Bending operation mechanism
AssigneeNHK Spring Co., Ltd.
InventorsTakafumi Hirata, Yuki Hotoda, Masahiro Inaba
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bending operation mechanism comprises: an elastically bendable driving part; an elastically bendable driven part that is provided separate from the driving part; and a linking part that connects the driving part and the driven part, and tensions and bends the driven part in accordance with bending of the driving part. The driving part and the driven part each comprise an inner coil part and an outer coil part that are bendable with respect to the axial direction, and wound parts corresponding to the inner coil part are respectively fitted to pitches between adjacent wound parts of the outer coil part.
Claims11
A bending operation mechanism, comprising:
- a driving part that is elastically bendable;
- a driven part that is spaced apart from the driving part and is elastically bendable;
- and
- a linking part that connects between the driving part and the driven part and pulls and bends the driven part in response to bending of the driving part,
- wherein each of the driving part and the driven part comprises an inner coil spring and an outer coil spring that are bendable in an axial direction, and wound parts corresponding to the inner coil spring are fitted to gaps between adjacent wound parts of the outer coil spring,
- wherein a wound part of the inner coil spring contacts both adjacent wound parts of the outer coil spring, and a wound part of the outer coil spring contacts both adjacent wound parts of the inner coil spring,
- wherein the bending operation mechanism is configured such that when the linking part is pulled to bend the driven part, in the driven part, the gaps between the adjacent wound parts of the outer coil spring on an outer side of the bend increases, and the inner coil spring on the outer side of the bend is pushed out toward the outer side of the bend to fit in the increased gaps between the adjacent wound parts of the outer coil spring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.