutaway view in FIG. 1, the rings 20, 26 and 22, 28 repel one another and the inner axle housing portion 12 is held within the outer housing 14. In this first embodiment, extending from the opposite ends of inner axle housing portion 12 are two axle shafts 33 and 34. These extend through and are threaded into end caps 16, 18 as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. Located within the end caps 16, 18 respectively are magnetic rings 36 and 38. These rings 36, 38 are magnetized axially as opposed to the radial magnetization of rings 20, 22, 26, and 28. The magnets located within these rings 36, 38 are indicated at 40 and they are aligned so that all of the like poles (in this case north) are pointed in the same direction, as indicated at arrow 42. Located proximate the rings 36, 38 are corresponding rings 44, 46, respectively. These likewise have magnets 48 embedded therein and all of these magnets 48 are aligned so that there north poles (in this embodiment) are pointed in the direction indicated by arrow 50. Thus it can be seen the mutual repellence engendered by the like polarity of the magnets in rings 36, 44 and 38, 46 serves as a type of thrust bearing to hold inner axle housing portion 12 within outer housing 14. Thus when assembled, as seen in FIG. 2, the end caps 16 or 18 could be grasped and rotated in either of the directions indicated by arrow 52 and the spinning would continue until air resistance and what little frictional heat and hysteresis would affect the device conspired to slow it down. Preliminary tests have indicated that this spinning could continue for weeks. To recap: two sets of like polarity magnetized rings are brought proximate one another such that the polarity repels each from each. These sets are preferably at right angles to one another and are attached to an inner and an outer housing. Thus the inner housing is held suspended within the outer and is freely rotatable therein with one set of repelling rings serving as a suspension device and the second serving as a thrust bearing. 
     Turning now to FIG. 4, an alternative embodiment 100 of the invention will be discussed. In this embodiment, the end result is a flat, round floating and rotatable turntable like object. In FIG. 4, the entirety of the surface of the turntable is not seen, but a portion of the periphery is indicated at 102. The outer portion of the housing is indicated at 104 and the inner portion is indicated at 106. Located interiorly of the base of the outer portion 104 of alternative embodiment 100 is a magnetic ring 108. This ring 108 has a plurality of magnets embedded or located therein as indicated at 110. These magnets 110 are aligned such that like poles (north as indicated by N in FIG. 1) all point in the direction indicated by arrow 112. Above this magnetic ring 108 is its corresponding ring 114. This ring 114 has magnets, as indicated at 116, embedded therein and these are aligned so that like polarities (north in this embodiment) are all facing in the direction indicated by arrow 118. Thus the like polarities repel each other and, as in the first embodiment of the invention described hereinabove, the outer and the inner housings, 104 and 106 respectively, are held suspended one from the other. To keep the inner 106 and outer 104 portions of the housings aligned radially corresponding magnetic rings 120 and 122 are provided. These have a plurality of magnets embedded or located therein such that like polarities repel each other as indicated at arrows 124 and 126. 
     It is contemplated that the device 10 could be made substantially from a light material such as a plastic. Other materials, such as various metals and alloys could, of course, be used depending on the use to which the novel magnetic bearing assembly is being put. 
     The present invention could also be powered by electromagnets (not shown). Additionally, various brush contact elements such as are used in rotor/stator configurations could be incorporated into the device. The novel magnetic bearing assembly could be internally or externally cooled to increase the strength of the magnetic fields. Another use of the invention could be as a flywheel storage device using some sort of frictional clutch assembly (not shown) to add or to remove torque from the apparatus. 
     It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims.