Slew drive gearbox with torque tube
AssigneeKinematics, LLC
InventorBrent Morgan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A slew drive includes a housing, a worm shaft having a worm thread carried within the housing for rotational movement, and a torque tube having an outer diameter and a central socket. The torque tube is carried by the housing for rotational movement perpendicularly to the worm shaft and worm thread. A ring gear section having teeth, is carried by the torque tube so that the teeth extend beyond the outer diameter of the torque tube and engage the worm threads. Rotation of the worm shaft rotates the worm threads engaging the teeth of the ring gear section, thereby rotating the ring gear section which rotates the torque tube relative the housing.
Claims18
A slew drive comprising:
- a housing;
- a worm shaft having a worm thread carried within the housing for rotational movement;
- a torque tube having an outer diameter and a central socket, the torque tube carried by the housing for rotational movement perpendicularly to the worm shaft and worm thread;
- and
- a ring gear section having teeth, the ring gear section carried by the torque tube with the teeth extending beyond the outer diameter thereof and engaging the worm threads;
- whereby rotation of the worm shaft rotates the worm threads engaging the teeth of the ring gear section, thereby rotating the ring gear section which rotates the torque tube relative the housing.
A slew drive comprising:
- a gearbox including:
- a housing having a tubular portion and an annular portion, the annular portion defining an annular volume encircling a central aperture, the tubular portion coupled to the annular portion and defining a volume having a longitudinal axis forming a tangent to an outer diameter of the annular portion, the annular volume defined by the annular portion and the volume defined by the tubular portion are in communication, with the volume defined by the tubular portion overlapping the annular volume defined by the annular portion as a chord with respect to the outer diameter of the annular portion;
- a worm shaft having a worm thread is carried within the volume defined by the tubular portion, at least a portion of the worm threads extend into the annular volume at the chord;
- a torque tube having an outer diameter and a central socket, the torque tube is carried for rotational movement within the annular portion;
- and
- a ring gear section having teeth, the ring gear section carried by the torque tube with the teeth extending beyond the outer diameter thereof and engaging the worm threads extending into the annular volume at the chord;
- and
- a drive motor coupled to the worm shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.