Geared drive system providing intermittent motion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12188545-B2
Application number	US-202318358446-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2023
Priority date	Feb 9, 2021
Publication date	Jan 7, 2025
Grant date	Jan 7, 2025

Abstract

A mounting assembly may include an arced connecting member that includes a first drive chain along a bottom surface of the arced connecting member, a second drive chain positioned adjacent to the first drive chain, and a third drive chain in a gap between the first and the second drive chains. The mounting assembly may include an intermittent-motion drive system that has a drive wheel with a nub extending from a lateral surface of the drive wheel, the nub being shaped to interface with notches included along the third drive chain. The intermittent-motion drive system may include a first and a second protrusion shaped to interface with surfaces of the first and second drive chains, respectively. Rotation of a drive axle extending through the drive wheel may affect rotation of the drive wheel, rotational movement of the nub extending from the drive wheel, and movement of the arced connecting member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mounting assembly, comprising:
an arced connecting member that includes:
a first plate;
a second plate positioned adjacent to the first plate; and
a plurality of pegs interposed between the first plate and the second plate;
an intermittent-motion drive system that includes:
a drive wheel positioned at least partially between the first plate and the second plate;

a protrusion extending from a center of a base surface of the drive wheel, the protrusion being shaped to interface with one or more pegs of the plurality of pegs,
a first protruding wall that extends from the base surface of the drive wheel; and
a second protruding wall that extends from the base surface of the drive wheel, wherein the first protruding wall is located closer to the center of the drive wheel than the second protruding wall.

2. The mounting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first protruding wall and the second protruding wall each include an arced shape.

3. The mounting assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
a first gap is formed between the base surface of the drive wheel, the protrusion, and the first protruding wall, the first gap including a width greater than a width of one peg of the plurality of pegs; and
a second gap is formed between the base surface of the drive wheel, the first protruding wall, and the second protruding wall, the second gap including a width greater than the width of one peg of the plurality of pegs.

4. The mounting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pegs includes:
a first set of pegs extending from a first surface of the first plate towards the second plate, the first surface facing the second plate; and
a second set of pegs extending from a second surface of the second plate towards the first plate, the second surface facing the first plate.

5. A mounting assembly, comprising:
an arced connecting member that includes:
a first plate;
a second plate positioned adjacent to the first plate; and
a plurality of pegs interposed between the first plate and the second plate proximate a bottom surface of the arced connecting member;

an intermittent-motion drive system that includes a drive wheel positioned at least partially between the first plate and the second plate, the drive wheel including a substantially circular shape and a nub protruding from a lateral surface of the drive wheel, the drive wheel further positioned so the nub at least partially overlaps with the plurality of pegs, wherein the lateral surface of the drive wheel includes one or more grooves positioned at an interface between the substantially circular shape and the nub protruding from the lateral surface of the drive wheel.

6. The mounting assembly of claim 5 , wherein the nub protruding from the lateral surface of the drive wheel includes a convex triangular shape.

7. The mounting assembly of claim 5 , wherein each peg of the plurality of pegs includes a cylindrical shape in which a first base surface of each peg is attached to a first surface of the first plate and a second base surface of each peg is attached to a second surface of the second plate.

8. The mounting assembly of claim 7 , wherein each peg of the plurality of pegs includes a ring extending from a lateral surface of each peg.

9. The mounting assembly of claim 8 , wherein the drive wheel includes a channel circumscribing the drive wheel along the lateral surface of the drive wheel.

Assignees

• Array Tech Inc

Inventors

• Kumar Nikhil
• Schuknecht Nathan

Classifications

• Y02E10/47

  Mountings or tracking · CPC title

• Y02E10/50

  Photovoltaic [PV] energy · CPC title

• F24S25/70

  with means for adjusting the final position or orientation of supporting elements in relation to each other or to a mounting surface; with means for compensating mounting tolerances · CPC title

• F16H29/12

  between rotary driving and driven members (F16H29/20, F16H29/22 take precedence) · CPC title

• F24S2030/134

  in the form of gearings or rack-and-pinion transmissions · CPC title