Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080272553 | Compliant Plate Seals for Turbomachinery - A shaft seal serves to reduce leakage between a rotating shaft and a static shell. The shaft seal includes a plurality of compliant plate members, each having a root and a tip. The compliant plate members are secured to one of the static shell and the rotating shaft at their root in facing relation. The tips of the compliant plate members define a sealing ring between the static shell and the rotating shaft. An axial flow resistance member is disposed within the compliant plate members and serves as a harrier to axial leakage flow between the compliant plate members. | 11-06-2008 |
20090304493 | Axially oriented shingle face seal for turbine rotor and related method - An axial seal arrangement is provided between a rotor and a stator. The rotor is provided with a first disk having a substantially flat sealing face surface. The stator is provided with a second annular disk surrounding the rotor, supporting proximate ends of a plurality of axially extending, flexible, compliant seal elements arranged in an annular array of plural, circumferentially-overlapping radial layers to thereby provide a tortuous path for radially outward leakage flow. | 12-10-2009 |
20090309311 | Methods and apparatus to facilitate sealing in rotary machines - A method and seal assembly for a rotary machine including a rotary component and a stationary component is provided. The method includes providing a seal housing including a front plate and a back plate that is spaced from the front plate such that a cavity is defined between the front plate and the back plate. The method also includes coupling a plurality of flexible compliant plates to at least one of the seal housing and the stationary component such that the compliant plates are spaced from the front plate and the back plate within the cavity, and coupling at least one projection to at least one of the seal housing and the compliant plates such that the at least one projection facilitates reducing flow through at least one of a first axial gap and a second axial gap that are defined between the seal housing and the compliant plates. | 12-17-2009 |
20100078893 | ACTIVE RETRACTABLE SEAL FOR TURBOMACHINERY AND RELATED METHOD - An active retractable seal assembly is configured for use between a rotating component and a stationary component of turbo machinery is disclosed. The seal assembly includes a seal mounted to the stationary component. The seal is movable towards and away from the rotating component between a respective closed position and an open position as a function of pressure drop across the seal. The seal includes an active seal segment, a non-active seal segment, and a fluid by-pass circuit. The fluid by-pass circuit is configured for directing fluid around the active seal segment to reduce pressure drop across the active seal segment thereby resulting in the active seal segment moving towards an open position under the action of one or more biasing devices while maintaining the non-active seal segment in a closed position. | 04-01-2010 |
20100126296 | MULTIPLE DEGREES OF FREEDOM MOTION SYSTEM - A multiple degrees of freedom motion system comprising an arrangement of rigid stages, flexure constraint modules, actuators, and sensors. These components of the motion system are arranged and connected in a systematic fashion to provide a high degree of decoupling between the motion axes, suitable placement of ground-mounted actuators to actuate each motion axis, and suitable placement of sensors to allow end-point measurement along each motion axis. This arrangement of rigid stages, flexure constraint modules, actuators and sensors enables large motion range and high motion quality in the motion system, while using standard and commonly available components. | 05-27-2010 |
20120041450 | MINIMAL ACCESS TOOL - A minimal access tool includes a frame arranged to be attached to an arm of a user, a tool shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, where the tool shaft proximal end is connected to the frame. The tool further includes an input joint having a first end connected to the frame and a second end arranged to receive user input, the input joint including a virtual center-of-rotation (VC) mechanism which provides a center of rotation that generally coincides with a wrist joint of the user. An output joint is connected to the tool shaft distal end, where the output joint is coupled to the input joint via a mechanical transmission connected therebetween to correlate motion of the input joint to motion of the output joint. | 02-16-2012 |
20130207328 | SINGLE-AXIS FLEXURE BEARING CONFIGURATIONS - Flexure bearing systems and configurations guide translational motion along a single-axis in micro and macro applications such as micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) devices including sensors and actuators like electrostatic comb-drive actuators. The flexure bearing systems and configurations described herein provide an improved constraint against movement (i.e., stiffness) of the primary mover in non-motion axes such as a bearing axis. | 08-15-2013 |
20140142595 | MINIMAL ACCESS TOOL - A minimal access tool includes a frame arranged to be attached to an arm of a user, a tool shaft having a proximal end and a distal end, where the tool shaft proximal end is connected to the frame. The tool further includes an input joint having a first end connected to the frame and a second end arranged to receive user input, the input joint including a virtual center-of-rotation (VC) mechanism which provides a center of rotation that generally coincides with a wrist joint of the user. An output joint is connected to the tool shaft distal end, where the output joint is coupled to the input joint via a mechanical transmission connected therebetween to correlate motion of the input joint to motion of the output joint. | 05-22-2014 |
20140265644 | ELECTROMAGNETIC ACTUATORS AND COMPONENT DESIGNS THEREFOR - An embodiment of an electromagnetic actuator, such as a moving magnet actuator (MMA), includes a back iron, a first coil winding, a second coil winding, a mover, and a permanent magnet. The first and second coil windings are connected to the back iron, and have generally annular shapes. The mover moves relative to the back iron during use of the MMA. The permanent magnet is connected to the mover and moves with the mover during use of the MMA. The permanent magnet has a generally annular shape. | 09-18-2014 |
20150073300 | SKIN TISSUE BIOPSY DEVICE - A tissue biopsy device comprising an inner needle loaded by a first spring and held in place by a first trigger; an outer needle loaded by a second spring and held in place by a second trigger; an outer housing that surrounds the first and the second needles; and a handle attached thereto. | 03-12-2015 |