Methods and apparatus for selective rod actuation
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorBenjamin Peters
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In exemplary implementations, a target rod is actuated. The target rod is part of a set of threaded, elongated rods, the longitudinal axes of which are substantially parallel to each other. The set of rods has an interior region and a perimeter region. Actuators induce vibrations in a set of perimeter rods. These vibrations are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes. Furthermore, the vibrations are transmitted to interior rods, causing a target rod in the interior region to rotate about, and translate along, the longitudinal axis of the target rod. The target rod undergoes stick-slip motion relative to adjacent rods.
Claims13
An apparatus comprising:
- (a) a set of threaded rods, the longitudinal axes of which are substantially parallel to each other, which set of rods has an interior region and a perimeter region, and which set of rods includes interior rods that are in the interior region and perimeter rods that are in the perimeter region,
- (b) a set of linear actuators that includes linear guides, each linear guide being elongated and having a longitudinal axis that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of, and that intersects, at least one threaded rod in the set of threaded rods;
- and
- (c) a set of moveable parts, each moveable part being an element of or in physical contact with an actuator in the set of linear actuators;
- wherein the linear actuators are configured to produce linear motions of the moveable parts, which linear motions
- (i) are constrained by the linear guides,
- (ii) are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the set of threaded rods, and
- (iii) induce vibrations in a set of the perimeter rods, which vibrations include components that are substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the set of threaded rods, and which vibrations are transmitted to the set of the interior rods, causing a target rod in the interior region to rotate about, and translate along, the longitudinal axis of the target rod.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.