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Sony patents elastic belt drive to smooth power transfer in machines

Patent drawing
Patent drawing from the official filing.

Sony has been granted a patent for a mechanical system that moves power from a motor to a shaft using a belt and a special elastic component. This elastic part stretches and contracts to absorb shocks, ensuring the output shaft turns smoothly without jolts.

Why it mattersThis design could make small motors in devices like game controllers or cameras run more quietly and reliably by reducing mechanical vibration.

In the filing’s own words

There is provided a power transmission mechanism including a drive unit that includes a power source, and an output unit driven by power from the power source, in which the output unit includes an output shaft, and an elastic member including a power-side end part that rotates according to the power from the power source, an output-side end part that rotates in keeping with rotation of the power-side end part so as to rotate the output shaft, and an extension/contraction part that generates elastic force around a rotation center of the power-side end part and the output-side end part.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A power transmission mechanism comprising: a drive unit, the drive unit comprising: a power source; and a drive pulley; and an output unit driven by power from the power source, the output unit comprising: a driven pulley member; an output shaft; a flange part formed integrally with the output shaft; and an elastic member, the elastic member comprising: a power-side end part that rotates according to the power from the power source; an output-side end part that rotates in keeping with rotation of the power-side end part so as to rotate the output shaft; and an extension/contraction part that generates elastic force around a rotation center of the power-side end part and the output-side end part; and a transmission belt provided to span between the drive pulley and the driven pulley member, wherein the power-side end part is held by the driven pulley member and the output-side end part is held by the flange part.

Facts

Company
Sony (Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.)
Official title
Power transmission mechanism, drive system, and output unit
Patent number
US12768436B2
Application number
19083746
Filed
Mar 19, 2025
Granted
Oct 20, 2026
Inventors
2
Claims
20

Classified under

F16H 55/36 Mechanical engineeringF16H 55/171 Mechanical engineeringF16H 2055/366 Mechanical engineering
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.