Direct drive electric motor apparatus incorporating slip ring assembly
First Claim
1. An electric motor apparatus comprising a stator body assembly for mounting an electric motor to one of a fixed member and a rotatable body of a rotatable joint, an inner rotor assembly including a central shaft, at least a portion of which is hollow, said shaft being adapted to be mounted to another one of said fixed member and said rotatable body of said rotatable joint, rotating electric coupling means mounted inside said hollow portion of said central shaft, first and second electrical wire means connected to said rotating electric coupling means, electric connector means coupled to said rotating electric coupling means and positioned at opposite ends of said central shaft for propagating at least one of electric power and electric signals carried by said first electrical wire means associated with one of said fixed member and said rotatable body to said second electrical wire means associated with another one of said rotatable body and said fixed member through said rotating electric coupling means without twisting or flexing electrical wires of said first and second electrical wire means while said rotatable body is being directly driven by said motor and is rotating.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electric motor apparatus in a direct drive positioning device for positioning for example a television camera or a robot arm along X-Y-Z axes, which provides a direct drive which permits a free and unobstructed continuous rotation over 300° in horizontal, vertical and any other angular axes with no electrical wires or cables twisting or flexing. The apparatus includes a motor which has a hollow central shaft connected to a rotary member for mounting thereon a robot arm or television camera of the direct drive positioning device. The central shaft encloses a rotating slip ring assembly coupled to respective wires for connecting to the television camera. Electric power is supplied through the wires which are not twisted or flexed while the rotating member is being directly driven by the motor and is rotating.
-
Citations
50 Claims
- 1. An electric motor apparatus comprising a stator body assembly for mounting an electric motor to one of a fixed member and a rotatable body of a rotatable joint, an inner rotor assembly including a central shaft, at least a portion of which is hollow, said shaft being adapted to be mounted to another one of said fixed member and said rotatable body of said rotatable joint, rotating electric coupling means mounted inside said hollow portion of said central shaft, first and second electrical wire means connected to said rotating electric coupling means, electric connector means coupled to said rotating electric coupling means and positioned at opposite ends of said central shaft for propagating at least one of electric power and electric signals carried by said first electrical wire means associated with one of said fixed member and said rotatable body to said second electrical wire means associated with another one of said rotatable body and said fixed member through said rotating electric coupling means without twisting or flexing electrical wires of said first and second electrical wire means while said rotatable body is being directly driven by said motor and is rotating.
- 6. An electric motor apparatus comprising a stator body assembly for mounting an electric motor to one of a first rotatable body and a second rotatable body of a rotatable joint, an inner rotor assembly including at least partially hollow central shaft adapted to be mounted to another one of said second rotatable body and said second rotatable body of said rotatable joint rotating electric coupling means mounted inside said hollow central shaft, first and second electrical wire means connected to said rotating electric coupling means, electric connector means coupled to said rotating electric coupling means and positioned at opposite ends of said central shaft for propagating at least one of electric power and electric signals carried by said first electrical wire means associated with one of said first and second rotatable body to said second electrical wire means associated with another one first and second rotatable body through said rotating electric coupling means without twisting or flexing electrical wires of said first and second electrical wire means while said rotatable body is being directly driven by said motor and is rotating.
-
8. An electric motor apparatus comprising an outer rotor body assembly adapted for mounting an electric motor to one of a fixed member and a rotatable body of a rotatable joint;
- an inner stator assembly having a central shaft at least a portion of which is hollow, said central shaft being adapted to be mounted to another of said fixed member and said rotatable body of said rotatable joint, rotating electric coupling means mounted inside said hollow portion of said central shaft, first and second electrical wire means connected to said rotating electric coupling means, an electric connector means attached to said rotating electric coupling means and positioned at opposite ends of said central shaft for propagating electric signals carried by said first electrical wire means associated with one of said fixed member and said rotatable body to said second electrical wire means associated with another one of said fixed member and said rotatable body through said rotating electric coupling means without twisting or flexing electrical wires of said first and second electrical wire means while said rotatable body is being directly driven by said electric motor and is rotating.
