Belt termination and tensioning in a pulley arrangement for a robotic arm

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12590621-B2
Application number	US-202418900220-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2024
Priority date	Sep 16, 2016
Publication date	Mar 31, 2026
Grant date	Mar 31, 2026

Abstract

In one variation, a pulley arrangement includes a base pulley portion rotatable within a driving plane, an adjustable pulley portion coupled to the base pulley portion wherein the adjustable pulley portion is rotatable relative to the base pulley portion within the driving plane, and a driving member including an end coupled to the adjustable pulley portion wherein at least a portion of the driving member is wrapped at least partially around the adjustable pulley portion. In another variation, a pulley arrangement includes a base pulley portion rotatable around an axis, an adjustable pulley portion coupled to the base pulley portion and movable in a first direction parallel to the axis, and a sliding block engaged with the adjustable pulley portion, wherein the sliding block moves in a second direction different from the first direction, in response to compression of the adjustable pulley portion against the base pulley portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A pulley arrangement, comprising:
a base pulley portion rotatable around an axis; an adjustable pulley portion in-plane with the base pulley portion and movable in a first direction parallel to the axis; and a first sliding block engaged with the adjustable pulley portion; wherein the first sliding block is configured to move in a second direction different from the first direction, in response to the adjustable pulley portion moving in the first direction.

2 . The pulley arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising a driving member comprising a first end coupled to the first sliding block, wherein at least a portion of the driving member is wrapped at least partially around the first sliding block.

3 . The pulley arrangement of claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the driving member is wrapped at least partially around the adjustable pulley portion.

4 . The pulley arrangement of claim 1 , wherein a first member of the adjustable pulley portion includes at least one sloped surface engaged with the first sliding block.

5 . The pulley arrangement of claim 4 , wherein the sloped surface is a linearly slanted surface.

6 . The pulley arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the first sliding block includes at least one sloped surface.

7 . The pulley arrangement of claim 1 , wherein moving in the first direction compresses the adjustable pulley portion against the base pulley portion and the first sliding block is configured to move in a linear path in the second direction normal or perpendicular to the first direction in response to the adjustable pulley portion compressing against the base pulley portion.

8 . The pulley arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the adjustable pulley portion comprises a first member and a second member disposed in a recess of the base pulley portion, and the arrangement further comprises a second sliding block engaged with the adjustable pulley portion.

Assignees

• Auris Health Inc

Inventors

• Devengenzo Roman
• Williams Matthew Reagan
• Morfey Stephen John
• LEÓN Ricardo Alfonso
• Metzger Andrew
• Koenig Karen Shakespear
• SOUNDARARAJAN Vijay

Classifications

• F16H2019/0668

  with open loop, e.g. with the free ends of the flexible member fixed to the casing, e.g. when the drive means are arranged on the carriage · CPC title

• F16H2019/0677

  characterised by the means for fixing the flexible member to a drum · CPC title

• F16H19/005

  for conveying oscillating or limited rotary motion · CPC title

• F16H55/52

  Pulleys or friction discs of adjustable construction · CPC title

• B25J9/1045

  comprising tensioning means · CPC title