Miscellaneous hardware (e.g. – bushing – carpet fastener – caster – Hinge
Patent
1995-12-27
1998-02-10
Mah, Chuck Y.
Miscellaneous hardware (e.g., bushing, carpet fastener, caster,
Hinge
114274, 114280, E05D 1110, E05D 1108
Patent
active
057155720
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to hinge mechanisms, watercraft and foil assemblies which include hinges, to hinged undulating propulsion elements, and to hinge controls therefor.
There exists a variety of watercraft including hydrofoils. A preferred embodiment of watercraft including a retractable hydrofoil is described in applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 4,715,304 and in the references cited therein. The hydrofoil has a main portion and a tip portion attached thereto.
In addition to providing retractable and adjustable hydrofoils, it would also be advantageous to be able to accurately and easily adjust the angular orientation of the hydrofoil tip portion relative to the main portion, thereby improving the instantaneous hydrodynamic characteristics of the hydrofoil and, therefore, of the watercraft.
The present invention seeks to provide a fluidic hinge assembly, such as a hydraulic, pneumatic or combined hydraulic-pneumatic hinge assembly, which may be incorporated into mechanical control systems such as used with hydrofoils, airfoils, robot systems, artificial limbs, lifting devices such as cranes, and fish-tail propulsion devices.
There is provided, therefore, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, hinge apparatus which includes first and second hinge members arranged for relative rotation about a hinge axis, and fluidic actuator apparatus. The fluidic actuator apparatus includes a force transfer member having a first end attached to the first hinge member at an anchor location spaced from the hinge axis, and expandable pillow apparatus associated with the force transfer member and operative to expand when exposed to a fluidic pressure thereby to apply a force along the force transfer member to the first hinge member so as to cause rotation of the first hinge member relative to the second hinge member in at least a first direction.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the hinge apparatus also includes valve apparatus for selectably coupling the expandable pillow apparatus to a fluidic pressure source.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the pillow apparatus has a flexible, expandable contact surface and the force transfer member has a second end attached to the second hinge member such that the force transfer member is positioned against the contact surface, and wherein pressurization of the pillow apparatus causes a lateral displacement of the force transfer member by the contact surface, thereby to cause a force to be applied along the force transfer member to the first hinge member.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the force transfer member is a first force transfer member and the hinge apparatus also includes a second force transfer member which has a first end attached to the first hinge member at an anchor location spaced from the hinge axis, and wherein the pillow apparatus has an additional flexible, expandable contact surface and the second force transfer member has a second end attached to the second hinge member such that the force transfer member is positioned against the additional contact surface, and wherein pressurization of the pillow apparatus causes a lateral displacement of the second force transfer member by the additional contact surface, thereby to cause a force to be applied along the force transfer member to the first hinge member.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the valve apparatus is operative to permit expansion of a single predetermined one of the contact surfaces in accordance with a selected operational mode of the actuator apparatus.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the pillow apparatus includes a pair of fluid filled pillow members each having one of the contact surfaces.
In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the invention, the hinge apparatus forms part of a foil assembly of which one preferred use is as a hydrofoil.
In accordance with a further embodiment of the inv
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patent: 1281774 (1918-06-01), Franckaerts
patent: 2603179 (1952-07-01), Gardiner
patent: 3270699 (1966-09-01), Bush
patent: 3417722 (1968-12-01), O'Neill
patent: 4364324 (1982-12-01), Warner
patent: 4711195 (1987-12-01), Shutt
patent: 4715304 (1987-12-01), Steinberg
patent: 4829628 (1989-05-01), Vuksic
patent: 4955312 (1990-09-01), Magazzu
patent: 5117776 (1992-06-01), Thorpe
Amiram Steinberg & Dalia Lapidot
Mah Chuck Y.
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