Linear actuator
AssigneeHiwin Mikrosystem Corp.
InventorsPei-Yu Wang, Tom-Min Lin, Ren-Hao Cai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A linear actuator has a clutch mechanism settled between a worm gear and a screw of the linear actuator. The clutch mechanism including a disc spring normally stays in a clutched position where a driving power is transmitted from the worm gear to the screw. When the linear actuator is overloaded, the clutch mechanism changes to a declutched position by compressing the disc spring so that the driving power is not transmitted to the screw. Thereby, the clutch mechanism protects internal components of the linear actuator from being damaged, thereby improving durability of the linear actuator.
Claims4
A linear actuator comprising a worm gear, a screw, and a clutch mechanism settled between the worm gear and the screw, wherein the clutch mechanism conditionally transmits a driving power from the worm gear to the screw, and the clutch mechanism comprises:
- a first plate fixedly connected to the worm gear and having a first connecting surface, wherein the first connecting surface has plural raised trapezoidal areas and depressed trapezoidal areas that are alternatively and radially arranged;
- a second plate detachably combined with a driving shaft of the screw through a movable mechanism having a second connecting surface, wherein the second connecting surface has plural raised trapezoidal areas and depressed trapezoidal areas that are alternatively and radially arranged, whereby when the depressed trapezoidal areas of the second connecting surface abut the raised trapezoidal areas of the first connecting surface and the raised trapezoidal areas of the second connecting surface abut the depressed trapezoidal areas of the first connecting surface, the first plate and the second plate are closely coupled and thus the clutch mechanism is in a clutched position where the driving power from the worm gear is transmitted to the screw, and whereby when the depressed trapezoidal areas of the second connecting surface abut the depressed trapezoidal areas of the first connecting surface and the raised trapezoidal areas of the second connecting surface abut the raised trapezoidal areas of the first connecting surface, the first plate and the second plate are separated and thus the clutch mechanism is in a declutched position where the driving power from the worm gear is not transmitted to the screw;
- and
- a disc spring, mounted around the driving shaft of the screw, having one end fixedly connected to the driving shaft and an opposite end pushing against the second plate so that when the clutch mechanism is in the clutched position, the disc spring is not compressed while pushing the second plate to abut the first plate, and when the clutch mechanism is in the declutched position, the disc spring is compressed while pushing the second plate to abut the first plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.