Patent ID: 7348754

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a first component having one or more electromagnetic elements; and a second component having one or more electromagnetic elements and movably coupled to the first component, wherein: the second component is adapted to move with respect to the first component in a cyclical manner; and the one or more electromagnetic elements of the first component are adapted to interact with the one or more electromagnetic elements of the second component during each of one or more cycles of motion of the second component with respect to the first component such that, when a constant force profile is applied to move the second component with respect to the first component, the speed of motion increases and decreases one or more times during each cycle of motion due to different levels of electromagnetic interaction between the electromagnetic elements within each cycle of motion, wherein: at least one of the electromagnetic elements in one of the components is a magnet; and at least one of the electromagnetic elements in the other component is an interaction element, wherein: the interaction element has a material that exhibits at least one of electrical conductivity and magnetic hysteresis; and the electrical conductivity or magnetic hysteresis or both of the material varies with position over the interaction element, such that, as the second component moves with respect to the first component, the magnet induces at least one of eddy currents and hysteresis forces in the interaction element that vary in intensity during each cycle of motion.