Flexible mounts for parallel shafts on an extension mechanism
AssigneeQuantum Corporation
InventorRobert Fairchild
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Slider devices having a misalignment tolerance may include a slider frame and two or more approximately parallel shafts that are configured to elastically shift within fixed shaft supports. Each shaft is slideably disposed within one or more fixed shaft support, so that the slider frame may extend or retract along an axis approximately parallel to the long axis of the shafts. In some versions, the shafts are elastically mounted to the slider frame. Also described are methods of sliding a slider having misalignment tolerance by moving the slider device to extend or retract a slider frame comprising two or more approximately parallel shafts that are configured to elastically shift within fixed shaft supports.
Claims19
A slider device having a misaligmnent tolerance, said device comprising:
- a slider frame;
- two parallel shafts elastically mounted to the slider frame;
- and
- a plurality of fixed shaft supports having passages therethrough, wherein each shaft is slideably disposed within the passage of at least one of the fixed shaft supports, so that the slider frame may extend or retract in a direction parallel to the shafts.
A slider device having a misalignment tolerance, said device comprising:
- a slider frame having two parallel shafts, wherein the slider frame is configured to be extended and retracted in a direction parallel to the shafts;
- a shaft assembly for each shaft, wherein each shaft assembly comprises:
- one of the shafts;
- a shaft support having a passage therethrough, wherein said one shaft is slideably disposed within the shaft support;
- and
- an elastic coupling, wherein the elastic coupling is configured to elastically deform in order to keep said one shaft extending in a direction that is parallel with the direction that the passage through the shaft support extends.
A method of sliding a slider device having a high misalignment tolerance, comprising:
- moving a slider device to extend or retract a slider frame of the slider device, wherein the slider device comprises:
- a slider frame;
- and
- a plurality of parallel shafts elastically mounted to the slider frame, wherein each of the parallel shafts is slideably disposed within a passage through a fixed shaft support.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.