US 12,454,966 B2Granted

Hydraulic rotary gearless actuator

AssigneeGoodrich Actuation Systems Limited

InventorsStephen Harlow Davies, Piotr Józef Zając, Paweł Gajecki

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Abstract

A hydraulic rotary gearless actuator includes an input stage and an output stage. The input stage includes a piston linearly translatable within an input cylinder. The output stage includes first and second output cylinders defining first and second tracks, respectively, and a trunnion assembly connected to the piston and including first and second rollers engageable with the first and second tracks, respectively. The output stage is configured to convert linear translation of the piston into rotation of the first output cylinder relative to the second output cylinder by the trunnion assembly being driven linearly by the linear translation of the piston and the first and second rollers engaging with the first and second tracks, respectively.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A hydraulic rotary gearless actuator, comprising:

an input stage comprising a piston linearly translatable within an input cylinder;
and
an output stage comprising:
a first output cylinder defining first tracks;
second output cylinder defining second tracks;
and
a trunnion assembly connected to the piston and comprising first and second rollers engageable with the first tracks and with the second tracks, respectively,
the output stage being configured to convert linear translation of the piston into rotation of the first output cylinder relative to the second output cylinder by the trunnion assembly being driven linearly by the linear translation of the piston and the first and second rollers engaging with the first tracks and with the second tracks, respectively,
wherein:
each of the first tracks is a two-stroke helical track and each of the second tracks is an axial track with first and second ends opposing one another, and
each of the two-stroke helical tracks begins and terminates at the first and second ends of a corresponding one of the second tracks and comprises:
a first track section, which is straight and angled away from the first end of the corresponding one of the second tracks such that, when the first and second rollers engage with the first track section and the second track, respectively, due to the linear translation of the piston in one direction, the first output cylinder rotates in a first direction relative to the second output cylinder;
a second track section, which is straight and angled toward the second end of the corresponding one of the second tracks such that, when the first and second rollers engage with the second track section and the second track, respectively, due to the linear translation of the piston in the one direction, the first output cylinder rotates in a second direction opposite the first direction relative to the second output cylinder;
and
an angular section at which the first and second track sections intersect.

12 more elements

A hydraulic rotary gearless actuator, comprising:

an input stage comprising an input cylinder and a piston linearly translatable within the input cylinder;
and
an output stage comprising:
a first output cylinder defining first tracks;
a second output cylinder defining second tracks;
and
a trunnion assembly connected to the piston and comprising:
first rollers disposed to engage with the first tracks;
and
second rollers disposed to engage with the second tracks,
the output stage being configured to convert linear translation of the piston into rotary movement of the first output cylinder relative to the second output cylinder by the trunnion assembly being driven linearly by the linear translation of the piston and the first and second rollers engaging with the first and second tracks, respectively,
wherein:
each of the first tracks is a two-stroke helical track and each of the second tracks is an axial track with first and second ends opposing one another, and
each of the two-stroke helical tracks begins and terminates at the first and second ends of a corresponding one of the second tracks and comprises:
a first track section, which is straight and angled away from the first end of the corresponding one of the second tracks such that, when the first and second rollers engage with the first track section and the second track, respectively, due to the linear translation of the piston in one direction, the first output cylinder rotates in a first direction relative to the second output cylinder;
a second track section, which is straight and angled toward the second end of the corresponding one of the second tracks such that, when the first and second rollers engage with the second track section and the second track, respectively, due to the linear translation of the piston in the one direction, the first output cylinder rotates in a second direction opposite the first direction relative to the second output cylinder;
and
an angular section at which the first and second track sections intersect.

15 more elements

A hydraulic rotary gearless actuator, comprising:

a hydraulic input stage comprising an input cylinder and a piston, which is hydraulically drivable to linearly translate within the input cylinder;
and
a mechanical output stage comprising:
a first output cylinder defining first tracks;
a second output cylinder defining second tracks;
and
a trunnion assembly connected to the piston and comprising:
first rollers disposed to engage with the first tracks;
and
second rollers disposed to engage with the second tracks,
the mechanical output stage being configured to convert linear translation of the piston into rotary movement of the first output cylinder relative to the second output cylinder by the trunnion assembly being driven linearly by the linear translation of the piston and the first and second rollers engaging with the first and second tracks, respectively,
wherein:
each of the first tracks is a two-stroke helical track and each of the second tracks is an axial track with first and second ends opposing one another, and
each of the two-stroke helical tracks begins and terminates at the first and second ends of a corresponding one of the second tracks and comprises:
a first track section, which is straight and angled away from the first end of the corresponding one of the second tracks such that, when the first and second rollers engage with the first track section and the second track, respectively, due to the linear translation of the piston in one direction, the first output cylinder rotates in a first direction relative to the second output cylinder;
a second track section, which is straight and angled toward the second end of the corresponding one of the second tracks such that, when the first and second rollers engage with the second track section and the second track, respectively, due to the linear translation of the piston in the one direction, the first output cylinder rotates in a second direction opposite the first direction relative to the second output cylinder;
and
an angular section at which the first and second track sections intersect.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/471,857Filed 21 Sep 2023 · us provisional application
Priority: 27 Jul 2023
Published: US 2025/0035134 A130 Jan 2025
Granted: 28 Oct 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

F15B 15/06
Mechanical layout characterised by the means for converting the movement of the fluid-actuated element into movement of the finally-operated…
F15B 15/068
For mechanically converting rectilinear movement into non- rectilinear movement: the motor being of the helical type
F16H 25/186
For conveying or interconverting oscillating or reciprocating motions: with reciprocation along the axis of oscillation
F15B
Systems acting by means of fluids in general