Recent Patents on Mechanical Engineering - Volume 9, Issue 4, 2016

Background: With the air traffic volume continues to grow worldwide, more efficient air traffic is required. Objective: This article attempts to review recent advances for more efficient air traffic. Method: Over 70 recently published patents, and journal and conference papers for the recent developments in air traffic flow management are reviewed. The research topics discussed are flight trajectory, flight route optimization, flight route planning and aircraft separations, airport capacity, weather related issues, and the automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast related technology. Results: A number of new solutions to the issues and recent inventions, findings and developments are discussed. Conclusions: Research on safety, capacity and efficiency of air traffic is intensively performed worldwide, resulting in many new findings and new solutions/inventions to various issues. New ATM technologies such as ADS-B can promote enhanced efficiency and safety. The implementation of ADS-B may also result in significant environmental benefits. As more university faculties and researchers have started research and development projects for next-generation air traffic flow management, more innovative outcomes can be expected in the near future.

Background: Robot plays an important role in minimally invasive medical field. The interventional robots applied in diagnosis or treatment for prostate cancer can raise the efficiency and accuracy of the surgery procedures, release doctors’ pressure. From functional considerations, the interventional robot is mainly composed of two parts: the interventional mechanism and the image navigation mechanism. Objective: To provide an overview of recent interventional robots for prostate cancer and introduce their respective characteristics and development. Method: This paper reviews various representative patents of interventional robots for prostate cancer, especially focuses on the interventional mechanism and the navigation method of image navigation mechanism. Results: The differences of different types and different methods are compared and analyzed and their characters are concluded. In the end, current and future developments of interventional robots of diagnosis or treatment for prostate cancer are discussed. Conclusion: Interventional robot for prostate cancer has important practical significance, and plays an important role in minimally invasive medical field. Further improvements are needed in the aspects of interventional mechanism, intelligence, image navigation of the interventional robot for prostate cancer. More patents on interventional robot for prostate cancer should be invented.

Background: Motor is a device that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. It is one of the most widely used mechanical equipments. Its running state directly affects the performance of machinery. Objective: The purpose of this study is to provide an overview about fault diagnosis methods from many literatures and patents, and propose a novel fault diagnosis method for ensuring safe operation of motor. Method: In this study, wavelet transform, improved particle swarm optimization algorithm and support vector machine are introduced into fault diagnosis to propose a novel fault diagnosis method. Wavelet transform decomposes the signal into different frequency bands. Then the fault features are effectively extracted by using frequency band analysis technique to be considered as the input vector of support vector machine. The strategies of dynamic linear adjustment, diversity mutation and adaptive inertia weight are used to improve particle swarm optimization algorithm, which is employed to optimize the parameters of support vector machine for obtaining a classifier with higher veracity. Results: The improved particle swarm optimization algorithm and proposed fault diagnosis method are fully evaluated by experiments and comparative studies. The results show that the proposed method takes on better classification accuracy and can quickly diagnose the motor faults. Conclusion: The improved particle swarm optimization algorithm has improved the convergence speed and precise. But because the motors often work in a noisy environment and recent patents on fault diagnosis method have also promoted new algorithm during their application. So the new fault diagnosis method with high accuracy is further studied in the future.

Background: In recent years, the flattening method for whole bamboo has been studied in the field of bamboo processing. Studies have found that a method of whole bamboo flattened without cracks is necessary to improve the rate of bamboo utilization. Objective: The purpose of this study is to propose a new method of whole bamboo flattening without cracks. Moreover, this paper provides a novel combined cutting tool for its feeding process in the method of removing internodal culm walls (ICW) and inner layer (IL) at a time. Methods: For verifying the feasibility of the combined cutting tool, the forces on the blade of the tool under the maximum operating condition are obtained based on force and motion analysis during stable cutting processes. It’s followed by a static simulation for the blade using Ansys Workbench to verify the strength of the blades. Finally, a trial is conducted in the production of the whole bamboo using the combined cutting tool. Results: Simulation results indicate that the strength of the blade completely confirms the design requests, and furthermore gives the positions where are easy to fail, which provides the basis for structural optimization of the blade. Trial production results show that the designed tool has good performance in removing ICW and IL and meets the requirement of industrial production. Conclusions: The flattened bamboo has the potential of being processed as a bamboo board and has become a new covering material for the substitute wood. For further development, the floating device should be further studied to satisfy the dimension change of ovality in radial direction and bending in axial direction of bamboo. In this article, patents have been discussed.

Background: Aiming at the existing condition that is difficult to achieve the operation of the wire data transmission in the process of shearer cutting, embedded wireless test system was put forward to meet three-dimensional force mechanical signal collection and transmission. Objective: The test system includes embedded signal acquisition and wireless data transmissioned. Signal acquisition device was used to get the three-dimensional force of shearer pick cutting coal seam with rock interface, and the wireless data transmission was built based on the zigbee wireless technology and lab view virtual technology. Method: This system is utilized in the coal cutting test-bed (CTBCR), two sequential cylinder head with different cutting parameters was used in the cutting experiment, the results show that the relationship between the cutting force and the coal compressive strength, pick-tip cone angle, drum rotate speed, traction speed. The cutting performance test research of picks cutting coal seam with rock interface is carried out on the cutting test-bed. Results: The results show that the cutting load increases with the pick-tip cone angle and the increase of cutting thickness, but decreases with the drum rotating speed. With the increase of pick-tip cone angle, the cutting load increases, and the minimum load is around 75°. With the increase of drum rotating speed, the cutting load first decreases, which is consistent with the theoretical research that the cutting efficiency can be improved by the drum rotating speed increasing. Conclusion: Thus, the study in this paper can improve the service life of the cutting pick and provide guidance for the design and manufacture.

Background: Hydraulic transformers have become a key topic in the field of hydraulics in recent years. Recent studies have found that use of hydraulic transformers can expedite the development of integrated solutions for the global industry. The variable hydraulic transformer can simultaneously meet requirements for variations of both load flow and load pressure. Objective: The purpose of this study was to provide an overview of patents concerning hydraulic transformers and to analyze the pressure characteristics of a variable hydraulic transformer, including the pressure ratio, instantaneous torque, average torque, and torque pulsation. Results: We define the concepts of driving torque and drag torque. The concepts of relative and absolute torque pulsation are used to explain the role of the swash plate. Considering these factors, models of pressure characteristics are developed. The reason that the swash plate can adjust the load flow is argued. Torque pulsation and jump points of instantaneous pressure cause lower operational stability: controlled movement of the swash plate is a method of improving stability. The stability of the variable hydraulic transformer depends on the control angles of the port plate and swash plate and the pressures at the ports. Conclusions: Use of a variable hydraulic transformer can solve flow control difficulties. To further enhance use of this concept, its noise, control, and structure require additional research.

Background: The optical constants of a glass material are very useful for determining its radiative properties, as well as for selecting the appropriate thin-film coatings on a glass substrate. Objective: The objective of this study is to calculate the real part (n) and the imaginary part (k) of the complex refractive index of a clear glass material using a simple method based on the reflectivity and transmissivity measurements. Methods: In this study, the parts n and k are derived from the equations of the reflectivity at near zero incidence and transmissivity at normal incidence by using Shimadzu IR-70 Spectrophotometer and Cary 5E Spectrophotometer apparatuses. Results: Current and future developments of the patents on Optical Constant of a Clear Glass Material are finally provided to calculate the real and imaginary parts of a clear glass material in the ultraviolet through the near infrared range based on reflectivity and transmissivity measurements at near zero and normal incidence, respectively. The real and the imaginary parts of the complex refractive index of the glass sample obtained in the present study are in very good agreement with Rubin’s data. Although, a direct comparison between different samples is not possible, due to the difference in manufacturing process and material composition.

Background: From the view of field application, the working performance and service life of rotary seal device is a determinant factor for successful application of high-pressure water-jet assistance action in coal mining, roadway construction, oil drilling, etc. Objective: To apply the high-pressure water-jet technology in coal-rock mining and drilling equipment, the patent of novel rotary sealing device for high-pressure water is developed for improving its reliability and service life. Methods: The patent of sealing device is installed after the reducer output-shaft of water-jets assisted roadheader, whose aim is to reduce the slip rate of contact surface between O-ring and sealing shaft for extending the service life of sealing material. In addition, the sealing device is developed uses four sealing sleeves, which can improve its reliability and service life. Results: The working performance of rotary sealing device was investigated under different seal ring, water pressure and rotate speed of sealing shaft, and the results show that the static and dynamic sealing performance of Teflon seal ring are all better than that of Chemigum seal ring. With increasing water pressure, the torque of sealing shaft increases slowly when the water pressure is less than 30MPa, but it accelerates when the water pressure exceeds 30MPa. Conclusions: The Teflon O-ring and combined seal ring are better suited for high-pressure water sealing, and the normal working pressure is advised to be less than 30MPa. The leakage volume rate of rotary sealing device increases slowly with rotating speed of sealing shaft according to exponential function, and water pressure changes little when the rotate speed is lower than 70r/min. The patent on dynamic rotary sealing device for high-pressure water can enhance the service life of seal rings about 15 times than that of the present inner spray system.

Background: The robot programming has attracted widespread attention in decades. One of the key challenges for industrial robot is how to set up and manage complex robot programming tasks. The graphical interface is utilized to speed up the development of a solution for an industrial robot in recent years. Objective: The paper concentrates on the overall design of off-line graphical robot programming system and explains how each part of the system works with related recent patents. Methods: In this study, a typical graphical interface is deployed for manipulator. We can create a complex task by dragging symbols and connecting them. The generated task is interpreted through specific code interpreter and simulated in a control system. The simulated results are forwarded to virtual board controller which handles management of separate boards and downloading of tasks. Results: The overall graphical programming system has improved the productivity on SIASUN manipulator and related recent patents are introduced. Conclusions: Using graphical interface is less error-prone and more flexible for the entire robot programming system. In consideration of robot manufacturers with diverse design, the abstraction of common robot behaviors and logical structure represented with markup language could cause better compatibility. For further progress, more common behaviors and better algorithms should be included in the whole system.

Background: With the development of U-axis machining technology, recent patents on the design of facing head are also addressed increasingly. But the current NC (Numerical Control) facing heads have complex structures, they are deficient in transferring power and are difficult to maintain. Objective: In order to simplify the structure of facing head and analyze the unbalanced rotating body, a novel transmission mechanism is proposed and the kinematics and dynamics simulation analysis are adopted for unbalanced problems in this paper. Method: Firstly, axial load of feed drive system and load inertia is calculated. Then, an unbalanced rotating body by using the kinematics and dynamics simulation analysis is analyzed, because of the mechanical structure and the special motion. Finally, the design of the machine is changed with an electric control system. Results: This paper presents a novel transmission structure, which is different from the current patents. It is divided into rotating body and stationary body, the drive mechanism is fixed in the rotating body based on three-dimensional machine design. The simulation results demonstrated that the proposed dynamic balance is effective. Conclusion: The new design solves the problems of the current patents about NC facing head. It can be fitted to NC Floor Type Boring and Milling Machines, to Machining centers and so on.