Braking system for powered window covering
Granted: September 21, 2004
Patent Number:
6794778
Small permanent magnets are affixed to the protruding portion of a rotor of a motor that is coupled to gears in a gear enclosure. The rod of a window covering is coupled to the gears such that when the motor is energized by a user command signal, the window covering moves. Small braking magnets are also affixed to the receptacle of the gear enclosure, such that when the motor is deenergized, the magnetic coupling between the magnets of the rotor and those of the gear enclosure brakes the…
Magnetically coupled dangling apparatus
Granted: August 24, 2004
Patent Number:
6781270
An apparatus for producing magnetically induced movement of a second member in relation to a first member. The apparatus includes a first member having at least one perimeter magnet disposed thereon. The first member and at least one perimeter magnet are pivotable in relation to an axial member central of the first member. A second magnet is disposed central of the at least one perimeter magnet, with the second magnet disposed on a second member that is reciprocatable in relation to the…
Projection encoder
Granted: July 6, 2004
Patent Number:
6759647
In a projection encoder based on a triple-grating concept, a light-transmitting grating group 3 for detecting A- and B-phase signals, a photodiode group 4 for detecting A- and B-phase signals, and a photodiode group 5 for detecting a home position are formed on a movable grating plate 6 of a projection linear encoder 1; and a reflecting grating group 7 for detecting A- and B-phase signals, and a reflecting grating group 8 for detecting the home position are formed on a reflecting grating…
Wireless control device
Granted: June 8, 2004
Patent Number:
6747632
A wireless control device includes a small, lightweight housing worn by an operator, for example on the operator's wrist, and a controlled device, for example a personal computer. Several optical emitters, preferably light emitting diodes operating in the infrared range, and several optical detectors are provided on the housing. At least one x-axis emitter-detector pair operates to detect an x-direction of a pointing motion or gesture, and at least one y-axis emitter-detector pair…
Method of manufacturing a lightweight bearing
Granted: May 11, 2004
Patent Number:
6732435
A method of manufacturing a lightweight bearing in which raceway surface parts are formed of iron-based material and body members are formed of a lightweight material that is lighter than the iron-based material. Bearing rings are manufactured by producing first and second split body members whose shapes are identical to those obtained by dividing the body members transversely along a plane perpendicular to the center axis, producing split raceway surface members whose shapes are…
Non-linear magnetic motion converter
Granted: March 2, 2004
Patent Number:
6700248
A non-linear magnetic harmonic motion converter apparatus for transferring non-linear motion into rotational motion for producing work from an interaction of at least two magnetic fields. An axial shaft is disposed in rotating relationship with at least one gimbal supported magnet that reciprocates in relation to the axial shaft. At least one rotor magnet is disposed to rotate in relation to the axial shaft in response to non-linear movement of the at least one gimbal supported magnet. A…
Hybrid synchronous motor equipped with toroidal winding
Granted: March 2, 2004
Patent Number:
6700271
A hybrid synchronous motor comprising a rotor and stators, wherein the stator has at least one assembly (7) having a structure in which ferromagnetic rings (2, 3) formed with cogs on the both inner and outer circumferences thereof, are arranged coaxially, and a coil winding (8) is wound on the assembly (7) so as to be positioned between cogs. The hybrid synchronous motor exhibits a high magnetic flux density in the air gap as the result of transverse magnetic flux of the permanent…
Method and apparatus for selecting harmonic color using harmonics, and method and apparatus for converting sound to color or color to sound
Granted: February 3, 2004
Patent Number:
6686529
Disclosed is a method and an apparatus for converting sound/color or color/sound, and more particularly to a method and an apparatus capable of converting a sound into a color image or an image into a sound, by selecting the harmonic color exactly tuned with an optional reference color based on the harmonics, and frequency converting a sound or a color having a characteristic of wave. A method of selecting a harmony color using harmonics, the method comprises the steps of: selecting the…
Lightweight bearing and wave gear drive
Granted: January 27, 2004
Patent Number:
6682220
A lightweight bearing and wave gear drive are provided. An outer or inner bearing ring of the bearing has fixing holes to enable the ring to be attached to another member. The parts of the bearing on which raceway surfaces are formed are made of an iron-based material, while the main bearing ring member is formed of a lightweight material that is lighter than the iron-based material. Surface portions that constitute fixing bolt seats are plated to increase the strength of such portions.…
Statistical multiplexed video encoding for diverse video formats
Granted: January 6, 2004
Patent Number:
6674796
A statistical multiplexing apparatus and method for encoding and combining a diversity of video signal resolutions and formats. Higher resolution signals are reduced to lower resolution signals for simplifying the a priori statistics gathering process. Alternately, input video signals in multiple formats are converted to a single common format prior to their application to an a priori statistics gatherer. A storage device contains the a priori statistics which are indicative of the…
