Other

Honeybee Robotics, Ltd.

Abb Schweiz Ag

Honeybee Robtotics, Ltd.

Roopnarine

Umashankar Shanmugaraj

John D Vranish

Sourabh K Khedkar

Thomas M Myrick

Kin Yuen Kong

A servicing system for on-orbit spacecrafts is disclosed. The system comprises a servicing or host spacecraft configured to perform on-orbit servicing of client spacecrafts. The servicing spacecraft comprises a dedicated, deployable, boom having capture and docking mechanisms. The capture mechanism comprises a plurality of capture arms attached to a grounding structure. In one embodiment, the capture arms are kinematically linked and are free to rotate with respect to the grounding structure using a single actuator, thereby synchronizing the rotation of the arms for any angular displacement of the actuator, thus the arms form a circle that is concentric with the boom axis. In a second embodiment, there are two sets of capture arms, with the arms in each set kinematically linked and independently actuated; thus, the two sets cooperatively form different grasping geometries. Further, the docking mechanism is configured to enable the host spacecraft to dock with the client spacecraft. The servicing spacecraft may also be configured to carry a robotic arm and a suite of end-effectors that can be automatically changed out on-orbit. The suite of end-effectors may include one configured with the disclosed capture mechanism, and another may be configured with the disclosed docking mechanism.

Capture and docking mechanisms for spacecrafts

A servicing system for on-orbit spacecrafts is disclosed. The system comprises a servicing or host spacecraft configured to perform on-orbit servicing of client spacecrafts. The servicing spacecraft comprises a dedicated, deployable, boom having capture and docking mechanisms. The capture mechanism comprises one or more electromagnets spaced apart and suspended on a frame that may include means for compensating for any out of plane misalignments during capture. The client spacecraft includes a striker plate that covers an area, nominally larger than the footprint of the capture mechanism, that is sized to accommodate a capture envelope determined by the rendezvous and proximity sensing systems. The electromagnets attract the striker plate to capture the client spacecraft in order to provide on-orbit servicing. The docking system has multiple degrees of freedom that are independent of the capture system; docking is accomplished by mechanically coupling the two spacecrafts together, post capture. During docking, electrical and fluid transfer connections may also be accomplished. The servicing spacecraft further comprises a manipulator arm that may be configured to position/align the captured client spacecraft for docking, thereby permitting a very flexible, larger, capture envelope, and reducing operational complexity.

Servicing systems for on-orbit spacecrafts

An improved cover for covering and sealing an air conditioning unit that is otherwise exposed to the room in which it is installed. The cover is easily mounted to or removed from the wall or surface from which the air conditioner projects and in the preferred embodiment is made from a fabric that is also easily cleaned and stored when not in use. Around the periphery of the cover's open end is a flange to which one element of a separable fastening system is affixed; the other element of the fastening system may have an integral adhesive backing and can be easily installed on the wall or surface. Mating the separable elements of the fastening system seals the enveloped air conditioner and its sleeve from air, noise and bug or insect infiltration. Other alternative embodiments and fastening methods are disclosed for an improved cover that is easy to install, remove, clean and store.

Sealing cover for air conditioners

The invention is a rotor design for electric machines that is suitable for both high speed operation and improved efficiency. Methods to retain embedded permanent magnets against centripetal forces, while also significantly reducing flux leakage between poles of the magnets through the rotor laminations, are disclosed.

Rotor for electric machines

A circuit breaker includes an electrically insulative case and a handle rotatably coupled to the electrically insulative case. The circuit breaker also includes a gear train mechanism. The gear train mechanism includes a drive gear drivingly coupled to the handle and a plurality of pinions engaged with the drive gear. The drive gear is arranged to rotate the plurality of pinions in response to a rotation of the handle. The gear train mechanism also includes a rack engaged with the plurality of pinions. The rack is arranged to translate in response to a rotation of the plurality of pinions.

Circuit breaker including rotary handle

An electrically insulative case includes a door arranged to move between an opened position and a closed position and a rack mechanism arranged to move between an ON position and an OFF position. The electrically insulative case further includes an interlock including a plunger arranged to move between a locked position and an unlocked position. The interlock also includes an engagement mechanism that is coupled to the plunger. The engagement mechanism is arranged to move between a first position in which the engagement mechanism is spaced from the rack mechanism and a second position in which the engagement mechanism is engaged with the rack mechanism. The door is inhibited from moving to the opened position when the plunger is in the locked position. The plunger is arranged to move to the locked position when the engagement mechanism is in the second position and the rack mechanism is in the ON position.

A sensing device for detecting the amount of torque transmitted through a shaft. The device has a first and second section interconnected by a flexure arrangement to which permanent magnets are attached. Deflections of the flexures produce a repeatable and proportional change of magnetic flux which flows in a stationary annular ring that is concentrically mounted with respect to the shaft and separated from it by an air gap. The annular ring is instrumented with an array of magnetic field sensors that measure the changing magnetic flux.

Flexure-based system for measuring torque on a shaft

An improved strain wave drive system employs an outer circular spline part and an outer dynamic spline part spaced apart by a gap from each other in a widthwise (axial) direction and each having a array of internally facing gear teeth, a two-part inner flexible spline (flexspline) having two different sets of externally facing toothed projections offset by a gap from each other across a width extending in a widthwise (axial) direction, a wave generator coupled to the central rotor or shaft for generating a wave impulse that displaces the inner flexspline toothed projections into mesh with those of the outer circular spline part and an array of roller bearings supporting an inner surface across the width of the flexspline in rolling line bearing contact.

