Abstract:
An apparatus for enhancing an operational capacity of a hobby servo motor having a splined output shaft is disclosed. An apparatus illustratively includes a spline receiving portion. The spline receiving portion includes a plurality of circumferentially distributed protrusions sized and dispersed so as to support a functional engagement of the apparatus to the splined rotatable output shaft. The spline receiving portion optionally includes a top receiving surface. When the spline receiving portion is functionally engaged to the splined rotatable output shaft, the top receiving surface is positioned proximate to and flushly engages a top surface of the splined rotatable output shaft. An apparatus may further include an elongated shaft. The elongated shaft has an outer surface and at least a portion of the outer surface is textured.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED CASES 
       [0001]    The present application is a continuation-in-part of and claims priority of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/187,690, filed Aug. 7, 2008 and of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/964,120, filed Aug. 9, 2007, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    A servo motor (a.k.a. simply a “servo”) is a device having a rotatable output shaft. The output shaft can typically be positioned to specific angular positions in accordance with a coded signal received by the servo. It is common that a particular angular position will be maintained as long as a corresponding coded signal exists on an input line. If the coded signal changes, the angular position of the shaft will change accordingly. Control circuits and a potentiometer are typically included within the servo motor casing and are functionally connected to the output shaft. Through the potentiometer (e.g., a variable resistor), the control circuitry is able to monitor the angle of the output shaft. If the shaft is at the correct angle, the motor actuates no further changes. If the shaft is not at the correct angle, the motor is actuated in an appropriate direction until the angle is correct. 
         [0003]    There are different types of servos that include output shafts having varying rotational and torque capabilities. For example, the rotational and/or torque capability of an industrial servo is typically less restricted than that of a hobby servo. That being said, hobby servos are generally available commercially at a cost that is much less than that associated with industrial servos. 
         [0004]    Because hobby servos are relatively small and inexpensive, they are popular within the hobby-mechanical industry for applications such as, but by no means limited to, hobby robotic applications and radio-controlled models (cars, planes, boats, etc.). One example of a hobby servo is the Futaba S-148 available from Futaba Corporation of America located in Schaumburg, Ill. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    An apparatus for enhancing an operational capacity of a hobby servo motor having a splined output shaft is disclosed. An apparatus illustratively includes a spline receiving portion. The spline receiving portion includes a plurality of circumferentially distributed protrusions sized and dispersed so as to support a functional engagement of the apparatus to the splined rotatable output shaft. The spline receiving portion optionally includes a top receiving surface. When the spline receiving portion is functionally engaged to the splined rotatable output shaft, the top receiving surface is positioned proximate to and flushly engages a top surface of the splined rotatable output shaft. An apparatus may further include an elongated shaft. The elongated shaft has an outer surface and at least a portion of the outer surface is textured. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary hobby servo. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a side view of a hobby servo shaft attachment mechanism. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a top view of a hobby servo shaft attachment mechanism. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is a bottom view of a hobby servo shaft attachment mechanism. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a side view of a hobby servo shaft attachment mechanism that highlights internal features. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a side view of a hobby servo shaft attachment mechanism that highlights internal features. 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is a bottom view of a hobby servo shaft attachment mechanism. 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a hobby servo shaft attachment mechanism attached to a hobby servo. 
           [0014]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a coupler attached to a hobby servo shaft attachment mechanism. 
           [0015]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a universal joint attached to a hobby servo shaft attachment mechanism. 
           [0016]      FIG. 11  is a side view of a hobby servo attachment mechanism having an outer shaft with screw threading. 
           [0017]      FIG. 12  is a side view of a hobby servo attachment mechanism having an outer shaft with gear teeth. 
           [0018]      FIG. 13  is a side view of a hobby servo attachment mechanism having an outer shaft with a lower portion having gear teeth and an upper portion having screw threading. 
           [0019]      FIG. 14  is a side view of a hobby servo shaft attachment mechanism having an inner aperture and an inner ledge. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    Certain embodiments described herein are intended for implementation in association with a motor such as, but not limited to, a hobby servo motor, or more simply stated, a hobby servo.  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of one example of a suitable hobby servo  100 . Hobby servo  100  can be any type of hobby servo and is not limited in terms of its style, capacity, motor speed, or load carrying capability. Hobby servo  100  is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of the claimed subject matter. Neither should hobby servo  100  be interpreted as having any dependency or requirement relating to any one or combination of illustrated components. 
