338results about "Flexible wall reciprocating engines" patented technology

Energy for in-tire use is generated from the load induced reciprocating deflection of the tire inner walls above the tire-to-road contact patch adjacent to the shoulder of the tire. This energy is used to power in-tire monitoring electronics. For pulsatile energy generation with capacitive capture, the capacitor is optimally selected in real-time as a function of pulse width to maximize energy capture, or as a function of the pulse-captured energy. The resulting energy pulses are also used to measure the time duration of the contact patch from which the contact patch length is determined thus providing real-time tire geometry and, with tire pressure, real time tire load and, with temperature, tire air molar content. The loads on all tires provide real time vehicle mass and mass distribution. For electrical energy generation, magnet-coil, piezo-electric, and other power conversions are applicable. For non-electric energy generation, fluid bellows, rotary pump, and other power conversions are applicable. Further, run flat tires are designed with a cutout to accommodate and protect electronic devices mounted on an inner surface when running flat.

A flexible actuator assembly (20) including a flexible bladder device (22) having an expandable sealed chamber (23) adapted to substantially directionally displace between a deflated condition and an inflated condition, displacing a proximal portion (25) of the bladder device (22) away from a distal portion (26) thereof. An elongated tendon member (27) includes a distal portion (28) oriented outside the chamber (23), while an anchor portion (30) extends into the chamber (23) through a distal opening (31) in the bladder device (22). The tendon anchor portion (30) is further coupled proximate to the bladder proximal portion (25) in a manner adapted to: selectively invert displaceable portions (32) of the bladder device (22) when urged toward the deflated condition to position the anchor portion (30) and the bladder proximal portion (25) relatively closer to the bladder distal portion (26); and selectively evert the inverted displaceable portions (32) of the bladder device (22) when displaced toward the inflated condition which positions the anchor portion (30) and the bladder proximal portion (25) relatively farther away from the bladder distal portion (26) for selective movement of the tendon distal portion (28) between an extended condition and a retracted condition, respectively.

A piezoelectric micro-blower includes an inner case to which a peripheral portion of a vibrating plate including a piezoelectric element is fixed such that a blower chamber is defined between the inner case and the vibrating plate and an outer case arranged to cover an outer periphery of the inner case with a gap therebetween. The inner case is elastically retained in the outer case by a plurality of connecting portions. A first opening is provided in a top plate portion of the inner case that faces a central portion of the vibrating plate, and a second opening is provided in a top plate portion of the outer case that faces the first opening. A central space is provided between the top plate portions, and fluid introduced from the outside is guided to the central space through the gap between the inner and outer cases. The vibrating plate is driven in a bending mode so that air is sucked into the central space and is discharged through the second opening. The connecting portions prevent leakage of vibration of the vibrating plate from the inner case to the outer case, thereby reducing energy loss.

A fluid energy transfer device, including a chamber for receiving a fluid, at least a portion of the chamber comprising a movable portion relative to another portion of the chamber, the movable portion being adapted to change the volume of the chamber from a first volume to a second volume by movement of the movable portion. The device further includes an actuator attached to the movable portion, wherein the displacements of the movable portion can be larger than the displacement of the actuator.

A composite diaphragm for diaphragm pumps comprises an elastomer body and a polytetrafluoroethylene (PFTE) coating on its back side. The elastomer body has a shape of a circular dish that has an edge region with a clamping area, a bottom and a flexible section of the diaphragm that connects the edge of the dish with the bottom. The flexible section of the diaphragm comprises a multitude of naps forming elevations on the coated side of the elastomer body. The PFTE coating is a plane ring surface with the area of the flexible section of the diaphragm.

A pump that has a flexible liner located adjacent to a diaphragm. The liner provides structural support for the diaphragm. The flexible liner can slide relative to the diaphragm. This relative movement reduces the stiffness of the diaphragm/liner assembly. The diaphragm/liner assembly is therefore both flexible and strong. Additionally, the liner provides a thermal insulator for the diaphragm. The flexible liner may be constructed from a low friction material to lower the friction between the liner and a wobble plate of the pump. Lowering the friction reduces the heat generated within the pump. The structural reinforcement, thermal insulation and lower friction features of the liner increase the life of the diaphragm and the pump.

The present invention relates to fluid control valves. The invention provides an improved diaphragm useful for a large hydraulically-operated valve or pressure regulating valve of the type used in pipelines to transport water, oil, gas, acids, alkalis and other fluids. The diaphragm being provided with an upper face arranged to be exposed to a control hydraulic pressure and a lower face arranged to selectively seal and open a passage between a valve inlet and a valve outlet, ribs on said upper face urging the diaphragm towards a sealing position. The diaphragm being characterized by the addition of an elastomer ring element disposed adjacent to the upper face and adjacent to the largest diameter of the diaphragm exposed inside a valve to which it may be assembled, an upper face of the flexible ring element being in pressure contact with a portion of the rigid body of the valve. The flexible ring element further urging the diaphragm towards its lower position and allowing closure of the valve without use of a metallic compression spring.

An expansible chamber pneumatic system, for example a fluid pump system, includes two or more double-acting diaphragm pumps, each with symmetrical left and right pump housings, each housing including an air chamber and a fluid chamber separated by a movable diaphragm. The diaphragms are connected for reciprocating movement in unison to pump fluid through their respective fluid chambers. Each pump includes an air valve actuated by Control air to direct Process air into one of the air chambers, simultaneously releasing used Process air from the other air chamber to thereby move the diaphragms, thereby to pump fluid. A pilot valve directs Control air to the air valve to position the air valve. The pilot valve is responsive to diaphragms reaching their travel limit in one direction to direct Control air to reverse the directions of Process air flow through the air valve to thereby reverse the movement of the pump diaphragms. Control air exhausts through the pilot valve to atmosphere. Process air exhausts through the air valve from one pump to become input or motive air for the next pump.

