What is claimed is:
1. A rotary polishing disc adapted for attachment to a projecting end of a rotatable arbor, the rotary polishing disc comprising:
a disc-shaped piece of sheet material having an abrasive material on at least one surface thereof; and
a cylindrically-shaped hub having a longitudinal axis that extends through a hollow interior of the hub, said hub being juxtaposed with and fixed to one surface of said disc-shaped piece of sheet material so the longitudinal axis is oriented substantially perpendicular to the surface of said disc-shaped piece of sheet material that is juxtaposed with said hub, the hollow interior of the hub being formed with a cross-sectional shape that is adapted to mate with and to receive the projecting end of the arbor completely thereinto so the projecting end becomes juxtaposed with said disc-shaped piece of sheet material.
2. The rotary polishing disc of claim 1 wherein said hub is formed by a length of material cut from a preformed tube of polymeric material extruded with a hollow interior therethrough.
3. The rotary polishing disc of claim 1 wherein said hub is fixed to said disc-shaped piece of sheet material by adhesive material disposed about a juncture between said hub and said disc-shaped piece of sheet material.
4. The rotary polishing disc of claim 1 wherein said hub is fixed to said disc-shaped piece of sheet material by an ultrasonic weld between said hub and the surface of said disc-shaped piece of sheet material juxtaposed with said hub.
5. The rotary polishing disc of claim 1 wherein said hub is fixed to said disc-shaped piece of sheet material by a thermo-compression bond between said hub and the surface of said disc-shaped piece of sheet material juxtaposed with said hub.
6. A rotary polishing disc adapted for attachment to a projecting end of a rotatable arbor, the rotary polishing disc comprising:
a disc-shaped piece of sheet material having an abrasive material on at least one surface thereof, said disc-shaped piece of sheet material being pierced by an aperture;
a cylindrically-shaped hub having a longitudinal axis that extends through a hollow interior of the hub, said hub being juxtaposed with and fixed to one surface of said disc-shaped piece of sheet material so the longitudinal axis is oriented substantially perpendicular to the surface of said disc-shaped piece of sheet material that is juxtaposed with said hub, and so the hollow interior of the hub aligns with aperture that pierces said disc-shaped piece of sheet material, the hollow interior of the hub being formed with a cross-sectional shape that is adapted to mate with and to receive the projecting end of the arbor; and
a retainer plug having a flat cap formed at an end thereof, another end of said retainer plug distal from the flat cap being inserted through the aperture that pierces said disc-shaped piece of sheet material and into the hollow interior of the hub immediately adjacent to the surface of said disc-shaped piece of sheet material to which said hub is fixed so the flat cap of said retainer plug becomes juxtaposed with a surface of said disc-shaped piece of sheet material that is furthest from said hub, the hollow interior of the hub and the end of said retainer plug inserted thereinto being shaped to establish a frictional engagement therebetween.
7. The rotary polishing disc of claim 6 wherein said hub is formed by a length of material cut from a preformed tube of polymeric material extruded with a hollow interior therethrough.
8. The rotary polishing disc of claim 6 wherein said hub is fixed to said disc-shaped piece of sheet material by adhesive material disposed about a juncture between said hub and said disc-shaped piece of sheet material.
9. The rotary polishing disc of claim 6 wherein said hub is fixed to said disc-shaped piece of sheet material by an ultrasonic weld between said hub and the surface of said disc-shaped piece of sheet material juxtaposed with said hub.
10. The rotary polishing disc of claim 6 wherein said hub is fixed to said disc-shaped piece of sheet material by a thermo-compression bond between said hub and the surface of said disc-shaped piece of sheet material juxtaposed with said hub.
11. An improved arbor one projecting end of which is adapted to receive and mate with a hollow of a hub of a rotary polishing disc wherein the improvement comprises:
a barb protruding from an exterior surface of the arbor that is adapted to spear the hub when the hollow interior of the hub is disposed on the arbor.
12. The improved arbor of claim 11 wherein the barb is oriented to impede detachment of the hub from the arbor.
13. A rotary polishing disc adapted for attachment to a socketed end of a rotatable arbor, the rotary polishing disc comprising:
a disc-shaped piece of sheet material having an abrasive material on at least one surface thereof; and
an elongated hub having a first end that is juxtaposed with and fixed to one surface of said disc-shaped piece of sheet material so a longitudinal axis of said hub is oriented substantially perpendicular to the surface of said disc-shaped piece of sheet material that is juxtaposed with said hub, said hub having a second end that projects away from said disc-shaped piece of sheet material and that is pierced by a slot to establish at least one flexible arm that has an outwardly projecting tip at the end of the flexible arm furthest from said disc-shaped piece of sheet material, the flexible arm and tip being shaped to mate with and to engage an of the socketed end of the rotatable arbor.
