Patent US4841978A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4841978A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ultrasonic scanning device with elastic pumper
Assignee: Philips North America LLC
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Filing: 1984-12-24
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Granted: 1989-06-27
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Expires: 2004-12-24
Abstract
Abstract An ultrasonic scanning device includes a stator and a rotor pivotably mounted on the stator for oscillation around the axis of rotation. The rotor (or stator) has two elastic bumper stops spaced from the axis of rotation and spaced from each other. An elastic bumper is attached to the stator (or rotor) and arranged between the bumper stops. The resulting scanning device conserves energy by converting kinetic energy in one direction to potential energy, and then by converting the potential energy back into kinetic energy in the opposite direction.
Inventors
- 👤 Arnold T. Eventoff
- 👤 Wyatt S. Newman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 02:02
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10K; G10K11/00; G10K11/18; G10K11/26; G10K11/35; G10K11/352; G10K11/355; G01; G01N; G01N2291/00; G01N2291/02; G01N2291/028; G01N2291/02827
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
117 words
An ultrasonic scanning device comprising: a stator; a rotor having an axis of rotation, said rotor being pivotably mounted on the stator for oscillation around the axis of rotation; an ultrasonic transducer mounted on the rotor; and means for causing the rotor to oscillate around the axis of rotation; characterized in that: the rotor has two elastic bumper stops arranged spaced from the axis of rotation and spaced from each other; the device further comprises an elastic bumper attached to the stator and arranged between the bumper stops; and the means for oscillating the rotor oscillates the rotor with substantially constant angular velocity, and reverses the direction of the rotor by elastic collisions between the bumper stops.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
117 words
An ultrasonic scanning device comprising: a stator; a rotor having an axis of rotation, said rotor being pivotably mounted on the stator for oscillation around the axis of rotation; an ultrasonic transducer mounted on the rotor; and means for causing the rotor to oscillate around the axis of rotation; characterized in that: the rotor has two elastic bumper stops arranged spaced from the axis of rotation and spaced from each other; the device further comprises an elastic bumper attached to the stator and arranged between the bumper stops; and the means for oscillating the rotor oscillates the rotor with substantially constant angular velocity, and reverses the direction of the rotor by elastic collisions between the bumper stops.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
An ultrasonic scanning device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that each bumper stop is a planar surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
An ultrasonic scanning device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the elastic bumper is displaceable toward or away from the rotor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
An ultrasonic scanning device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the elastic bumper is displaceable along a radius from the axis of rotation.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
An ultrasonic scanning device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the bumper stop surfaces intersect each other along a line located between the axis of rotation and the elastic bumper.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
An ultrasonic scanning device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the bumper and bumper stops are made of metal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
An ultrasonic scanning device as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the bumper and bumper stops are made of steel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
An ultrasonic scanning device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the bumper and bumper stops are magnetized such that the bumper stops exert repulsive forces on the bumper.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
66 words
An ultrasonic scanning device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: the stator comprises a magnetically permeable pole piece having end faces; the rotor comprises a magnetically permeable member arranged to pass between the end faces of the stator as the rotor oscillates, said stator and rotor forming a magnetic circuit; and the device further comprises means for generating magnetic flux in the magnetic circuit.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
An ultrasonic scanning device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the elastic bumper is displaceable toward or away from the rotor.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
83 words
An ultrasonic scanning device as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the device further comprises: means for generating a reference signal representing the desired angular velocity of the rotor around the axis of rotation; means for generating a velocity signal representing the actual angular velocity of the rotor around the axis of rotation; and means responsive to the difference between the reference signal and the velocity signal for driving the means for causing the rotor to oscillate around the axis of rotation.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
57 words
An ultrasonic scanning device as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the reference signal generating means comprises: means for generating a signal indicating contact between the elastic bumper and a bumper stop; means for generating a step function electrical signal; and means for changing the sign of the electrical signal in response to the contact signal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
