I claim:
1. A bearing assembly for a reciprocating rotor device comprising a Theological bearing coupler and a rotor shaft bearing, said assembly being interspersed between a rotor shaft and a bearing assembly support structure.
2. A bearing assembly for a reciprocating rotor device according to claim 1, said rheological bearing coupler configured to reduce axial bearing precision in respond to acceleration induced moment loads beyond a design threshold acceleration level.
3. A bearing assembly for a reciprocating rotor device according to claim 1, said rheological bearing coupler comprising a circular rheological component with compressively induced rheological phase properties, said component confined compressively between said support structure and said rotor shaft so as bear all acceleration induced moment loads between said rotor shaft and said support structure.
4. A bearing assembly for a reciprocating rotor device according to claim 3, said rheological bearing coupler configured between said rotor shaft bearing and said support structure.
5. A bearing assembly for a reciprocating rotor device according to claim 3, said rheological bearing coupler configured between said rotor shaft bearing and said rotor shaft.
6. A bearing assembly for a reciprocating rotor device according to claim 3, said rheological component comprising an O ring fabricated of materials having rheological phase properties induced by lateral compression in excess of a threshold level.
7. A bearing assembly for a reciprocating rotor device according to claim 3, said Theological bearing coupler comprising at least two circular Theological components.
8. A bearing assembly for a reciprocating rotor device according to claim 7, said at least two circular Theological components being of different diameters and configured as co-planar and co-axial to said rotor bearing.
9. A bearing assembly for a reciprocating rotor device according to claim 7, said at least two circular rheological components being of the same diameter, configured as co-axial to said rotor bearing, and divided by a spacing structure.
10. A bearing assembly for a reciprocating device according to claim 7, further comprising a multi-part circular containment structure by which a said Theological component may be confined during fabrication of said bearing assembly.
11. A bearing assembly for a galvanometer scanner comprising a rheological bearing coupler and a rotor shaft bearing, said assembly being interspersed between a rotor shaft and a bearing assembly support structure, said rheological bearing coupler configured to reduce axial bearing precision in respond to acceleration induced moment loads beyond a design threshold acceleration level.
12. A bearing assembly for a galvanometer scanner according to claim 11, said Theological bearing coupler comprising at least one circular Theological component with compressively induced Theological phase properties, said component confined compressively between said support structure and said rotor shaft so as bear acceleration induced moment loads between said rotor shaft and said support structure.
13. A bearing assembly for a galvanometer scanner according to claim 12, said Theological component comprising at least one O ring fabricated of materials having rheological phase properties induced by lateral compression in excess of a threshold level.
14. A bearing assembly for a galvanometer scanner according to claim 12, said Theological bearing coupler comprising at least two circular Theological components, said at least two circular Theological components being of different diameters and configured as co-planar and co-axial to said rotor bearing.
15. A bearing assembly for a galvanometer scanner according to claim 12, said rheological bearing coupler comprising at least two circular Theological components, said at least two circular Theological components being of the same diameter, configured as co-axial to said rotor bearing, and divided by a spacing structure.
16. A bearing assembly for a reciprocating device according to claim 12, further comprising a multi-part circular containment structure by which a said rheological component may be confined during fabrication of said bearing assembly.
17. A galvanometer scanner comprising upper and lower bearing assemblies, each said bearing assembly further comprising a rheological bearing coupler and a rotor shaft bearing, said being interspersed between a rotor shaft and a bearing assembly support structure, said Theological bearing coupler configured to reduce axial bearing precision in respond to acceleration induced moment loads beyond a design threshold acceleration level.
18. A galvanometer scanner according to claim 17, said Theological bearing coupler comprising at least one circular Theological component with compressively induced Theological phase properties, said Theological component confined compressively between said support structure and said rotor shaft so as bear acceleration induced moment loads between said rotor shaft and said support structure.
19. A galvanometer scanner according to claim 18, said at least one Theological component comprising at least one O ring fabricated of materials having Theological phase properties induced by lateral compression in excess of a threshold level.
20. A galvanometer scanner according to claim 18, further comprising a multi-part circular containment structure by which a said rheological component may be confined during fabrication of said bearing assembly.
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 probe which is made to contact an electrode terminal in an electric circuit or an electronic part for an electric measurement of the electric circuit or the electronic part, the probe comprising:
a terminal portion which is brought in contact with the electrode terminal at one end of the probe;
a spring portion in which U-shaped unit portions are arrayed in a zigzag formation; and
a housing portion which surrounds the spring portion,
wherein the probe is formed of a sheet of a sheet-metal plate which is bent multiple times, the sheet-metal plate having a predetermined configuration in which a portion corresponding to the terminal portion, a portion corresponding to the spring portion, and a portion corresponding to the housing portion are continuously linked together.
2. The probe according to claim 1, wherein the portion corresponding to the housing portion in the sheet-metal plate includes a portion corresponding to a housing spring portion in which U-shaped unit portions are arrayed in a zigzag formation, and the probe further comprises the housing spring portion disposed between the spring portion and the terminal portion.
3. The probe according to claim 1, further comprising a housing connecting portion connected to the terminal portion, and an electrical signal obtained from the terminal portion made to contact the electrode terminal is transmitted to the housing portion via the housing connecting portion.
