Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a linear-to-rotary apparatus that includes a linear actuator having an actuator housing including a piston chamber, a piston shaft disposed in the piston chamber, and a rotor apparatus. The rotor apparatus includes a rotary joint defining a rotational axis, a rotor arm extending radially from the rotary joint and configured to at least partially pivot about the rotary joint, and a torque linkage pivotably connected to the rotor arm. The torque linkage is also attached to an end of the piston shaft of the piston at a pivot connection joint, where the pivot connection joint defines a pivot axis that is substantially perpendicular to the translation axis of the piston shaft.

Abstract: A vehicle shifter including a shift lever; a bracket that moves in response to the shift lever, and includes a neutral lock notch, a first outer surface and a second outer surface on either side of the neutral lock notch; a solenoid actuator movable between a first position and a second position; a blocker coupled to the solenoid actuator that moves the blocker between a neutral lock release position and a neutral lock position, the blocker including a neutral lock hook that, when in the neutral lock position, moves along the first and second outer surfaces and that selectively falls into the neutral lock notch to selectively prevent shifting out of the neutral position; and a toggle cam coupled to the bracket including a catch for engaging the neutral lock hook so as to prevent the neutral lock hook from sliding into the neutral lock notch.

Abstract: A robot arm with high productivity capable of preventing a decelerator from being damaged is provided. A robot arm according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a robot arm in which a second member is rotationally coupled to a first member via a decelerator that accommodates lubricant therein, the robot arm including: a circulation path in which the lubricant is circulated via the decelerator; a storage part that is arranged in the circulation path and stores the lubricant; and an actuator configured to circulate the lubricant, in which the storage part is provided with a filter for capturing impurities in the lubricant in such a way that the filter covers an outlet of the lubricant in the storage part.

Abstract: A drive mechanism for adjusting a position of a vehicle closure, with respect to a vehicle body, is provided. The drive mechanism may include a linear drive and a telescoping arrangement. The linear drive may include a spindle and a spindle nut and the telescoping arrangement may be coupled to the spindle nut and include a pair of gears coupled to one another. As the spindle rotates, the pair of gears may rotate to extend and retract translating portions of the telescoping arrangement in a telescoping manner such that the position of the vehicle closure may be adjusted.

Abstract: A robot sealing structure including a shaft end face of a reducer, an attachment surface of an arm member that is to be in surface contact with the shaft end face, a number of bolts that fix the shaft and the arm member to each other in a state in which the shaft end face and the attachment surface are in surface contact; a recessed flat portion that is provided in part of one of the shaft end face and the attachment surface, and a seal member that is disposed on the recessed flat portion, where the recessed flat portion is a portion recessed in a direction along the center axis line of the shaft, with respect to the shaft end face or the attachment surface, and the recessed flat portion is continuous over an entire circumference around the center axis line.

Abstract: In order to prevent swiveling of unintended joint pieces and enhance positioning and motion reproducibility of a distal end portion, a bending mechanism includes: a plurality of joint pieces connected in series along the longitudinal axis; a plurality of elongated tension-transmissions that transmit tensions for individually driving the joint pieces; and at least one guide having guide channels that movably support the tension-transmissions in the longitudinal direction thereof and that guide the tension-transmissions along curved paths extending around the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: A kinematics system driven by an actuator comprises a cam configured to rotate about an axis of rotation thereof. A cam track formed in the cam extends circumferentially through more than 360 degrees of angular displacement relative to the axis of rotation of the cam. The kinematics system also comprises a follower having a pin slidably disposed in the cam track of the cam. The cam track extending circumferentially through more than 360 degrees of angular displacement relative to the axis of rotation of the cam establishes a minimized pressure angle formed between the pin of the follower and a surface of the cam track engaging the pin.

Abstract: A mechanical arm assembly is generally presented. The mechanical arm assembly comprises a plurality of joints including a first joint, one or more intermediate joints, and a terminal joint connected in consecutive series and each configured to rotate with respect to any respective adjacent joints. The first, intermediate, and terminal joints are configured with their base and top arranged at a given angle with respect to the normal plane of the joint, such as parallel to the normal plane or 22.5 degrees with respect to the normal plane. Rotation of the joints is controlled by control wires. The control wires may be routed internally through the joints or externally outside of the joints.

Abstract: Provided is an electric actuator, including: a driving motor (2); a motion conversion mechanism (6) configured to convert a rotary motion of the driving motor (2) to a linear motion in an axial direction parallel with an output shaft (2a) of the driving motor (2); and a transmission gear mechanism (5) configured to transmit a driving force from the driving motor (2) to the motion conversion mechanism (6). The driving motor (2) is mounted to an actuator case (9) to which a double-row bearing (24) configured to support the motion conversion mechanism (6) and a bearing (19) configured to support the transmission gear mechanism (5) are mounted.

Abstract: A motor device is provided. The motor device includes a motor, a lead screw, a transmission mechanism and a housing. The transmission mechanism is configured to transmit rotation of the motor to the lead screw. The housing includes a housing outer wall to define a housing cavity and a partition to define a transmission cavity for accommodating the transmission mechanism. The transmission cavity is inside the housing cavity. The housing cavity also accommodates at least a portion of the lead screw. The partition includes a first protruding sidewall and a second protruding sidewall respectively on either side of the transmission cavity, and the transmission cavity is sealed for a lubricant that is used for the transmission mechanism and contained in the transmission cavity.

