Described herein are braking mechanisms and related methods of using eddy current interactions to resist relative movement between members, the magnetic flux about an eddy current region being modified beyond an inherent drag effect resulting from a simple magnetic pole arrangement.

A decelerating apparatus includes a brake member, primary and secondary permanent magnets and pole pieces. The primary permanent magnets are arranged in a circumferential direction to face an inner or outer peripheral surface of the brake member with a gap in between. Each of the primary permanent magnets has two opposite magnetic poles arranged in a radial direction. The secondary permanent magnets and the pole pieces are placed in the gap and arranged in the circumferential direction. Each of the secondary permanent magnets has two opposite magnetic poles arranged in the circumferential direction. Each of the pole pieces is positioned between adjacent secondary permanent magnets. Magnetic pole arrangements of adjacent primary permanent magnets are opposite to each other. Magnetic pole arrangements of adjacent secondary permanent magnets are opposite to each other. Each of the secondary permanent magnets has a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape including an upper base and a lower base.

A decelerating apparatus includes a brake member, primary and secondary permanent magnets and pole pieces. The primary permanent magnets are arranged in a circumferential direction to face an inner or outer peripheral surface of the brake member with a gap in between. Each of the primary permanent magnets has two opposite magnetic poles arranged in a radial direction. The secondary permanent magnets and the pole pieces are placed in the gap and arranged in the circumferential direction. Each of the secondary permanent magnets has two opposite magnetic poles arranged in the circumferential direction. Each of the pole pieces is positioned between adjacent secondary permanent magnets. Magnetic pole arrangements of adjacent primary permanent magnets are opposite to each other. Magnetic pole arrangements of adjacent secondary permanent magnets are opposite to each other. Each of the secondary permanent magnets has a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape including an upper base and a lower base.

Described herein are braking mechanisms and related methods of using eddy current interactions to resist relative movement between members, the magnetic flux about an eddy current region being modified beyond an inherent drag effect resulting from a simple magnetic pole arrangement.

Described herein are braking mechanisms and related methods of using eddy current interactions to resist relative movement between members, the magnetic flux about an eddy current region being modified beyond an inherent drag effect resulting from a simple magnetic pole arrangement.

Described herein is a device comprising members in a kinematic relationship. The kinematic relationship is at least partially governed by at least one magnetically induced force that introduces a force threshold that, in effect, provides a threshold to part movement and confers a degree of hysteresis, preventing movement until a sufficiently large energizing force is applied. The effect may be further altered by use of an additional magnetically induced force interaction with at least one further member to urge or slow movement once started and/or to prevent movement once a new position is reached.

Described herein is a device comprising members in a kinematic relationship. The kinematic relationship is at least partially governed by at least one magnetically induced force that introduces a force threshold that, in effect, provides a threshold to part movement and confers a degree of hysteresis, preventing movement until a sufficiently large energizing force is applied. The effect may be further altered by use of an additional magnetically induced force interaction with at least one further member to urge or slow movement once started and/or to prevent movement once a new position is reached.

A linear vibration actuator motor comprises a housing, a coil, a conductive sheet, a bracket, a magnet assembly and two elastic members. The coil is fixed to the bottom wall of the housing. The conductive sheet is fixed to the top wall of the housing and is located above the coil. The bracket is disposed in an accommodating space of the housing, forming framed space, and located above the coil and below the conductive sheet. The magnet assembly is disposed in the framed space above the coil and directly below the conductive sheet. The two elastic members are respectively located between two ends of the bracket and the inner side of two side walls of the housing. Thereby, the invention utilizes the induced current to provide resistance to achieve the damping effect against the motion of the assembly of the bracket and the magnet set with respect to conductive sheet.

A linear vibration actuator motor comprises a housing, a coil, a conductive sheet, a bracket, a magnet assembly and two elastic members. The coil is fixed to the bottom wall of the housing. The conductive sheet is fixed to the top wall of the housing and is located above the coil. The bracket is disposed in an accommodating space of the housing, forming framed space, and located above the coil and below the conductive sheet. The magnet assembly is disposed in the framed space above the coil and directly below the conductive sheet. The two elastic members are respectively located between two ends of the bracket and the inner side of two side walls of the housing. Thereby, the invention utilizes the induced current to provide resistance to achieve the damping effect against the motion of the assembly of the bracket and the magnet set with respect to conductive sheet.

A retarder-equipped rotating electrical machine includes a rotor, a stator, and a retarder rotor. The stator has teeth at regular intervals in a circumferential direction. One ends of the teeth are disposed to face the rotor. The retarder rotor has a magnetic member continuously in the circumferential direction. The retarder rotor is disposed to face the other ends of the teeth of the stator and configured to rotate integrally with the rotor. A rotor-to-stator pole piece portion having pole pieces at regular intervals in the circumferential direction is disposed between the rotor and the stator. A stator-to-retarder rotor pole piece portion having pole pieces at regular intervals in the circumferential direction is disposed between the stator and the retarder rotor. Both pole piece portions are moved in the circumferential direction to switch between an operation as a motor or generator and an operation as a retarder.