TORQUE-ADJUSTING DRIVE MECHANISM FOR A PROPELLABLE DEVICE

• US 20090233747A1
• Filed: 03/11/2009
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Softscope Medical Technologies, Inc. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Allen, John J., Sheridan, Timothy P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,276,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 475/12
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00156 using self propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 37/065 with a plurality of driving or driven shafts F16H37/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19023 Plural power paths to and/or from gearing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19079 Parallel

Abstract

A drive mechanism includes a drive assembly including a driven element, a first driveshaft, configured to be engaged with the drive assembly, the first driveshaft configured to rotate in a first direction and relate a first assembly torque to the drive assembly and a first drive torque to the driven element, and a torque adjusting mechanism operatively engaged with the drive assembly and configured to relate a second assembly torque, opposite in direction to the first assembly torque, to the drive assembly.

Claims

1. A drive mechanism comprising:

a drive assembly including a driven element;

a first driveshaft, configured to be engaged with the drive assembly, the first driveshaft configured to rotate in a first direction and relate a first assembly torque to the drive assembly and a first drive torque to the driven element; and

a torque adjusting mechanism operatively engaged with the drive assembly and configured to relate a second assembly torque, opposite in direction to the first assembly torque, to the drive assembly.

2. The drive mechanism of claim 1, wherein the torque adjusting mechanism includes a second driveshaft, configured to rotate in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction and relate the second assembly torque to the drive assembly and relate a second drive torque to the driven element, and an idler gear, configured to be coupled with the driven element, the idler gear configured to communicate with one of the first driveshaft or the second driveshaft to reverse a rotational direction of the drive torque thereby provided for relating to the driven element a unidirectional drive torque.

3. The drive mechanism of claim 2, wherein an amount of power related to the driven element is enhanced through the unidirectional application of drive torque from the first and second driveshafts, as compared to a relating of drive torque from only one of the first and second driveshafts.

4. The drive mechanism of claim 2, wherein the first driveshaft and second driveshaft each have a driveshaft casing at least partially surrounding the respective driveshaft, and

wherein the driveshafts and their respective casings are configured in combination to yield a substantially equal bending stiffness when bending in one or more axes divergent from the longitudinal axes of the driveshafts.

5. The drive mechanism of claim 1, wherein the torque adjusting mechanism includes a second driveshaft, configured to rotate in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction and relate the second assembly torque to the drive assembly and relate a second drive torque to the driven element, and

wherein a portion of one of the first driveshaft or the second driveshaft spaced from the engagement between the first and second driveshafts is engaged with the driven element to unidirectionally relate the first and second drive torques thereto.

6. The drive mechanism of claim 5, wherein an amount of power related to the driven element is enhanced through the unidirectional relating of the first and second drive torques from the first and second driveshafts, as compared to a relating of only one of the first drive torque or the second drive torque.

7. The drive mechanism of claim 5, wherein the first driveshaft and second driveshaft each have a driveshaft casing at least partially surrounding the respective driveshaft, and

wherein the driveshafts and their respective casings are configured in combination to yield a substantially equal bending stiffness when bending in one or more axes divergent from the longitudinal axes of the driveshafts.

8. The drive mechanism of claim 1, wherein the torque adjusting mechanism includes a casing at least partially surrounding the first driveshaft and attached to a frame of the drive assembly, wherein the casing is configured to be non-rotating relative to the first driveshaft such that the second assembly torque includes a non-drive torque applied by the casing to the drive assembly.

9. The drive mechanism of claim 1, wherein the torque adjusting mechanism includes a plurality of driveshafts, the plurality of driveshafts being configured to be engaged with the drive assembly.

