Patent EA-002231-B1 (EA)
Title: Rotating energy storage device and tools incorporating same
Inventor: ALBERT GREGORY P
IPC: F16F15/30
Filed: 1999-11-17
Abstract: 1. A rotational energy storage device comprising: a shaft; a ring rotatably disposed about said shaft; and at least one roller disposed between said shaft and said ring, wherein, upon rotating said ring relative to said shaft, said at least one roller interferes with said ring and said shaft to convert and effect storage of mechanical energy created by the relative rotation of said ring and said shaft. 2. The rotational energy storage device recited by claim 1, further comprising a cam geometry means provided on a member selected from the group consisting of said shaft, said ring, said at least one roller, and combinations thereof. 3. The rotational energy storage device recited by claim 2, wherein said cam geometry is asymmetrical. 4. The rotational energy storage device recited by claim 2, wherein said cam geometry is symmetrical. 5. The rotational energy storage device recited by claim 1, further comprising a back-up ring disposed concentrically about said ring. 6. The rotational energy storage device recited by claim 5, wherein said back-up ring comprises alternating thin and thick cross-sectional areas indexed to provide regions of low and high stiffness regions against each roller. 7. The rotational energy storage device recited by claim 6, wherein said back-up ring is rotatable about said ring to reverse the orientation of said low and high stiffness regions indexed to each roller. 8. The rotational energy storage device recited by claim 5, further comprising a selective cam geometry means provided on a member selected from the group consisting of said shaft, said ring, said at least one roller, said back-up ring, and combinations thereof. 9. The rotational energy storage device recited by claim 8, wherein said cam geometry is asymmetrical. 10. The rotational energy storage device recited by claim 8, wherein said cam geometry is symmetrical. 11. The rotational energy storage device recited by claim 2, wherein said cam geometry means is provided externally along said shaft in an axial direction. 12. The rotational energy storage device recited by claim 2, wherein said shaft further comprises a longitudinal bore and further comprises an internal shaft disposed in said bore, said shaft comprising alternating thin and thick cross-sectional areas indexed to provide regions of low and high stiffness regions against each roller. 13. The rotational energy storage device recited by claim 12, wherein said internal shaft is rotatable in said bore to reverse the orientation of said low and high stiffness regions indexed to each roller. 14. The rotational energy storage device recited by claim 13, wherein said internal shaft is rotatable within said bore by an indexing key means. 15. The rotational energy storage device recited by claim 2, wherein said cam geometry means is provided by a sprag geometry on said roller. 16. The rotational energy storage device recited by claim 15, wherein said sprag geometry is asymmetrical. 17. The rotational energy storage device recited by claim 15, wherein said sprag geometry is symmetrical. 18. A resonant oscillating mass-based torquing tool comprising: a rotatable resonant oscillating mass; a rotational storage energy device connecting said oscillating mass to a rotating friction set workpiece, said rotational storage energy device comprising: a shaft; a ring rotatably disposed about said shaft; and at least one roller disposed between said shaft and said ring wherein, upon rotating said ring relative to said shaft, said at least one roller interferes with said ring and said shaft to convert and effect storage of mechanical energy created by the relative rotation of said ring and said shaft. 19. The resonant oscillating mass-based torquing tool recited by claim 18, further comprising a cam geometry means provided on a member selected from the group consisting of said shaft, said ring, said at least one roller, and combinations thereof. 20. The resonant oscillating mass-based torquing tool recited by claim 18, further comprising a back-up ring disposed concentrically about said ring, said back-up ring comprising alternating thin and thick cross-sectional areas indexed to provide regions of low and high stiffness regions against each roller. 21. The rotational energy storage device recited by claim 1, further comprising a cam geometry means on said shaft for causing said at least one roller to interfere with said ring; said cam geometry means having a first cam profile and a second cam profile with a zero-lift position located between said first and said second cam profiles; and said first cam profile and said second cam profile being asymmetrical about said zero-lift position such that upon moving said at least one roller from said zero-lift position, relatively high and low stiffness presenting regions are respectively provided by said first and said second cam profiles. 