Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02799421 2014-08-05
DRIVE SYSTEM
[0001]
Background of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a driving unit to transmit force
from one object to
another.
Summary of the Invention
[0003] A driving unit is described herein. A better understanding of the
invention
will be obtained from the following detailed descriptions and accompanying
drawings, which set
forth one or more illustrative embodiments that are indicative of the various
ways in which the
principals of the invention may be employed.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0004] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a kitchen
utensil as
described herein.
[0005] Fig. 2 is an exploded view of an embodiment of a drive train
for the kitchen
utensil of Figure 1.
[0006] Fig. 3 is an exploded close up of an embodiment of a spiral
radius gear and a
spur gear of the drive train of Figure 2, with the spur gear on top.
[0007] Fig. 4 is an exploded close up of an embodiment of a spiral
radius gear and a
spur gear of the drive train of Figure 2, with the spiral gear on top.
[0008] Fig. 5 is an embodiment of a pinion gear of the drive train
of Figure 2.
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[0009] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a quarter
pinion gear of the
drive train of Figure 2.
[0010] Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the quarter pinion of Figure
6.
[0011] Fig. 8 is a bottom view of the assembled drive train of
Figure 2, with the drive
train at the end of the cycle.
[0012] Fig. 9 is a bottom view of the assembled drive train of
Figure 2, with the drive
train at the beginning of the cycle.
[0013] Fig. 10 is a top view of the embodiment disclosed in Figure
2 in the fired
position, showing just the spiral radius gear and the quarter pinion gear for
clarity.
[0014] Fig. 11 is a top view of the embodiment disclosed in Figure 10 in
the un-fired
position, showing just the spiral radius gear and the quarter pinion gear for
clarity.
[0015] Fig. 12 is a top view of a second embodiment of a drive
train in the fired
position, showing just the first quarter pinion gear and the second quarter
pinion gear for clarity.
[0016] Fig. 13 is a top view of embodiment of the drive train
disclosed in Figure 12
in the un-fired position, showing just the first quarter pinion gear and the
second quarter pinion
gear for clarity.
[0017] Fig. 14 is a top view of the lid disclosed in Figure 8,
with the handle member
at the end of the cycle.
[0018] Fig. 15 is a top view of the lid disclosed in Figure 9,
with the handle member
at the beginning of the cycle.
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Detailed Description of the Drawings
[0019]
The description that follows describes, illustrates and exemplifies one or
more
particular embodiments of the present invention in accordance with its
principles. This
description is not provided to limit the invention to the embodiments
described herein, but rather
to explain and teach the principles of the invention in such a way to enable
one of ordinary skill
in the art to understand these principles and, with that understanding, be
able to apply them to
practice not only the embodiments described herein, but also other embodiments
that may come
to mind in accordance with these principles. The scope of the present
invention is intended to
cover all such embodiments that may fall within the scope of the appended
claims, either literally
or under the doctrine of equivalents.
[0020]
It should be noted that in the description and drawings, like or
substantially
similar elements may be labeled with the same reference numerals. However,
sometimes these
elements may be labeled with differing numbers, such as, for example, in cases
where such
labeling facilitates a more clear description. Additionally, the drawings set
forth herein are not
necessarily drawn to scale, and in some instances proportions may have been
exaggerated to
more clearly depict certain features. Such labeling and drawing practices do
not necessarily
implicate an underlying substantive purpose. As stated above, the present
specification is
intended to be taken as a whole and interpreted in accordance with the
principles of the present
invention as taught herein and understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.
[0021] The
present invention is described herein with respect to a drive unit that is
used to transmit force from one object to another. It may be used, for
example, with an
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exemplary kitchen utensil 10, which is shown in Fig. 1. It will be understood
that the drive
mechanism disclosed herein may be used in other applications.
[0022]
In the depicted embodiment, kitchen utensil 10 comprises handle member 12,
which comprises first end 14 having a gripping portion 15, and second end 16
that is engaged to
lid 20. In order to provide for the placement of the user's hand on the lid in
order to stabilize
kitchen utensil 10, in the depicted embodiments, handle member 12 is offset
from the axis of
rotation of implement 52.
[0023]
As depicted in Fig. 1, handle member 12 is rotatably engaged to lid 20 by
means of a pair of shafts 24, to move between an "up position," shown, e.g.,
in Fig. 15, and a
"down" position, shown, e.g., in Fig. 1. The scope of the present invention
includes
embodiments with different means of engagement. For example, handle member 12
may slide
laterally along lid 20 to motivate drive train 30. Handle lock 17 is disposed
on lid 20 proximate
to gripping portion 15. Handle lock 17 is movable between a first position, in
which handle
member 12 is prevented from moving with respect to lid 20, and a second
position, in which
handle member 12 is permitted to move with respect to lid 20. By way of
additional example,
the means of engagement may not be a handle member, but may also comprise a
pull cord, a
button, a crank, or any other means of engagement.
