System using magnetic coupling to move a carriage
First Claim
1. A system for moving a receptacle, said system comprising:
- a coupling wall;
an internal carriage provided substantially adjacent an internal side of said coupling wall, said internal carriage being movable along said coupling wall along a predetermined path;
an external carriage provided substantially adjacent an external side of said coupling wall and substantially in register with said internal carriage with said coupling wall located between and structurally separating said internal and external carriages, said external carriage being movable along said coupling wall, said external carriage including a receptacle attachment for securing said receptacle thereto; and
a carriage actuator operatively coupled to said internal carriage for moving said internal carriage along said predetermined path;
wherein said internal and external carriages are magnetically coupled to each other by magnetic attraction across said coupling wall so that when said internal carriage is moved along said predetermined path, said external carriage follows said internal carriage as a result of said magnetic attraction and remains substantially in register therewith,wherein said internal carriage includes an internal carriage body and an internal carriage rotatable assembly rotatably mounted to said internal carriage body so as to be rotatable relative thereto about an internal carriage rotation axis substantially perpendicular to said coupling wall;
said external carriage includes an external carriage body and an external carriage rotatable assembly rotatably mounted to said external carriage body so as to be rotatable relative thereto about an external carriage rotation axis substantially perpendicular to said coupling wall, said internal and external carriage rotation axes being substantially collinear;
said receptacle attachment is jointly rotatable with said external carriage rotatable assembly;
said internal and external carriage rotatable assemblies are magnetically coupled to each other so that rotation of said internal carriage rotatable assembly about said internal carriage rotation axis causes a corresponding rotation of said external carriage rotatable assembly about said external carriage rotation axis due to magnetic coupling forces; and
said system further comprises a tilting mechanism for selectively rotating said internal carriage rotatable assembly about said internal carriage rotation axis wherein said tilting mechanism includes a guiding track extending along said coupling wall and an actuating lever extending from said internal carriage rotatable assembly and engaging said guiding track, said guiding track including guiding track first and second portions that are distanced differently from said predetermined path, causing said internal carriage rotatable assembly to rotate relative to said internal carriage body when said internal carriage moves between portions of said predetermined path in which said actuating lever engages said guiding track first and second portions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for moving a receptacle. The system includes: a coupling wall; an internal carriage provided substantially adjacent the coupling wall, the internal carriage being movable along the coupling wall along a predetermined path; an external carriage provided substantially adjacent the coupling wall and substantially in register with the internal carriage with the coupling wall extending between the internal and external carriages, the external carriage being movable along the coupling wall, the external carriage including a receptacle attachment for securing the receptacle thereto; and a carriage actuator operatively coupled to the internal carriage for moving the internal carriage along the predetermined path. The internal and external carriages are magnetically coupled to each other across the coupling wall so that when the internal carriage is moved along the predetermined path, the external carriage follows the internal carriage and remains substantially in register therewith.
12 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A system for moving a receptacle, said system comprising:
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a coupling wall; an internal carriage provided substantially adjacent an internal side of said coupling wall, said internal carriage being movable along said coupling wall along a predetermined path; an external carriage provided substantially adjacent an external side of said coupling wall and substantially in register with said internal carriage with said coupling wall located between and structurally separating said internal and external carriages, said external carriage being movable along said coupling wall, said external carriage including a receptacle attachment for securing said receptacle thereto; and a carriage actuator operatively coupled to said internal carriage for moving said internal carriage along said predetermined path; wherein said internal and external carriages are magnetically coupled to each other by magnetic attraction across said coupling wall so that when said internal carriage is moved along said predetermined path, said external carriage follows said internal carriage as a result of said magnetic attraction and remains substantially in register therewith, wherein said internal carriage includes an internal carriage body and an internal carriage rotatable assembly rotatably mounted to said internal carriage body so as to be rotatable relative thereto about an internal carriage rotation axis substantially perpendicular to said coupling wall;
said external carriage includes an external carriage body and an external carriage rotatable assembly rotatably mounted to said external carriage body so as to be rotatable relative thereto about an external carriage rotation axis substantially perpendicular to said coupling wall, said internal and external carriage rotation axes being substantially collinear;
said receptacle attachment is jointly rotatable with said external carriage rotatable assembly;
said internal and external carriage rotatable assemblies are magnetically coupled to each other so that rotation of said internal carriage rotatable assembly about said internal carriage rotation axis causes a corresponding rotation of said external carriage rotatable assembly about said external carriage rotation axis due to magnetic coupling forces; andsaid system further comprises a tilting mechanism for selectively rotating said internal carriage rotatable assembly about said internal carriage rotation axis wherein said tilting mechanism includes a guiding track extending along said coupling wall and an actuating lever extending from said internal carriage rotatable assembly and engaging said guiding track, said guiding track including guiding track first and second portions that are distanced differently from said predetermined path, causing said internal carriage rotatable assembly to rotate relative to said internal carriage body when said internal carriage moves between portions of said predetermined path in which said actuating lever engages said guiding track first and second portions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An elevator, said elevator comprising:
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a body, said body including a substantially upstanding column defining a coupling wall and a cavity extending within said column along said coupling wall; an internal carriage provided in said cavity substantially adjacent said coupling wall, said internal carriage being movable along said coupling wall; an external carriage provided outside of said cavity substantially adjacent said coupling wall and substantially in register with said internal carriage and without physical contact between said external carriage and said internal carriage, said external carriage being movable along said coupling wall; a carriage actuator provided in said column and operatively coupled to said internal carriage for moving said internal carriage along said coupling wall; wherein said internal and external carriages are magnetically coupled to each other across said coupling wall; whereby using said carriage actuator to move said internal carriage along said coupling wall correspondingly moves said external carriage along said coupling wall due to magnetic interactions between said internal and external carriages. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for moving a receptacle, the system comprising:
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a coupling wall having a first side and a second side; an internal carriage provided substantially adjacent the first side of the coupling wall, the internal carriage being movable along the coupling wall along a predetermined path; an external carriage provided substantially adjacent the second side of the coupling wall and substantially in register with the internal carriage, wherein the coupling wall is located between the internal carriage and the external carriage, wherein the external carriage has no structural connection to the internal carriage, wherein the external carriage is movable along the coupling wall; a receptacle connected to and movable with the external carriage; and a carriage actuator operatively coupled to the internal carriage for moving the internal carriage along the predetermined path; wherein the external carriage is magnetically coupled by magnetic attraction through the coupling wall to the internal carriage so that when the internal carriage is moved along the predetermined path, the external carriage follows the internal carriage as a result of the magnetic attraction.
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Specification