Screw and nut linear drive assembly

A screw and nut linear drive assembly comprising:

• a housing (2),
• a screw (6) within the housing,
• an electric motor for rotating the screw (6),
• a nut (4) which is driven, when the screw (6) is rotated, to move linearly in a longitudinal direction coinciding with a screw axis, and
• an axial force transfer arrangement to transfer force from the nut (4) to a push rod (8) to be connected to a member to be actuated by the screw and nut linear drive assembly,
• characterized in that the axial force transfer arrangement comprises a sequential arrangement of axial force transferring components which comprises, in a direction from the push rod (8) to the nut (4), a first axial force transferring component (10) guided for linear movement along the longitudinal direction and comprising a central bore with the central bore having an inner wall, and a second axial force transferring component (20) in force transmitting contact with the first axial force transferring component (10), and in that the first and second axial force transferring components (10, 20) are configured such that first contact points (42) between the first axial force transferring component (10) and the second axial force transferring component (20) define a first axis (40) in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, about which first axis (40) the second axial force transferring component (20) is capable of tilting with respect to the first axial force transferring component (10) in order to reduce transfer of any torque to the nut (4), and
• wherein the first axial force transferring component (10) defines an abutment surface (14) with the abutment surface (14) providing the first contact points (42),
• wherein the second axial force transferring component (20) engages the abutment surface (14) at the first contact points (42) to form a gap between the first and second axial force transferring components (10, 20) to facilitate the tilting of the second axial force transferring component (20) relative to the first axial force transferring component (10) about the first axis (40) in order to reduce the transfer of torque to the nut, and
• wherein the second axial force transferring component (20) is at least partially received in the central bore of the first axial force transferring component (10) and is dimensioned to be in contact with the inner wall of the central bore.