The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 11, 1997
Filed:
Aug. 16, 1996
Robert Machemer, Durham, NC (US);
Dyson Hickingbotham, Marietta, GA (US);
Brian Dodge, Durham, NC (US);
Duke University, Durham, NC (US);
Abstract
Rotary oscillatory coupling includes a pair of opposed hubs which are independently rotatable about a common axis. Pairs of permanent magnets are provided in the opposed faces of the hubs. The proximal hub is continuously rotated in a selected rotational direction by a suitable motor. During a portion of the proximal hub's rotation, the distal hub will concurrently be rotated by virtue of the magnetic field interaction that occurs between the magnet pairs. The distal hub is, however, prevented from rotating a complete cycle by virtue of a mechanical stop. Upon encountering the mechanical stop, the rotation direction of the distal hub will be reverse to that of the continuously rotating proximal hub. When the magnets of the proximal and distal hubs again are in proximity to one another, the distal hub will then experience another reversal of rotation direction so that it rotates in the same direction as the proximal hub. This functional process repeats itself during subsequent rotational cycles to cause the distal hub to undergo high frequency oscillations.