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:
May. 02, 2000
Filed:
May. 17, 1999
Kurt Nelson, Sarasota, FL (US);
G-Force LLC, Fishers, IN (US);
Abstract
A centrifuge includes a frame, a hollow spindle supported by the frame for rotation about an axis, a bowl including a shell fixed to the spindle for rotation with the spindle, a shaft situated within and movable with respect to the hollow spindle, and a conveyor fixed to the shaft including a scroll situated adjacent an inner surface of the bowl shell. A harmonic drive unit including a housing is fixed to an end of the hollow spindle, the housing containing a circular spline fixed to the housing. The harmonic drive unit also includes a flexspline gear ring situated within and engaged with the circular spline, the flexspline gear ring being fixed to the shaft situated within the hollow spindle. The harmonic drive unit also includes a wave generator positioned within the flexspline gear ring for displacing the flexspline gear ring with respect to the circular spline. A brake rotor is coupled to the wave generator. A brake control unit is fixed to the frame, the brake control unit including a surface confronting the brake rotor for frictional engagement so that engagement of the brake rotor and confronting surface during rotation of the bowl shell will cause the flexspline gear, rotating relative to the wave generator, to precess relative to the circular spline. The precession of the flexspline gear causes the shaft coupled to the conveyor move relative to the rotating bowl shell, thereby dispensing separated solids out of the bowl shell.