Abstract: An artificial heart system for human beings or other creatures, comprises at least one half of the heart, to be implemented into the body, instead of or in parallel to the biologic heart or outside of human body for example for a portable dialysis apparatus, maintaining or supporting at least one blood circulatory system or circuit of the human being or the other creature as a pump, completely or partially, and at least one drive unit and at least one control unit, preferably to be placed outside the body.

Abstract: The invention relates to a blade-type check valve for gaseous and liquid media, to be used in medical technologies as well as in waste water technology with at least three triangular blades, grouped in round configuration at the edges of a polygonal bore of a valve ring or housing, with the number of blades corresponding to the number of faces of the bore. At least at one of the three sides, the valve blades feature an integrated joint, which may also consist of fabric, whereas the two other sides of the valve blades form an articulated lock. The valve can be installed in any position and closes automatically, actuated by the backflow respectively return flow of the medium, without external energy.

Abstract: Autonomous underwater vehicles and systems are provided with fast stabilization and fine attitude control with a constant and high rotational speed flying wheel to rotate the vehicle's body with respect to its core and optionally a combination of reaction masses used in three perpendicular axes. The gimbal and the reaction mass inertial systems are used for fast response to any angular or linear disturbance coming from the ocean current or waves. When equipped for optical communications, the vehicle has an optical receiver and transmitter and controller that provides three levels of attitude stabilization: gimbal and the reaction mass inertial systems; isolated movable platform and fine optical beam steering for targeting the laser beam from the transmitter. The ability to maintain precise positioning allows multiple vehicles to be optically linked.

Abstract: The invention relates to a blade-type check valve for gaseous and liquid media, to be used in medical technology as well as in waste water technology with at least three triangular blades, grouped in round configuration at the edges of a polygonal bore of a valve ring, with the number of blades corresponding to the number of faces of the bore, At least at one of the three sides, the valve blades feature an integrated joint, which may also consist of fabric, whereas the two other sides of the valve blades form an articulated lock, The valve can be installed in any position and closes automatically, actuated by the backflow respectively return flow of the medium, with-out external energy.

Abstract: A slim and long multifunctional gripping mechanism has a bending- and torsion-resistant structure, on which several finger, suction, magnetic head and other mechanisms for a multitude of tasks are arranged. The gripper arm is composed in sandwich configuration of several cages placed on top of each other, like a multi-stage tower. The individual cages consist of two plates in parallel in lightweight construction, with their mutual distance being ensured by several rods, spokes, wires, ropes and strings. Most of the drives are contained within the first cage after the flange. From that position, all mechanisms participating in the action of the gripper are driven by rods, shafts, ropes, chains or belts traversing the cages. Further cages are used to attach and accommodate the components of finger mechanisms. Movable cages are used as drives for finger, suction or magnetic head mechanisms. Several finger mechanisms perform a different task each.

Abstract: The invention relates to a blade-type check valve for gaseous and liquid media, to be used in medical technologies as well as in waste water technology with at least three triangular blades, grouped in round configuration at the edges of a polygonal bore of a valve ring or housing, with the number of blades corresponding to the number of faces of the bore. At least at one of the three sides, the valve blades feature an integrated joint, which may also consist of fabric, whereas the two other sides of the valve blades form an articulated lock. The valve can be installed in any position and closes automatically, actuated by the backflow respectively return flow of the medium, without external energy.

Abstract: The invention relates to a slim and long multifunctional gripping mechanism with bending- and torsion-resistant structure, on which several finger, suction, magnetic head and other mechanisms for a multitude of tasks are arranged. The gripper arm is composed in sandwich configuration of several cages placed on top of each other, like a multi-stage tower. The individual cages consist of two plates in parallel in lightweight construction, with their mutual distance being ensured by several rods, spokes, wires, ropes and strings. Most of the drives are contained within the first cage after the flange. From that position, all mechanisms participating in the action of the gripper are driven by rods, shafts, ropes, chains or belts traversing the cages. Further cages are used to attach and accommodate the components of finger mechanisms. Movable cages are used as drives for finger, suction or magnetic head mechanisms. Several finger mechanisms perform a different task each, individually or in groups (FIG. 12).

Abstract: Autonomous underwater vehicles and systems are provided with fast stabilization and fine attitude control with a constant and high rotational speed flying wheel to rotate the vehicle's body with respect to its core and optionally a combination of reaction masses used in three perpendicular axes. The gimbal and the reaction mass inertial systems are used for fast response to any angular or linear disturbance coming from the ocean current or waves. When equipped for optical communications, the vehicle has an optical receiver and transmitter and controller that provides three levels of attitude stabilization: gimbal and the reaction mass inertial systems; isolated movable platform and fine optical beam steering for targeting the laser beam from the transmitter. The ability to maintain precise positioning allows multiple vehicles to be optically linked.

Abstract: Systems and methods for high bandwidth optical communications using a swarm of optically linked autonomous underwater vehicles and support vehicles that allow communications over long-distances between two points and over a wide area. At least one of the linked autonomous underwater vehicles transmit the optical communications to a control station and can receive control communications from the station. Communication pathways and networks between vehicles in the swarm are dynamic and may be redundant.

Abstract: The invention relates to an artificial heart of human beings and other creatures with at least one half of a heart, to be implemented instead of or parallel to the natural heart, maintaining as a pump completely or partially as a support one circulatory system or two circulatory systems of the human being or other creature. Within a hard and hermitically locked shell, two chambers are provided, one blood and one drive chamber. The drive chamber is cyclically filled and discharged by a pump actuated by electric motor. Due to the pressure and the suction of the drive chamber, the blood from the blood chamber is transported to the arteries and from the veins into the blood chamber. In the course of this process, blood and drive chamber only move to the half, in a completely unstressed manner without elastic stretching or kinking. Two innovative artificial check valves ensure that the blood flows exclusively in the desired direction.

