US 10,295,028 B2Granted

Linear actuator

AssigneeBlockwise Engineering LLC

InventorJeremiah J. Warriner

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Abstract

A linear actuator provides linear displacement of an actuator plate. The linear actuator includes a set of base flexures that extend from a base plate to an actuator plate and a set of arm flexures that extend from a base arm to an actuator arm. The base arm of the base frame extends up perpendicularly from the base plate and the actuator arm, of the actuator frame, extends perpendicularly from the actuator plate. A base frame and actuator frame may be elbows that are arranged to form a box with the base flexures and arm flexures extending orthogonally within the cavity of the box. A flexure may include an extension element such as a pleated portion of the flexure that has stored length that enables the flexure to extend to increase the linear displacement region. The arm flexures prevent the base flexures from following a radius of motion.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A linear actuator comprising:

a) a base frame comprising a base plate and a base arm;
wherein said base arm extends substantially perpendicularly from the base plate;
b) a actuator frame comprising an actuator plate and an actuator arm;
wherein said actuator arm extends substantially perpendicularly from the actuator plate and towards the base plate;
wherein the base plate and the actuator plate extend substantially parallel with each other at an offset distance from each other,
wherein the base arm and the actuator arm extend substantially parallel with each other at an offset distance from each other;
c) a set of base flexures extending between the base plate and the actuator plate comprising:
a first base flexure;
a second base flexure;
wherein each of said base flexures comprise
a length and a length axis,
wherein the length axis of the base flexures extends along the length of said base flexures from the base plate to the actuator plate;
d) a set of arm flexures extending between the base arm and the actuator arm comprising:
i) a first arm flexure;
ii) a second arm flexure:,
wherein each of said arm flexures comprise:
an arm flexure length and length axis
wherein the length axis of the arm flexures extends along the length of said arm flexures from the base arm to the actuator arm;
wherein the set of base flexures extend substantially orthogonally to the set of arm flexures;
wherein the length axis of the base flexures is orthogonal to the length axis of the arm flexures;
and
whereby the actuator plate moves substantially linearly along a axis of motion that is parallel with a base plate.

19 more elements

A linear actuator comprising:

a) a base frame comprising a base plate and a base arm;
wherein said base plate arm extends substantially perpendicularly from the base plate;
b) an actuator frame comprising an actuator plate and an actuator arm;
wherein said actuator arm, extends substantially perpendicularly down from the actuator plate and, towards the base plate;
wherein the base plate and the actuator plate extend substantially parallel with each other at an offset distance from each other;
wherein the base arm and the actuator arm extend substantially parallel with each other at an offset, distance from each other;
c) a set of base flexures extending between the base plate and the actuator plate comprising:
i) a first base flexure;
ii) a second base flexure;
wherein each of said base flexures comprise:
a first flexure component and a second flexure component each comprising an extension element, wherein said first and second flexure components are attached to each other by a first and second flexure attachment that are offset by a flexure attachment offset length;
and wherein the extension elements are configured between the first and second flexure attachments:
an extension zone between the first and second attachments;
wherein the flexure attachment offset length extends when the flexure is put in tension;
a length and a length axis,
d) a set of arm flexures extending between the base arm, and the actuator arm comprising:
a first arm flexure:
ii) a second arm flexure;
wherein each of said am flexures comprise:
a first flexure component and a second flexure component each comprising an extension element, wherein said first and second flexure components are attached to each other by a first and second flexure attachment that are offset by a flexure attachment offset length;
and wherein the extension element is configured between the first and second flexure attachments;
an extension zone between the first and second attachments;
wherein the flexure attachment offset length extends when the flexure is put in tension;
an arm flexure length and length axis
wherein the set of base flexures extend substantially orthogonally to the set of arm flexures;
wherein the length axis of the base flexures is orthogonal to the length axis of the arm flexures;
and
whereby the actuator plate moves substantially linearly along an axis of motion that is parallel with a base plate.

25 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.