- View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
-
13. An electric motor apparatus comprising an outer rotor assembly adapted for mounting an electric motor to one of a first rotatable body and a second rotatable body of a rotatable joint;
- an inner stator assembly having a central shaft at least a portion of which is hollow, said central shaft being adapted to be mounted to another one of said first rotatable body and said second rotatable body of said rotatable joint, rotating electric coupling means mounted inside said hollow portion of said central shaft, first and second electrical wire means connected to said rotating electric coupling means, an electric connector means attached to said rotating electric coupling means and positioned at opposite ends of said central shaft for propagating electric signals carried by said first electrical wire means associated with one of said first and second rotatable body to said second electrical wire means associated with another one of said first and second rotatable body through said rotating electric coupling means without twisting or flexing electrical wires of said first and second electrical wire means while said rotatable body is being directly driven by said electric motor and is rotating.
- View Dependent Claims (14)
-
15. An electric motor apparatus comprising a stator body assembly for mounting an electric motor to one of a fixed member and a rotatable body of a rotatable joint, an inner rotor assembly having a central shaft of which at least a portion is hollow, said shaft being adapted to be mounted to another one of said fixed member and said rotatable body of said rotatable joint;
- rotating electric coupling means comprising a rotating ring assembly coupled to one end of said central shaft and an electrical brush assembly coupled to said stator body assembly;
first electric wire means connected to said rotating ring assembly and passing through said hollow portion of said central shaft to exit from an opposite end of said central shaft, second electrical wire means connected to said electrical brush assembly, wherein at least one of an electric power and electric signals are propagated through said first electrical wire means associated with said rotating ring assembly and said second electrical wire means associated with said electrical brush assembly through said rotating electric coupling means without twisting or flexing electrical wires of said first and second electrical wire means while said rotatable body is being directly driven by said motor and is rotating. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
- rotating electric coupling means comprising a rotating ring assembly coupled to one end of said central shaft and an electrical brush assembly coupled to said stator body assembly;
-
18. An electric motor apparatus comprising a stator assembly for mounting an electric motor to one of a first rotatable body and a second rotatable body of a rotatable joint, an inner rotor assembly having a central shaft of which at least a portion is hollow, said central shaft being adapted to be mounted to another one of said first rotable body and said second rotatable body and said second rotatable body of said rotatable joint;
- rotating electric coupling means comprising a rotating ring assembly coupled to one end of said central shaft and an electrical brush assembly coupled to said stator body assembly;
first electric wire means connected to said rotating ring assembly and passing through said hollow portion of said central shaft to exit from an opposite end of said central shaft, second electrical wire means connected to said electrical brush assembly, wherein at least one of electric power and electric signals are propagated through said first electrical wire means associated with said rotating ring assembly and said second electrical wire means associated with said electrical brush assembly through said rotating electric coupling means without twisting or flexing electrical wires of said first and second electrical wire means while said rotatable body is being directly driven by said motor and is rotating.