Abstract: A device for use in compressing or expanding a working fluid, such as a gas, includes a container, a piston, working fluid, ferrofluid, and at least one magnetic component. The piston includes a piston face. The piston face and the container define an interior cavity having a volume that varies in response to movement of the piston relative to the container. The working fluid and the ferrofluid are contained in the interior cavity. The at least one magnetic component has a magnetic field that exerts magnetic forces on the ferrofluid that stabilize the ferrofluid in a subset of the interior cavity. This displaces the working fluid within the interior cavity.

Abstract: A ten-link gripping mechanism having a modular structure and a single degree of freedom, for robots, machines and handling devices, includes at least one eight-link finger mechanism with a gripper jaw, guided as a coupler by two four-bar linkages based one on the other. The choice of the dimensions of the individual elements enables the movement of the gripper jaw to be adapted to the task at hand while using only a single drive. The drive can be of a universal type, such as pneumatic, electromotive, magnetic or by means of a spring.

Abstract: A device for use in compressing or expanding a working fluid, such as a gas, includes a container, a piston, working fluid, ferrofluid, and at least one magnetic component. The piston includes a piston face. The piston face and the container define an interior cavity having a volume that varies in response to movement of the piston relative to the container. The working fluid and the ferrofluid are contained in the interior cavity. The at least one magnetic component has a magnetic field that exerts magnetic forces on the ferrofluid that stabilize the ferrofluid in a subset of the interior cavity. This displaces the working fluid within the interior cavity.

Abstract: A ten-link gripping mechanism having a modular structure and a single degree of freedom, for robots, machines and handling devices, includes at least one eight-link finger mechanism with a gripper jaw, guided as a coupler by two four-bar linkages based one on the other. The choice of the dimensions of the individual elements enables the movement of the gripper jaw to be adapted to the task at hand while using only a single drive. The drive can be of a universal type, such as pneumatic, electromotive, magnetic or by means of a spring.

Abstract: A modularly-structured gripping mechanism for robots, machines, and handling devices comprises at least one movable gripping finger that sits directly or indirectly on a finger module and works counter to a stationary or movable finger. The finger module consists of a slide unit that comprises a housing and a slide made from an aluminum section which is hollow all the way through and has multiple bore holes. The housing consists of a frame and multiple rods which extend parallel to one another, between the end faces, and prestress all parts of the housing. The rods simultaneously function as guide rods for the slides. A very stable gripping mechanism for heavy loads is produced by form-fittingly mounting any number of finger modules on a flange case. The finger modules can have their own drive or can share one drive.

Abstract: A liquid piston system includes a liquid piston compressor/expander assembly and a drive mechanism. The liquid piston compressor/expander assembly includes a reciprocating cylinder coupled with the drive mechanism and a static liquid piston received in the cylinder cavity. The static liquid piston includes a piston face configured to carry liquid piston fluid. The reciprocating cylinder is configured to move relative to the static liquid piston between contracted and expanded positions. In a compressor, at the expanded position the cylinder head is withdrawn from liquid piston fluid and the cylinder cavity is filled with the compressible fluid. In the contracted position the cylinder head of the reciprocating cylinder is near the liquid piston fluid and the compressible fluid is compressed. With an expander, in the contracted position the compressible fluid is introduced to the cylinder cavity and the expanding compressible fluid moves the reciprocating cylinder to the expanded position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a modularly-structured gripping mechanism for robots, machines, and handling devices, which comprises at least one movable gripping finger that sits directly or indirectly on a finger module and works counter to a stationary or movable finger. The finger module consists of a slide unit that comprises a housing and a slide made from an aluminum section which is hollow all the way through and has multiple bore holes. The housing consists of a frame and multiple rods which extend parallel to one another, between the end faces, and prestress all parts of the housing. The rods simultaneously function as guide rods for the slides. A very stable gripping mechanism for heavy loads is produced by form-fittingly mounting any number of finger modules on a flange case. The finger modules can have their own drive or can share one drive. A tractive means, such as a chain, synchronizes or produces the movement of the slides of the finger modules.

Abstract: The invention relates to a gripper mechanism for machines, robots and manipulation devices, comprising at least one moving gripping finger, driven by a driveshaft of multiple parts, a crank, belt or gear shaft, wherein the centering of the parts relative to each other and the transmission of the torque from a driving part to the next part, up to the gripping finger, is achieved by means of axial toothing, preferably a pinion gearing with pins and drillings. The driveshaft is preferably provided with a carrying support bearing. As a result of the splitting of the driveshaft, it is possible to cast the housing in one piece with two cavities for housing the operating unit and the transmission. The gripping finger or the lever driving the gripping finger are externally fixed to the driveshaft in an axial manner.

Abstract: The invention relates to a gripper mechanism for machines, robots and manipulation devices, comprising at least one moving gripping finger, operated by coupling to an operating mechanism by two drive shafts. As a result of operating the gripping finger by two connecting bars, in turn each driven by the drive shafts, it is possible to move the gripping finger through a rotation over 180° through the path or range thereof and hence securely transmit forces and torques without tipping or getting in an unstable position. According to the invention, the drive shafts are divided axially into at least two parts in order to be housed completely in an enclosed and unitary gripper housing, protected from dust and dirt and hermetically sealed. The different parts of the drive shafts are centered on one another and positively connected by means of axial toothing, in the form of pinion gears and pins, and have a carrier support bearing.