Rotational Over Travel Protection for Preventing Over Rotation of an Object

A rotational over travel protection device, comprising:

• a housing;
• a rotatable shaft connected to the housing, the rotatable shaft and the housing being operable to rotate relative to one another;
• a triggering device that is interfaced to the rotatable shaft and is configured to rotate in a rotational plane;
• a first rotational limit switch disposed in the housing, the first rotational limit switch being disposed coplanar with the rotational plane of the triggering device;
• and
• a second rotational limit switch disposed in the housing, the second rotational limit switch being disposed coplanar with the rotational plane of the triggering device;
• wherein the triggering device activates the first rotational limit switch to arrest rotation of the rotatable shaft upon a rotation of the rotatable shaft greater than 180 degrees in a first rotation direction from a zero position relative to the housing, and
• wherein the triggering device activates the second rotational limit switch to arrest rotation of the rotatable shaft upon a rotation of the rotatable shaft greater than 180 degrees in a second rotation direction from the zero position relative to the housing, the second rotation direction being opposite the first rotation direction.

A method for providing rotational over travel protection for an object, the method comprising:

• rotating a shaft relative to a housing in a first direction at least 180 degrees from a zero position;
• rotating a triggering device to activate a first rotational limit switch to arrest further rotation of the shaft relative to the housing in the first direction at a predetermined rotational position;
• rotating the shaft relative to the housing in a second direction at least 180 degrees from the zero position;
• and
• rotating the triggering device to activate a second rotational limit switch to arrest further rotation of the shaft relative to the housing in the second direction at a predetermined rotational position, wherein the triggering device, the first rotational limit switch, and the second rotational limit switch are supported in a common plane.