TWO-PHASE BRUSHLESS MOTOR

Abstract: A two-phase brushless motor has a rotor comprising at least a pair of first magnetic poles (4 S , 4 N ) and a pair of second magnetic poles (5 S , 5 N ) which are smaller in width than the first magnetic poles (4 S , 4 N ), and a stator comprising at least a pair of first coils (l A1 , l A2 ) and a pair of second coils (l B1 , l B2 ) for producing a first phase and a second phase of varying magnetic fields, respectively, so that the torques respectively obtained from the interaction of the two pairs of magnetic poles (4 S , 4 N , 5 S , 5 N ) and the two phases produced by the two pairs of coils (l A1 , l A2 , l B1 , l B2 ) differ from each other.

Description: The present invention relates to a two-phase brushless motor according to the preamble of claim 1. A two-phase brushless motor of this kind is known from FR-A-23 86 928. In this known brushless motor are ratios of widths of the first magnetic poles to the widths of the second magnetic poles greater than three to one. Also from this document is known a two-phase brushless motor, in which the first magnetic poles are separated by the second magnetic poles such that the first magnetic poles as well as the second magnetic poles are opposite one another, respectively, and the second magnetic poles are separated by the first magnetic poles and in which ratios of widths of first magnetic poles to widths of second magnetic poles are approxemately two to one. Additionally the first magnetic poles are of the same type and the second magnetic poles are of another type. Figures 1 and 2 are plan views of a stator and a disk-shaped rotor, respectively, of a conventional two-phase brushless motor. In the brushless motor, the stator in Figure 1 comprises two pairs of coils 1 A1 , 1 B1 , 1 A2 , and 1 B2 for producing two phases of varying magnetic fields (hereinafter denoted phase A and phase B). The rotor shown in Figure 2 comprises four main magnetic poles which are in opposed relation to the stator and is rotationally mounted with respect thereto. An angle ϑ, expressed as an electrical angle between effective portions of each of the coils 1 A1 , 1 A2 , 1 B1 , and 1 B2 which produces phase A or B, is not 180° electrical but instead is 120° electrical. The pair of coils 1 A1 and 1 A2 for producing phase A, and the pair of coils 1 B1 and 1 B2 for producing phase B may be connected in series or in parallel, but in Figure 1, the coils are respectively in series connection, and an electric current is alternately supplied at every angle of 180° to the coils 1 A1 and 1 A2 and the coils 1 B1 and 1 B2 with the help of a control circuit shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 3, the coils 1 A1 and 1 A2 and the coils 1 B1 and 1 B2 each joined in series connection are connected to collector leads of respective transistors Q A and Q B and are also each connected to a power source V S . A Hall-effect device 4 connected to a power source V CC detects the rotation angle of the rotor, and makes conductive one of the transistor circuits on the one hand and makes non-conductive the other of transistor circuits on the other hand, or vice versa, so that electric current is alternately supplied to either the coils 1 A1 and 1 A2 or the coils 1 B1 and 1 B2 . In the rotor of Figure 2, two pairs of main magnetic poles 2 N and 2 S are each provided having a width α, and respective pairs of supplemental magnetic poles 3 N and 3 S each of width β are sandwiched between the two pairs of main magnetic poles 2 N and 2 S . For the sake of simplicity, reference symbols have been supplied only on the top portion of Figure 2, although the symbols also apply to corresponding elements of the lower portion, as well. Curve a in Figure 4 shows the relationship between rotational angles and torques of the motor under the condition that only the main magnetic poles 2 N and 2 S function, and the width α of Figure 2 is 140° electrical and the width β of Figure 2 is 40° electrical. Similarly, curve b shows the relationship between torque and rotational angles under the condition that only the supplemental magnetic poles 3 N and 3 S function. Curve a + b illustrated in Figure 5 shows the torque/angle relationship under the condition that both the main magnetic poles 2 N and 2 S and the supplementary magnetic poles 3 N and 3 S function, curve a + b being obtained by superposing curve b on curve a . According to Figures 4 and 5, it is apparent that the sharp drop in torque at every switching point in curve a is compensated by an increase in torque on curve b . In the above two-phase brushless motor, the