         [0021]    Hobby servo  100  includes a rotatable splined output shaft  12 , rotable splined shaft output top  13 , threaded orifice  14 , circular planar surface  15 , a pair of flanges  18 , mounting screws  20 , and an electrical cable  22 . Splined output shaft  12  has teeth (or ridges) distributed around the outside surface of the output shaft. This configuration is described as a “male” spline configuration. Standard configurations of hobby servos have 23, 24, or 25 teeth. Threaded orifice  14  extends into splined output shaft  12  and is adapted to receive an attachment screw (not shown). Flanges  18  are adapted to receive mounting screws  20 . Flanges  18  and screws  20  are adapted to work in combination to mount hobby servo  100  in an operating environment. Electrical cable  22  is attached to the hobby servo  100  and provides electrical power and/or electrical signals to cause the output shaft  12  to rotate in a counter-clockwise or clockwise direction. 
         [0022]      FIG. 2  is a side view of an embodiment of a hobby servo shaft attachment mechanism  200  (hereinafter “HSAM  200 ”). HSAM  200  includes a top surface  202 , a bottom surface  204 , an attachment surface  206 , and an output shaft attachment housing  208 . In an embodiment, attachment surface  206  provides a cylindrical surface that receives attachment items that include a bore. The diameter of the cylindrical surface of HSAM  200  is manufactured to any desired value. For example, the bore is made to accommodate ¼″ or ⅜″ bored attachment items. Attachment surface  206  need not be a cylindrical area. Embodiments of attachment surface  206  include every shape and size. 
         [0023]      FIG. 3  is a top view of an embodiment of HSAM  200 . HSAM  200  includes top surface  202 , output shaft attachment housing  208 , and attachment mechanism orifice  210  (hereinafter “AMO  210 ”). In an embodiment, AMO  210  provides an opening that extends from top surface  202  to bottom surface  204  (shown in  FIG. 2 ). In an embodiment, AMO  210  receives an attachment mechanism such that HSAM  200  is secured to hobby servo  100 . In one embodiment, AMO  210  receives a screw that has a head with a larger diameter than AMO  210  such that the head of the screw rests on top surface  202 . In that embodiment, the screw extends through AMO  210  and threads into the standard engagement inside servo output shaft orifice  14 . It is worth noting that in certain embodiments, HSAM  200  and output shaft  12  are in-line with each other, meaning that HSAM  200  and output shaft  12  share a common axis that they rotate around. 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  is a bottom view of an embodiment of HSAM  200 . HSAM  200  includes bottom surface  204 , AMO  210 , spline receiving surface  212 , and top receiving surface  214 . In an embodiment, spline receiving surface  212  includes a plurality of surfaces (e.g., teeth) that are configured to engage the teeth (or ridges) of the rotable splined output shaft  12 . Other embodiments include top receiving surface  214  flushly engaging rotable splined shaft output top  13  and bottom surface  204  flushly engaging circular planar surface  15 . Embodiments of spline receiving surface  212 , bottom surface  204 , and top receiving surface  214  include any number of surfaces and any surface shapes that engage or flushly engage any embodiments of rotable splined output shaft  12  and/or circular planar surface  15 . 
         [0025]      FIG. 5  is a side view of an embodiment of HSAM  200  that highlights internal features with dotted lines. HSAM  200  includes top surface  202 , attachment mechanism orifice  210 , attachment surface  206 , output shaft attachment housing  208 , top receiving surface  214 , spline receiving surface  212 , and bottom surface  204 . Embodiments of HSAM  200  include any desired dimensions. Embodiments of HSAM  200  are made from every material. Examples of materials include rigid materials such as 6061 T6 aluminum. 
         [0026]      FIG. 6  is a side view of an embodiment of HSAM  200  that includes an inner output shaft housing  250  (hereinafter “IOSH  250 ”), and  FIG. 7  is a bottom view of an embodiment of HSAM  200  that includes IOSH  250 . IOSH  250  include a bottom surface  252 , an outer circumferential surface  254 , a top surface  256 , and a spline receiving surface  258 . In an embodiment, spline receiving surface  258  includes a plurality of surfaces that securely engage the teeth (or ridges) of the rotable splined output shaft  12 . Embodiments of spline receiving surface  258  include any number of surfaces and any surface shapes. 
