Abstract: An electronic device may include a plurality of circuit boards, data processing circuitry carried by the plurality of circuit boards, and a plurality of connectors electrically and mechanically coupling the circuit boards in a stacked spaced relation defining a plurality of levels. The elongate connectors may include pairs of parallel first and second elongate connectors between adjacent circuit boards, and with each pair of parallel first and second elongate connectors being rotationally offset in successive levels.

Abstract: An actuator system having a controlled element configured for rotary movement about a first axis relative to a reference structure; a linkage system between the element and reference structure; a first actuator and a second actuator configured to power a first degree of freedom and an independent second degree of freedom of the linkage system, respectively; the linkage system having a first link configured for rotary movement about a second axis not coincident to the first axis and second link configured for rotary movement about a third axis; the linkage system configured such that a first angle of rotation may be driven independently of a second angle of rotation between said first link and said reference structure; wherein one of the first or second actuators is configured and arranged to drive rotation of the element about the first axis when the other is operatively locked.

Abstract: A power-off brake for stopping a rotating shaft comprises a solenoid including a coil and armature, an opposing plate axially spaced from the armature, and a ball carrier rotor between the armature and opposing plate. The ball carrier rotor rotates with the shaft and carries spherical balls in recesses angularly space about the shaft. The armature and opposing plate have respective braking surfaces. In one embodiment, at least one braking surface is ramped to urge the plurality of balls radially outward against an internal surface of a surrounding outer race as the armature is forced toward the opposing plate under spring loading when current to the solenoid coil is shut off. In another embodiment, the braking surfaces are not ramped, such that the balls are merely clamped between the braking surfaces upon solenoid deactivation. Increased rolling friction stops rotation of the ball carrier rotor and the shaft without problematic wear.

Abstract: A spatially distributed MEMS inertial sensor array is designed to reduce or cancel measurement errors and to increase the signal detection accuracy. By combining the measurements from a pair of sensors having sensing axes in two different, non-orthogonal directions, the correlated error due to the environmental changes are cancelled or reduced and the uncorrelated random noise is also reduced by the square root of two. By sequentially sampling the sensor array in the time domain, the number of the ADC circuits can be largely reduced. A two dimensional signal processing method is used to process the sensor array output data, in order to further reduce the remaining errors. Namely, one dimension uses the outputs from multiple spatially distributed sensor sets and the other dimension is the time domain. The signal to noise ratio is increased by using the signal correlation in both the spatial domain and the time domain.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system including an anchor configured to be disposed within a foundation, wherein an upper side of the anchor is configured to be exposed at a surface of the foundation and a wedge-style anti-ram security barrier configured to mechanically couple to the anchor and mount to the surface of the foundation.

Abstract: An adjustable head for use in connection with a tripod including a housing and an internal pan adjustment gear configured to rotate the housing around a first axis and a tilt adjustment gear configured to rotate the housing around a second axis, perpendicular to the first axis. A pan adjustment knob is connected with respect to the pan adjustment gear that permits a continuous and infinite coarse adjustment and a continuous and infinite fine adjustment of the pan adjustment gear, wherein locking the coarse adjustment enables the fine adjustment.

Abstract: An electric motor system having a power supply, an electric motor connected to the power supply, an object driven by the motor having a range of motion and a substantially neutral position within the range of motion, a power sensor configured to sense power from the power supply, a position sensor configured to sense position of the object in at least a portion of the range of motion, an energy storage, a controller connected to the power supply and the energy storage, wherein the controller is configured to brake the motor as a function of the position sensor, the neutral position and the power sensor.

Abstract: A power spring passively applies tension to a cable connected to an aircraft refueling boom. The power spring has a first end engaging a fixed arbor and second end engaging a rotatable spooling drum around which a portion of the cable is wound. The power spring biases the drum to rotate in a winding direction to apply tension to the cable, and the power spring stores energy when the drum rotates in an unwinding direction. The power spring may be located inside the drum or outside the drum. The drum may be actively driven by a motor that may be uncoupled from the drum to permit freewheeling rotation of the drum, wherein the power spring continues to apply tension to the cable. The invention eliminates reliance on one or more powered motors for removing unwanted slack in the cable.

Abstract: The present invention improves a ball-detent torque-limiting assembly by providing breakout means for maintaining an axial separation distance between opposing pocketed surfaces of the assembly once the balls have rolled out of their pockets, wherein the axial separation distance maintained by the breakout means is at least as great as the diameter of the balls. The breakout means assumes the axially directed spring load that urges the opposing pocketed surfaces together, thereby preventing the balls from entering and exiting the pockets in quick and violent succession following breakout and avoiding damage to the torque-limiting assembly. The torque-limiting assembly is resettable by counter-rotation following a breakout event.

Abstract: A haptic arm comprising: a user connection element; a reference; a first linkage connecting the user connection element to the reference, where the first linkage provides at least six independent degrees of freedom, and contains an intermediate link, three force sensors, three angle sensors; a second linkage connecting the intermediate link to the reference; a third linkage connecting the intermediate link to the reference a fourth linkage connecting the intermediate link to the reference; the second, third, and fourth linkages each containing an independent actuator and position sensor.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to optical rotary joints (35) for enabling optical communication between a rotor and a stator, and to improved optical reflector assemblies for use in such optical rotary joints.

