4841 results about "Stepper motor" patented technology

An indicia reading terminal can include a multiple setting imaging lens assembly and an image sensor having an image sensor array. In one embodiment, an indicia reading terminal in an active reading state can cycle through a set of different lens settings, expose pixels of an image sensor array during an exposure period when each new lens setting is achieved, and attempt to decode decodable indicia represented in frames of image data captured corresponding to each exposure period. In one embodiment, movement of an imaging lens assembly lens element can be provided with use of a hollow stepper motor.

A fused filament fabrication printer has a fixed extrusion module having multiple printheads having print tips. The fixed arrangement of the printing heads allows the close spacing of multiple print tips in a printhead unit, and the simple routing of multiple plastic or metal filaments to the individual printing heads. The closely spaced print tips in the printhead unit share common components. An exemplary printhead unit has four printing heads which share a common heating block and heating block temperature sensor. The heating block incorporates a group of four print tips evenly spaced along a line. Each printing head has a separate filament which is controlled and driven by its own stepper motor through the heating block to one of the print tips. Printing of a part is by control of individual stepper motors which drive filaments through the heating block and through one of the printing tips.

A portable peritoneal dialysis apparatus having (1) a hinged door for enclosing a disposable cassette that seals tightly shut using air pressure; (2) accurate pressure sensing of pressures applied to the patient through an enclosure in the disposable cassette; (3) two pumps that can operate separately or in tandem actuated by two separate stepper motors; and (4) a touch screen user interface where indicia of the operating mode is always visible along with indicia for the other possible operating modes and the mode can be changed by touching one of these indicia.

A wearable electronic device for conveying information in an analog manner at least in part by the use of at least one display hand positioned on the dial side of a dial, wherein the wearable electronic device uses the display hand(s) to convey information that is stored in the controller of the device and / or provided by sensors and / or an external transmitter. An actuation mechanism, preferably a stepper motor, is used to rotate the display hands in the clockwise and / or counterclockwise directions in predefined increments to convey the information.

A method and apparatus for feeding wire in a welding system include one or more motors disposed adjacent the wire to drive it. A wire feed motor is also disposed along the wire path, and is closer to the source of wire than the torch, and closer to the source than the one or more motors. The motors may be a pair motors disposed on opposite sides of the wire and move the wire to and away from an arc end of a torch. They preferably reversing the direction of the wire within one process cycle. The or more motors may be a stepper motor, a servo motor, a zero backlash motor, a gearless motor, a planetary drive motor, or a linear actuator (such as a piston), in various embodiments.

A concentrated flavour dispensing machine having displacement pumps for delivering between a few millilitres and few ounces of fluids having a viscosity value between 1 to 4000 centepoise is described. The dispensing machine includes a cabinet for containing a multitude of displacement pumps, where each displacement pump is in direct fluid communication with a respective storage tank, and a control panel having a programmable microprocessor mounted to the cabinet for receiving user selections and controlling each individual pump. Each displacement pump includes a stepper motor in engagement with a threaded drive rod for advancing a piston by any one of several predetermined distances to dispense a corresponding volume of fluid. The control panel receives a valid user selection for actuating one or more pumps to dispense the appropriate volume of a concentrated flavouring fluid. The microprocessor tracks the amount of fluid dispensed from each storage tank and alerts users and / or prevents further operation when reservoirs are close to empty to avoid null dispenses to customers. Various maintenance routines can be executed through the user interface, and dispense volumes and combination dispenses can be re-programmed manually or automatically.

A system for operating an electric door release having an actuator powered by an energy harvester. The actuator may be a piezoelectric actuator and the harvester may be a piezo harvester. The system may further include a power module, a rechargeable battery and a voltage boost circuit disposed between the energy harvester and the actuator. When a piezoelectric actuator is used, a recycle actuator discharge circuit may be disposed between the piezoelectric actuator and the power module battery for recapturing a portion of the energy delivered to the piezoelectric actuator. The piezoelectric harvester may include an energy input portion whereby the piezo electric harvester is excited by the energy input portion. The energy input portion may include a circular or linear driving gear for exciting the piezoelectric harvester or a stepper motor generator, driven by movement of a door. The harvester may also be a stepper motor / generator.

A stall detection circuit and method for a stepper motor. The circuit has an H-bridge configuration with an additional circuit pathway to ground being connected at a point between two center windings. During the transition between step sequences, the circuit employs a monitoring phase in which the previously active low side driver is turned off such that current passes through only the first winding and then is diverted to ground via the additional pathway. While the phase voltage is thus momentarily extinguished, the second coil is used to monitor the motor's back EMF, from which it can be determined whether the rotor is in a normal running mode, a stall, or a reverse condition.

An apparatus for lengthening of extremities includes at least two supporting rings, a plurality of spikes mounted in each of the at least two supporting rings by spike-fixating elements, the at least two supporting rings connected with one another by threaded rods, which are displaced into rectilinear movement by automated drives connected with a portable block for power supply and control. Each automated drive includes a screw pair composed of a threaded rod and a threaded insert mounted via two bearings that are spaced from one another, and movable through a reducer with a stepper motor. The portable block is provided with elements for controlling a speed and a direction of movement of each of the automated drives, and a unit is provided for calculation and indication of displacement supplied by each of the automated drives.

A precision soft-touch gripping mechanism has a mounting plate attached to a robot arm. The plate supports a stepper motor. The output shaft of the stepper motor is connected through a spring to an elongated finger that slides in a central longitudinal slot of the plate and supports a first wafer gripping post, while on the end opposite to the first wafer gripping post the mounting plate pivotally supports two L-shaped fingers with a second and third wafer gripping posts on their respective ends. The mounting plate in combination with the first sliding finger and two pivotal fingers forms the end effector of the robot arm which is thin enough for insertion into a wafer-holding slot of a wafer cassette. The end effector is equipped with a mapping sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the preceding wafer, wafer position sensors for determining positions of the wafer with respect to the end effector, and force sensors for controlling the wafer gripping force. Several embodiments relate to different arrangements of gripping rollers and mechanisms for control of the gripping force and speed of gripping required for gripping the wafer with a soft and reliable touch.