Boring or penetrating the earth – Automatic control – Of boring means including a below-ground drive prime mover
Patent
1993-11-29
1994-10-11
Buiz, Michael Powell
Boring or penetrating the earth
Automatic control
Of boring means including a below-ground drive prime mover
175 61, 175 73, E21B 700
Patent
active
053538846
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
DESCRIPTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a positioning device for positioning a member to be driven such as an operational shaft, a probe or the like, and more specifically to a positioning device for positioning a member employing a harmonic drive mechanism of the hollow type.
The present invention also relates to a drilling-direction control device for a drilling system for oil wells or the like, wherein harmonic drive mechanisms are utilized to deflect a rotational drill shaft in a direction approximately perpendicular to its rotational axis, to thereby control the drilling direction of a drill bit mounted on the end of the rotational drill shaft.
2. Background Art
In recent years, such machining process as requiring accurate and fine machining has been increased due to developments of the machine tool technology employing numerical controlling system, IC manufacturing technology and the like. In order to realize a highly accurate machining, the cutting bit or the workpiece have to be precisely brought to a desired position.
On the other hand, in oil well drilling, the drilling direction of a drill bit must be shifted so as to avoid rock beds or the like and continue the drilling operation. Also, in case that the drilling direction of a drill bit falls in a condition deviated from a desired one, it must be controlled so as to adjust the orientation thereof to the desired direction.
In view of the above facts, the purpose of the present invention is to realize a positioning device capable of positioning a member with a high degree of resolution By using a harmonic drive mechanism of the hollow type.
Another purpose of the present invention is to realize a drilling-direction control device for a drilling system such as of an oil well drilling system, which employs harmonic drive mechanisms of the hollow type so that it can be constituted in a compact manner and is capable of controlling a drilling direction with a high degree of resolution.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
In order to achieve the above purposes, a device for positioning a member according to the present invention, comprises a cylindrical member, a first annular member which is rotatably mounted on a circular inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical member and is formed therein with a circular inner circumferential surface deviated from the cylindrical member, a second annular member which is mounted rotatably on said circular inner circumferential surface of the first annular member and is formed therein with a circular inner circumferential surface deviated from the circular inner circumferential surface of the first annular member, and a harmonic drive mechanism for rotating said first and second annular members about their axes with respect to each other. Further, a degree of deviation of the circular inner circumferential surface of the first annular member from the cylindrical member is set equal to that of deviation of the circular inner circumferential surface of the second annular member from the first annular member.
A member to be positioned is connected to the second annular member so that it is moved integrally with the center of the circular inner circumferential surface of the second annular member. In this condition, by rotating the first and second annular members relative to each other, the position of the center of the circular inner circumferential surface of the second annular member can be defined as a sum of vectors representing movements of the centers of the circular inner circumferential surfaces of the respective annular members. Therefore, the first and second annular members are controlled of their rotational angular positions and relative rotation so that the center of the member to be positioned can be positioned at any points within a circle having a radius summed by the amounts of deviation of both circular inner circumferential surfaces.
A drilling-direction control device for a drilling system according to the present invention employs the above-constituted positioning device to
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Ikeda Akio
Kiyosawa Yoshihide
Misawa Toshiaki
Sakata Jun
Buiz Michael Powell
Harmonic Drive Systems, Inc
Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd.
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