Strain wave drive with improved performance

A disconnect device for suspended lines has: (1) a ground member that provides a supporting structure for mechanically grounding and/or tying the device to a supporting pole and (2) a disconnect member to which a suspended line or cable is attached that is movable or rotatable for detachment from the ground member.

Disconnect device for suspended lines

An improved configuration for an electric motor has an inner rotor and an outer stator wherein each stator coil is arranged radially outwardly of its respective stator pole and configured to create a magnetic flux path forming a closed magnetic circuit that flows in directions parallel to the longitudinal axis of the motor, rather than circumferentially about the longitudinal axis of the motor. The magnetic flux created by the stator coil is directed from the stator pole, across the air gap to a corresponding rotor pole, and back to the stator pole to form a closed magnetic circuit path. All stator poles are therefore magnetically isolated from each other.

Electric motor with improved flux path and power density

A high temperature motor has a stator with poles formed by wire windings, and a rotor with magnetic poles on a rotor shaft positioned coaxially within the stator. The stator and rotor are built up from stacks of magnetic-alloy laminations. The stator windings are made of high temperature magnet wire insulated with a vitreous enamel film, and the wire windings are bonded together with ceramic binder. A thin-walled cylinder is positioned coaxially between the rotor and the stator to prevent debris from the stator windings from reaching the rotor. The stator windings are wound on wire spools made of ceramic, thereby avoiding need for mica insulation and epoxy/adhesive. The stator and rotor are encased in a stator housing with rear and front end caps, and rear and front bearings for the rotor shaft are mounted on external sides of the end caps to keep debris from the motor migrating into the bearings' races.

Motor for high temperature applications

A quick-change system for changing a collet or bit on a tool has a base member to be attached to the body of the tool, an input member to be selectively latched to or unlatched from the tool body, an output member coupled to the input member via a torque multiplication device and having splines that are engageable and disengageable with a collet nut for the tool having a splined member when the two parts are moved relative to each other a given axial distance. When the input member is latched to the tool's body, the output member and the collet nut are disengaged so as to allow the collet nut to rotate with the tool's spindle during operation of the tool. When the input member is unlatched from the tool's body, it can rotate freely and is spring biased to cause the collet nut and output member to move into engagement such that torquing the input member loosens or tightens the collet nut to release or clamp the bit, respectively. The torque multiplication device can be a planetary gear system or other torque transmission system.

Quick-change, tool-less collet/chuck system

A quick insertion fastener has an internally threaded first member (&ldquo;nut&rdquo;) adapted to be quickly attached and tightened on an externally threaded second member (&ldquo;bolt&rdquo;). The nut is formed with a casing with an internal frusto-conical front surface, a plurality of threaded shell segments contained in the casing having external frusto-conical front surfaces which abut the front surface of the casing, a spring member positioned at a rear part of the casing which elastically holds the rear ends of the shell assembly together, and an end retainer provided at the rear part of the casing having a taper for engaging the rear ends of the shell assembly and displacing them radially apart when the shell assembly is displaced axially toward the end retainer by insertion of the bolt. This allows the bolt threads to move without interference past the internal threads of the shell segments. When the insertion force of the bolt is released, the spring member urges the shell segments together so that the internal threads of the shell assembly become engaged with the bolt, and the nut can be tightened on the bolt. The spring member may be a radial spring or O-ring, or in the alternatively may be a wave compression spring, segmented spring, circumferential or axial leaf springs, or a flexure spring formed integrally with the end retainer. The nut may also be configured with an external sleeve member for pulling the shell assembly back relative to the nut casing for quick disengagement from the fastener.

Quick insertion and removal fastener

An ultrasonic positioning system having multiple degrees of freedom of movement includes an array of piezoelectric ceramic elements grouped in pairs of adjacent ceramic elements of opposite deformation responses aligned in a first direction and also pairs aligned in a second direction, an elastic body bonded to the ceramic elements, and a moving body movably supported on the elastic body for movement in at least the two directions. The pairs of ceramic elements are activated with offset pairs of ceramic elements by electrical signals offset in phase to generate a traveling wave for driving the moving body. In a preferred embodiment, the ceramic elements have a length to width ratio of 2:1 with their lengths aligned in the X direction and widths aligned in the Y direction. When excitation signals having a frequency corresponding to either their length or width are applied, the ceramic elements can vibrate in two modes to drive the moving body in the X or Y direction. Another embodiment provides three degrees of freedom by arranging the ceramic elements in four linear beams in parallel sets of two beams each for driving a rotor in the X direction and in the Y direction, respectively, and in rotary motion when opposite traveling waves are generated in each set of parallel beams. The ceramic elements may also be arranged on a spherical surface to drive a body in pitch and yaw motions, or by combining an upper hemispherical assembly for pitch and yaw motions and a lower hemispherical assembly for roll motion to provide three degrees of freedom of movement.

Ultrasonic positioner with multiple degrees of freedom of movement

A threaded fastener has a standard part with a standard thread form characterized by thread walls with a standard included angle, and a modified part complementary to the standard part having a modified thread form characterized by thread walls which are symmetrically inclined with a modified included angle that is different from the standard included angle of the standard part's thread walls, such that the threads of one part make pre-loaded edge contact with the thread walls of the other part. The thread form of the modified part can have an included angle that is greater, less, or compound as compared to the included angle of the standard part. The standard part may be a bolt and the modified part a nut, or vice versa. The modified thread form holds securely even under large vibrational forces, it permits bi-directional use of standard mating threads, is impervious to the build up of tolerances and can be manufactured with a wider range of tolerances without loss of functionality, and distributes loading stresses (per thread) in a manner that decreases the possibility of single thread failure.

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New York, NY, United States of America

Roopnarine