Low-profile drive mechanism
AssigneeHerkules Equipment Corporation
InventorsTodd John Bacon, Eliana Virginia Podolski Bacon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drive mechanism includes a mount block extending along an axis and a plurality of electric motors supported by the mount block. The electric motors are arranged in series along the axis to define an initial electric motor, one or more intermediate electric motors, and a final electric motor. The drive mechanism also includes a gear mounted to each of the electric motors, and an output member driven by the gear mounted to the final electric motor to receive the combined rotational torque from the gears of the series of electric motors.
Claims30
A drive mechanism comprising:
- a mount block extending along an axis;
- a plurality of electric motors supported by said mount block, with said electric motors arranged in series along said axis to define an initial electric motor, one or more intermediate electric motors, and a final electric motor;
- a gear mounted to each of said electric motors;
- and
- an output gear driven by said gear mounted to said final electric motor to receive the combined rotational torque from said gears of said series of electric motors,
- wherein said rotational torque provided to said output gear is exclusively provided by said gear of said final electric motor.
A drive mechanism comprising:
- a first mount block extending along an axis;
- a first plurality of electric motors supported by said first mount block, with said first plurality of electric motors arranged in series along said axis to define a first initial electric motor, one or more first intermediate electric motors, and a first final electric motor;
- a second mount block extending along a second axis;
- a second plurality of electric motors supported by said second mount block, with said second plurality of electric motors arranged in series along said second axis to define a second initial electric motor, one or more second intermediate electric motors, and a second final electric motor;
- a gear mounted to each of said first electric motors;
- and
- an output gear driven by said gear mounted to said first final electric motor to receive the combined rotational torque from said gears of said series of electric motors.
A drive mechanism comprising:
- a mount block extending along an axis;
- a plurality of electric motors supported by said mount block, with said electric motors arranged in series along said axis to define an initial electric motor, one or more intermediate electric motors, and a final electric motor;
- a gear mounted to each of said electric motors;
- and
- an output gear driven by said gear mounted to said final electric motor to receive the combined rotational torque from said gears of said series of electric motors,
- wherein said plurality of electric motors and said gears are each rotatable about a rotational axis, with said rotational axes of said series of electric motors being aligned along a common plane, and
- wherein said output gear is rotatable about a rotational axis, and wherein said rotational axis of said output gear is offset from said common plane.
A drive mechanism comprising:
- a mount block extending along an axis;
- a plurality of electric motors supported by said mount block, with said electric motors arranged in series along said axis to define an initial electric motor, one or more intermediate electric motors, and a final electric motor;
- a gear mounted to each of said electric motors;
- an output gear driven by said gear mounted to said final electric motor to receive the combined rotational torque from said gears of said series of electric motors;
- an output shaft rotationally fixed to said output gear to position said output gear for engagement with said gear of said final electric motor;
- and
- an output belt fixed to said output shaft and configured to be wound about said output shaft upon rotation of said gears.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.