Actuators, motors and wheelless autonomous robots using vibratory transducer drivers

• US 5,770,913 A
• Filed: 10/23/1996
• Issued: 06/23/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Omnific International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Omnific International Incorporated
• Inventors: Mizzi, John V.
• Primary Examiner(s): LaBalle, Clayton E.
• Application Number:
  US08/735,713
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 310/15, 310/20, 310/309, 310/323, 310/328, 310/68 B, 310/46, 310/80, 901/1
• US Class Current: 310/328
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/00 Manipulators mounted on wheels or on carriages B25J1/00 takes precedence; programme-controlled manipulators B25J9/00 ; vehicle aspects B60, B62, e.g. remote-controlled steering for motor vehicles B62D1/24; control of position of vehicles G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 11/128 by means of actuators of the standard type with special circuit controlling means
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 11/18 used in combination for obtaining stepwise operation of a single controlled member
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/103 using inflatable bodies that contract when fluid pressure is applied, e.g. pneumatic artificial muscles or McKibben-type actuators
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2201/18 Machines moving with multiple degrees of freedom
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 33/16 with polarised armatures moving in alternate directions by reversal or energisation of a single coil system
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/065 Electromechanical oscillators; Vibrating magnetic drives
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/0065 Friction interface friction linings F16D69/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/026 by pressing one or more vibrators against the driven body
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/103 by pressing one or more vibrators against the rotor

Abstract

A device providing one of an actuator, motor and a wheelless autonomous robot using vibratory transducer drivers. The vibratory transducer driver is connected to a reciprocating element, driven reciprocally by the vibration driver. A friction surface is provided for translating reciprocating movement of the reciprocating element into motion. A driven member is moved by contact with the friction surface.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a first vibratory transducer;

a second vibratory transducer orthogonal to said first vibratory transducer;

means to attach said first vibratory transducer to a driving member;

further means to attach said second vibratory transducer to said driving member;

a driven member moved relative to said driving member by said driving member through frictional forces;

both said first vibratory transducer and said second vibratory transducer driven at an identical frequency with an ability to selectively set the phase relationship between said first vibratory transducer and said second vibratory transducer for the purpose of selecting direction of movement and the speed of said driven member.

2. A device according to claim 1 further comprising:

said means to attach said first vibratory transducer being a first spring transmission element disposed between said first vibratory transducer and said driving member, said first spring transmission element being connected to said driving member at one side of said driving member;

said further means to attach said second vibratory transducer to said driving member being another spring transmission element connecting said second vibratory transducer to said driving member at an orthogonal side of said driving member, said driving member being a yoke with a friction surface being provided on two sides of an interior surface of said yoke; and

a rotatable drum forming said driven member, said rotatable drum being in contact with said friction surface for rotating in one of two directions depending upon the relative phase relationship between each of said first vibratory transducer and said second vibratory transducer, and

said a rotatable drum forming said driven member placed within said yoke with the ability to contact one or another side of said interior surface on different parts of a vibratory cycle.

3. A device according to claim 2, further comprising control means including a master oscillator, a phase shifter and a driver connected to each of said transducers.

4. A device according to claim 2, wherein said transducer, said spring element, said yoke and said rotatable element are formed of a silicon micromechanical chip, wherein said first vibratory transducer and said second vibratory transducer is one of an electrostatic "comb" drive, a piezoelectric element, and an electromagnetic element.

5. A device according to claim 2, wherein said first vibratory transducer and second vibratory transducer is one of an electrostatic "comb" drive, magneto strictive drive, piezoelectric element, electromagnetic element, pneumatic element, hydraulic element and a fuel driven linear engine element.

6. A device according to claim 1 further comprising:

said means to attach said first vibratory transducer to a driving member being a spring transmission element disposed between said first vibratory transducer and said driving member, said spring transmission element connected to said driving member at one side of said driving member;

another spring transmission element connecting said second vibratory transducer to said driving member at an orthogonal side of said driving member, said driving member being a drive block with a friction surface being provided on said drive block; and

said driven member being in contact with said friction surface for movement in one of two directions depending upon the relative phase relationship between each of said first vibratory transducer and said second vibratory transducer, and

said driven member further being an output bar guided in linear bearings.

7. A device according to claim 6, further comprising control means including a master oscillator, a phase shifter and a driver connected to each of said transducers.

8. A device according to claim 6, wherein said transducer, said spring element, said drive bar and said output member are formed of a silicon micromechanical chip.

9. A device according to claim 8, wherein said first vibratory transducer and said second vibratory transducer is one of an electrostatic "comb" drive, a piezoelectric element, and an electromagnetic element.

10. A device according to claim 1, wherein two vibratory transducers drive a long bar with friction pads disposed thereon in both a torsional and longitudinal vibratory mode imparting motion to said driven member in either direction as selected by the relative phase relationship between the urging mediums of said transducers,

said first vibratory transducer vibrating in a linear fashion,

said second vibratory transducer vibrating in a torsional fashion orthogonal to said linear vibration of said first vibratory transducer.

said driving member being a bar with friction pads disposed thereon;

and

said driven member being a hollow cylinder of rectangular cross section housing said bar.

11. A device according to claim 10, further comprising an incremental linear optical encoder comprising an encoder, said encoder attached to and used with linear actuators wherein relative motion between a transparent strip with regular lines and an array of light detecting elements tilted at an oblique angle to said lines create output pulses indicative of said relative motion and with resolution n times that of the interline spacing on said transparent strip where n is the number of light detecting elements in said array of light detecting elements.