22. A rotational energy storage device comprising: a shaft; a ring rotatably disposed about said shaft; and a plurality of rollers disposed between said shaft and said ring wherein, upon rotating said ring relative to said shaft, said plurality of rollers interfere with said ring and said shaft to convert and effect storage of mechanical energy created by the relative rotation of said ring and said shaft. 23. The rotational energy storage device recited by claim 22, further comprising a plurality of cam geometry means on said shaft which correspond to and cause said plurality of rollers to interfere with said ring. 24. The rotational energy storage device recited by claim 23, wherein each of said plurality of cam geometry means has a first cam profile and a second cam profile with a zero-lift position located between said first and said second cam profiles. 25. The rotational energy storage device recited by claim 24, wherein said first cam profiles and said second cam profiles are asymmetrical about their corresponding zero-lift positions of each of said cam geometry means and configured such that upon moving said plurality of rollers from said zero-lift positions in a first direction, said rollers move along said first cam profiles which provide a higher stiffness region against said rollers; and upon moving said plurality of rollers from said zero-lift positions in a second direction opposite to said first direction, said rollers move along said second cam profiles which provide a lower stiffness region against said rollers. 26. The rotational energy storage device recited by claim 23, wherein said plurality of cam geometry means comprises: a plurality of first cam geometry means having a first cam profile and a second cam profile with a zero-lift position located between said first and said second cam profiles, said first cam profiles and said second cam profiles being asymmetrical about their corresponding zero-lift positions of each of said first cam geometry means and configured such that upon moving said plurality of rollers. from said zero-lift positions in a first direction, said rollers move along said first cam profiles which provide a higher stiffness region against said rollers; and upon moving said plurality of rollers from said zero-lift positions in a second direction opposite to said first direction, said rollers move along said second cam profiles which provide a lower stiffness region against said rollers; and a plurality of second cam geometry means which are alternately oriented around said shaft between said plurality of first cam geometry means, said second cam geometry means having a third cam profile and a fourth cam profile with a zero-lift position located between said third and said fourth cam profiles, said third cam profiles and said fourth cam profiles being asymmetrical about their corresponding zero-lift positions of each of said second cam geometry means and configured such that upon moving said plurality of rollers from said zero-lift positions in said first direction, said rollers move along said fourth cam profiles which provide a lower stiffness region against said rollers, and upon moving said plurality of rollers from said zero-lift positions in said second direction, said rollers move along said third cam profiles which provide a higher stiffness region against said rollers; said rollers being collectively movable into and between said zero-lift positions of said first cam geometry means and said second cam geometry means. 27. The rotational energy storage device recited by claim 26, wherein said plurality of rollers is moved into and between said zero-lift positions of said first cam geometry means and said second cam geometry means by rotating said ring relative to said shaft. 28. The resonant oscillating mass-based torquing tool recited by claim 18, further comprising a cam geometry means on said shaft for causing said at least one roller to interfere with said ring; said cam geometry means having a first cam profile and a second cam profile with a zero-lift position located between said first and said second cam profiles; and said first cam profile and said second cam profile being asymmetrical about said zero-lift position such that upon moving said at least one roller from said zero-lift position, relatively high and low stiffness presenting regions are respectively provided by said first and said second cam profiles. 29. A resonant oscillating mass-based torquing tool comprising: a rotatable resonant oscillating mass; a rotational storage energy storage device connecting said oscillating mass to a rotating friction set workpiece said rotational storage energy device comprising: a shaft; a ring rotatably disposed about said shaft; and a plurality of rollers disposed between said shaft and said ring wherein, upon rotating said ring relative to said shaft, said plurality of rollers interfere with said ring and said shaft to convert and effect storage of mechanical energy created by the relative rotation of said ring and said shaft. 30. The resonant oscillating mass-