Radiant energy – Corona irradiation
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-06
2004-05-25
Lee, John R. (Department: 2881)
Radiant energy
Corona irradiation
C250S325000, C250S326000, C250S281000, C073S581000, C029S593000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06740878
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention is directed to tensioning wires and retaining tensioned wires.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1
illustrates one conventional apparatus and technique for tensioning wires and retaining such tensioned wires under tension. As shown in
FIG. 1
, the current process and apparatus for tensioning wires and retaining the tensioned wires under tension requires each wire
110
to be formed with looped ends
112
. As shown in
FIG. 1
, a wire tension module
100
includes a pair of tensioning portions
120
and
130
. End members
124
and
134
of the tensioning portions
120
and
130
, respectively, are rigidly mounted and spaced apart on a substrate member
140
. Tension blocks
122
and
132
of the tensioning portions
120
and
130
, respectively, are slidably placed on the substrate member
140
and attached by screws
128
and
138
to the end members
124
and
134
, respectively. Each of the tensioning blocks
122
and
132
includes a post
126
and
136
, respectively. The wire to be tensioned
110
is connected between the tension blocks
122
and
132
by placing one of the looped ends
112
over each of the posts
126
and
136
.
A tensile force is then placed on the wire to be tensioned
110
by turning one or both of the screws
128
and
138
in a direction that draws the respective blocks
122
and
132
towards the corresponding end members
124
or
134
. That is, the screws
128
and/or
138
are turned to move the blocks
122
and
132
away from each other. The tension and, more importantly, the vibrational frequency, in the wire free span is thus set by pulling on one or more of the blocks
122
and/or
132
using the respective screws
128
and
138
to elongate the wire
110
.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, the screws
128
and
138
pass through passages
125
and
135
in the end members
124
and
134
, respectively, and engage with threaded passages
123
and
133
formed in the blocks
122
and
132
, respectively. It should be appreciated that, based on the amount of elongation of the wire
110
required to obtain the desired tension or vibrational frequency in the wire free span, both end portions
120
and
130
may be required. Alternatively, if only a relatively small of elongation is required to obtain the desired or vibrational frequency, one of the end portions
120
or
130
can be replaced with a post
126
or
136
that is rigidly fixed to an expanded end member
124
or
134
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
However, the inventors of the invention described herein have determined that this process is very difficult to automate and requires an excessively large number of parts in the wire module
100
. These two factors lead to a significantly high manufacturing cost for the wire module
100
.
This invention provides systems and methods for tensioning wires to be tensioned that moves the tensioning function from the wire module to an apparatus external to the wire module.
This invention separately provides systems and methods for retaining externally-tensioned wires under tension in the wire module.
However, externally tensioning and measuring the tension applied to the wires to be incorporated into the wire module is difficult. In particular, it is often difficult to accurately hold the wire in place or even to accurately handle the wire. Additionally, the wire's own characteristics and/or sensitivities limit the ability of conventional external wire tensioning systems to accurately and repeatedly tension the wires to the desired vibrational frequency.
This invention provides systems and methods for tensioning wires externally to the wire module.
This invention further provides systems and methods for externally tensioning the wires that allows desired tension values to be set, automatically attained, and maintained in a repeatable manner.
This invention separately provides an external tensioning device that can apply and measure tension in a very fine wire.
This invention separately provides systems and methods for applying measuring and maintaining tension using closed loop feedback.
This invention separately provides systems and methods for automatically tensioning wire that permits various tension factors and parameters to be easily set.
By removing the tensioning function from the wire module, the cost of the wire module can be reduced. In particular, shifting the tensioning function to an external wire tensioning apparatus allows the number of parts in the wire module to be reduced and allows more flexibility in automating the tensioning and tensioned wire retaining processes.
According to one exemplary embodiment of the systems and methods for retaining externally-tensioned wires according to this invention, one or more wires are tensioned using an apparatus that is external to the wire module. The one or more externally-tensioned wires to be incorporated into the wire module are then placed, at each end of the wire module, between a first, fixed member and a second, detachable member. Each of the detachable members is detachably attached to the corresponding fixed member. In particular, a force normal to the tension direction in the one or more wires is generated between the detachable and fixed members to clamp or otherwise securely hold the externally tensioned wires at each end of the wire module. This retains the externally applied tension in the wires between the end portions of the wire module. The distance between the end portions of the wire module and the tension in the clamped tensioned wires is selected so that the desired vibrational frequency in the free wire span between the end portions of the wire module is obtained.
In one exemplary embodiment, the clamping surfaces of the first member and the second member extend parallel to the free span of the tensioned wires. In a second exemplary embodiment, the clamping surfaces of the first member and the second member are angled relative to the plane defined by the free span of the tensioned wires. In this second exemplary embodiment, the first member has a curved portion extending between the clamping surface of the first member and the plane defined by the wire free spans of the tensioned wires.
The inventors of this invention have determined that clamping the tensioned wires in this manner will hold the tensioned wires at the desired vibrational frequency. The inventors have also determined that dissimilar materials for the clamping surface improves the long term stability in holding the tensioned wires at the desired vibrational frequency. However, using dissimilar materials for the clamping surface wire is not required.
In one exemplary embodiment of the external wire tensioning systems and methods of this invention, a wire tensioning device includes a base plate. A three-axis slide system is mounted at one end of the base plate and a wire holding fixture is provided at the other end of the base plate. A feedhead assembly is mounted on the three-axis slide system. Two of the slides of the three-axis slide system are used to position the feedhead assembly perpendicular to and across the base plate. The third slide of the three-axis slide system is used to apply tension to the wire between the wire holding fixture at one end of the base plate and the feedhead assembly at the other end of the base plate.
In various exemplary embodiments, the feedhead assembly includes a load cell used to measure the tension applied to the wire between the feedhead assembly and the wire holding fixture. A servo control system inputs a signal from the load cell and applies a drive signal to the third slide of the three-axis slide system based on the difference between a desired wire tension value and the wire tension measured by the load cell. Thus, the load cell servo control system and third slide of the three-axis slide system use closed-loop feedback control.
In one exemplary embodiment of the feedhead assembly including the load cell, the wire to be tensioned is stored on a wire spool. The wire is drawn from the wire spool through
Dondiz Leopold B.
Moran Patricia
Warren Timothy C.
Lee John R.
Vanore David A.
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