Aspects of the disclosure provide an electric actuator including a first driving source coupled to an output through a first pathway created by a transmission, a second driving source coupled to the output though a second pathway created by the transmission that, upon the electric actuator losses electrical power to the electric actuator, causes the output to be positioned at a fail-safe position, a differential coupled to the first driving source and the second driving source through a third pathway created by the transmission to store energy from the first driving source in the second driving source, and a switching controller that is configured to control switching the transmission between the first pathway, the second pathway, and the third pathway.

Aspects of the disclosure provide an electric actuator including a first driving source coupled to an output through a first pathway created by a transmission, a second driving source coupled to the output though a second pathway created by the transmission that, upon the electric actuator losses electrical power to the electric actuator, causes the output to be positioned at a fail-safe position, a differential coupled to the first driving source and the second driving source through a third pathway created by the transmission to store energy from the first driving source in the second driving source, and a switching controller that is configured to control switching the transmission between the first pathway, the second pathway, and the third pathway.

There is provided a range switching device that can switch the shift ranges by use of a mechanical driving force source even when the motor does not normally function. The range switching device includes an output axle coupled with the shift shaft of an automatic transmission, a motor, an elastic driving device whose driving force source is elastic energy of an elastic member, and a coupling mechanism that couples the output axle, the motor, and the elastic driving device with one another; the elastic driving device has a holding mechanism in which there can be performed switching between a holding state where accumulated elastic energy is held and a releasing state where the elastic energy is released so as to drive the output axle.

A robot includes a first member, a second member that is provided so as to be movable around the first member, and a gear device that transmits driving force from one of the first member and the second member to the other. The gear device includes an internal gear, a flexible external gear that has an external tooth portion, which partially meshes with the internal gear, and a body portion, which is linked to the external tooth portion in a direction of a rotation axis, and a wave generator that comes into contact with the external gear and moves a position where the internal gear and the external gear are meshed with each other in a circumferential direction. An exterior surface of the body portion has an oil-repellent portion of which oil repellency is higher than oil repellency of an exterior surface of the external tooth portion.

A linkage rod including a limited-displacement flexible mechanism has structural robustness and allows easy reduction in weight and size, simple production and easy operation. The linkage rod including at least one limited-displacement flexible mechanism, wherein the limited-displacement flexible mechanism comprises at least one limited-displacement flexible joint which comprises: a flexible member; and at least one bend limitation section which is arranged in parallel with the flexible member so that the bend limitation section limits a bend of the flexible member.

A robot includes a first member, a second member that is provided so as to be movable around the first member, and a gear device that transmits driving force from one of the first member and the second member to the other. The gear device includes a contact portion where two surfaces come into contact with each other and a lubricant, which is disposed on the contact portion and of which a change rate of worked penetration caused by a worked stability test is within a range of 16% to +16% inclusive.

A power converting apparatus that may increase a generation efficiency by receiving a power from a power source, producing electricity by rotating an output shaft connected to a generator using a portion of the received power, accumulating a remaining portion of the received power in an energy storage device, and rotating the output shaft using the accumulated energy when a power is not transmitted from the power source, the power source that floats in the ocean, performs irregular motions in vertical and horizontal directions by waves within a predetermined range, and generates an intermittent linear power, is provided.

A power converting apparatus that may increase a generation efficiency by receiving a power from a power source, producing electricity by rotating an output shaft connected to a generator using a portion of the received power, accumulating a remaining portion of the received power in an energy storage device, and rotating the output shaft using the accumulated energy when a power is not transmitted from the power source, the power source that floats in the ocean, performs irregular motions in vertical and horizontal directions by waves within a predetermined range, and generates an intermittent linear power, is provided.

We claim a hammer driven actuator that uses the fast-motion, low-force characteristics of an electro-magnetic or similar prime mover to develop kinetic energy that can be transformed via a friction interface to produce a higher-force, lower-speed linear or rotary actuator by using a hammering process to produce a series of individual steps. Such a system can be implemented using a voice-coil, electro-mechanical solenoid or similar prime mover. Where a typical actuator provides limited range of motion or low force, the range of motion of a linear or rotary impact driven motor can be configured to provide large displacements which are not limited by the characteristic dimensions of the prime mover.

An example rotary actuator includes a cam that is to be coupled to a valve. The cam is rotatable about an axis. The example rotary actuator also includes a linear actuator having a stem movable along a path offset from and perpendicular to the axis and a chain having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The first end of the chain is coupled to the stem and the second end of the chain coupled to the cam. The chain is disposed around at least a portion of an outer edge of the cam, and movement of the stem along the path rotates the cam about the axis.