公开(公告)号：US09982722B2

公开(公告)日：2018-05-29

申请号：US13938215

申请日：2013-07-09

申请人： SolarCity Corporation

发明人： Daniel I. Fukuba ,  Benjamin D. Sumers ,  Jeremy P. Dittmer ,  Merritt J. Jenkins ,  Kevin C. Chu ,  Vayardo L. Ruiz

IPC分类号： F16D11/16 ,  F16D3/04 ,  B25J5/02 ,  F24J2/38 ,  F16D3/10

CPC分类号： F16D11/16 ,  B25J5/02 ,  F16D3/04 ,  F16D3/10 ,  F24S50/20 ,  Y02E10/47 ,  Y10S901/01 ,  Y10S901/30 ,  Y10T74/19614

摘要： The present invention relates to transferring torque between a first unit, which is typically a mobile machine or a robot, and a second unit, which is typically a fixed or stationary machine. The units are arranged such that a drive coupler of the first unit designed for delivering torque about a drive axis can engage the driven coupler, which belongs to the second unit and has a driven axis, along an engagement direction that is nearly perpendicular to the direction of the driven axis. A lateral displacement mechanism in provided is the first unit to achieve a first-order coaxial alignment between the drive and driven axes. Additional measures such as compliance mechanisms are provided for improving engagement, coupling and reducing the level of axial misalignment in the apparatus and methods of the invention.