Abstract: A vibration isolator (100) includes a flexure (102), a constrained VEM layer coupler (104), and a constrained VEM layer (106) configured to oppose relative translational and rotational motion between points of the flexure. The flexure may be a loop flexure and may include multiple loops that may be elliptical, circular, rectangular or square in overall aspect, for example. In multi-loop embodiments, the loops may share a common major axis or their major axes may be at an angle to one another. The device enhances damping by providing an increase in viscoelastic surface area over that available in the surface area of the flexure and provides a method of adjusting the strain in the VEM as the flexure undergoes deflection.

Abstract: A fan system includes a motor, a rotatable hub, and a plurality of fan blades. The motor is coupled with the hub by a hollow drive shaft, such that the drive system of the fan system is gearless. The motor is controlled by a PFC-based control module, which is in communication with sensors that are configured to sense parameters associated with operation of the fan system. The control module is configured to react in certain ways to certain conditions detected by the sensors, such that the fan system uses feedback-based control algorithms. A remote control panel is in communication with the control module. The remote control panel is operable to display fault conditions detected by the sensors. Blade retainers prevent fan blades from falling when a fan blade breaks free from the hub. Pins prevent the hub from falling when the hub breaks free from the rotor.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a vacuum valve apparatus and method to provide a vacuum to equipment. The vacuum valve can include an air port tube, a vacuum port tube, a motor, and a control arm coupled to the vacuum port tube and the motor. The motor can cause the control arm to move in an arc in order to flex the vacuum port tube and selectively create the vacuum and vent the vacuum provided to the equipment.

Abstract: An antenna assembly for receiving the GPS signals in a global positioning system (GPS) receiver module automatically orients the antenna to better receive the GPS signals. The antenna is oriented by a positioner (e.g., a counterweight) that automatically rotates a frame on which the antenna is mounted. The GPS receiver module may also include multiple antennas oriented in different directions to maintain good reception of the GPS signals in any position. The multiple antennas are oriented in a manner so that the poor reception range an antenna is covered by other antennas. Signals from multiple antennas may be combined or chosen for processing by a GPS processor. Also, multiple GPS receiver modules may be deployed in close proximity so that wireless communication between the GPS receiver modules may be established.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide methods of controlling a motor, such as a servo motor. One method can include monitoring a current temperature of the motor and a power stage of the motor substantially continuously and substantially in real-time. This method can include determining optimum settings for a first time interval to remove power and the second time interval to provide power in order to deliver maximum output while remaining below the maximum rated temperature of the motor. One method can include pulsing power to the motor for a second time interval after a first time interval has elapsed and tailoring pulse shapes of the power provided to the motor for the second time interval. One method can include calculating a maximum phase current based on the rotor shaft torque for each real-time speed of the motor that correlates to the maximum allowable current draw from the power supply.

Abstract: The present invention broadly provides improvements in a slip-ring adapted to provide electrical contact between a stator and a rotor. The improved slip-ring includes a brush assembly having a brush tube mounted on the stator and having a fiber bundle composed of a number of individual fibers. The upper marginal end portions of the fibers are received in the brush tube. The lower marginal end portions of the fibers extend beyond the brush tube toward the rotor. The improvements broadly comprise: a central portion of the fibers having been removed below the brush tube such that the fibers extending below the brush tube toward the rotor are in the form of an annulus; and wherein the tangential compliance of the fiber bundle at its point of contact with the rotor is more than twice the tangential compliance of the fiber bundle if the central portion had not been removed.

Abstract: This invention provides an improvement in a no-back device having a ball screw connected to a variable load of reversible polarity (±L) and having a portion penetrating a housing. The device includes a braking mechanism acting between the housing and the ball screw for producing a force that resists movement of the ball screw in the direction of an “aiding” load, but does not substantially resist movement of the ball screw in the direction of an “opposing” load. The improvement broadly includes: a first spring acting between the housing and the braking mechanism for exerting a first preload force (F1) on the braking mechanism for simulating the application of an external load on the ball screw in one of the directions; whereby the apparent operational integrity of the no-back device may be checked when no external load is applied to the ball screw.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a water resistant electric motor and method of assembly. The motor includes a housing with a main body having a rear endbell, a stator compartment with stator windings, and a first ball bearing. The motor includes a lid having a second ball bearing, and a rotor with a shaft having a first end positioned in the first ball bearing and a second end positioned in the second ball bearing. An epoxy coating is used to overmold the stator compartment, the stator windings, and the rotor. The motor includes a printed circuit board assembly treated with an adhesion promotor and positioned adjacent to the rotor and stator windings. A silicone sealant is used to encapsulate the printed circuit board assembly, the rotor, and the stator windings and reacts with the adhesion promotor. The motor includes a gasket between the lid and the main body.

Abstract: A fan system includes a motor, a rotatable hub, and a plurality of fan blades. The motor is coupled with the hub by a hollow drive shaft, such that the drive system of the fan system is gearless. The motor is controlled by a PFC-based control module, which is in communication with sensors that are configured to sense parameters associated with operation of the fan system. The control module is configured to react in certain ways to certain conditions detected by the sensors, such that the fan system uses feedback-based control algorithms. A remote control panel is in communication with the control module. The remote control panel is operable to display fault conditions detected by the sensors. Blade retainers prevent fan blades from falling when a fan blade breaks free from the hub. Pins prevent the hub from falling when the hub breaks free from the rotor.