Actuator
AssigneeDometic Marine Canada Inc.
InventorsDavor Baros, Michael Brent Ure
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An actuator includes a drive body including a torque-transfer surface configured to receive a torque. The actuator further includes: a drivable body including an output shaft; a first bearing configured to transfer thrust forces from the output shaft in a first direction; and a second bearing configured to transfer thrust forces from the output shaft in a second direction. At least the first bearing extends in a radial dimension beyond the torque-transfer surface. The drive body may be engaged with the drivable body through at least one ball such that rotation of the drive body causes movement of the output shaft. The at least one ball may engage with the drive body over a greater extent along an axis of rotation than with the drivable body.
Claims20
An actuator comprising:
- a housing;
- a drive body rotatably coupled to the housing such that the drive body is rotatable relative to the housing around an actuator axis of rotation, the drive body comprising:
- a first thrust-transfer surface extending transversely to the actuator axis of rotation and facing a first direction along the actuator axis of rotation;
- a second thrust-transfer surface extending transversely to the actuator axis of rotation and facing a second direction, opposite the first direction, along the actuator axis of rotation;
- and
- a torque-transfer surface configured to receive a torque around the actuator axis of rotation to rotate the drive body relative to the housing and around the actuator axis of rotation;
- a drivable body comprising an output shaft, the drivable body engaged with the drive body such that rotation of the drive body relative to the housing and around the actuator axis of rotation causes movement of the output shaft relative to the housing and along the actuator axis of rotation;
- a first bearing facing the first thrust-transfer surface and configured to transfer, to the housing, thrust forces from the output shaft in the first direction;
- and
- a second bearing facing the second thrust-transfer surface and configured to transfer, to the housing, thrust forces from the output shaft in the second direction;
- wherein at least the first bearing extends, in a radial dimension from the actuator axis of rotation, beyond the torque-transfer surface.
An actuator comprising:
- an outer body comprising an internal surface defining an internal cavity extending along an actuator axis of rotation, the internal surface comprising at least one engagement portion;
- an inner body comprising an external surface comprising at least one engagement portion;
- and
- at least one ball engaged with the at least one engagement portion of the internal surface of the outer body and with the at least one engagement portion of the external surface of the inner body such that rotation of the outer body relative to the inner body around the actuator axis of rotation causes movement of the inner body relative to the outer body along the actuator axis of rotation, the at least one ball engageable with the internal surface of the outer body within an outer-body-engagement extent along the actuator axis of rotation and the at least one ball engageable with the external surface of the inner body within an inner-body-engagement extent along the actuator axis of rotation, the outer-body-engagement extent along the actuator axis of rotation greater than the inner-body-engagement extent along the actuator axis of rotation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.