EP0043732B1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for controlling the movement of a movable element
Assignee: Xerox Corp
•
Filing: 1981-07-07
•
Granted: 1984-11-07
•
Expires: 2001-07-07
Abstract
No abstract record available.
Inventors
- 👤 Andrew Gabor
- 👤 John Charles George Dunfield
- 👤 Robert A. Ragen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 15:38
CPC Classifications
G; G05; G05B; G05B19/00; G05B19/02; G05B19/18; G05B19/19; G05B19/21; G05B19/23; G05B19/231; G05B19/232; B; B41; B41J; B41J1/00; B41J1/22; B41J1/24; G05B2219/00; G05B2219/30; G05B2219/34; G05B2219/34215; G05B2219/37; G05B2219/37313; G05B2219/41; G05B2219/41326; G05B2219/42; G05B2219/42182; G05B2219/43; G05B2219/43006; G05B2219/43181; G05B2219/43194
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
221 words
Apparatus for controlling the movement of a movable element (20 or 22) to bring the movable element to rest at a desired stopping position, said apparatus comprising a multi-phase drive motor (34 or 36) having a drive shaft (86) coupled to said movable element (20 or 22) for driving same, a plurality of electrically conductive coils (76) mounted in position-displaced relationship about said shaft, and means coupled to said drive shaft (86) and responsive to the selective energization of said coils (76) by respective motor drive signals for causing the corresponding rotation of said drive shaft and movement of said movable element (20 or 22); a sensor (38 or 40) coupled to said drive shaft (86) and responsive to the rotation thereof for generating an electrical signal containing information indicative of the direction, speed and distance of movement of said movable element (20 or 22); means (42 or 44) for detecting from the distance information indicated by said electrical signal whether said movable element (20 or 22) is within a predetermined distance of said desired stopping position; and damping control means (26) for controlling the levels of said motor drive signals in dependence upon the direction information indicated by said electrical signal following detection of said movable element (20 or 22) being within said predetermined distance of said desired stopping position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
221 words
Apparatus for controlling the movement of a movable element (20 or 22) to bring the movable element to rest at a desired stopping position, said apparatus comprising a multi-phase drive motor (34 or 36) having a drive shaft (86) coupled to said movable element (20 or 22) for driving same, a plurality of electrically conductive coils (76) mounted in position-displaced relationship about said shaft, and means coupled to said drive shaft (86) and responsive to the selective energization of said coils (76) by respective motor drive signals for causing the corresponding rotation of said drive shaft and movement of said movable element (20 or 22); a sensor (38 or 40) coupled to said drive shaft (86) and responsive to the rotation thereof for generating an electrical signal containing information indicative of the direction, speed and distance of movement of said movable element (20 or 22); means (42 or 44) for detecting from the distance information indicated by said electrical signal whether said movable element (20 or 22) is within a predetermined distance of said desired stopping position; and damping control means (26) for controlling the levels of said motor drive signals in dependence upon the direction information indicated by said electrical signal following detection of said movable element (20 or 22) being within said predetermined distance of said desired stopping position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said damping control means (26) comprises means for selectively turning on and off or reversing predetermined ones of said motor drive signals and thus corresponding motor coils (76) in dependence upon the direction information indicated by said electrical signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
70 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said motor (34 or 36) and thus said movable element (20 or 22) are brought to a final stop with the motor drive signals for two adjacent coils (76) on, the motor drive signals for said two adjacent motor coils (76) being selectively turned on and off by said control means in dependence upon the direction information indicated by said electrical signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said drive motor (34 or 36) is a stepper motor, preferably a four-phase motor having four coils.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
73 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein at a constant velocity of movement of said movable element (20 or 22) said electrical signal is periodic with a peak amplitude and frequency proportional to the velocity of said movable element (20 or 22) has a polarity indicative of the direction of movement of said movable element, and has a period representative of a predetermined increment of movement of said movable element.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
149 words
Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein said sensor (38 or 42) comprises an electrically conductive sensor coil (102) and at least two said sensor coils mounted adjacent the drive shaft (86) of said motor (34 or 36), said sensor coils being aligned about said drive shaft with respective ones of said motor coils (76), flux producing means (116) mounted adjacent said sensor coil (102) for producing a path of normally substantially constant magnetic flux adjacent said coil, and flux varying means (90) coupled to said drive shaft (86) and responsive to the rotation of said drive shaft (86) by said motor (34 or 36) for varying the level of said magnetic flux adjacent said coil in dependence upon the direction, speed and distance of rotation of said drive shaft, whereby the resultant electromotive force induced in said sensor coil (102) defines said electrical signal across said sensor coil.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein two of said electrical signals are respectively generated by at least two said sensor coils (102), said two electrical signals being mutually electrically phase-displaced by 90°, and said two electrical signals being substantially sinusoidal waveforms.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising means coupled to said sensor coils for generating four square-wave signals, and means responsive to the levels of said square-wave signals for controlling the levels of said motor drive signals.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
89 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said motor and thus said movable element are brought to a final stop with only a single one of said motor drive signals and thus corresponding motor coil (76) on, said single one motor drive signal and thus corresponding motor coil (76) being turned on by said control means (26) following detection of said movable element (20 or 22) being within said predetermined distance after a predetermined time delay following detection of said movable element (20 or 22) being within said predetermined distance.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
87 words
Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said single one motor drive signal and thus corresponding motor coil (76) is maintained on continuously by said control means (26) commencing upon the expiration of said predetermined time delay, and there are two motor coils (76) each adjacent said single one motor coil which are selectively turned on and off or reversed by said control means (26) during movement of said movable element (20 or 22) toward said desired stopping position commencing upon the expiration of said predetermined time delay.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3954163A
Cited
US4091911A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.