# US 11,110,617 B2 · Linear motion mechanism

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- Number: US 11,110,617 B2
- Document ID: US11110617B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/062,349
- Filed: 2020-10-02
- Published: 2021-05-06
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2019-10-30
- Assignees: Fanuc Corporation
- Applicants: Fanuc Corporation
- Inventors: Kuniyasu Matsumoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11110617B2

## CPC

- B25J 18/025: {telescopic}
- B25J 9/123: {Linear actuators}
- F16H 25/2056: {Telescopic screws with at least three screw members in coaxial arrangement}
- F16H 25/2204: {with balls}
- F16H 2025/204: {Axial sliding means, i.e. for rotary support and axial guiding of nut or screw shaft}
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})
- F16H: GEARING

## Abstract

A linear motion mechanism includes: a plurality of linear motion elements that are cascaded in a mutually movable manner; a shaft fixed to one of adjacent linear motion elements among the plurality of linear motion elements; and a slider movably engaged with the shaft and fixed to the other of adjacent linear motion elements.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A linear motion mechanism comprising:
a plurality of linear motion elements that are cascaded in a mutually movable manner;
a shaft fixed to one of adjacent linear motion elements among the plurality of linear motion elements; and
a slider movably engaged with the shaft and fixed to another of the adjacent linear motion elements,
wherein the shaft is fixed to a linear motion element on a last stage among the plurality of linear motion elements, and the slider is fixed to a linear motion element on a second stage in front of the linear motion element on the last stage, and
the linear motion mechanism further comprising: a different shaft fixed to the linear motion element on the second stage; and a different slider movably engaged with the different shaft and fixed to a linear motion element on a third stage in front of the linear motion element on the second stage.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The linear motion mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a diameter of the shaft is larger than a diameter of the different shaft.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The linear motion mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising: a further different shaft fixed to the linear motion element on the third stage; and a further different slider movably engaged with the further different shaft and fixed to a linear motion element on a fourth stage in front of the linear motion element on the third stage.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The linear motion mechanism according to claim 3, wherein a diameter of the further different shaft is thinner than the diameter of the shaft and the diameter of the different shaft.

### Claim 5

A linear motion mechanism comprising:
a plurality of cylindrical bodies assembled in a multi-stage nested structure; and
a plurality of cascaded ball spline mechanisms, wherein
a spline shaft of each of the ball spline mechanisms is fixed to one of adjacent cylindrical bodies among the plurality of cylindrical bodies,
a nut of each of the ball spline mechanisms is fixed to another of the adjacent cylindrical bodies, and
the plurality of ball spline mechanisms are arranged within the cylindrical bodies in an off-axis manner from a center line.

### Claim 6

A linear motion mechanism comprising:
a plurality of linear motion elements that are cascaded in a mutually movable manner;
a shaft fixed to a linear motion element on a last stage among the plurality of linear motion elements, or fixed to a linear motion element on a second stage in front of the linear motion element on the last stage;
a slider movably engaged with the shaft, the slider being fixed to the linear motion element on the second stage if the shaft fixed to the linear motion element on the last stage, or the slider being fixed to the linear motion element on the last stage if the shaft fixed to the linear motion element on the second stage;
a different shaft fixed to the linear motion element on the second stage, or fixed to a linear motion element on a third stage in front of the linear motion element on the second stage;
a different slider movably engaged with the different shaft, the different slider being fixed to the linear motion element on the second stage if the different shaft fixed to the linear motion element on the third stage, or the different slider being fixed to the linear motion element on the third stage if the different shaft fixed to the linear motion element on the second stage.

### Claim 7

A linear motion mechanism comprising:
a plurality of cylindrical bodies assembled in a multi-stage nested structure; and
a ball spline mechanism, wherein
a spline shaft of the ball spline mechanism is fixed to one of adjacent cylindrical bodies among the plurality of cylindrical bodies,
a nut of the ball spline mechanism is fixed to another of the adjacent cylindrical bodies, and
the ball spline mechanism is arranged within the cylindrical bodies in an off-axis manner from a center line.