There is provided an abnormality determination unit that determines whether or not an output measurement unit is abnormal, in order to determine abnormality of the output measurement unit. When the output measurement unit is abnormal, the operation of an elastic actuator is controlled not in accordance with a measurement result of the output measurement unit but in accordance with an internal state model.

The control valve according to the present invention has a high durability, so that the valve is not easily damaged even in case that the valve is provided in a corrosion gas current path. The valve has a construction such that a diaphragm (4) is contained in the valve body (2), which has a valve chamber (23) between the gas current in path (25) and the gas current out path (26). The diaphragm 4 is urged against an opening (252) formed in the center of the valve seat 231 in the valve chamber (23) to open and close the opening. The valve has a valve control member (5), which has a clamping member (3) to clamp the diaphragm and is made to contact to the diaphragm from outside to open and close the opening. The diaphragm has an urging member (41) made of ceramic, which is fixed to the opening (252) side of the diaphragm so that the resistance to corrosion of the diaphragm is improved.

The present invention provides a diaphragm member for use in certain valve assemblies. Such diaphragm member comprises a generally circular diaphragm having a first predetermined diameter and having a first surface and a second surface. Such generally circular diaphragm is formed from at least one layer of a preselected elastomeric material. Such generally circular diaphragm includes a nonflexing center portion, a generally annular flexure portion extending around an outer periphery of such nonflexing center portion and a non flexing outer portion extending around an outer periphery of such generally annular flexure portion, such non flexing outer portion is engageable with a body portion of such valve assembly. Such diaphragm member further includes a generally circular insert member, having a second predetermined diameter, disposed within the first surface of such nonflexing center portion of such generally circular diaphragm. Such generally circular insert member has a plurality of apertures formed through such generally circular insert member, such plurality of apertures provide a predetermined open area for receiving a predetermined rubber compound for bonding such generally circular insert member to such nonflexing center portion of such generally circular diaphragm.

An object such as an automobile part, an image forming apparatus part, a bicycle part, other machine parts, a sport article or its part, a toy or its part, or a rain article or its part has a portion to be in contact with a contact object. The contact portion is made of at least one kind of material selected from a group including polymer material such as resin or rubber as well as glass, and the contact portion has a surface entirely or partially coated with a carbon film (typically, a DLC film) having a wear resistance as well as at least one of a lubricity, a water repellency and a gas barrier property. The carbon film is formed on the object with a good adhesion.

An apparatus can include a piston movably disposed within a pressure vessel and defines a first interior region and a second interior region. The piston has a first position in which the first interior contains a gas having a first pressure and has a volume greater than the second interior region, and a second position in which the second interior region contains a gas having a second pressure and has a volume greater than the first interior region. A seal member is attached to the piston and to the pressure vessel. The seal member has a first configuration in which at least a portion of the seal member is disposed at a first position when the piston is in its first position, and a second configuration in which the portion of the seal member is disposed at a second position when the piston is in its second position.

An improved diaphragm-type pneumatic brake actuator wherein the diaphragm is releasably secured to the piston as the diaphragm is inverted during actuation of the braking system of a vehicle thereby reducing wear of the flexible diaphragm and improving the performance of the brake actuator. In the disclosed embodiment, a rib or lip is formed on the surface of the diaphragm which receives the periphery of the piston as the diaphragm is inverted forming a mechanical interlock between the diaphragm and the piston thereby preventing spacing of the contact surface of the piston and the central portion of the diaphragm and frictional wear between the peripheral edge of the piston and the diaphragm. In the preferred embodiment, the piston includes an arcuate rim which extends away from the central portion of the diaphragm when the diaphragm is located in its extended cup-shaped position prior to actuation of the vehicle braking system and the diaphragm then conforms to the arcuate rim as the diaphragm is inverted and the diaphragm rib snaps over the piston rim as the diaphragm is inverted to actuate the vehicle braking system. The diaphragm rib may be molded on the surface of the diaphragm when the diaphragm is molded without any substantial increase in cost.

In one aspect of the present invention, a system for performing work having a hydraulic circuit comprising a length of hose a hydraulic fluid in the circuit in communication with the hose, a hydraulic actuator for doing the work, at least one compressible element disposed within the hose, and a mechanism for pressurizing the hydraulic circuit such that at least 50 foot pounds of energy is stored within the hose to perform the work.

An air driven diaphragm pump includes two diaphragms affixed to a common shaft. The shaft extends through an air valve providing reciprocating pressurized air to the diaphragms through associated air chambers. A pump chamber with intake and exhaust valves is associated with one of the two diaphragms while a further air chamber replaces a pump chamber and is associated with the other of the diaphragms. A passage extends through the shaft and is in communication with the air chamber adjacent to the pump chamber and with the further air chamber converted from the pump chamber.

Methods and devices for pumping fluid are disclosed herein. In one exemplary embodiment, a pump is provided having a first member with a passageway formed therethrough, and a plurality of electrically expandable actuators in communication with the first member and adapted to change shape upon the application of energy thereto such that sequential activation of the activators can create a pumping action to move fluid through the first member.