[0024]
The depicted food processor embodiment includes base 21 (or drive train
30)
engaged to container 50. Disposed within container 50 to act on food (not
shown) that is placed
in container 50 is processing implement 52, which is propelled by handle
member 12 as
described in detail below. Processing implement 52 may comprise a plurality of
blades 54
disposed about central pillar 56 in order to slice or chop the food. Other
processing implements
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may employed in a food processing device, such as a basket, whisk, etc. In
other applications, a
different rotated element will be used in place of processing implement 52.
[0025]
Fig. 2 depicts drive train 30 of kitchen utensil 10. Lobe 32 is rotatably
engaged to frame 22, and is driven by handle member 12. In the depicted
embodiment, lobe 32
5
is disposed on axle 33, which is disposed in holes 34 and 35 formed in frame
22. A pair of shafts
24 engage both handle member 12 and lobe 32 and transfer rotation from handle
member 12 to
lobe 32.
[0026]
Various components are disposed in a cavity formed between frame 22 and
base 21. Flexible link 60 comprises first end 61 engaged to lobe 32 and second
end 62. In the
depicted embodiment, flexible link 60 is a single piece of fabric double over
itself in order to
form a loop at each end 61 and 62. However, it will be appreciated by those in
the art that the
scope of the invention includes any flexible link. Flexible link 60 is engaged
to lobe 32
proximate to first end 61. In this manner, rotation of handle member 12 causes
linear movement
of flexible link 60, as depicted, for example, by arrows 63 and 64 in Fig. 9.
[0027] A
stepless gear mechanism drives pinion gear 90 with a torque that is initially
high and gradually moves to low as handle member 12 moves from the un-fired
position to the
fired position, while driving pinion gear 90 with low speed and gradually
moving to high speed
as handle member is moved from the un-fired position to the fired position. In
the first
embodiment, quarter pinion 40 is likewise disposed within the cavity, and
rotates about shaft 37.
In the depicted embodiment, quarter pinion 40 will only rotate about 90
degrees when handle
member 12 is cycled from its up position to its down position. As such, the
beginning of the
rotation cycle for quarter pinion corresponds to the up position of handle
member 12, while the
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end of the rotation cycle corresponds to the down position. As seen in detail
in Figs. 2, 6 and 7,
quarter pinion 40 comprises arcuate gear form 42 and rotates about axis of
rotation 45. Arcuate
gear form 42 has a first end 43 located a distance dl from axis of rotation
45, and a second end
44 located a distance d2 from axis of rotation 45, wherein dl is less than d2.
In this manner, the
torque required to rotate quarter pinion 40 is greater at the beginning of the
rotation cycle than at
the end of the rotation cycle.
[0028]
As seen in detail in Fig. 6, quarter pinion 40 further comprises structure
55
formed on a first side thereof to engage flexible link 60. As depicted, second
end 62 of flexible
link 60 is formed into a loop, which is disposed in internal section 53 of
structure 55 and wraps
around anchor 58, and a portion of flexible link 60 passes through entrance 56
and exit 57. As
seen, entrance 56 and exit 57 are perpendicular to one another. As a result,
lateral movement of
flexible link 60 results in rotation of quarter pinion 40.
[0029]
Springs 41(a) and (b) are engaged to frame 22 and quarter pinion 40, and
biase quarter pinion 40 to the beginning of its rotation cycle, as described
above. Springs 41(a)
and (b) may be replaced by one spring 41, but a single spring must be of
sufficient strength to
overcome the strength of spring 72. Spring 72 applies appropriate force to
engage engagement
means 81 and 82, allowing for rotational re-set of handle member 12, as
described in detail
below.
[0030]
A first embodiment of the present invention is depicted in Fig. 4. As seen,
quarter pinion 40 is drivingly engaged to spiral radius gear 47, which rotates
about shaft 38. As
seen in detail in, for example, Fig. 4, spiral radius gear 47 comprises gear
form 48 formed on the
periphery thereof. The radius of the gear form 48 constantly increases, and
causes gear form 48
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to appear as a spiral. For example, tooth 48a is closer to the axis of
rotation of spiral radius gear
47 than is tooth 48b. In this manner, the torque required to move spiral
radius gear 47 gradually
decreases through the rotation cycle. Additionally, the small radius of spiral
radius gear 47
correspond to, and engage with, the large distance of quarter pinion 40, while
the large radius of
spiral radius gear 47 correspond to, and engage with, the small distance of
quarter pinion 40. By
way of example, tooth 48a engages quarter pinion 40 proximate to second end
44, while tooth
48b engages quarter pinion 40 proximate to first end 43.
