Reciprocating drive apparatus and method
AssigneeNewport Medical Instruments, Inc.
InventorsRichard Crawford, Fang Zheng, Charles Beuchat
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A reciprocating drive apparatus has a driving device and a driven device, one of the devices comprising a reciprocating member mounted for movement along a longitudinal axis. At least one rotary member is coupled to one of the devices and a linear bearing assembly has a linear guide rail and a linear slide member with an end coupled to the other device. A connecting link has a first end pivotally connected to the rotary member and a second end pivotally linked to the slide member. Where the reciprocating member is the driven device, rotation of the rotary member will cause the reciprocating member to move back and forth along the longitudinal axis.
Claims20
A reciprocating drive apparatus, comprising
- a driving device;
- a driven device;
- one of said devices comprising a reciprocating member mounted for movement along a longitudinal axis;
- at least one rotary member rotatably mounted about an axis of rotation and coupled to one of the devices;
- a linear bearing assembly comprising a linear guide rail extending parallel to said longitudinal axis and a linear slide member slidably mounted on the guide rail for reciprocating linear movement along said longitudinal axis, the slide member having an end coupled to the other of the devices;
- and
- a connecting link having a first end rotatably connected to said rotary member and a second end rotatably linked to said slide member.
A reciprocating drive apparatus, comprising:
- a housing;
- a rotational drive mounted in the housing;
- a rotary member coupled to the rotational drive for rotation about an axis of rotation;
- a reciprocating member mounted in the housing for linear movement along a longitudinal axis;
- an elongate linear bearing assembly secured in the housing to extend in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis;
- the linear bearing assembly comprising a linear guide rail and a linear slide member having an inner portion slidably mounted for reciprocal movement along the rail between opposite end positions and an outer portion aligned with said longitudinal axis, the outer portion having opposite first and second ends and the first end being linked to said reciprocating member;
- and
- a link arm having a first end rotatably linked to the rotary member and a second end rotatably linked to the linear slide member, whereby rotation of the rotary member forces the linear slide member to slide back and forth on said guide rail, thereby driving said reciprocating member along said longitudinal axis.
A method of converting rotational motion to linear motion, comprising the steps of:
- connecting the output of a rotational drive to one end of a crank shaft,
- rotatably linking the opposite end of the crank shaft to one end of a link member;
- rotatably linking the opposite end of the link member to a linear bearing slide member slidably mounted on a linear bearing rail for movement back and forth in a linear path, whereby rotation of the crank shaft through one complete revolution drives the slide member back and forth between opposite end positions;
- and
- connecting the slide member to an object to be driven back and forth in a linear path.
A reciprocating pump assembly, comprising:
- a housing;
- at least one cylinder in the housing having a longitudinal axis;
- a piston slidably mounted in the cylinder for reciprocating movement along said longitudinal axis;
- a piston rod extending from the piston out of a first end of the cylinder;
- a linear bearing assembly in the housing adjacent the first end of the cylinder extending in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, the linear bearing assembly comprising a linear slide rail secured to said housing and a slide member slidably mounted on the slide rail and having a first end rigidly secured to the piston rod;
- a rotational drive device in the housing having a crank shaft extending towards the slide rail and slide member;
- and
- a link member having one end rotatably connected to the crank shaft and the other end rotatably linked to the slide member, whereby rotation of the crank shaft forces the slide member to move back and forth along the slide rail between opposite end positions and to actuate the piston to slide back and forth in the cylinder.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.