Lubrication mechanism for a wave gear device
Granted: January 6, 2004
Patent Number:
6672181
According to a lubrication mechanism for a wave gear device 1, frictionally contacting parts 5 of toothed parts of gears 2 and 3 are lubricated using a lubricant with a high base oil viscosity and favorable shear stability. Frictionally contacting parts 7 of the external gear 3 and wave generator 4 and frictionally contacting parts 9 on the inside of wave bearing 42 are respectively lubricated using solid lubricants 8 and 10 that are produced by mixing a low base oil viscosity grease…
Method and apparatus for correcting actuator positioning error
Granted: December 16, 2003
Patent Number:
6664752
A method of correcting positional error in an actuator that is equipped with a motor and a wave gear reduction drive that transmits a motor output to the target load. Positioning error relative to the absolute position of the actuator output shaft is measured, to compile error correction data relating to each position on the rotation of the motor shaft. The rotational position of the motor shaft is detected and rotational position correction information produced by adding error…
Galvanometer-type scanner
Granted: December 16, 2003
Patent Number:
6665102
A DC motor of a galvanometer-type scanner has four poles, and compared to a conventional DC motor with a bipolar construction, the armature inductance L can be reduced to half or less for a case where the external diameter of the rotor and the induced voltage constant KE are the same. Since KE/L, which is the index for the rise of torque of the motor, is increased by a factor of two or more, the responsiveness of the motor can be improved without increasing the exciting current of the…
Table positioning device
Granted: November 25, 2003
Patent Number:
6651969
A table positioning device has a moving table and three table moving mechanisms for moving the moving table, and three position sensors for detecting positions in different directions of the moving table. Based on the detected date of the position sensors, the table moving mechanisms are controlled to move the moving table to a desired position. The table moving mechanisms have eccentric cams 601-603, and three pairs of parallel plates. The cams are sandwiched between the respective…
Lightweight wave gear drive
Granted: November 18, 2003
Patent Number:
6647827
A wave gear drive has a wave generator with a hub and rigid cam plate formed of titanium alloy. Heat-dissipating fins are provided on both sides of these parts, and heat-dissipation is further increased by plating the surfaces with a material having a higher coefficient of thermal conductivity than that of titanium alloy. The result is a lightweight wave gear drive having good heat-dissipating properties that uses titanium alloy, which is stronger and more rigid than aluminum alloy.
Lightweight wave gear device
Granted: September 23, 2003
Patent Number:
6622593
A lightweight wave gear device has a similar engagement rigidity, tooth surface hardness, and abrasion resistance as when a ferrous material is used. A cup-shaped wave gear device 1 has a rigid internal gear 2 that is formed of a lightweight alloy, such as an aluminum alloy, and internal teeth 21 are formed with a height that is 1.1 to 1.3 times the height used for internal gears that are made of a ferrous material. A hard, electrolessly plated coating is also formed on the tooth surface…
Non-lubricated wave gear device
Granted: September 9, 2003
Patent Number:
6615689
A wave gear device does not need to be lubricated. In a cup-shaped wave gear device 1, the inner ring 43 and balls 45 of the wave bearing 42 of the wave generator 4 are made of a ceramic material, while the outer ring 44 of the wave bearing 42 is made of SUJ2 or stainless steel. A DLC coating 302 is formed by a DLC coating process on a rolling surface 48 formed in the inner circumferential surface of the outer ring 44, a DLC coating 303 is formed by a DLC coating process on a rolling…
Optical encoder
Granted: August 26, 2003
Patent Number:
6610975
In an optical linear encoder, light from an LED 2 passes through a moving grating 31 formed in a semiconductor moving plate 3 and is reflected by a reflective grating 41 of a reflective grating plate 4. An image of the reflective grating is detected by photodiodes 32 that are formed in the shape of a grid on the semiconductor moving plate 3. The moving grating 31 and the photodiodes 32 are formed on the same semiconductor substrate with the photodiodes 32 in the form of a grid having a…
Positioning system
Granted: June 24, 2003
Patent Number:
6583738
A positioning system in which a absolute sensor detection signals are communicated to a controller, which is a personal computer, via a PC card. The PC card is provided with sensor connection terminals, a converter for converting sensor detection signals to digital position signals, PC connection terminals, a sensor drive circuit, and a switching circuit. The sensor switching circuit switches sensor connection terminals in accordance with commands from the personal computer, whereby one…
Wave gear drive having a transfer-torque control mechanism
Granted: May 20, 2003
Patent Number:
6564677
A wave gear drive (1) includes an annular rigid internal gear (2), an annular flexible external gear (3) arranged inside of the annular rigid internal gear (2), and a wave generator (4) fitted inside of the annular flexible external gear. The wave generator (4) includes a rigid cam plate (41) having a predetermined outline, and a hub (43) inserted into a fitting hole (42) formed in the center of the rigid cam plate (41). A transfer-torque control mechanism for limiting the torque…