[0031]
Spiral radius gear 47 is drivingly disposed on spur gear 70, which also
rotates
about shaft 38. Spiral radius gear 47 drives spur gear 70 through engagement
means 80, which
allows spiral radius gear 47 to transmit rotation to spur gear 70 only when
rotated in one
direction. As seen in Figs. 3 and 4, a first engagement means 81 is formed on
spiral radius gear
47, while a corresponding second engagement means 82 is formed on spur gear
70. In the
depicted embodiment, both engagement means 81 and 82 comprise a series of
ramps, ending in a
near-vertical side, or even a negative angle with respect to vertical. When
spiral radius gear 47 is
rotated in a first direction (i.e., clockwise in Fig. 4), the vertical sides
of engagement means 81
and 82 engage each other, and rotation is transferred from spiral radius gear
47 to spur gear 70.
When spiral radius gear 47 is rotated in a second direction, opposite the
first direction (i.e.,
counter-clockwise in Fig. 4), the ramps of engagement means 81 and 82 engage
and slide over
each other. In this direction, spiral radius gear 47 is rotated, but no
rotation is transferred to spur
gear 70. Spring 72 is disposed about shaft 38 and engaged to spiral radius
gear 47, biasing spiral
radius gear 47 into engagement with spur gear 70.
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[0032]
Spur gear 70 is engaged to pinion 90. As depicted in detail in, for
example,
Fig. 5, pinion 90 comprises gear form 91 and extension 92, which extends from
gear form 91,
through base 21 into container 50. Processing implement 52 engages pinion 90
through
extension 92.
[0033] A
second embodiment of the present invention is depicted, for example, in
Figs. 12 and 13. For the sake of simplicity, Figs. 12 and 13, like Figs. 10
and 11, depict only the
engagement between first quarter pinion 140 and second quarter pinion 150.
[0034]
Fig. 12 shows an initial state of the drive device before the handle member
12
is moved from the unfired position to the fired position.
[0035] The
first and second quarter pinions 140 and 150 are constructed as semi-
circular disc elements and have teeth 142 and 152, respectively, distributed
over the
circumference. The two quarter pinions 140 and 150 engaged each other at
engagement point
170.
[0036]
In the initial state depicted in Fig. 12, a first spacing 144 between the
axis of
rotation of first quarter pinion 140 and the engagement point 170 is smaller
than a second
spacing 145 between the axis of rotation of second quarter pinion 150 and the
engagement point
170.
[0037]
Fig. 13 depicts first and second quarter pinions 140 and 150 after handle
member 12 has been fired. In the position shown in Fig. 13, the first spacing
144 is larger than
the second spacing 145.
[0038]
In this way, the fulcrum of first quarter pinion 140 changes during the
cycle of
actuation of handle member 12. For example, the length of the first spacing
144 increases,
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starting from the state shown in Fig. 12 to the state shown in Fig. 13.
Simultaneously, the
fulcrum of second quarter pinion 150 also changes during the cycle of
actuation of handle
member 12. For example, the length of the second spacing 145 decreases,
starting from the
length shown in Fig. 12 and ending in the length depicted in Fig. 13.
[0039] The
operation of depicted kitchen utensil 10 is as follows, and is described
with respect to the first embodiment described above. It will be appreciated
by those in the art
that the description of the operation applies to the second embodiment
described above as well.
[0040]
In storage, handle member 12 is locked in the down, fired position against
lid
20, as depicted in Fig. 1. In this position, spring 72 is extended, and
quarter pinion 40 and spiral
radius gear 47 are at the end of their respective rotational cycles. When
handle member 12 is
unlocked, spring 72 biases quarter pinion 40 to the beginning of its
rotational cycle, causing
handle member 12 to rotate to near vertical with respect to lid 20, as
depicted in Fig. 9. To
steady and support kitchen utensil 10, a user may place one hand on support
surface 100 of lid
20, and use the other hand to fire handle member 12. As a user rotates handle
member 12 toward
lid 20, spring 72 again becomes extended and flexible link 60 is pulled in a
first lateral direction,
depicted as arrow 63 in Fig. 9, causing quarter pinion 40 to begin its
rotation cycle. Quarter
pinion 40 rotates spiral radius gear 47. In this direction, the engagement
means 80 transfers
rotation from spiral radius gear 47 to spur gear 70, which then turns pinion
90, which turns
processing implement 52 in one direction only.
[0041] After
handle member reaches lid 20, the user releases handle member 12.
Again, springs 41(a) and (b) bias quarter pinion 40 back to the beginning of
the rotational cycle.
This causes flexible link 60 to be pulled in the second lateral direction,
depicted in Fig. 9, again
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causing handle member to rotate to the near vertical position depicted in Fig.
9. This also causes
spiral radius gear 47 to rotate back to the beginning of its rotational cycle.
However, because
this rotation is in the opposite direction from that described above,
engagement means 80 does
not permit rotation to be transferred to spur gear 70. Thus, processing
implement 52 is only
5 rotated in one direction.
[0042] While specific configurations of the invention have been
described in detail, it
will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and
alternatives to those
details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of this
disclosure. The particular
arrangements disclosed herein are meant to be illustrative only and not
limited as to the scope of
10 the invention which is to be given the full breadth of the appended
claims and any equivalents
thereof.