83 words
An ultrasonic scanning device as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the device further comprises: means for generating a reference signal representing the desired angular position of the rotor around the axis of rotation; means for generating a position signal representing the actual angular position of the rotor around the axis of rotation; and means responsive to the difference between the reference signal and the position signal for driving the means for causing the rotor to oscillate around the axis of rotation.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
77 words
An ultrasonic scanning device as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the reference signal generating means comprising: means for generating a contact signal indicating contact between the elastic bumper and a bumper stop; means for generating an electrical signal with a constant rate of change as a function of time; and means for changing the sign of the rate of change of the reference signal as a function of time in response to the contact signal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
111 words
A scanning device comprising: a stator; a rotor having an axis of rotation, said rotor being pivotably mounted on the stator for oscillation around the axis of rotation; and means for causing the rotor to oscillate around the axis of rotation; characterized in that: the rotor has two elastic bumper stops arranged spaced from the axis of rotation and spaced from each other; the device further comprises an elastic bumper attached to the stator and arranged between the bumper stops; and the means for oscillating the rotor oscillates the rotor with substantially constant velocity, and reverses the direction of the rotor by elastic collisions between the bumper and the bumper stops.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
111 words
A scanning device comprising: a stator; a rotor having an axis of rotation, said rotor being pivotably mounted on the stator for oscillation around the axis of rotation; and means for causing the rotor to oscillate around the axis of rotation; characterized in that: the rotor has two elastic bumper stops arranged spaced from the axis of rotation and spaced from each other; the device further comprises an elastic bumper attached to the stator and arranged between the bumper stops; and the means for oscillating the rotor oscillates the rotor with substantially constant velocity, and reverses the direction of the rotor by elastic collisions between the bumper and the bumper stops.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
22 words
A scanning device as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the elastic bumper is displaceable toward or away from the rotor.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
119 words
An ultrasonic scanning device comprising: a stator; a rotor having an axis of rotation, said rotor being pivotably mounted on the stator for oscillation around the axis of rotation; an ultrasonic transducer mounted on the rotor; and means for causing the rotor to oscillate around the axis of rotation; characterized in that: the stator has two elastic bumper stops arranged spaced from the axis of rotation and spaced from each other; the device further comprises an elastic bumper attached to the rotor and arranged between the bumper stops; and the means for oscillating the rotor oscillates the rotor with substantially constant velocity, and reverses the direction of the rotor by elastic collisions between the bumper and the bumper stops.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
119 words
An ultrasonic scanning device comprising: a stator; a rotor having an axis of rotation, said rotor being pivotably mounted on the stator for oscillation around the axis of rotation; an ultrasonic transducer mounted on the rotor; and means for causing the rotor to oscillate around the axis of rotation; characterized in that: the stator has two elastic bumper stops arranged spaced from the axis of rotation and spaced from each other; the device further comprises an elastic bumper attached to the rotor and arranged between the bumper stops; and the means for oscillating the rotor oscillates the rotor with substantially constant velocity, and reverses the direction of the rotor by elastic collisions between the bumper and the bumper stops.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
23 words
An ultrasonic scanning device as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that the bumper stops are displaceable toward or away from the rotor.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
83 words
An ultrasonic scanning device as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that the device further comprises: means for generating a reference signal representing the desired angular velocity of the rotor around the axis of rotation; means for generating a velocity signal representing the actual angular velocity of the rotor around the axis of rotation; and means responsive to the difference between the reference signal and the velocity signal for driving the means for causing the rotor to oscillate around the axis of rotation.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
60 words
An ultrasonic scanning device as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that: the rotor comprises a magnetically permeable pole piece having end faces; the stator comprises a magnetically permeable member arranged between the end faces of the rotor, said stator and rotor forming a magnetic circuit; and the device further comprises means for generating magnetic flux in the magnetic circuit.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-06-26 | 1992-12-26 | 1993-06-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-06-26 | 1996-12-26 | 1997-06-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-06-26 | 2000-12-26 | 2001-06-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |