1. A robotic tool changer comprising:
a. a first unit;
b. a second unit;
c. a plurality of rolling members disposed in a retention area in one of the units;
d. a piston movably mounted in one of the units of the robotic tool changer and movable between locked and unlocked positions;
e. in the locked position, the piston is operative to engage the rolling members in one of the units and to urge the rolling members against a surface of the other unit to lock the two units together;
f. the piston including a stem movable back and forth through an opening in the robotic tool changer; and
g. wherein the stem of the piston and the opening are configured so as to at least slightly restrain the movement of the piston during at least a portion of the piston’s movement as the piston moves from the locked position to the unlocked position.
2. The robotic tool changer of claim 1 wherein the stem of the piston includes a step for engaging a portion of the opening and wherein the engagement of the step of the piston with a portion of the opening tends to restrict the further movement of the piston towards the unlocked position.
3. The robotic tool changer of claim 1 wherein the stem includes an outer surface having a step formed therein and wherein the opening includes an O-ring and wherein the step and O-ring are spaced with respect to each other such that as the piston moves from the locked position to the unlocked position the step will engage the O-ring.
4. The robotic tool changer of claim 3 wherein the step and O-ring are configured such that as the piston moves from the locked position to the unlocked position the engagement of the step with the O-ring will cause the O-ring to be at least slightly deformed and the O-ring will at least slightly retard the movement of the piston.
5. The robotic tool changer of claim 1 wherein the piston may assume a failsafe position between the locked and unlocked positions, and wherein the stem and opening are configured to apply a greater resistance to movement of the piston between the failsafe position and the unlocked position than between the locked position and the failsafe position.
6. The robotic tool changer of claim 1 wherein the piston may assume a failsafe position between the locked and unlocked positions and where the piston includes a contact area where portions of the contact area engage the rolling members; and wherein the contact area includes a contact or unlocking surface, a locking surface, and a failsafe surface disposed between the contact or unlocking surface and the locking surface, and wherein the contact area includes a retarding surface disposed generally between the failsafe surface and the contact or unlocking surface that at least slightly retards the movement of the piston as the piston moves from the failsafe position to the unlocked position.
7. The robotic tool changer of claim 6 wherein at least a portion of the retarding surface extends outwardly past the failsafe surface.
8. The robotic tool changer of claim 6 wherein the retarding surface comprises a ridge that is disposed generally between the failsafe surface and the contact or unlocking surface, and herein the ridge extends around the contact area of the piston.
9. The robotic tool changer of claim 6 wherein the retarding surface comprises a conical surface disposed generally between the failsafe surface and the contact or unlocking surface.
10. A robotic tool changer comprising:
a. a first unit;
b. a second unit;
c. a piston movably mounted within one unit of the robotic tool changer and moveable between locked and unlocked positions;
d. the piston including a stem movable back and forth through an opening in the robotic tool changer; and
e. wherein the piston and the opening are configured so as to at least slightly restrain the movement of the piston during only a portion of the piston’s movement as the piston moves back and forth between the locked and unlocked positions.
11. The robotic tool changer of claim 10 wherein the stem of the piston includes a step for engaging a portion of the opening and wherein the engagement of the step of the piston with a portion of the opening tends to restrict the further movement of the piston towards the unlocked position.
12. The robotic tool changer of claim 10 wherein the stem includes an outer surface having a step formed therein and wherein the opening includes an O-ring and wherein the step and O-ring are spaced with respect to each other such that as the piston moves from the locked position to the unlocked position the step will engage the O-ring.
13. The robotic tool changer of claim 12 wherein the step and O-ring are configured such that as the piston moves from the locked position to the unlocked position, the engagement of the step with the O-ring will cause the O-ring to be at least slightly deformed and the O-ring will at least slightly retard the movement of the piston.
14. A robotic tool changer comprising:
a. a first unit;
b. a second unit;
c. a plurality of rolling members disposed in a retention area in one of the units;
d. a piston movably mounted within one of the units of the robotic tool changer and movable between locked and unlocked positions;
e. the piston including a locking surface, and a contact surface; and
f. the piston further including a failsafe surface disposed generally between the locking surface and the contact surface for engaging the rolling members and at least slightly retarding the movement of the piston as the piston moves from the locked position to the unlocked position.
15. The robotic tool changer of claim 14 wherein the failsafe surface comprises a conical surface.
16. The robotic tool changer of claim 15 wherein the conical surface is oriented on the piston such that as the piston moves from the locked position to the unlocked position the rolling members are compressed between the conical surface and a locking surface associated with one of the units.
17. The robotic tool changer of claim 16 wherein the conical surface forms an angle of approximately 1\xb0-5\xb0 with a reference line that extends generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the piston.
18. The robotic tool changer of claim 14 wherein at least a portion of the failsafe surface projects sufficiently outwardly such that as the piston moves between the locked and unlocked positions the engagement of the failsafe surface with the rolling members results in at least a slightly opposing force that must be overcome in order for the piston to move from the locked position to the unlocked position.
19. The robotic tool changer of claim 14 wherein the failsafe surface includes a ridge.
20. The robotic tool of claim 14 wherein the failsafe surface includes an angled surface area which projects at least slightly outwardly from the piston and provides at least a slight resistance to the movement of the piston as the piston moves from the locked position to the unlocked position.
21. The robotic tool changer of claim 19 wherein the ridge that forms at least a part of the failsafe surface projects from the piston for engagement with the rolling members as the piston moves from the locked position to the unlocked position.
22. The robotic tool changer of claim 14 wherein the failsafe surface includes a cylindrical surface and a ridge that projects outwardly from the cylindrical surface.
23. The robotic tool changer of claim 22 wherein the cylindrical surface lies between the locking surface and the ridge.
24. The robotic tool changer of claim 22 wherein the ridge lies generally between the unlocking surface and the cylindrical surface.
25. The robotic tool changer of claim 22 wherein the ridge lies generally adjacent the unlocking surface and the cylindrical surface lies generally adjacent the locking surface.
26. The robotic tool changer of claim 14 wherein the failsafe surface includes a cylindrical surface and a conical surface that projects at least slightly outwardly from the cylindrical surface.
27. The robotic tool changer of claim 26 wherein the cylindrical surface lies between the locking surface and the conical surface.
28. The robotic tool changer of claim 26 wherein the conical surface lies generally between the unlocking surface and the cylindrical surface.
29. The robotic tool changer of claim 26 wherein the cylindrical surface lies generally adjacent the locking surface and the conical surface lies generally adjacent the unlocking surface.
30. The robotic tool changer of claim 14 wherein the failsafe surface includes a conical surface that is disposed between the locking surface and the unlocking surface and includes at least a portion that projects outwardly as the conical surface extends towards the unlocking surface.
31. A robotic tool changer comprising:
a. a first unit;
b. a second unit;
c. a plurality of rolling members disposed in a retention area in one of the units;
d. a locking surface associated with the other unit and adapted to be engaged by the rolling members such that the engagement of the rolling members with the locking surface locks the first and second units together;
e. a piston movably mounted within one of the units of the robotic tool changer and movable between locked and unlocked positions;
f. the piston including a locking surface and a contact surface;
g. the piston further including a failsafe surface disposed between the locking surface and the contact surface and which projects outwardly from the piston in the path of at least a portion of the rolling members such that as the piston moves from the locked position to the unlocked position the failsafe surface engages the rolling members and urges the rolling members towards the locking surface, retarding the movement of the piston; and
h. wherein the failsafe surface is configured such that as the piston moves from the locked position to the unlocked position, the failsafe surface will engage the rolling members and an opposing force will result that must be overcome in order for the piston to be moved from the locked position to the unlocked position.
32. The robotic tool changer of claim 31 wherein the failsafe surface comprises a conical surface.
33. The robotic tool changer of claim 32 wherein the conical surface forms an angle with a reference line that extends generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the piston.
34. The robotic tool changer of claim 33 wherein the conical surface forms an angle of approximately 1\xb0-5\xb0 with a reference line that extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the piston.
35. The robotic tool changer of claim 31 wherein the failsafe surface includes a ridge for engaging the rolling members as the piston moves from the locked position to the unlocked position.
36. The robotic tool changer of claim 35 wherein the failsafe surface further includes a cylindrical surface that extends generally parallel with respect to the longitudinal axis of the piston.
37. The robotic tool changer of claim 36 wherein the cylindrical surface is disposed generally adjacent the locking surface and the ridge is disposed generally adjacent the unlocking surface.
