Drive mechanism in particular for maytagging operation
AssigneeMurata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
InventorJaakko Ruohio
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device includes multiple circular drive wheels rotationally connected, with two featuring drive pins. A drive motor, attached to one of these wheels, continuously rotates it, thereby rotating all connected wheels. The device has a driven wheel with two opposing radial slots that enable intermittent rotation around its axis as drive pins engage alternately, changing rotation direction in consecutive phases. The device also includes a first gearing wheel linked to the driven wheel and a second gearing wheel coupled to the first. A payload is connected to this second gearing wheel, which, with the payload, rotates 160-200 degrees in one direction when a drive pin engages one radial slot.
Claims20
A drive mechanism comprising:
- a plurality of circular drive wheels rotationally coupled to each other, wherein two of the plurality of circular drive wheels include a drive pin,
- a drive motor coupled to one of the plurality of circular drive wheels, wherein the drive motor is configured to continuously rotate the respective drive wheel, and consequently all other drive wheels,
- a driven wheel having two outwardly opening radial slots arranged symmetrically on opposite sides of the driven wheel, wherein the driven wheel is configured to be driven into an intermittent rotation motion about its central axis by drive pins of the two of the plurality of circular drive wheels alternately engaging with one of the radial slots, wherein direction of the intermittent rotation motion alternates between two consecutive rotation phases,
- a first gearing wheel uniaxially coupled to the driven wheel,
- a second gearing wheel rotationally coupled to the first gearing wheel, and
- a payload uniaxially coupled to the second gearing wheel,
- wherein the second gearing wheel and the payload are configured to be rotated in a range of 160 to 200 degrees in a first direction during engagement of a first drive pin of a first drive wheel with one of the two outwardly opening radial slots.
An inertial sensor apparatus comprising:
- a drive mechanism comprising:
- a plurality of circular drive wheels rotationally coupled to each other, wherein two of the plurality of circular drive wheels include a drive pin,
- a drive motor coupled to one of the plurality of circular drive wheels, wherein the drive motor is configured to continuously rotate the respective drive wheel, and consequently all other drive wheels,
- a driven wheel having two outwardly opening radial slots arranged symmetrically on opposite sides of the driven wheel, wherein the driven wheel is configured to be driven into an intermittent rotation motion about its central axis by drive pins of the two of the plurality of circular drive wheels alternately engaging with one of the radial slots, wherein direction of the intermittent rotation motion alternates between two consecutive rotation phases,
- a first gearing wheel uniaxially coupled to the driven wheel,
- a second gearing wheel rotationally coupled to the first gearing wheel, and
- a payload uniaxially coupled to the second gearing wheel,
- wherein the second gearing wheel and the payload are configured to be rotated in a range of 160 to 200 degrees in a first direction during engagement of a first drive pin of a first drive wheel with one of the two outwardly opening radial slots;
- wherein the drive mechanism is configured to rotate the payload by 180 degrees during each rotation period for maytagging at least one inertial sensor comprised in the payload.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.