US 3,943,778 AGranted

Multigimbal flexure universal joint

AssigneeLitton Systems, Inc.

InventorStanley F. Wyse

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Abstract

A universal joint for small angle deflections having a driving element which is rotatable about an axis of rotation wherein the driving element is connected to a driven member by a suspension means which comprises at least two gimbal elements, each gimbal element is connected to the driving element and to the driven element by at least two flexure hinges, each of the longitudinal axes of the flexure hinges forming an angle of the same magnitude with the axes of rotation of the driving and driven elements when the universal joint is in a rest position. A method for fabricating such a multigimbal universal joint for small angle deflections in one-piece wherein integral flexure hinges having such longitudinal axes are provided by forming pairs of adjacent bores in a blank and wherein the driving elements, the driven element and at least two gimbal elements therebetween are formed by electrical discharge machine techniques.

Claims33

Dependent claims

In a universal joint:

a. a driving element having a first axis of rotation;
b. a driven element having a second axis of rotation;
c. at least a pair of gimbal elements each coupled to said driving element and to said driven element;
and
d. a plurality of flexure hinges for coupling each said gimbal element to said driving element and to said driven element, said flexure hinges flexing to permit small angular misalignment between said first and second axes of rotation, each said flexure hinge having a flexure axis, a cross axis and a longitudinal axis, said cross axis being perpendicular to the flexure axis and colinear with a line extending from one wall of the flexure hinge to the other between points of minimum thickness, said longitudinal axis being perpendicular to said flexure axis and to said cross axis, first ones of said plurality of flexure hinges flexibly connecting said gimbal elements to said driving element, each said first flexure hinge having a flexure axis radially extending from said first axis of rotation, second ones of said plurality of flexure hinges flexibly connecting said gimbal elements to said driven element, each said second flexure hinge having a flexure axis radially extending from said second axis of rotation said flexure hinges being oriented so that each of said longitudinal axes forms an angle of substantially the same magnitude with said first and second axes of rotation when said first and second axes of rotation are colinear one with the other.

2 more elements

A method for fabricating a one-piece universal joint having flexure hinges which flexibly interconnect intermediate elements with a driven element and with a driving element which has a rotational axis, the method comprising:

a. forming a first set of axial slots from one surface of a blank to form portions of a driving element, a driven element, at least a pair of gimbal elements;
b. forming a second set of axial slots from an opposite surface of the blank to form other portions of said driving element, said driven element, said gimbal elements, said first and second set of slots radially separating said elements from one another;
c. forming a plurality of flexure hinges for rotatably connecting each said gimbal element to said driving element and for rotatably connecting each said gimbal element to said driven element;
and
d. forming another set of radial slots in said blank for axially separating said driving element, said driven element and said gimbal elements so that the remaining connections between said elements consist of said flexure hinges.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.