magnetic poles are symmetrically arranged, so that the same torque waveforms are simultaneously produced by the coils 1 A1 and 1 A2 and the same may be said of the torque waveforms produced by the coils 1 B1 and 1 B2 . The rotor shown in Figure 2 has the wide magnetic poles 2 N and 2 S and the extremely narrow supplemental magnetic poles 3 N and 3 S , so that it is difficult to magnetize the rotor, particularly the rotor of a brushless motor used in a video tape recorder or the like, because there is a tendency to make brushless motors for video tape recorders or the like smaller in size. Furthermore, as the hysteresis characteristic disperses due to the existence of the wide magnetic poles and extremely narrow magnetic poles, torque ripples are apt to be generated, which thereby often disperses the torque characteristic of the brushless motor. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Object of the present invention defined in claim 1 is to provide a two-phase brushless motor in which extremely narrow magnetic poles are not provided so that the rotor thereof is easy to magnetize. Advantageous configurations of the subject matter of claim 1 are defined in claims 2 to 20. In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a two-phase brushless motor is provided having a rotor with at least a pair of magnetized main regions and a pair of magnetized sub-regions, the former region and the latter region having the ratio of two to one, and a stator positioned in opposed relation to the rotor and having at least two pairs of coils for producing respective phases of magnetic fields, the two coils in the pair of coils being spaced from each other at an angle of approximately 360° electrical. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a plan view of a stator coil arrangement of a conventional two-phase brushless motor, to which this invention is applicable; Figure 2 is a plan view of a known rotor magnet arrangement coupled with the stator of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a circuit diagram for controlling the conventional two-phase brushless motor of Figures 1 and 2; Figures 4 and 5 are diagrams of the torque characteristics per electrical rotor angle of the conventional two-phase brushless motor; Figure 6 is a plan view of a rotor magnet arrangement of a two-phase brushless motor which exemplifies one magnetizing pattern according to a first embodiment of this invention; Figures 7, 8 and 9 are diagrams of the torque characteristics per rotor angle of the two-phase brushless motor having the rotor of Figure 6; Figures 10A to 10I are plan views of the stator and rotor of Figures 1 and 6, respectively, for explaining the relations between the stator and the rotor located at various rotational angles; Figures 11 and 12 are plan views of rotor magnet arrangements exemplifying other magnetizing patterns according to a second and a third embodiment of this invention, respectively; Figure 13 is a perspective view of a rotor magnet arrangement of an inner-rotor-type brushless motor exemplifying another magnetizing pattern according to a fourth embodiment of this invention; Figures 14 and 15 are development views of rotors exemplifying yet other magnetizing patterns according to fifth and sixth embodiments of this invention; Figure 16 is a perspective view of a stator in an outer-rotor-type brushless motor; Figure 17 is a plan view of the outer-rotor-type brushless motor, the stator of which is shown in Figure 16; Figures 18, 19 and 20 are plan views of stators showing various arrangements of coils according to seventh, eighth and ninth embodiments of this invention; and, Figure 21 is a plan view-of a rotor exemplifying yet a further magnetizing pattern according to a tenth embodiment of this invention. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In Figure 6 which shows the first embodiment of the present invention, magnetic poles 4 N and 4 S in a disk-shaped rotor of a two-phase brushless motor, each having a width α', are adjacent to each other, and a pair of magnetic poles 5 N and 5 S each having a width β' are sandwiched between the magnetic poles 4 N and 4 S . The electrical angles α' and β' corresponding to the widths α' and β' are about 240° electrical and about 120° electrical, respectively. That is, the electrical angles α' and β' have a ratio of two to one. Further, the stator of the motor and the circuit for controlling the motor are the same as those shown in Figures 1 and 3. Such motor is commonly called a pancake motor. Figures 7 and 8 show diagrams of torque characteristics per electrical angle of the motor