         [0027]    Embodiments of outer circumferential surface  254  include any number of sides such as six. In some embodiments the sides come together at sharp angles. In other embodiments the sides come together at rounded corners. In yet other embodiments, outer surface  254  is cylindrical and includes no sides. 
         [0028]    Embodiments of IOSH  250  have dimensions and are shaped such that they fit flushly within embodiments of output shaft attachment housing  208  including top receiving surface  214 . Embodiments of IOSH  250  are made of every material. Some embodiments are made of plastic, rubber, and metal. In one embodiment, the IOSH  250  material is chosen based at least partially upon the type of material or shape of output shaft  12 . In another embodiment, IOSH  250  is laser cut from plastic and press-fit into output shaft attachment housing  208 . In yet another embodiment, IOSH  250  and housing  208  are engaged such that rotation from output shaft  12  is transferred from IOSH  250  to attachment surface  206 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of an embodiment of HSAM  200  attached to an exemplary hobby servo  100 . In an embodiment, HSAM  200  is securely and functionally engaged to output shaft  12  (shown in  FIG. 1 ), and HSAM  200  bottom surfaces  204  and/or  252  are flushly engaged with circular planar surface  15  (also shown in  FIG. 1 ). In an embodiment, HSAM  200  is securely attached to hobby servo  100  using screw  302 . In other embodiments, attachment mechanisms other than screws are used. The attachment of HSAM  200  to hobby servo  100  provides many useful features. HSAM  200  provides enhanced performance such as increased strength and durability. HSAM  200  supports greater side-loads on the servo than the servo could support alone. HSAM  200  also allows for items that cannot be directly attached to a hobby servo to be indirectly attached. 
         [0030]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a coupler  304  attached to HSAM  200 . Coupler  304  connects to items such as, but not limited to, axles and gears, and rotates the items utilizing the output from hobby servo  100 . Coupler  304  and HSAM  200  allow items to be connected that otherwise could not be connected to hobby servo  100 . They also provide a more durable connection. For example, HSAM  200  reduces the chances that splined output shaft  12  (not shown) will be stripped during operation. 
         [0031]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a universal joint  306  attached to HSAM  200 . HSAM  200  enables universal joint  306  to be powered by hobby servo  100 . HSAM  200  also enables greater performance than if universal joint  306  was attached directly to hobby servo  100 . 
         [0032]      FIGS. 9 and 10  are only examples of the many items that HSAM  200  allows to be indirectly connected to hobby servo  100 . Other items include gears, sprockets, and robot arms. These items and others, achieve improved performance such as increased strength, durability, and reduced slippage. 
         [0033]      FIGS. 11-14  are side views of additional illustrative embodiments of hobby servo attachment mechanisms. The embodiments shown in  FIGS. 11-14  optionally include elongated shafts with textured outer surfaces (e.g. threaded surfaces). The embodiments shown in  FIGS. 11-14  optionally include one or more of the features included within hobby servo attachment mechanism  200  shown in  FIGS. 2-10 . Similarly, hobby servo attachment mechanism  200  may optionally include one or more of the features shown in  FIGS. 11-14 . Embodiments are not limited to any particular combination of features and may include any feature or combination of features described in this disclosure. 
         [0034]      FIG. 11  is a side view of hobby servo attachment mechanism (“HSAM”)  1100 . HSAM  1100  illustratively includes many of the same or similar features as HSAM  200  shown in  FIGS. 2-10 . For instance, HSAM  1100  optionally includes a top surface  1102 , a bottom surface  1104 , and an output shaft attachment housing  1108 . In addition to those features, HSAM  1100  also optionally includes a threaded outer surface  1106 . Threaded surface  1106  illustratively includes any type of threaded surface such as screw threading or worm screw threading. In one embodiment, threaded surface  1106  engages with a threaded surface of another object and rotates or otherwise transfers motion to the other object. For instance, in one embodiment, threaded surface  1106  includes screw threading that is engaged with the screw threading of another object. As threaded surface  1106  is rotated, the engaged screw threading of the other object is rotated. The other screw threading and/or object may for instance be moved along an axis of rotation that is parallel to the axis of rotation of HSAM  1100 . In another embodiment, threaded surface  1106  includes worm screw threading that is engaged with a worm gear. Threaded surface  1106  and the worm gear thus form a worm drive, and threaded surface  1106  rotates the worm gear about an axis of rotation that is different than the axis of rotation of HSAM  1100 . For instance, threaded surface  1106  illustratively rotates a worm gear about an axis of rotation that is ninety degrees different than the axis of rotation of HSAM  1100 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 12  is a side view of a hobby servo attachment mechanism (HSAM)  1200 . HSAM  1200  also illustratively includes a top surface  1202 , a bottom surface  1204 , and an output shaft attachment housing  1208 . Additionally, HSAM  1200  optionally includes a threaded surface  1206 . Threaded surface  1206  illustratively includes gear teeth. For example, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 12 , threaded surface  1206  includes vertically oriented gear teeth. In an embodiment, threaded surface  1206  engages with a threaded surface of another object and rotates or otherwise transfers motion to the object. For instance, in one embodiment, threaded surface  1206  includes gear teeth that are engaged with the gear teeth of another object. As threaded surface  1206  is rotated, the engaged gear teeth of the other object are rotated. 
