The specification discusses various lacing engine configurations for use in an automated footwear platform. For example, lacing engines with mechanisms to detect lace cable position and/or lace cable tensions are discussed. In an example, the lacing engine can include a housing, a lace spool and a detection mechanism. The lace spool can be at least partially disposed within the housing, and be adapted to collect a portion of the lace cable in response to rotation in a first direction during tightening of the footwear platform. The detection mechanism can detect a state of the lace cable manipulated by the lacing engine.

A planetary transmission (2) includes a stepped planetary gear (24), or planetary gears, which are connected to each other, that is/are disposed radially between a first shaft (6) and axially-adjacent first and second ring gears (12, 16). The stepped planetary gear, or connected planetary gears, include(s) a first gearing region (26) that meshes with a sun gear (8) on the first shaft (6) and the first ring gear (12), as well as a helically-toothed second gearing region (28) that meshes with the second ring gear (16). A cylindrical support region (32) is coaxially provided on/around the first shaft. The stepped planetary gear or the connected planetary gears is/are supported on the cylindrical support region of the first shaft by the outer circumferential surface of the second gearing region. The second gearing region lies on the addendum circle of the second gearing region.

In an example, a lacing engine apparatus can include a housing and a drivetrain. The housing can be securable within a footwear article. The drivetrain can include a motor, a sun gear, a planet gear, a rotating ring gear, and a spool. The spool can be secured to the ring gear and can be rotatable therewith. The spool can be configured to control a lace of the footwear article and can be configured to wind the lace as the ring gear rotates in a first direction.

An electrically-actuated variable camshaft timing (VCT) phaser assembly, comprises a sun gear configured to receive input from an electric motor and one or more planet gears having radially-outwardly-extending gear teeth that engage the sun gear; a first ring gear, having radially-inwardly extending gear teeth that engage the radially-outwardly-extending gear teeth of the sun gear, configured to receive rotational output provided by a crankshaft; a second ring gear, having radially-inwardly extending gear teeth that engage the radially-outwardly-extending gear teeth of the sun gear, configured to couple to a camshaft; one or more planet gear pins that carry the planet gear(s) and engage a planetary gear set to prevent the relative rotation of the planet gear pin(s) relative to the planetary gear set; and one or more springs that bias the planet gear pin(s) and the planetary gear(s) toward the first ring gear and the second ring gear.

A modular high precision gear box arrangement includes first and second gear boxes. The first gear box has a first rotatable hollow wheel, a second fixed hollow wheel and at least one double planet having a first planet and a second planet arranged on a planet shaft. The first planet meshes with the first hollow wheel, the second planet meshes with the second hollow wheel, and the first hollow wheel is coupled with an output. The second gear box includes a fixed hollow wheel that is the second hollow wheel of the first gear box and at least one planet that is the second planet of the at least one double planet of the first gear box. The second gear box further includes an input for driving the planet shaft, wherein the input is arranged centrically or eccentrically to a central rotation axis of the gear box arrangement.

A planetary gear transmission has a sun gear, a ring gear, at least one first planet gear, and at least one second planet gear. The first planet gear and the second planet gear are arranged on a planet carrier, and the sun gear, the ring gear, the first planet gear, and the second planet gear mesh with one another. The planetary gear transmission is characterized in that the planet carrier has a first planet carrier part and a second planet carrier part. The first planet carrier part and the second planet carrier part are designed such that the planet carrier parts are rotated relative to each other starting from a base position and can be fixed in their respective rotated position relative to each other, wherein the at least one first planet gear is connected to the first planet carrier part, and the at least one second planet gear is connected to the second planet carrier part.

A gearwheel for a gear system for a planetary gear system of a chassis assistance system. The gearwheel is divided into at least a first spur gear and a second spur gear which are spaced apart from one another along a common rotational axis. The gearwheel has, in addition, an open spring ring with a first end, which is supported in a circumferential direction against the first spur gear, and a second end, which is supported in the direction opposite to the circumferential direction against the second spur gear in such manner that by rotating the spur gears, relative to one another about the common rotational axis, the spring ring can be stressed in order to exert a restoring torque on the spur gears. A recess is formed on at least one of the spur gears for holding part of the spring ring.

A method of adjusting a drive mechanism includes measuring backlashes between the ring gear and the plurality of drive devices, and determining about positions of the plurality of drive devices with reference to the ring gear based on the backlashes measured in the measurement step. The measurement step includes: aligning the pinion of one of the plurality of drive devices to face a reference position in a circumferential direction of the ring gear and measuring a backlash between the ring gear and the said one drive device; and aligning the pinion of another one of the plurality of drive devices to face the reference position of the ring gear by revolving the plurality of the drive devices relative to the ring gear, and measuring a backlash between the ring gear and the said another drive device different from the said one drive device whose backlash has been measured.

In an example, a lacing engine apparatus can include a housing and a drivetrain. The housing can be securable within a footwear article. The drivetrain can include a motor, a sun gear, a planet gear, a rotating ring gear, and a spool. The spool can be secured to the ring gear and can be rotatable therewith. The spool can be configured to control a lace of the footwear article and can be configured to wind the lace as the ring gear rotates in a first direction.

A universal wheel driving system includes a sun gear receiving power from a power source, a ring gear, of which a rotation axis moves relatively to a rotation axis of the sun gear on a rotation plane parallel to a rotation plane of the sun gear, the ring gear being concentrically connected to a wheel, a gear train allowing relative movement between the rotational axes of the sun and ring gears, and to generate a continuous power transmission between the sun and ring gears, a carrier forming the gear train, and supporting in position a rotation axis of a final pinion engaged with the ring gear constant with respect to the rotation axis of the ring gear, and a plurality of suspension modules providing shock-absorbing and damping during relative movements of the ring gear and carrier with respect to the sun gear.