14. The rotary polishing disc of claim 13 wherein:
said disc-shaped piece of sheet material is pierced by an aperture that is situated adjacent to said hub; and
the first end of said hub that is juxtaposed with said disc-shaped piece of sheet material has a cavity formed thereinto adjacent to said aperture;
said rotary polishing disc further comprising a retainer plug having flat cap formed at an end thereof, another end of said retainer plug distal from the flat cap being inserted through the aperture that pierces said disc-shaped piece of sheet material and into the cavity formed into the first end of said hub so the flat cap of said retainer plug becomes juxtaposed with a surface of said disc-shaped piece of sheet material that is furthest from said hub, the cavity and the end of said retainer plug inserted thereinto being shaped to establish a frictional engagement therebetween.
15. The rotary polishing disc of claim 13 wherein said hub is fixed to said disc-shaped piece of sheet material by adhesive material disposed about a juncture between said hub and said disc-shaped piece of sheet material.
16. The rotary polishing disc of claim 13 wherein said hub is fixed to said disc-shaped piece of sheet material by an ultrasonic weld between said hub and the surface of said disc-shaped piece of sheet material juxtaposed with said hub.
17. The rotary polishing disc of claim 13 wherein said hub is fixed to said disc-shaped piece of sheet material by a thermo-compression bond between said hub and the surface of said disc-shaped piece of sheet material juxtaposed with said hub.
18. An improved arbor one end of which is adapted to receive and mate with an elongated hub of a rotary polishing disc, the hub having an end that is pierced by a slot to establish at least one flexible arm that has an outwardly projecting tip at the end of the flexible arm, wherein the improvement comprises:
a hollow socket formed at one end of the arbor, said socket having an that is shaped to receive and to mate with the flexible arm and tip of the hub.
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 voltage converter device comprising:
a first voltage converter circuit comprising a boost voltage node and an output voltage port, said output voltage port coupled to a load, said first voltage converter circuit configured to deliver energy from said boost voltage node to said load in a first mode, said first voltage converter circuit configured to deliver energy from said load to said boost voltage node in a second mode; and
a second voltage converter circuit coupled to an energy source and to said boost voltage node, said second voltage converter circuit configured to convert a first voltage associated with said energy source to a second voltage associated with said boost voltage node.
2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a control signal input port configured to receive a control signal, said device further configured to produce an output voltage at said output voltage port, said output voltage based on said control signal.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein said first voltage converter circuit is configured as an inverting buck-boost converter.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein said first voltage converter circuit further comprises dual reversible buck converters.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein said energy source is a battery.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein said load is a piezoelectric transducer.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein said second voltage is greater than said first voltage.
8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a boost capacitor coupled to said boost voltage node, said boost capacitor configured to store said energy delivered from said load, wherein the capacitance of said boost capacitor is greater than the capacitance of said load.
9. A method for recovering energy from a load, said method comprising:
delivering energy, in a first mode of operation of a first voltage converter circuit, from a boost capacitor coupled to a boost voltage node of said first voltage converter circuit, to a load coupled to an output voltage port of said first voltage converter circuit;
delivering energy from said load to said boost voltage node in a second mode of operation of said first voltage converter circuit;
converting, by a second voltage converter circuit, a first voltage associated with an energy source, to a second voltage associated with said boost voltage node; and
storing energy delivered to said boost voltage node in said boost capacitor.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving a control signal at an input port of said device and producing an output voltage at said output voltage port, said output voltage based on said control signal.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein said first voltage converter circuit is configured as an inverting buck-boost converter.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein said first voltage converter circuit comprises dual reversible buck converters.
13. The method of claim 9, wherein said energy source is a battery.
14. The method of claim 9, wherein said load is a piezoelectric transducer.
15. The method of claim 9, wherein said second voltage is greater than said first voltage.
16. The method of claim 9, wherein the capacitance of said boost capacitor is greater than the capacitance of said load.
17. A power supply system comprising:
a switched-mode power supply circuit configured to generate a DC output voltage from a DC input voltage, said switched-mode power supply circuit comprising:
a first voltage converter circuit comprising a boost voltage node and an output voltage port, said output voltage port coupled to a load, said first voltage converter circuit configured to deliver energy from said boost voltage node to said load at said DC output voltage in a first mode, said first voltage converter circuit configured to deliver energy from said load to said boost voltage node in a second mode;
a second voltage converter circuit coupled to an energy source and to said boost voltage node, said second voltage converter circuit configured to convert a first voltage associated with said energy source to a second voltage associated with said boost voltage node; and
a boost capacitor coupled to said boost voltage node, said boost capacitor configured to store said energy delivered from said load.
18. The system of claim 17, wherein said first voltage converter circuit is configured as an inverting buck-boost converter.
19. The system of claim 17, wherein said first voltage converter circuit further comprises dual reversible buck converters.
20. The system of claim 17, wherein said energy source is a battery.
21. The system of claim 17, wherein said load is a piezoelectric transducer.
22. The system of claim 17, wherein said second voltage is greater than said first voltage.
23. The system of claim 17, wherein the capacitance of said boost capacitor is greater than the capacitance of said load.