Transmission, and related systems and methods
AssigneeAgility Robotics, Inc.
InventorsRyan Domres, Andy Abate, Dylan Thrush
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A transmission includes a housing having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, a carrier mounted to the housing, an input shaft, an output shaft, a passage that extends from the housings first end to the housings second end to allow a via through the housing, an input sensor, and an output sensor. The carrier has a first side that faces in a first direction, and a second side that faces in a direction other than the first direction. The input sensor is mounted to the carrier and disposed on the first side of the carrier. The output sensor is mounted to the same carrier and disposed on the carrier's second side. The input and output shafts rotate about the same axis.
Claims15
A transmission comprising:
- a housing;
- a carrier adjustably mounted to the housing, the carrier having a first side that faces in a first direction, and a second side that faces in a direction other than the first direction;
- an input shaft having a longitudinal axis and coupled with the housing;
- an output shaft a sharing the longitudinal axis, and coupled with the housing and the input shaft such that rotation of the input shaft about the longitudinal axis also causes the output shaft to rotate about the longitudinal axis;
- an input sensor comprising an input-encoder and an input-target, the input-encoder disposed on the first side of the carrier and the input-target disposed on the input shaft and positioned relative to the input-encoder to cause the input-encoder to generate an input signal as the input-target moves relative to the input-encoder, the input signal representing a position of the input shaft relative to the housing;
- an output sensor comprising an output-encoder and an output-target, the output-encoder disposed on the second side of the carrier and the output-target disposed on the output shaft and positioned relative to the output-encoder to cause the output-encoder to generate an output signal as the output-target moves relative to the output-encoder, the output signal representing a position of the output shaft relative to the housing;
- wherein the carrier is movable along the longitudinal axis to change a longitudinal distance between the input-target and the input-encoder.
A method for accurately determining the position of an input shaft and an output shaft of a transmission, the method comprising:
- moving an input-target of an input sensor adjacent an input-encoder of the input sensor, the input-encoder being disposed on a first side of a carrier that is mounted to a housing of a transmission, the input-target being mounted to an input shaft of the transmission;
- generating, via the input-encoder, an input signal that represents a position of the input shaft relative to the housing;
- moving an output-target of an output sensor adjacent an output-encoder of the output sensor,
- the output-encoder being disposed on a second side of the same carrier that is mounted to the transmission's housing, the second side facing a direction other than the direction that the carrier's first side faces, the output-target being mounted to an output shaft of the transmission;
- generating, via the output-encoder, an output signal that represents a position of the output shaft relative to the housing;
- and
- adjusting the distance between at least one of the input-target and the input-encoder, and the output-target and the output encoder, before generating the input signal or the output signal.
A method of correcting for manufacturing tolerances in an actuator to ensure correct input-sensor gaps and output-sensor gaps between encoders and targets, the method comprising:
- providing an actuator having at least a housing, a carrier mounted at a first position on the housing, an input shaft, an output shaft, a motor for rotating the input shaft and the output shaft, a transmission coupling the input shaft to the output shaft via a transmission, an input sensor for determining the rotational speed and location of the input shaft, the input sensor having a input-target disposed on the input shaft and an input-encoder disposed on the carrier, and an output sensor for determining the rotational speed and absolute location of the output shaft, the output sensor having an output-target disposed at a second position on a body movably affixed to the output shaft and an output-encoder disposed on the carrier;
- adjusting the first position of the carrier in relation to the input-target until the input-sensor gap between the input-encoder and the input-target is in an operational range;
- and
- adjusting the second position of the output-target in relation to the carrier until the output-sensor gap between the output-encoder and the output-target is in an operational range.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.