Patents Examined by Bobby Rushing, Jr.
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Patent number: 11969889Abstract: A force transmission transmits forces received by three levers to an input gimbal plate having three support points. The input gimbal play may in turn transmit the force to a wrist assembly coupled to a surgical tool. The three axes of rotation for the three levers are parallel. Two of the levers may have half-cylinder surfaces at an end of the lever to receive a support point of the input gimbal plate. Two of the levers may be supported with one degree of rotational freedom orthogonal to the axis of rotation of the fulcrum. A spring may draw the second and third levers toward one another. Two levers may have stops that bear against the support points. The force transmission may include a parallelogram linkage that includes a rocker link pivotally coupled to the first lever and having a flat surface that supports the first gimbal support point.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2023Date of Patent: April 30, 2024Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.Inventors: Thomas G. Cooper, S. Christopher Anderson
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Patent number: 11971096Abstract: A selector mechanism includes a selector interface having a detent member. An artificial feel positioner defines a plurality of artificial feel positions that correspond to selectable positions of the selector interface. The plurality of artificial feel positions are connected via a screw channel that helically extends along the artificial feel positioner. A motor rotationally operates the artificial feel positioner to automatically operate the detent member through the screw channel to move the detent member and the selector interface to a desired position of the detent member and the selector interface.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2020Date of Patent: April 30, 2024Assignee: GHSP, Inc.Inventors: Jeffrey Lee Bays, Phillip Torrey Merrill, II
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Patent number: 11966189Abstract: A gear includes a gear body to be attached to a distal end of a driving shaft in an axial direction of the driving shaft and including teeth each extending obliquely with respect to the axial direction, and a stopping portion included in the gear body and configured in such a manner as to allow the driving shaft to which the gear body is attached to move in a circumferential direction. When the driving shaft moves in the circumferential direction, the stopping portion is enabled to stop the gear body from moving in the axial direction, the stopping portion stopping the gear body by coming into contact with a portion of the driving shaft.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2022Date of Patent: April 23, 2024Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.Inventor: Kenta Okada
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Patent number: 11957426Abstract: A robotic surgical tool includes an elongate shaft extendable through a handle, a drive cable extending along a portion of the shaft, and an actuation system housed within the handle and including an input stack having first and second ends. The input stack includes a drive input arranged at the first end, and an accumulator arranged between the first and second ends and including a differential body defining upper and lower redirect surfaces, and a redirect feature offset from the upper and lower redirect surfaces, wherein the drive cable is threaded through the upper and lower redirect surfaces and the redirect feature, and wherein actuating the actuation system rotates the input stack and thereby acts on the drive cable to cause one or more operations of the surgical tool.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2021Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Assignee: Cilag GmbH InternationalInventors: Austin Michael Fischer, Jason Alan Hill
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Patent number: 11958189Abstract: A single-layer three-section rail-type planar robot containing a double parallelogram, is composed of a stationary platform, a motion platform and three branched chains with the same structure connecting the stationary platform and the motion platform, the stationary platform is provided with three planar curved rails, each planar curved rail is connected to the motion platform through a branched chain, and each branched chain includes a slider, two link bars I arranged in parallel, two link bars II arranged in parallel, and link bar III, select one revolute joint I in each branched chain to form three revolute joints I as the main driving joint or three sliders as the driving parts.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2023Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Assignee: SHANDONG UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGYInventors: Yubin Lan, Jinliang Gong, Yanfei Zhang, Wei Wang
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Patent number: 11957427Abstract: A manipulator for a surgical instrument may comprise an instrument holder coupled with the surgical instrument and rotatable in a plane that passes through a remote center. The manipulator may also comprise a linkage assembly coupled to the instrument holder to limit motion of the instrument holder to rotation about an axis that intersects the remote center. The linkage assembly may comprise a first linkage arm comprising first and second pulleys. Each pulley may comprise first and second drive tracks which are substantially co-planar. The first linkage arm may also comprise a first drive member section extending between the first drive tracks of the pulleys and a second drive member section extending between the second drive tracks of the pulleys. The first drive member section may be wound around the first pulley in a first direction and the second drive member section may be wound around the first pulley in an opposite direction.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2021Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Assignee: INTUITIVE SURGICAL OPERATIONS, INC.Inventors: Carolyn M. Fenech, Daniel H. Gomez, Jason N. Stamatelaky