38. The robotic tool changer of claim 31 wherein the failsafe surface is configured such that as the piston moves away from the locked surface and towards the unlocked position, the failsafe surface projects sufficiently outwardly to move the rolling members at least slightly outwardly resulting in a retarding force being applied to the piston as the piston moves towards the unlocked position.
39. The robotic tool changer of claim 38 wherein the failsafe surface includes a ridge.
40. The robotic tool changer of claim 38 wherein the failsafe surface includes a conical surface.
41. A method of preventing the accidental decoupling of master and tool units of a robotic tool changer having a piston that engages rolling members to lock the units together and which is movable between locked and unlocked positions, comprising: retarding the movement of the piston from the locked position to the unlocked position by providing a retarding surface on the piston generally between a locking surface and an unlocking surface on the piston where the retarding surface projects outwardly from the piston and at least slightly engages the rolling members as the piston moves from the locked position to the unlocked position.
42. The method of claim 41 including projecting a ridge from the piston where the ridge forms at least a part of the retarding surface and lies generally between the locking surface and the unlocking surface.
43. The method of claim 41 including incorporating a conical surface on the piston which lies generally between the locking surface and the retarding surface.
44. The method of claim 41 including configuring the retarding surface such that as the piston moves between the locked and unlocked positions the retarding surface engages the rolling members and an opposing force results and wherein the opposing force must be overcome in order for the piston to move from the locked position to the unlocked position.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A circuit arrangement comprising at least one actively clamped bidirectional flyback converter, comprising:
a transformer unit comprising a primary side and a secondary side;
a first power semiconductor disposed on said transformer unit primary side;
a second power semiconductor disposed on said transformer unit secondary side;
a third power semiconductor disposed on said transformer unit primary side;
a fourth power semiconductor disposed on said transformer unit secondary side; and
a timing circuit disposed on said transformer unit primary side;
wherein
said second power semiconductor comprises a synchronous rectification switch, and
a drive signal for said synchronous rectification switch is generated as a function of an oscillating signal controlling said synchronous rectification switch.
2. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a voltage sensor unit configured to measure a voltage drop across said first power semiconductor.
3. The circuit arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said voltage sensor unit generates at least one logic output signal
being \u201c1\u201d or \u201chigh\u201d if said voltage sensor unit measures a negative drain-source voltage of said first power semiconductor, and
being \u201c0\u201d or \u201clow\u201d if said voltage sensor unit measures a vanishing or positive drain-source voltage of said first power semiconductor.
4. The circuit arrangement according to claim 3, further comprising
a logic unit comprising:
a first input signal comprising a logic output signal from said voltage sensor unit;
a second input signal comprising at least one delayed time signal; and
an output signal comprising a drive signal to turn-on and to turn-off said second power semiconductor.
5. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said second power semiconductor is turned-on andor turned-off with at least one variable delay time, with the delay time interval being a function of the relative power level of the flyback converter.
6. The circuit arrangement according to claim 5, wherein a minimum delay time is adjusted with at least one resistor unit in at least one time delay circuit, said delay time comprising a percentage of a time period, wherein said time period is the inverse of a switching frequency.
7. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising:
a first integrated circuit assigned to said voltage sensor unit;
a second integrated circuit assigned to said time delay circuit;
a third integrated circuit for providing positive quadruple 2-input AND function, said third integrated circuit being arranged between said first integrated circuit and said time delay circuit as well as behind said time delay circuit;
a fourth integrated circuit arranged behind said third integrated circuit;
a fifth integrated circuit arranged on the secondary side of the transformer unit;
a sixth integrated circuit arranged at the output stage of the circuit arrangement; andor
a seventh integrated circuit arranged behind at least one eighth integrated circuit.
8. A method for generating at least one drive signal for at least one synchronous rectification switch of at least one actively clamped bidirectional flyback converter, wherein said at least one actively clamped bidirectional flyback converter comprises a primary side and a secondary side, and said at least one synchronous rectification switch is arranged on said secondary side and a timing circuit is arranged on said primary side,
wherein a drive signal for said synchronous rectification switch is generated as a function of at least one oscillating signal controlling said synchronous rectification switch.
9. The method according to claim 7, wherein at least part of said at least one actively clamped bidirectional flyback converter is turned-on andor turned-off with at least one variable delay time, with the delay time interval being a function of the relative power level of said at least one actively clamped bidirectional flyback converter.