- rotating electric coupling means comprising a rotating ring assembly coupled to one end of said central shaft and an electrical brush assembly coupled to said stator body assembly;
-
19. An electric motor apparatus comprising an outer rotor body assembly for mounting an electric motor to one of a fixed member and a rotatable body of a rotatable joint;
- an inner stator assembly having a hollow central shaft and adapted to be mounted to another one of said fixed member and said rotatable body of said rotatable joint, a rotating electric coupling means including a rotating ring assembly coupled to one end of said central shaft and an electrical brush assembly coupled to said outer rotor body assembly;
first electric wire means connected to said rotating ring assembly and passing through said hollow central shaft to exit from an opposite end of said central shaft, second electrical wire means connected to said electrical brush assembly, wherein one of electric power and electric signals are propagated through said first electrical wire means associated with said rotating ring assembly and said second electrical wire means associated with said electrical brush assembly through said rotating electric coupling means without twisting or flexing electrical wires of said first and second electrical wire means while said rotatable body is being directly driven by said electric motor and is rotating. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
- an inner stator assembly having a hollow central shaft and adapted to be mounted to another one of said fixed member and said rotatable body of said rotatable joint, a rotating electric coupling means including a rotating ring assembly coupled to one end of said central shaft and an electrical brush assembly coupled to said outer rotor body assembly;
-
22. An electric motor apparatus comprising an outer rotor body assembly for mounting an electric motor to one of a first rotatable body and a second rotatable body of a rotatable joint;
- an inner stator assembly having a hollow central shaft adapted to be mounted to another one of said first rotatable body and said second rotatable body of said rotatable joint, rotating electric coupling means including a rotating ring assembly coupled to one end of said central shaft and an electrical brush assembly coupled to said outer rotor body assembly, first electric wire means connected to said rotating ring assembly and passing through said hollow central shaft to exit from an opposite end of said central shaft, second electrical wire means connected to said electrical brush assembly, wherein one of electric power and electric signals are propagated through said first electrical wire means associated with said rotating ring assembly and said second electrical wire means associated with said electrical brush assembly through said rotating electric coupling means without twisting or flexing electrical wires of said first and second electrical wire means while said rotatable body is being directly driven by said motor and is rotating.
-
23. A positioning device for panning and tilting a surveillance camera comprising a base plate for attaching said positioning device to a frame body means;
- an electric motor including an inner rotor assembly including a central shaft of which at least a portion is hollow, and a stator assembly which forms an outer body of said motor, said outer body of said motor being fixedly attached to said base plate so that said central shaft extends through a panning axis of said positioning device;
a tilting motor;
a camera holder bracket for carrying a camera along with at least one of a tilting motor and a tilting rotary joint, said bracket being fixedly attached to said central shaft so that a tilting movement or rotation about a tilting axis transverses said panning axis;
said rotor assembly further including a rotating electric coupling means mounted inside said hollow portion of said central shaft, first and second electrical wire means connected to said rotating electric coupling means, an electric connector means coupled to said rotating electric coupling means positioned at opposite ends of said central shaft for propagating one of electric power and electric signals carried by said first electrical wire means associated with said base plate to said second electrical wire means associated with said camera holder bracket through said rotating electric coupling means without twisting or flexing electrical wires of said first and second electrical wire means while said camera holder bracket is being directly driven by said motor and is rotating about the panning axis. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
- an electric motor including an inner rotor assembly including a central shaft of which at least a portion is hollow, and a stator assembly which forms an outer body of said motor, said outer body of said motor being fixedly attached to said base plate so that said central shaft extends through a panning axis of said positioning device;
-
36. A positioning device for panning and tilting a surveillance camera comprising one of a base plate or a member for attaching said positioning device to a frame body means;
- an electric motor including an inner stator assembly including a hollow central shaft and an outer rotor assembly which forms outer body of said electric motor, said outer body of said electric motor being fixedly attached to one of said base plate and said member so that said central shaft extends through a panning axis of said positioning device;
a tilting motor;
a camera holder bracket for carrying a camera along with said tilting motor and a tilting rotary joint, said bracket being fixedly attached to said central shaft so that a tilting movement or rotation about a tilting axis transverses said panning axis;
said stator assembly further including a rotating electric coupling means mounted inside said central shaft, first and second electrical wire means for connecting to said rotating electric coupling means, electric connector means attached to said rotating electric coupling means positioned at opposite ends of said hollow central shaft for propagating at least one of electric power and electric signals carried by said first electrical wire means associated with said base plate to said second electrical wire means associated with said camera holder bracket through said rotating electric coupling means without twisting or flexing electrical wires of said first and second electrical wire means while said camera holder bracket is being directly driven by said motor and is rotating about the panning axis. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
- an electric motor including an inner stator assembly including a hollow central shaft and an outer rotor assembly which forms outer body of said electric motor, said outer body of said electric motor being fixedly attached to one of said base plate and said member so that said central shaft extends through a panning axis of said positioning device;
Specification