comprising the rotor of Figure 6, the stator of Figure 1, and the controlling circuit of Figure 3. In Figure 7, curves A₁ and A₂ show the respective torque waveforms of the motor obtained due to magnetic fields produced by the coils 1 A1 and 1 A2 . Similarly, in Figure 8, curves B₁ and B₂ show respectively the torque waveforms of the motor obtained due to magnetic fields produced by the coils 1 B1 and 1 B2 . Figure 9 shows synthetically the torque characteristics of the two-phase brushless motor. In Figure 9, curves A₁ + A₂ and B₁ + B₂ are obtained by superposing the waveforms A₁ and B₁ on the waveforms A₂ and B₂, respectively. As shown in Figure 7, the torque waveforms obtained due to the respective functions of the coils 1 A1 and 1 A2 differ from each other, and similarly, the torque waveforms obtained due to the respective functions of the coils 1 B1 and 1 B2 differ from each other as shown in Figure 8. A phase difference of 180° electrical is present between the waveforms A₁ + A₂ and B₁ + B₂. Thus, the relationship between the magnetic poles 4 N and 4 S and the magnetic poles 5 N and 5 S is not such that one is a main magnetic pole and the other is a supplemental magnetic pole, but instead, all of the magnetic poles 4 N , 4 S , 5 N and 5 S substantially function as main magnetic poles. Figures 10A to 10I show successively the relationships between the stator and the rotor located at various relative rotation angles. The states shown in Figures 10A to 10I correspond to torque waveform portions 1 ○ to 9 ○ shown in Figure 9, respectively. In Figures 10A to 10I, arrow C indicates the direction of rotation of the rotor, and I denotes a current flow supplied to the coils. Rotor position detecting means are provided for the embodiment of Figures 10A to 10I for current switching, also such means is not shown for reasons of clarity. In Figure 9, curve portions 1 ○, 5 ○ and 9 ○ correspond to respective switching points at which the current that is supplied to the coils 1 A1 and 1 A2 is changed so as to be supplied to the coils 1 B1 and 1 B2 , or vice versa. The portions of the coils 1 A1 , 1 A2 , 1 B1 or 1 B2 which are effective in generating the motor torque are in opposed relation to the magnetic poles of the rotor, so that the motor torque dips most at each of the switching points 1 ○, 5 ○ and 9 ○. Figures 11, 12 and 13 show second, third and fourth embodiments, respectively, of the invention embodied in variations of the magnetizing pattern of the rotor. In the second embodiment shown in Figure 11, outer parts 6 N and 6 S of the magnetic poles 5 N and 5 S are provided projecting into the magnetic poles 4 N and 4 S , respectively. The outer parts 6 N and 6 S are positioned for detection by the Hall device, or position detector 4, shown in Figure 3. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment of Figure 11, the Hall device 4 provided opposite the outer parts 6 N and 6 S switches the current flowing in the coils at each quarter turn of the rotor, corresponding to the switching points 1 ○, 5 ○ and 9 ○ of Figure 9. In the third embodiment shown in Figure 12, supplemental magnetic poles 7 N and 7 S are arranged in the respective magnetic poles 4 N and 4 S of a rotor similar to that shown in Figure 11. The supplemental magnetic poles 7 N and 7 S perform the same function as the supplemental magnetic poles 3 N and 3 S shown in Figure 2. An electrical angle γ shown in Figure 12 is about 30° electrical. In the fourth embodiment shown in Figure 13, magnetic poles 4 N ', 4 S ', 5 N ' and 5 S ' are arranged on the periphery of a rotor so as to apply the principles of the instant invention to an inner-rotor-type brushless motor. Figures 14 and 15 are development views of hollow cylindrical rotors which show fifth and sixth embodiments, respectively. The hollow cylindrical rotors are used in an outer-rotor-type brushless motor. Two pairs of magnetic poles 4 N '', 4 S '', 5 N '' and 5 S '' are provided on each rotor, where corresponding ones of the poles have a ratio of two to one. Figure 16 shows a stator used in the outer-rotor-type brushless motor, in which the coils 1 A1 ', 1 A2 ', 1 B1 ' and 1 B2 ' are arranged on the outer periphery of a cylindrical yoke 8. In Figure 17, a plan view of an outer-rotor-type brushless motor is shown, including the stator 8 shown in Figure 16 surrounded by a cylindrical rotor 9, such as a rotor shown in either Figure 14 or 15. The coils 1 A1 ', 1 A2 ', 1 B1 ' and 1 B2 ' are wound so that each has an electrical angle ϑ of about 120° electrical. The magnetizing patterns shown in either Figure 14 or 15 are formed on the