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US 2018/0023675 A1Published application
Apparatus utilizing planetary gearset coupled to a constant torsion spring
AssigneeRiekor Corporation
InventorsRyan Heiraas, Timothy A. Erhart, John Russell kingery
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gearbox includes a planetary gearset, an input shaft coupled to a sun gear of the planetary gearset, and an output shaft coupled to planet gears of the planetary gearset via a carrier. A constant torsion spring is coupled to a ring gear of the planetary gearset. The constant torsion spring is capable of preventing the ring gear from moving when a torque at the output shaft is below a threshold. The ring gear winds the constant torsion spring in response to the torque exceeding the threshold.
Claims24
An apparatus comprising:
- a planetary gearset comprising a rotatable ring gear;
- an input shaft coupled to a sun gear of the planetary gearset;
- an output shaft coupled to planet gears of the planetary gearset via a carrier;
- and
- a constant torsion spring coupled to the ring gear, the constant torsion spring storing energy via the ring gear if a torque level at the output shaft exceeds a threshold.
2 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a planetary gearset comprising a sun gear, planet gears, and a rotatable ring gear;
- an input shaft coupled to the sun gear of the planetary gearset;
- an output shaft coupled to the planet gears of the planetary gearset via a carrier;
- and
- a constant torsion spring coupled to the ring gear of the planetary gearset, the constant torsion spring configured to preventing the ring gear from moving when a torque at the output shaft is below a threshold, the ring gear winding the constant torsion spring in response to the torque exceeding the threshold.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- driving an input shaft coupled to a sun gear of a planetary gearset, the driving of the input shaft resulting in movement of an output shaft coupled to planet gears of the planetary gearset via a carrier;
- preventing movement of a ring gear of the planetary gearset via a constant torsion spring while an output torque of the output shaft is less than an output threshold;
- and
- in response to the output torque of the output shaft beginning to exceed the output threshold, winding the constant torsion spring via the ring gear to prevent the output torque from exceeding the threshold.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- driving an input shaft during an initialization procedure, the input shaft coupled to a sun gear of a planetary gearset and an output shaft coupled to planet gears of the planetary gearset via a carrier, wherein the output shaft is prevented from moving during the initialization procedure resulting in winding of a constant torsion spring coupled to a ring gear of the planetary gearset;
- after the initialization procedure and during subsequent operation, preventing the constant torsion spring from unwinding;
- and
- in response to a loss of power, releasing the constant torsion spring and preventing the input shaft from turning, wherein the releasing of the constant torsion spring and the preventing of the input shaft from turning moves the output shaft to a home position.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- a. a planetary gearset, the gearset including:
- i. a sun gear;
- ii. a rotatable ring gear;
- iii. planet gears operatively supported together by a carrier and interposed between the sun gear and ring gear,
- iv. an input shaft connected to the sun gear;
- and
- v. an output shaft connected to the carrier;
- b. an idler gear rotatably engaged with the ring gear;
- c. a rotatable spring shaft having a first end and a second end;
- d. a spring shaft gear mounted on the spring shaft at the first end and rotatably engaged with the idler gear;
- e. a first spool mounted on the spring shaft at the second end;
- f. a rotatable parallel shaft to the spring shaft;
- and
- g. a metal band wrapped about the first and second spools, the metal band having a rotational range of movement between the first and second spools, whereby winding the metal band on one of the spools stores spring energy;
- and wherein the metal band imparts an approximately constant torque to the parallel shaft and, via the spring shaft gear and the idler gear, the ring gear through its rotational range of movement between the two spools and the ring gear winding the metal band about the first spool when the torque exceeds a threshold.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.