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Patent number: 11951619Abstract: Cable-actuated differential enabling N degrees of freedom provided by a plurality of pulleys and at least N+1 tensioning cables. The cable-actuated differential increases a dynamic force range by minimizing co-activation of the tensioning cables at any operating point. A cable-actuated differential having three cables provides motor based control of a 2 DOF joint that can be applied to robots or teleoperation. A cable-actuated mechanical differential having opposing bevel gears and a middle bevel gear meshed with the opposing gear allows an output connector to controllably and independently rotate about the x axis or y axis via three operational modes without backlash.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2018Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior UniversityInventors: J. Kenneth Salisbury, Jr., Alex Nathan Kahn
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Patent number: 11945519Abstract: A reaction force generating device for a steering device includes a steering shaft connected to a steering member on which a steering operation is to be performed by a driver, a direct drive motor connected to the steering shaft and configured to generate reaction torque, an electromagnetic brake configured to generate friction torque and including a first friction portion configured to integrally rotate with the steering shaft, a second friction portion provided to face the first friction portion and to be non-rotatable, and an electromagnetic unit configured to press the second friction portion against the first friction portion.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2021Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: HITACHI ASTEMO, LTD.Inventor: Akihiro Kogure
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Patent number: 11945520Abstract: A steering system has a steering rod longitudinally displaceable in a housing and a steering motor acting on the steering rod via a ball screw drive. The steering rod has a recirculating ball thread interacting via spherical transmission elements with a transmission nut driven by the steering motor and that is rotatably mounted by a bearing arrangement with a pivot bearing having an inner ring to which a mechanism wheel is fixedly attached. The transmission nut is pivotably mounted on the mechanism wheel about a pivot axis oriented perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the steering rod, and has a curved joint section which interacts with a curved joint section of the mechanism wheel to form a pivoting bearing. In order to realize low-friction movement capability of the pivoting bearing, at least one of the joint sections has a sliding coating, and/or a lubricant is arranged between the joint sections.Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2021Date of Patent: April 2, 2024Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbHInventors: Frederik Schubert, Thomas Poetzl
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Patent number: 11937890Abstract: Implementations relate to a direct drive for a mechanical arm assembly. In some implementations, a mechanical arm assembly includes a base member, a first arm member rotatably coupled to the base member at a first portion of the first arm member, and a second arm member having a first portion rotatably coupled to a second portion of the first arm member. The first arm member is rotatable with respect to the base member about a first axis, and the second arm member is rotatable with respect to the first arm member about a second axis. A first motor coupled to the base member, the first motor including a first drive shaft rotatable about the first axis and coupled to the first arm member. A grip member is coupled to a second portion of the second arm member.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2020Date of Patent: March 26, 2024Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.Inventor: David F. Martin
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Patent number: 11933387Abstract: An electromotive actuator to adjust a height includes an electric motor with a motor shaft, a helical gear assembly operatively connected to the motor shaft, a sleeve-shaped friction brake to act on the motor shaft, and a housing surrounding the electric motor or the helical gear assembly and including a seat of the friction brake. The friction brake includes an opening extending in a radial direction relative to a longitudinal axis of the motor shaft such that the friction brake is attachable to the motor shaft perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.Type: GrantFiled: April 22, 2022Date of Patent: March 19, 2024Assignee: NIDEC MOTORS & AUCTUATORS (GERMANY) GMBHInventors: Rainer Bruhn, Martin Spielmann
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Patent number: 11927257Abstract: A toothed gear for use in a gearing, comprising a base body that forms a ring gear with a number of first teeth having a first deformability and a number of second teeth having a second deformability, wherein the second deformability is greater than the first deformability and to a gear pair of a gearing, comprising such a toothed gear and at least one further toothed gear which can be made to mesh or is in mesh with the toothed gear. The invention relates moreover to a gearing with such a gear pair.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2020Date of Patent: March 12, 2024Assignee: IMS Gear SE &Co. KGaAInventors: Adrian Rieple, Matthias Koop, Sebastian Birk, Stephan Oberle
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Patent number: 11927248Abstract: A rotary apparatus includes a casing having a top sunk opening and an axial hole that are coaxially with each other along an axial line. A top adjusting disc unit is fixed in the top sunk opening, and has a top inner surrounding surface and a top outer surrounding surface. A top inner hole of the top inner surrounding surface extends along a central line parallel to and offset from the axial line. The top outer surrounding surface is non-coaxial with the top inner surrounding wall. A passive gear unit is disposed in the axial hole, and is driven by an active gear unit that is driven by a drive unit in the casing. The passive gear unit has an output shaft extending along the central line. A top bearing is clamped between the top support portion and the top inner surrounding surface of the top adjusting disc unit.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2023Date of Patent: March 12, 2024Assignee: TOYO AUTOMATION CO., LTD.Inventors: Lei Shih Shih, Hsiang-Wei Chen, Kun-Cheng Tseng
