Pivot actuator

A pivot actuator, comprising:

• a housing;
• a piston disposed within the housing and displaceable along a longitudinal axis of the housing;
• a drive shaft rotatably coupled to the housing, wherein the piston engages the drive shaft so that movement of the piston along the longitudinal axis of the housing causes the drive shaft to pivot in a first direction about a drive axis within a first pivot angle to a first end position;
• a first stop element configured to adjustably select the first end position;
• and
• a switching cam configured to be coupled to and pivot with the drive shaft about the drive axis, the switching cam comprising a first disc including a first stop surface configured to contact the first stop element to limit rotation of the drive shaft in the first direction about the drive axis to the first end position, wherein the first stop surface includes a first convex stop surface.

A pivot actuator, comprising:

• a housing;
• a piston disposed within the housing and displaceable along a longitudinal axis of the housing;
• a drive shaft rotatably coupled to the housing, wherein the piston engages the drive shaft so that movement of the piston within the housing causes the drive shaft to pivot in a first direction about a drive axis within a first pivot angle to a first end position and to pivot in a second direction about the drive axis within a second pivot angle to a second end position;
• a first stop element configured to adjustably select the first end position;
• a second stop element configured to adjustably select the second end position;
• a first disc configured to be coupled to and pivot with the drive shaft about the drive axis, the first disc including a first stop surface configured to contact the first stop element to limit rotation of the drive shaft in the first direction about the drive axis to the first end position, wherein the first stop surface follows a first involute of a first circle about the drive axis of the drive shaft;
• a second disc configured to be coupled to and pivot with the drive shaft about the drive axis, the second disc including a second stop surface configured to contact the second stop element to limit rotation of the drive shaft in the second direction about the drive axis to the second end position, wherein the second stop surface follows a second involute of a second circle about the drive axis of the drive shaft;
• and
• wherein an alignment of the first disc relative to the drive shaft is independent from an alignment of the second disc relative to the drive shaft.

A pivot actuator, comprising:

• a housing;
• a piston disposed within the housing and displaceable along a longitudinal axis of the housing;
• a drive shaft rotatably coupled to the housing, wherein the piston engages the drive shaft so that movement of the piston within the housing causes the drive shaft to pivot in a first direction about a drive axis within a first pivot angle to a first end position and to pivot in a second direction about the drive axis within a second pivot angle to a second end position;
• a first stop element configured to adjustably select the first end position;
• a second stop element configured to adjustably select the second end position;
• a first disc configured to be coupled to and pivot with the drive shaft about the drive axis, the first disc including:
• a first stop surface configured to contact the first stop element to limit rotation of the drive shaft in the first direction about the drive axis to the first end position, wherein the first stop surface follows a first involute of a first circle about the drive axis of the drive shaft;
• and
• a second stop surface fabricated as one piece with the first stop surface, the second stop surface configured to contact the second stop element to limit rotation of the drive shaft in the second direction about the drive axis to the second end position, wherein the second stop surface follows a second involute of a second circle about the drive axis of the drive shaft.