10. A system comprising:

a propellable device; and

a drive mechanism configured to provide at least one of a forward or backward advancement of the propellable device, the drive mechanism including,

a drive assembly including a driven element;

a first driveshaft, configured to be engaged with the drive assembly, the first driveshaft configured to rotate in a first direction and relate a first assembly torque to the drive assembly and a first drive torque to the driven element; and

a torque adjusting mechanism operatively engaged with the drive assembly and configured to relate a second assembly torque, opposite in direction to the first assembly torque, to the drive assembly.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the torque adjusting mechanism includes a second driveshaft, configured to rotate in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction and relate a second assembly torque to the drive assembly and relate a second drive torque to the driven element, and an idler gear, configured to be coupled with the driven element, the idler gear configured to communicate with one of the first driveshaft or the second driveshaft to reverse a rotational direction of the drive torque thereby provided for relating to the driven element a unidirectional drive torque.

12. The system of claim 11, further including an electrical control unit coupled to the first and second driveshafts and configured to apply an equal or approximately equal torque magnitude to each driveshaft.

13. The system of claim 11, further including an electrical control unit with a rotational control input mechanism to deliver an input to a motor control circuitry or software, the input including instructions to concurrently control a desired propulsive drive torque magnitude, including a net of the first and second drive torques, and a desired rotation of the propellable device, including a net of the first and second assembly torques.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the torque adjusting mechanism includes a second driveshaft, configured to rotate in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction and relate the second assembly torque to the drive assembly and relate a second drive torque to the driven element, and

wherein a portion of one of the first driveshaft or the second driveshaft spaced from the engagement between the first and second driveshafts is engaged with the driven element to unidirectionally relate the first and second drive torques thereto.

15. The system of claim 14, further including an electrical control unit coupled to the first and second driveshafts and configured to apply an equal or approximately equal torque magnitude to each driveshaft.

16. The system of claim 14, further including an electrical control unit with a rotational control input mechanism to deliver an input to a motor control circuitry or software, the input including instructions to concurrently control a desired propulsive drive torque magnitude, including a net of the first and second drive torques, and a desired rotation of the propellable device, including a net of the first and second assembly torques.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the torque adjusting mechanism includes a casing at least partially surrounding the first driveshaft and attached to a frame of the drive assembly, wherein the casing is configured to be non-rotating relative to the first driveshaft such that the second assembly torque includes a non-drive torque applied by the casing to the drive assembly.

18. A method comprising:

rotating a first driveshaft in a first direction and thereby applying a first drive torque to a driven element of a drive assembly and a first assembly torque to the drive assembly; and

applying a second, directionally-opposite, assembly torque by a torque adjusting mechanism operatively engaged with the drive assembly and configured to relate the second assembly torque to the drive assembly.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein applying the second, directionally-opposite, assembly torque by the torque adjusting mechanism includes using a second driveshaft, configured to rotate in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction and relate the second assembly torque to the drive assembly and relate a second drive torque to the driven element, and an idler gear, configured to be coupled with the driven element, the idler gear configured to communicate with one of the first driveshaft or the second driveshaft to reverse a rotational direction of the drive torque thereby provided for relating to the driven element a unidirectional drive torque.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein applying the second, directionally-opposite, assembly torque by the torque adjusting mechanism includes using a second driveshaft, configured to rotate in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction and relate the second assembly torque to the drive assembly and relate a second drive torque to the driven element, and

wherein a portion of one of the first driveshaft or the second driveshaft spaced from the engagement between the first and second driveshafts is engaged with the driven element to unidirectionally relate the first and second drive torques thereto.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein applying the second, directionally-opposite, assembly torque by the torque adjusting mechanism includes using a casing at least partially surrounding the first driveshaft and attached to a frame of the drive assembly, wherein the casing is configured to be non-rotating relative to the first driveshaft such that the second assembly torque includes a non-drive torque applied by the casing to the drive assembly.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the torque adjusting mechanism is used to control an external rotational assembly torque imparted to the drive assembly by the first and second assembly torques, such that an external rotational torque delivered to the drive assembly is used to at least partially control a position of the drive assembly.