inner periphery of the hollow-cylindrical rotor 9. Outer portions 6 S '' and 6 N '' are provided on the embodiment of Figure 15 opposite a magnetic polarity sensor, such as the Hall-effect device 4 to effect switching of the current through the coils 1 A1 ', 1 A2 ', 1 B1 ' and 1 B2 '. The supplemental magnetic poles 7 N and 7 S shown in Figure 12 is added in another embodiment to the magnetizing pattern shown in Figure 15. Further, the magnetizing patterns shown in Figures 14 and 15 may be arranged on a face of the rotor 9 which extends in a thickness direction of the rotor 9. In the first to sixth embodiments, the invention is applied to a two-phase brushless motor having four poles and four coils, but the number of poles and coils may be increased between natural numbers m and n which are the number of the coils and poles denoted by 4m and 4n, respectively, provided m is not larger than n. Further, a good torque characteristic of the motor has been empirically obtained under the condition that α is about 240° electrical and β is about 120° electrical in the case of the rotor shown in Figure 6, but the value α may be varied in a range of 240° electrical ± k, where k is less than 60° electrical. The magnetic pole arrangement of the rotor of a brushless two-phase motor has been varied in different embodiments. In seventh, eighth and ninth embodiments shown in Figures 18, 19 and 20, the coils of the stator are varied in arrangement. In Figure 18, the seventh embodiment provides two groups of coils comprising four coils 1 A1 '' to 1 A4 '' and four coils 1 B1 '' to 1 B4 '' for a total of eight coils. The electrical angle ϑ of each coil is 120°. In Figures 19 and 20, arrangements of four coils 1 A1 , 1 A2 , 1 B1 and 1 B2 are varied in different arrangements. Again, each coil has an electrical angle ϑ of 120°. In a tenth embodiment, a rotor is provided as shown in Figure 21. The number of poles is 4n, for n equals a natural number. Here, the number of poles is eight, so that n is equal to two. The magnetizing pattern comprises two pairs of magnetic poles 4 N1 , 4 S1 , 4 N2 and 4 S2 , each having a width α', and two pairs of magnetic poles 5 N1 , 5 S1 , 5 N2 and 5 S2 , each having a width β'. The ratio of the widths α' to β' are the same as in the embodiment of Figure 6, in other words, two to one. According to the invention, torques exerted on the rotor are obtained from the interaction of phases A and B produced by the respective coils with the magnetic poles 4 N , 4 S , 5 N and 5 S , the torque being different from each other, so that the magnetizing pattern of the rotor can be simplified as, for example, the pattern shown in Figure 6 which is simple compared with that of the conventional two-phase brushless motor, in which the rotor has extremely narrow magnetic poles. Hence, the rotor of the present invention can be easily magnetized.

Claims: A two-phase brushless motor comprising: a rotor having at least a pair of first magnetic poles (4 S ,4 N ; 4 S1 , 4 N1 , 4 S2 , 4 N2 , 4 S3 , 4 N3 , 4 S4 , 4 N4 ) and at least a pair of second magnetic poles (5 S , 5 N ; 5 S1 , 5 N1 , 5 S2 , 5 N2 , 5 S3 , 5 N3 , 5 S4 , 5 N4 ), wherein ratios of widths (α') of said first magnetic poles to widths (β') of said second magnetic poles are greater than one and wherein said first magnetic poles are adjacent one another and said second magnetic poles are adjacent one another and a stator position in opposite relation to said rotor and having at least two pairs of coils (1 A1 , 1 A2 , 1 B1 , 1 B2 ; 1 A1 '', 1 A2 '', 1 A3 '', 1 A4 '', 1 B1 '', 1 B2 '', 1 B3 '', 1 B4 '') for producing respective phases of magnetic fields, characterized in that said ratios of said widths (α') of said first magnetic poles to said widths (β') of said second magnetic poles are approximately two to one. A two-phase brushless motor as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said pair of first magnetic poles (4 S , 4 N ) is defined by a pair of magnetized main regions and said pair of second magnetic poles (5 S , 5 N ) is defined by a pair of magnetized sub-regions. A two-phase brushless motor as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that said pair of magnetized main regions is a pair of uniformly magnetized main regions and said pair of magnetized sub-regions is a pair of uniformly magnetized sub-regions. A two-phase brushless motor as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said rotor is rotationally mounted opposite said stator to provide a torque output. A two-phase brushless motor as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said pair of first magnetic