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Patent number: 11919153Abstract: Implementations relate to a counterbalance mechanism including a force transformation mechanism that provides a drive ratio. In some implementations, a counterbalance apparatus includes a spring, a first tension element, a second tension element, a force transformation mechanism coupled to the spring by the first tension element and coupled to the second tension element, and a plurality of counterbalance pulleys coupled to the second tension element. At least one of the counterbalance pulleys is coupled to a load that is moveable with reference to a mechanical ground, and a force provided by the spring is modified in magnitude by the force transformation mechanism and is applied to the load via the second tension element. The force transformation mechanism includes a plurality of elements and the modification of the force is based on a drive ratio of the elements of the force transformation mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2021Date of Patent: March 5, 2024Assignee: Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.Inventors: Hsien-Hsin Liao, Timothy P. Haines
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Patent number: 11911897Abstract: In one embodiment, a mechanically over-damped actuator includes an output link comprising a lever and a torsion spring associated with the lever, wherein the lever has an initial equilibrium position and is pivotable about a pivot axis, wherein the spring opposes pivoting of the lever away from its initial equilibrium position such that the spring tends to return the lever to the equilibrium position.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2019Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEMInventor: Amir Jafari
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Patent number: 11913533Abstract: A strain wave gearing includes a flex gear including an adjacent member adjacent to an outer gear in a direction along an axis, an outputter including an opposing portion facing the adjacent member in a radial direction centered on the axis, and a transmitter extending along the radial direction. The transmitter is fixed to one of the opposing portion and the adjacent member, and an insertion portion into which the transmitter is inserted is provided in the other of the opposing portion and the adjacent member. The insertion portion allows relative displacement in the circumferential direction of the flex gear and the outputter. A plurality of transmission pairs is arranged in the circumferential direction, the transmission pairs being pairs of the transmitter and the insertion portion.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2021Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: SKG CO., LTD.Inventor: Yutaka Imagawa
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Patent number: 11911898Abstract: A robot includes a first joint member, a second joint member connecting a second arm member and a third arm member, a third joint member connecting the third arm member and a flange, a first link having one end connected to the second joint member and another end connected to the third joint member, a second link having one end connected to the second joint member, a counter weight connected to another end of the second link and the first joint member, and including a motor rotating the third arm member, on a side opposite to the first joint member with the other end of the second link as a base point, and a transmission member transmitting rotating force generated by the motor to the third arm member through the first joint member, the second arm member, and the second joint member.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2023Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: NACHI-FUJIKOSHI CORP.Inventor: Yusuke Kitayama
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Patent number: 11904465Abstract: A mechanism is constructed by twelve-axis geometry and controlled by spherical coordinate, so that all torques in twelve axes can be parallelly integrated. Timing belts, pulleys, hollow shafts, and spur gears onto four arc-link sets are included. Via these transmission components, base arc-links can be indirectly but synchronously rotated by base driving modules and terminal arc-links can be indirectly but synchronously rotated by terminal driving modules. The final output torque can be integrated via serial linking and parallel cooperating by the twelve rotating modules. Therefore, four arc-link sets work cooperatively and effectively in group but bear no burden each other. The mechanism can be applied to a multi-axis composite machining center machine or a multi-time element detection measuring bed and shoulder joints or hip joints corresponding to robots.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2021Date of Patent: February 20, 2024Inventor: Wen-Der Trui
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Modular multi-hinge retractable rigid-flexible coupling space manipulator based on origami structure
Patent number: 11897128Abstract: A modular multi-hinge retractable rigid-flexible coupling space manipulator based on origami structure includes a plurality of folding units and a manipulator base. The modular design idea is adopted for the manipulator, which is formed by combining multiple folding units. the driving motors installed on each folding unit drive the folding units to stretch out, draw back and fold over, so that the manipulator can stretch out and draw back flexibly and bend in any direction to complete the work tasks in a variety of complex environments. For the manipulator, the flexible materials are added to the links of the folding units, and deformation can be effectively compensated, the mechanism is simplified, and impact is relieved. The torsional spring is additionally arranged in the folding units to play a supporting role, so that the manipulator can be placed in forward or in inverted direction to match with various bases.Type: GrantFiled: November 16, 2022Date of Patent: February 13, 2024Assignee: BEIJING UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGYInventors: Ziqiang Zhang, Zhi Wang, Yuchen Zhang, Jing Zhao, Meng Ning -
Patent number: 11879534Abstract: A gear includes a tubular portion and a diaphragm portion. The diaphragm portion extends in a direction including a radial component from one axial end portion of the tubular portion. The portion includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is on one axial side of the portion. The second portion is on another axial side relative to the first portion. The second portion includes teeth protruding radially outward. A maximum value of a thickness of the diaphragm portion is equal to or less than twice a distance from radially outer ends of the teeth to a radially inner surface of the second portion, and a minimum value of a thickness of the first portion is equal to or less than half the maximum value of the thickness of the diaphragm portion.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2022Date of Patent: January 23, 2024Assignee: NIDEC-SHIMPO CORPORATIONInventor: Taihei Tsubone