12. A device according to claim 11, wherein a second array of light detecting elements tilted at the same angle and identical to said array of light detecting elements is placed at a strategic distance from said array of light detecting elements so as to provide quadrature output of pulses relative to those produced by said array of light detecting elements so as to infer direction information.

13. A device according to claim 11 wherein said light detecting elements are one of photo diodes, photo transistors, photo darlingtons, and charge-coupled devices (CCD'"'"'s).

14. A device according to claim 1, wherein said device is a bi-directional linear pneumatic actuator and,

said first vibratory transducer being a pair of a pair of pneumatic diaphragms supplied with pulsating compressed air anchored to a stationary yoke.

said second vibratory transducer being said radially expandable bladder member having a frictional surface on its periphery supplied with pulsating compressed air,

said bladder member being linearly reciprocated by said pair of pneumatic diaphragms which are placed on either side of said bladder member,

said driving member being said frictional surface on said radially expandable bladder, and,

said driven member including a hollow cylindrical member encircling said radially expandable bladder.

15. A device according to claim 1, further comprising

a third vibratory transducer being disposed such that said first vibratory transducer, said second vibratory transducer and said third vibratory transducer are disposed at three mutually orthogonal locations of a cylindrical element,

said driving member being a rod with a friction tip at its distal end;

said third vibratory transducer being attached to a proximal end of said rod via a coupling, said third vibratory transducer reciprocating said rod in a vertical direction, such that said friction tip periodically contacts a supporting surface through an open end of said cylinder.

said cylinder being said driven member with an ability to vector in any direction on a plane as determined by the relative phase relationship among said three vibratory transducers constituting a primitive autonomous robot.

16. A device according to claim 1, further comprising a

a third vibratory transducer being disposed such that said first vibratory transducer, said second transducer and said third vibratory transducer, are disposed at three orthogonal locations of a cylindrical element

said cylindrical element being hollow and having a square cross section,

said driving member being a block with a friction tip at a bottom end thereof,

said third vibratory transducer being a bellows attached between an inside top surface of said cylinder and a top end of said block, said third vibratory transducer reciprocating said block in a vertical direction by pulses of compressed air such that said friction tip periodically contacts a supporting surface through an open end of said cylinder,

said first vibratory transducer and said second vibratory transducer being pairs of diaphragms, supplied with pulses of compressed air, attached to orthogonal internal sides of said cylindrical element and contacting adjacent surfaces of said driving block for the purpose of linear movement therein.

said cylinder being said driven member with an ability to vector in any direction on a plane as determined by the he relative phase relationship among said three vibratory transducers, constituting a primitive autonomous robot.

17. A device according to claim 16, wherein a plurality of said cylinders are provided attached to a substrate supporting a pay load and providing a wheelless autonomous robot the further ability to rotate in addition to vectoring in a plane.

18. A device according to claim 17, wherein a short range navigation system is used to guide said wheelless autonomous robot, said short range navigation system using ultrasonic transmitters and receivers in a system that operates in a similar fashion to the well known long range navigation system (LORAN) which uses radio beacons, said ultrasonic communications means taking advantage of greatly increased signal propagation delays of the medium (the speed of sound) relative to said radio beacons (the speed of light) to convert the LORAN system to said short range navigation system for practical use in short range robot navigation.

19. A low-speed high-torque alternating current motor comprising:

a vibratory transducer,

a yoke member having friction surfaces on interior surfaces of said yoke member, and,

a drum having a periphery thereof covered with anisotropic friction material such as oriented fiber,

said yoke member contacting said drum periphery with said interior friction surfaces of said yoke,

said transducer linearly reciprocating said yoke thereby rotating said drum in one direction,

wherein motor speed of said motor is adjustable by varying either the stroke of the said vibratory transducer or the frequency of the alternating current supply or both.

20. A bidirectional linear actuator comprising a vibratory transducer, a driven bar, and a rocking power tip comprised of a plurality of hardened parts, a chassis and a first and second drive block,

said chassis being resiliently bonded to a base and to each of said drive blocks by elastomeric elements,

said transducer being rigidly bonded to said base, said transducer being controllable to vibrate from a neutral position to either of two opposite directions depending on the direction of the driving power source,

said first drive block having a surface adjacent to said driven bar covered with an anisotropic friction material such as oriented fiber in a specific direction,

said second drive block having a surface adjacent to said driven bar covered with an anisotropic friction material such as oriented fiber in a direction opposite to that of said first drive block,

said transducer being coupled to said chassis member such that in a first mode of operation, said chassis member is rocked from a neutral position in a clockwise rotation and then back to neutral, wherein,

in said first mode, said first drive block contacts said driven bar through said anisotropic friction surface and moves said bar to the right a small distance with each vibration, and wherein,

in a second mode of operation, said transducer causes said chassis member to rotate from a neutral position in a counter-clockwise rotation and then back to neutral with each vibration, wherein further, in said second mode of operation said second drive block contacts said driven bar through said anisotropic friction surface and moves said driven bar to the left a small distance with each said vibration.

21. A device according to claim 20, wherein said driving power source is electric and said direction of the driving power source is the electrical polarity sent to said transducer which an electrical type such as electromagnetic or piezoelectric transducers.

22. A device according to claim 20, wherein said driving power source is fluidic and said direction of the driving power source is the direction of fluid to and from said transducer which is a fluid type such as a cylinder, bellows or diaphragm.