US 2003/0116896 A1Published application

Rotary actuator

OwnerChristopher M. Obert, Glen R. Wilkinson IIIinventors

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A rotary actuator has a generally cylindrical housing for receiving one end of a control cable having an opposite end coupled to an actuator member of a device to control. Extending within the cylindrical housing is a rotating control handle having a spool which extends into the housing and engages one end of the cable, allowing the cable to wrap around the spool. Engaging an end of the spool within the cylindrical housing in one embodiment is a reversible ratchet disk which is biased against the housing by a compression spring engaging the disk on one side and engaging a locking end cap attached to the housing at the opposite side. The disk can be reversed to provide discrete ratchet stops at incremental positions of the control handle when in a first position or, if reversed, provides continuous reversible movement of the handle.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A rotary actuator for controlling a device utilizing a cable control having an outer sheath and an inner cable comprising:

a housing defining a generally cylindrical opening and including a mounting member for receiving and anchoring the outer sheath of a cable, said housing including an opening for receiving the inner cable therein;
a rotary handle having a spool movably extending downwardly into said cylindrical opening of said housing for rotation with respect to said housing, said spool including a recess for receiving and anchoring an end of the inner cable, said spool further having an end for lockably receiving a ratchet ring;
a ratchet ring having a generally disk-shape extending over and lockably engaging said end of said handle for rotation therewith, said ratchet ring including first and second opposed annular surfaces with said first annular surface including a plurality of one of spaced notches and projections and said second annular surface being generally smooth;
a spring engaging a side of said ratchet ring opposite said handle;
and
an end cap engaging a surface of said spring opposite said ratchet ring and coupled to said housing, wherein said housing includes an annular surface facing said ratchet ring and includes the other of projections and notches for selectively interengaging said ratchet ring and holding said handle in predetermined incremental rotational positions under the force of said spring.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.