Nanomotion Ltd.

Other

Nokia Corporation

Sarandon (2003) Ltd.

Ze'ev Ganor

Nir Karasikov

Izhak Rafaeli

Lior Shiv

Alon Avital

Hovav Elhayani

Hanna Dodiuk-Kenig

Joseph Arol

Gal Peled

Tang Lung Yee

Tan Vooi-Kia

Moshe De Levy

A transport system for moving and positioning an object comprising: a tube () having an axis of rotation and formed with threads () on at least a portion of its surface; at least one platform () to which the object () is mountable having threads that mesh with the threads of the tube; at least one linear guide () along which the at least one platform moves freely that prevents rotation of the at least one platform when the tube rotates about its axis of rotation; and a piezoelectric motor controllable to rotate the tube and thereby selectively translate the at least one platform in either direction along the tube's axis of rotation.

Platform transport systems

A method of moving a body () comprising: coupling a plurality of piezoelectric motors () to the body by pressing a coupling region () of each of the motors to a surface of the body; controlling at least one of the motors to apply a force parallel () to the surface to move the body; and simultaneously controlling at least one of the motors so that its coupling region executes only vibrations that are substantially perpendicular () to the surface.

Multidirectional piezoelectric motor configuration

A piezoelectric motor for moving and positioning a load, the motor comprising: a piezoelectric vibrator having a plurality of electrodes and a coupling surface which is pressed to a load; and a power supply selectively operable to electrify at least one vibrator electrode with time varying voltage to generate vibrations in the coupling surface that step the load to a desired position or to electrify at least one vibrator electrode with DC voltage to displace the coupling surface and move thereby the load to a desired position, which DC voltage the power supply maintains to maintain the load at the desired position.

High resolution piezoelectric motor

A method for accelerating or decelerating a moveable body which body is moved by urging a piezoelectric micromotor to the body in a first direction so that a contact region of the piezoelectric motor is pressed to the body and exciting vibrations in the piezoelectric micromotor at the contact region in the first direction and in a second direction along a direction of motion of the body, said vibrations having a first amplitude in the first direction and a second amplitude in the second direction, the method comprising: a) for acceleration, gradually changing a ratio between the second amplitude relative to the first amplitude from substantially zero to a desired non-zero value; or b) for deceleration, gradually changing the ratio between the second amplitude relative to the first amplitude from a non-zero value to substantially zero.

Multilayer piezoelectric motor

A piezoelectric motor comprising: a piezoelectric vibrator having an axis of symmetry and a first vibration mode, which when excited generates oscillatory motion of mass points in the vibrator parallel to the axis of symmetry; and at least one friction nub having a center of mass displaced from the axis of symmetry, as a result of which displacement, when the vibration mode is excited, torque is generated on the vibrator that excites a second vibration mode of the vibrator.

Piezoelectric motors and motor driving configurations

A piezoelectric motor comprising: a piezoelectric vibrator () having a surface comprising a localized non-planar shaped first surface region thereon which first surface region has a shape different from the shape of the surface on which it is located; and a friction nub () formed with a second surface region that is substantially a negative relief of the first surface region, which first and second regions are bonded together. Preferably the friction nub () is detachably mounted to the vibrator () via a boss () waving a protuberance () of conical shape. Alternatively the friction nub () has a protuberance () which is form-fitted to a recess () in the vibrator () or boss (), respectively. First and second surface regions can also be threading surfaces.

Replaceable friction coupling for piezoelectric motors

A piezoelectric micromotor for moving a moveable element comprising: a vibrator in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped formed from a plurality of thin layers of piezoelectric material having first and second identical relatively large rectangular face surfaces defined by long and short edge surfaces wherein the layers are aligned one on top of the other and have their face surfaces bonded together; electrodes on surfaces of the layers; a contact region located on one or more edge surfaces of the layers, urged against the body; and at least one electrical power supply that electrifies electrodes to excite vibrations in the vibrator and thereby in the contact region that impart motion to the body.

A piezoelectric motor comprising: a layer of piezoelectric material having narrow edge surfaces and first and second large face surfaces, formed with at least three arms, each extending radially outward from a common central region and terminating in an end; and at least one electrode on the first face surface and at least one electrode on the second face surface.

An optical crossbar switch comprising: a first plurality of first optic fibers having optical ends, each one of which optical ends is mounted to a different first moveable element; a second plurality of second optic fibers having optical ends, each one of which optical ends is mounted to a different second moveable element and at least one motor controllable to translate each first moveable element and each second moveable element so as to align the optical end of any first fiber and the optical end of any second fiber adjacent to and facing each other.

Self aligning opto-mechanical crossbar switch

A video telecommunications device and a camera unit for a video telecommunications device. A camera is mounted on the telecommunications device by a motor capable of rotating the camera on the telecommunications device. A position sensor senses the rotational position of the camera on the telecommunications device, and a position control input device enables provision of a control signal indicating a desired rotational position for the camera on the telecommunications device. A controller that is responsive to the control signal and the sensed position of the camera causes the motor to rotate the camera so as to position the camera in the desired rotational position on the telecommunications device, providing the desired video picture. A telecommunications coupler couples the camera unit to the telecommunications device, enabling the telecommunications device to communicate the image sensed by the camera lens to a receiving telecommunications device.

Video telecommunications device, and camera for same

A multidirectional motor system for transmitting motion to a moveable element in at least two directions that are not collinear comprising a first motor that transmits motion to the moveable element along a direction determined by the orientation of the first motor and a second motor operable to change the orientation of said first motor.

Multidirectional motors

An actuator system for activating a latch needle, which latch needle has a shaft, comprising: a flat planar extension of said shaft having first and second parallel planar surfaces; at least one piezoelectric micromotor having a first surface region for transmitting motion to a moveable element, which first surface region is resiliently pressed to said first surface and at least one additional piezoelectric motor having a second surface region for transmitting motion to a moveable element which second surface region is resiliently pressed to said second surface; and wherein vibratory motions of said first and second surface regions apply forces to said flat extension that cause motion in said latch needle.

Actuator system for knitting machines

The present invention provides a method for rapidly switching selector feet (,) between activate and deactivate selection positions by friction coupling them to vibratory piezoelectric motors (,) and a fast selector (,) for a knitting machine comprising selector feet friction coupled to piezoelectric motors.

Selector for knitting machine

An optical position monitor for determining the position of a latch needle (,) in a knitting machine is provided that comprises: at least one fiducial (,) at a known fixed cation on the body of the latch needle; a fiducial imager that produces at least one optical image (,) of the at least one fiducial on at least one light sensitive surface (,) wherein the at least one optical image changes with changes in position of said at least one fiducial; and a controller that receives at least one signal responsive to the changes in the at least one image and uses the at least one signal to determine the position of the at least one fiducial (,) and thereby of the latch needle (,).

Growing community of inventors

Herzelia, Israel

Ze'ev Ganor