Abstract: A threaded shaft for a ball screw comprising: a shaft of fibre-reinforced polymer material; and a helical ridge formed on an outer surface of said shaft, said helical ridge being formed from a fibre-reinforced polymer material comprising a plurality of helical fibres wound around the shaft in the same sense and grouped together to form the ridge. The helical ridge formed from grouped helical fibres all wound with the same sense provides excellent axial load carrying capability as the fibres run continuously from end to end of the shaft and can thus transmit load from end to end. This adds much greater strength than a shaft formed from plastics only. The load carrying capability of the fibre wound helical ridge can indeed approach that of existing metal threads while still being much lighter in weight.

Abstract: The invention relates to a spindle drive, comprising a drive unit, a spindle, and a spindle nut in threaded engagement with the spindle, the spindle nut being driven by the drive unit by means of a drive element, and wherein the spindle nut is mounted on the drive element in such a way that the spindle nut and the spindle in threaded engagement with it are pivotable relative to the drive element.

Abstract: A computing and robotics learning platform includes a component ecosystem with gears, pucks, side plates and connectors configured to support the integration of globally available materials, such as rubber bands, pencils and popsicle sticks is described herein. Certain embodiments according to this disclosure include a platform device comprising a multi-layer processing structure capable of implementing student programs written in beginner or high-level programming languages without latency or performance degradation from processing tasks associated with low-level system functions, such as motor encoding.

Abstract: A steering column assembly that includes an upper jacket and a gear shift assembly. The upper jacket extends along a steering column axis. The gear shift assembly includes a shift assembly bracket and shift shaft assembly. The shift assembly bracket has a column mounting portion that is operatively connected to the upper jacket and a cradle portion extends from the column mounting portion. The cradle portion has a first sidewall and a second sidewall each extending from a base. The shift shaft assembly extends at least partially through the first sidewall and the second sidewall.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are various robotic surgical devices and systems that include first and second elongate bodies, first and second driveshafts disposed through the second elongate body, and an in-line shoulder joint with a robotic arm coupled thereto. In certain implementations, the in-line shoulder joint has a differential yoke and a dual shaft disposed within the yoke lumen.

Abstract: A toggle release mechanism comprises a platform, a toggle element comprising one or more rolling or sliding elements configured to move along a track between a first, locking position and a second, release position, and a solenoid configured to move the one or more rolling or sliding elements along the track between the first, locking position and the second, release position.

Abstract: An electromechanical servo steering system with an electric servomotor having a motor shaft that drives a shaft which cogs with a helical gear. The shaft is arranged in a transmission housing and is mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation at its end near the motor in a bearing arrangement and is mounted pivotably in the transmission housing about a pivot axis which lies transverse to the axis of rotation. At least one spring element is provided which axial pretensions a bearing element that is pivotably movable with the shaft about the pivot axis, of the bearing arrangement in a spring-elastic manner against a bearing element that is arranged in a stationary manner in the transmission housing, of the bearing arrangement, wherein precisely two spring elements are provided which are arranged oppositely in the circumferential direction of the bearing arrangement.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a force transmitting device (100) for a transmission (200), particularly of a motorcycle, with a shift assist system, featuring a shift input shaft (30) with a shift lever connection (20) for receiving a shifting motion of a shift lever (300) and a transmission connection (40) for transmitting the shifting motion to a gear shifting gate (110) of the transmission (100), wherein the shift input shaft (30) features an energy accumulator (32) for the intermediate storage of at least part of the shifting force such that the relative motion between the shift lever connection (20) and the transmission connection (40) can be realized by changing the shifting force stored in the energy accumulator (32), and wherein the shift input shaft (30) features a sensor device (60) for detecting the relative motion between the shift lever connection (20) and the transmission connection (40).

Abstract: An actuator includes an end fitting, a ball screw connected to the end fitting, a ball nut engaged with the ball screw, a rod disposed at least partially within the ball screw, and a rotating member engaged with the rod. A method of verifying an actuator may include rotating a manual input portion in a first direction under substantially no load until the manual input portion stops, rotating the manual input portion in a second, opposite direction until a first torque is measured, determining a first rotational angle at which the first torque was measured, rotating the manual input portion in the first direction until a second torque is measured, determining a second rotational angle at which the second torque was measured, and verifying a second load path if a backlash is within a predetermined range.

Abstract: A recording apparatus including a motor mounting frame in which, in an attached state, a drive shaft of a motor is projected to a front side with respect to a frame surface on the front side, and in the attached state, while a frame surface on a rear side and the motor oppose each other, the motor is attached to the motor mounting frame. The recording apparatus includes a frame attaching portion to which the motor mounting frame is attached. In the attached state, at least a portion of a fastening member that fixes the frame attaching portion is exposed when viewing the frame surface on the front side from the front, and the fastening member is at an attachable/detachable position.