         [0036]      FIG. 13  is a side view of a hobby servo attachment mechanism (HSAM)  1300 . HSAM  1300  also illustratively includes a top surface  1302 , a bottom surface  1304 , and an output shaft attachment housing  1308 . Additionally, HSAM  1300  optionally includes two or more different surfaces along the rotatable shaft. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 13 , HSAM  1300  includes a first threaded surface  1320  and a second threaded surface  1322 . First threaded surface  1320  may for instance include screw, worm screw, gear, or any other type of threading. Second surface  13220  may also illustratively include screw, gear, or any other type of threading. In one embodiment, first and second threaded surfaces  1320  and  1322  include different types of threading (e.g. one includes screw threading and the other gear threading), or alternatively, both surfaces  1320  and  1322  may include the same type of threading. In another embodiment, one or more of surfaces  1320  or  1322  may instead include a non-textured surface (e.g. a smooth outer surface such as that shown in  FIGS. 2-8 ). Additionally, embodiments of HSAM  1300  are not limited to only including two surfaces along the rotatable shaft. Embodiments of HSAM  1300  optionally include any number of surfaces along the rotatable shaft. For instance, HSAM  1300  may include three different surfaces instead of the two shown in  FIG. 13  with one surface having screw threading, one gear threading, and the other surface being smooth. 
         [0037]      FIG. 14  is a side view of an embodiment of a hobby servo attachment mechanism (HSAM)  1400 . The view shown in  FIG. 14  highlights internal features with dotted lines. HSAM  1400  includes top surface  1402 , attachment mechanism orifice  1410 , outer surface  1406 , output shaft attachment housing  1408 , top receiving surface  1414 , spline receiving surface  1412 , and bottom surface  1404 . When HSAM  1400  is engaged to a hobby servo motor, top receiving surface  1414  is illustratively flushly engaged to a top surface (e.g. surface  13  in  FIG. 1 ) of an output shaft of a hobby servo motor, and spline receiving surface  1412  is illustratively engaged with the splined surface (e.g. surface  12  in  FIG. 1 ) of an output shaft of a hobby servo motor. Additionally, bottom surface  1404  is illustratively flushly engaged to a circular planar surface (e.g. surface  15  in  FIG. 1 ) of a hobby servo motor. 
         [0038]      FIG. 14  also shows that HSAM  1400  optionally includes an inner ledge  1420  and an inner aperture  1422  within attachment mechanism orifice  1410 . In one embodiment, an attachment mechanism (e.g. a screw or a bolt) fits through inner aperture  1422  and extends to the threaded orifice of a hobby servo motor (e.g. orifice  14  in  FIG. 1 ) to attach or otherwise secure HSAM  1400  to a hobby servo motor. A portion of the attachment mechanism (e.g. a head of a screw or a bolt) is illustratively wider than a circumference of inner aperture  1422  such that the portion of the attachment mechanism rests on or is supported by inner ledge  1420 . Other embodiments of hobby servo attachment mechanisms (e.g. HSAM  200  in  FIGS. 2-10 , HSAM  1100  in  FIG. 11 , HSAM  1200  in  FIG. 12 , and HSAM  1300  in  FIG. 13 ) may optionally include an attachment mechanism orifice  1410 , an inner ledge  1420 , and an inner aperture  1422 . Embodiments of HSAM&#39;s are not however limited to any particular method or devices for attachment to a hobby servo motor and optionally include any methods or devices for attachment. 
         [0039]    Although the hobby servo shaft attachment mechanism has been described with reference to particular embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.