poles (4 S , 4 N ) and said pair of second magnetic poles (5 S , 5 N ) are oppositely magnetized magnetic poles respectively. A two-phase brushless motor as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said two coils (1 A1 , 1 A2 , 1 B1 , 1 B2 ) in each of said pair of coils are spaced from each other by an electrical angle of 360° electrical. A two-phase brushless motor as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that each of said coils (1 A1 , 1 A2 , 1 B1 , 1 B2 ) of said stator has a central angle expressed by an electrical angle (ϑ) of about 120° electrical. A two-phase brushless motor as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said first magnetic poles (4 S , 4 N ) of said rotor have central electrical angles of about 240° and said second magnetic poles (5 S , 5 N ) of said rotor have central electrical angles of about 120°. A two-phase brushless motor as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said rotor is of disk shape, and further comprising: a position detector (4; 6 N , 6 S ) in opposed relation to an outer part of said first and second magnetic poles (4 S , 4 N , 5 S , 5 N ) of said rotor for detecting the rotational position of said rotor. A two-phase brushless motor as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that each of said second magnetic poles (5 S , 5 N ) has an outer part (6 S , 6 N ) extending into said first poles (4 S , 5 N ). A two-phase brushless motor as claimed in claim 2 and claim 10, characterized in that said outer part (6 S , 6 N ) of each of said second magnetic poles (5 S , 5 N ) is defined by an outer part of each of said magnetized sub-regions of said rotor, said outer part of each of said magnetized sub-regions extends into one of said magnetized main regions opposite said position detector (4) to provide correct switching timings. A two-phase brushless motor as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11, characterized in that said outer part (6 S , 6 N ) of each of said second magnetic poles (5 S , 5 N ) extends into said first magentic poles (4 S , 4 N ) along an edge of said disk-shaped rotor, said position detector is a magnetic position sensor (4) disposed opposite an edge of said rotor to sense said outer part (6 N , 6 S ) of said second magnetic poles (5 N , 5 S ), and a current switching circuit (Q A , Q B ) is connected to supply current to said coils (1 A1 , 1 A2 , 1 B1 , 1 B2 ) of said stator, said magnetic position sensor (4) being connected in said current switching circuit (Q A , Q B ) to effect switching. A two-phase brushless motor as claimed in anyone of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that a supplimental magnetic pole (7 N , 7 S ) of said rotor is arranged within each of said first magnetic poles (4 N , 4 S ). A two-phase brushless motor as claimed in claim 2 and claim 13, characterized in that said supplimental magnetic pole (7 N , 7 S ) is defined by a supplemental magnetized area (7 S , 7 N ) of said magnetized main regions of said rotor. A two-phase brushless motor as claimed in anyone of claims 9 to 14, characterized in that said first and second magnetic poles (4 S , 4 N , 5 S , 5 N ) are disposed along a periphery of said rotor and said motor is an innerrotor motor with said stator disposed about said rotor. A two-phase brushless motor as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that said rotor (9) is of hollow cylinder shape and said stator (8) is positioned within said rotor (9). A two-phase brushless motor as claimed in claim 16 and anyone of claims 9 to 15, characterized in that said motor is an auto rotor brushless motor and said stator is of a cylindrical shape with said rotor (9) of a hollow cylindrical shape disposed about said stator (8), said first and second magnetic poles (4 S '', 4 N '', 5 S '', 5 N '') are arranged on an inner periphery of said hollow cylindrical rotor. A two-phase brushless motor as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that four pairs of coils (1 A1 '', 1 A2 '', 1 A3 '', 1 A4 '', 1 B1 '', 1 B2 '', 1 B3 '', 1 B4 '') are provided in said stator. A two-phase brushless motor as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that said coils (1 A1 , 1 A2 , 1 B1 , 1 B2 ) are arranged on one side of said stator. A two-phase brushless motor as claimed in anyone of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that four pairs of magnetic poles (4 S1 , 4 N1 , 4 S2 , 5 S1 , 5 N1 , 5 S2 , 5 N2 ) are provided on said rotor.

Inventors: SAKAMOTO, SATOSHI
Applicants: SONY CORPORATION
Application year: 1987
Main classification: H02K29
IPC codes: H02K29