US3649856A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Transducer for converting digital signals into linear motion
Assignee: Physics International Co
•
Filing: 1970-08-03
•
Granted: 1972-03-14
•
Expires: 1990-08-03
Abstract
Abstract A transducer for converting digital signals into linear motion is comprised of a hollow cylinder made of ferroelectric ceramic material made to have piezoelectric properties. The cylinder will move along the inside wall of a linear tube in response to a voltage pattern commutated through annular rings on the inside of the hollow cylinder such that voltage on a given ring increases in steps to a maximum and then decreases with the result that the hollow cylinder contracts in circumferential and axial dimensions in annular sections progressively from one end to the other in the direction of desired motion as the voltage pattern is commutated in that direction. A predetermined motion is achieved by one cycle commutation. For further motion the voltage pattern is commutated through additional cycles.
Inventors
- 👤 Cormac Garrett O'neill
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 19:59
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02N; H02N2/00; H02N2/02; H02N2/021; H02N2/023; G; G05; G05D; G05D3/00; G05D3/12; G05D3/14; G05D3/18; G05D3/183
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
183 words
A transducer for converting electrical energy into linear motion, comprising: a linear tube having a circular cross section and made of rigid conductive material; a hollow cylinder coaxially disposed within said tube along the length of said tube, said cylinder being substantially shorter than said tube and being made of material having piezoelectric properties with permanent polarization so oriented as to cause axial and circumferential variation in dimensions in response to a radial electric field of a given polarity, said cylinder having diameter of such dimension with respect to the diameter of said tube as to provide small interference therebetween; a plurality of conductive rings disposed on the side of said cylinder opposite the side in interference with said tube and in full circumferential contact with said cylinder, said rings being spaced along the length of said cylinder from one end to the other; and means for commutating a pattern of voltages across said rings in a given direction such that for a given ring the voltage applied thereto increases from circuit ground potential to a predetermined maximum level and back to zero.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
183 words
A transducer for converting electrical energy into linear motion, comprising: a linear tube having a circular cross section and made of rigid conductive material; a hollow cylinder coaxially disposed within said tube along the length of said tube, said cylinder being substantially shorter than said tube and being made of material having piezoelectric properties with permanent polarization so oriented as to cause axial and circumferential variation in dimensions in response to a radial electric field of a given polarity, said cylinder having diameter of such dimension with respect to the diameter of said tube as to provide small interference therebetween; a plurality of conductive rings disposed on the side of said cylinder opposite the side in interference with said tube and in full circumferential contact with said cylinder, said rings being spaced along the length of said cylinder from one end to the other; and means for commutating a pattern of voltages across said rings in a given direction such that for a given ring the voltage applied thereto increases from circuit ground potential to a predetermined maximum level and back to zero.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
A transducer as defined in claim 1 wherein said voltage pattern is comprised of a number of voltages less than the number of said rings, and the number of successively larger voltages between zero and said maximum applied to said given ring is equal to the number of successively smaller voltages between said maximum and zero.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
A transducer as defined in claim 2 wherein said number of voltages in said pattern applied to said given ring from zero through said maximum to zero is equal to two less than the number of said rings.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
A transducer as defined in claim 3 wherein said number of voltages in said pattern is odd.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
A transducer as defined in claim 1 including a rigid member carried by said cylinder as an actuator for a load.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
172 words
A transducer for converting electrical energy into linear motion, comprising: a linear tube having circular cross section and made of rigid conductive material; a hollow cylinder disposed within said tube along the length of said tube, said cylinder being substantially shorter than said tube and being made of material having piezoelectric properties with permanent polarization so oriented as to cause axial and circumferential contraction in response to a radial electric field of a given polarity, said cylinder having an outside diameter sufficiently large with respect to The internal diameter of said tube to provide small interference therebetween; a plurality of conductive rings disposed on the inside of said cylinder and in full circumferential contact with said cylinder, said rings being spaced along the length of said cylinder from one end to the other; and means for commutating a pattern of voltages across said rings in a given direction such that for a given ring the voltage applied thereto increases from circuit ground potential to a predetermined maximum level and back to zero.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
172 words
A transducer for converting electrical energy into linear motion, comprising: a linear tube having circular cross section and made of rigid conductive material; a hollow cylinder disposed within said tube along the length of said tube, said cylinder being substantially shorter than said tube and being made of material having piezoelectric properties with permanent polarization so oriented as to cause axial and circumferential contraction in response to a radial electric field of a given polarity, said cylinder having an outside diameter sufficiently large with respect to The internal diameter of said tube to provide small interference therebetween; a plurality of conductive rings disposed on the inside of said cylinder and in full circumferential contact with said cylinder, said rings being spaced along the length of said cylinder from one end to the other; and means for commutating a pattern of voltages across said rings in a given direction such that for a given ring the voltage applied thereto increases from circuit ground potential to a predetermined maximum level and back to zero.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
56 words
A transducer as defined in claim 6 wherein said voltage pattern is comprised of a number of voltages less than the number of said rings, and the number of successively larger voltages between zero and said maximum applied to said given ring is equal to the number of successively smaller voltages between said maximum and zero.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
A transducer as defined in claim 7 wherein said number of voltages in said pattern applied to said given ring from zero through said maximum to zero is equal to two less than the number of said rings.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
A transducer as defined in claim 8 wherein said number of voltages in said pattern is odd.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
A transducer as defined in claim 6 including a rigid member carried by said cylinder as an actuator for a load.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3218534A
Cited
US3138749A
Cited
US3217218A
Cited
US3445688A
Cited
US3389274A
Cited
US3390559A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-03-14 | 1975-09-13 | 1976-03-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-03-14 | 1979-09-13 | 1980-03-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-03-14 | 1983-09-13 | 1984-03-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |