Back to results
US 9,027,441 B2Granted
Spherical gear
AssigneeTangent Robotics LLC
InventorsJamie Gewirtz, Jason R. Halpern
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gear includes a body defining a portion of a sphere and including at least one curved surface. A plurality of teeth extend from the at least one curved surface. The plurality of teeth are arranged in rows and columns that define a plurality of longitudinal and latitudinal arcuate channels along the curved surface.
Claims15
A gear system, comprising:
- a gimbal;
- a first gear having a body defining a portion of a sphere and including a curved surface, the first gear coupled to the gimbal and including a plurality of teeth extending from the curved surface;
- a second gear including a plurality of teeth, the second gear disposed adjacent to the first gear such that the plurality of teeth of the second gear engage the plurality of teeth of the first gear;
- and
- a third gear including a plurality of teeth, the third gear disposed adjacent to the first gear such that the plurality of teeth of the third gear engage the plurality of teeth of the first gear,
- wherein the second gear rotates about a first axis when the first gear moves in a first direction, and the third gear rotates about a second axis when the first gear moves in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction.
3 more elements
A gear system, comprising:
- a first support structure;
- a first gear including a body defining a portion of a sphere and including a first curved surface, the first gear coupled to the first support structure by a first gimbal, a plurality of teeth extend from the first curved surface in a plurality of rows and columns that define a plurality of channels;
- and
- first and second spur gears supported by the first support structure in an approximately orthogonal relationship to one another, the first spur gear including a plurality of teeth that engage the plurality of teeth of the first gear such that the first spur gear rotates about a first axis when the first gear moves in a first direction, the second spur gear including a plurality of teeth that engage the plurality of teeth of the first gear such that the second spur gear rotates about a second axis when the first gear moves in a second direction that is approximately orthogonal to the first direction.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.