Artificial eye with an internal electromagnetic drive

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9776097-B2
Application number	US-201514730518-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2015
Priority date	Jun 4, 2015
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

An artificial eye for use with an animatronic figure or a robot. The artificial eye includes an outer shell formed with a wall defining a spherical inner void space. The outer shell includes a transparent outer or forward portion or half joined with a rear portion or half. The artificial eye includes an inner eye or sphere including a hollow, semi-spherical shell, and the inner eye is positioned in the inner void space of the outer shell. The artificial eye includes an electromagnetic drive positioned within the hollow, semi-spherical shell of the inner eye. The electromagnetic drive supports the inner eye a distance from inner surfaces of the outer shell wall, and the drive includes a pivot joint such as a gimbal operable to pivot the inner eye. The inner eye is supported by a central pivot joint and driven by components centrally located and hidden within the inner eye.

First claim

We claim:

1. An artificial eye, comprising:
an outer shell comprising a wall defining a substantially spherical inner void space and having a substantially spherical outer surface, wherein the outer shell includes a transparent forward portion joined with a rear portion;
an inner eyeball comprising a hollow, semi-spherical shell, wherein the hollow, semi-spherical shell is wholly positioned in the inner void space; and
an electromagnetic drive positioned within the hollow, semi-spherical shell of the inner eyeball,
wherein the electromagnetic drive supports the inner eyeball a distance from inner surfaces of the outer shell and includes a pivot joint operable to pivot the inner eyeball at least in one direction,
wherein the pivot joint comprises a gimbal, and
wherein the electromagnetic drive comprises a sphere-shaped gimbal hub wholly positioned within the hollow, semi-spherical shell of the inner eyeball and further comprises a post extending from the gimbal hub that is affixed at an end to an inner surface of the rear portion of the outer shell, whereby the gimbal hub is fixed in position relative to the outer shell and whereby the pivot joint and the gimbal hub of the electromagnetic drive are located within the inner eyeball of the artificial eye.

2. The artificial eye of claim 1 , further comprising a volume of liquid contained within the inner void space of the outer shell.

3. The artificial eye of claim 2 , wherein the liquid transmits light with an index of refraction substantially matching an index of refraction of the forward portion of the outer shell.

4. The artificial eye of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic drive further comprises:
a gimbal bar extending through the gimbal hub and supported upon a gimbal pin; and
a gimbal ring coupled with ends of the gimbal bar and with an inner surface of the hollow, semi-spherical shell of the inner eyeball, wherein an inner diameter of the gimbal ring is greater than an outer diameter of the gimbal hub.

5. The artificial eye of claim 4 , wherein the electromagnetic drive further comprises a plurality of spaced apart permanent magnets on the gimbal ring and a plurality of drive coils mounted on the gimbal hub that are selectively operable to apply drive magnetic fields on the permanent magnets to cause the gimbal ring to move on the pivot joint relative to an outer surface of the gimbal hub.

6. The artificial eye of claim 5 , wherein the electromagnetic drive comprises four of the permanent magnets on the gimbal ring and eight of the drive coils on the gimbal hub.

7. The artificial eye of claim 5 , wherein the electromagnetic drive further comprises a restoring permanent magnet positioned on the gimbal hub.

8. The artificial eye of claim 7 , wherein the restoring magnet comprises a soft rubber permanent magnet.

9. An animatronic eye for use in an animatronic figure, comprising:
a spherical, hollow outer shell for mounting onto the animatronic figure;
a volume of liquid within the outer shell;
a hollow inner sphere positioned in the liquid and wholly within the outer shell such that an outer surface of the inner sphere is spaced apart from the outer shell; and
a drive assembly comprising a set of magnetic elements wholly positioned within the inner sphere and a set of electromagnetic drive coils also wholly positioned within the inner sphere,
wherein the electromagnetic drive coils are selectively operable to apply magnetic drive forces upon the magnetic elements to rotate the inner sphere about a center point in yaw and pitch directions,
wherein the drive assembly includes a hub,
wherein the hub is positioned within the inner sphere, and
wherein the electromagnetic drive coils are provided on the hub, whereby the set of magnetic elements, the electromagnetic drive coils, and the hub of the drive assembly are located within an interior space of the inner sphere of the animatronic eye.

10. The animatronic eye of claim 9 , wherein the hub is rigidly coupled to an inner surface of the outer shell, wherein the drive assembly further includes a drive ring attached to an inner surface of the inner sphere, and wherein the magnetic elements are attached to the drive ring.

11. The animatronic eye of claim 10 , wherein the drive assembly includes a gimbal comprising a gimbal bar extending through the hub and connected at each end to the drive ring.

12. The animatronic eye of claim 10 , wherein the set of magnetic elements comprise four permanent magnets spaced apart about 90 degrees along an outer surface of the drive ring.

13. The animatronic eye of claim 10 , wherein the liquid comprises a liquid with an index of refraction matching an index of refraction of adjacent portions of the outer shell.

14. The animatronic eye of claim 12 , wherein the set of drive coils comprises eight, spaced-apart coils on an exterior surface of the hub.

15. An apparatus for use as an artificial eye, comprising:
an outer shell comprising a transparent forward portion joined with a rear portion;
an inner shell with a semi-spherical shape defining an inner void space; and
an electromagnetic drive comprising a hub wholly positioned within the inner void space defined by the inner shell,
wherein the electromagnetic drive supports the inner shell within an interior space of the outer shell at a distance from inner surfaces of the outer shell and includes a pivot joint within the hub allowing movement of the inner shell in at least one direction,
wherein the pivot joint comprises a gimbal,
wherein the electromagnetic drive comprises a post extending from the hub that is attached to the inner surfaces in the rear portion of the outer shell such that the hub is rigidly coupled to the outer shell,
wherein, except for the post, the electromagnetic drive is enclosed within the inner shell, and
wherein the inner shell has an outer surface free of any components of the electromagnetic drive.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the electromagnetic drive further comprises:
a gimbal bar extending through the hub and supported upon a gimbal pin; and
a gimbal ring coupled with ends of the gimbal bar and with an inner surface of the inner shell.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the electromagnetic drive further comprises at least one permanent magnet on the gimbal ring and at least two drive coils mounted on the gimbal hub that are selectively operable to apply drive magnetic fields on the at least one permanent magnet to cause the gimbal ring to move on the pivot joint relative to an outer surface of the gimbal hub.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the electromagnetic drive comprises four of the permanent magnets on the gimbal ring and eight of the drive coils on the gimbal hub.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the electromagnetic drive further comprises a restoring magnetic element positioned on the gimbal hub.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the restoring magnetic element comprises a soft rubber permanent magnet.

Assignees

• Disney Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Smoot Lanny S
• Chevako Peter Anastasios
• Romaire Eli Joseph

Classifications

• A63H3/40 Primary

  movable · CPC title

• A61F2/141

  Artificial eyes · CPC title