4. The probe according to claim 1, wherein the probe is arranged to include a first terminal portion which is brought in contact with the electrode terminal at one end of the probe, the spring portion, a second terminal portion disposed at the other end of the probe, and the housing portion, and
wherein, in the sheet-metal plate having the predetermined configuration, a portion corresponding to the first terminal portion, the portion corresponding to the spring portion, and a portion corresponding to the second terminal portion are continuously linked together, and the portion corresponding to the housing portion is disposed along the portion corresponding to the spring portion and extends in a longitudinal direction of the sheet-metal plate.
5. The probe according to claim 1, wherein the spring portion is arranged to include a convex portion which projects toward the housing portion, the convex portion being in contact with an internal wall of the housing portion.
6. The probe according to claim 5, wherein the convex portion is arranged to include first and second convex portions formed on two opposing ones of the U-shaped unit portions of the spring portion, and a location of the first convex portion and a location of the second convex portion are symmetrical with respect to a centerline of the probe.
7. The probe according to claim 5, wherein the convex portion is disposed at a location of the spring portion in a vicinity of the terminal portion.
8. A method of manufacturing a probe which is made to contact an electrode terminal in an electric circuit or an electronic part for an electric measurement of the electric circuit or the electronic part, the method comprising:
a metal plate forming step of forming a sheet-metal plate having a predetermined configuration;
a plating step of plating a surface of the sheet-metal plate having the predetermined configuration; and
a bending step of bending the sheet-metal plate the surface of which is plated,
wherein, in the sheet-metal plate having the predetermined configuration, a portion corresponding to a terminal portion of the sheet metal plate which is brought in contact with the electrode terminal, a portion corresponding to a spring portion of the sheet metal plate in which U-shaped unit portions are arrayed in a zigzag formation, and a portion corresponding to a housing portion of the sheet metal plate which surrounds the spring portion are continuously linked together.
9. The method of manufacturing the probe according to claim 8, wherein the probe is arranged to include a first terminal portion which is brought in contact with the electrode terminal at one end of the probe, the spring portion, a second terminal portion disposed at the other end of the probe, and the housing portion, and
wherein, in the sheet-metal plate having the predetermined configuration, a portion corresponding to the first terminal portion, the portion corresponding to the spring portion, and a portion corresponding to the second terminal portion are continuously linked together, and the portion corresponding to the housing portion is disposed along the portion corresponding to the spring portion and extends in a longitudinal direction of the sheet-metal plate.
10. The method of manufacturing the probe according to claim 8, wherein the bending step comprises:
a first bending step of bending the portion of the sheet-metal plate corresponding to the spring portion to form the spring portion;
a second bending step of bending the sheet-metal plate after the first bending step at a boundary of the portion corresponding to the spring portion and the portion corresponding to the housing portion by approximately 180 degrees; and
a third bending step of bending the portion corresponding to the housing portion after the second bending step, so that the spring portion is surrounded by the housing portion being bent.
11. The method of manufacturing the probe according to claim 10, wherein the sheet-metal plate includes a main body portion and a manufacture auxiliary portion which is provided to surround the main body portion and connected to the main body portion, and, in the second bending step, the manufacture auxiliary portion is bent by about 180 degrees, and
wherein the method further comprises a cutting step of cutting off the main body portion from the manufacture auxiliary portion.
12. The method of manufacturing the probe according to claim 10, wherein the portion of the sheet metal plate corresponding to the housing portion includes a portion corresponding to a housing spring portion, and, in the third bending step, the portion corresponding to the housing portion and the portion corresponding to the housing spring portion are bent so that the spring portion is surrounded by the housing portion being bent.
13. The method of manufacturing the probe according to claim 10, wherein, in the first bending step, the portion corresponding to the spring portion and the portion corresponding to the terminal portion are bent simultaneously.
14. The method of manufacturing the probe according to claim 10, wherein the probe includes a housing connecting portion disposed between the terminal portion and the spring portion, and, in the third bending step, the housing connecting portion is bent so that the housing connecting portion is in contact with an internal wall of the housing portion.
15. The method of manufacturing the probe according to claim 8, wherein the sheet metal plate is made of an age-hardening type alloy.
16. The method of manufacturing the probe according to claim 15, wherein the probe further comprises a housing connecting portion disposed between the terminal portion and the spring portion, and the housing connecting portion is in contact with the housing portion at an opening of the housing portion.
17. The method of manufacturing the probe according to claim 16, wherein the probe is installed in an insulation frame, and the housing connecting portion and the housing portion in the probe installed in the insulation frame are in contact with each other.
18. The method of manufacturing the probe according to claim 15, wherein the bending step comprises:
a first bending step of bending the portion of the sheet-metal plate corresponding to the spring portion to form the spring portion;
a second bending step of bending the sheet-metal plate after the first bending step at a boundary of the portion corresponding to the spring portion and the portion corresponding to the housing portion by approximately 180 degrees; and
a third bending step of bending the portion corresponding to the housing portion after the second bending step, so that the spring portion is surrounded by the housing portion being bent.
19. The method of manufacturing the probe according to claim 8, wherein a thickness of the sheet-metal plate is in a range between 30 micrometers and 150 micrometers.
20. The method of manufacturing the probe according to claim 8 wherein the sheet metal plate forming step which forms the sheet-metal plate having the predetermined configuration is carried out by either press forming or etching.