Motion transforming mechanism

A motion transforming mechanism comprising:

• a plate assembly constituted by at least three rotation plates having a common rotation axis and having respective rack portions each formed with a plurality of teeth, said rotation plates being laterally juxtaposed with one another in such a manner that said rack portions of said rotation plates are adjacent to one another, said rotation plates being respectively formed with cranked through bores having respective center axes in parallel relationship to one another and to said common rotation axis, the center axes of said cranked through bores being displaced from and arranged equi-angularly around said common rotation axis of said rotation plates;
• a toothed rail having a mid-longitudinal plane perpendicularly intersected by the common rotation axis of said rotation plates and extending along said mid-longitudinal plane, said toothed rail being formed with a plurality of teeth held in mesh with the teeth of each of rotation plates of said plate assembly;
• a rail support member including a pair of side plate portions extending along said toothed rail and spaced apart from each other to have said plate assembly, said toothed rail and said drive motor assembly positioned therebetween, said toothed rail being secured to one of said plate portions of said rail support member, said side plate portions having respective inner side surfaces facing to each other to have thereon respective guide grooves extending along said toothed rail;
• a plate assembly casing including first and second cover plate members provided between and extending in perpendicular relationship to said side plate portions of said rail support member and axially spaced apart from each other to cover said plate assembly and said drive motor assembly in cooperation with said plate portions of said rail support member, said fixed shaft member being secured at its axially opposite end portions to said first and second cover plate members, respectively, said first cover plate member having side surface portions respectively opposite to said inner side surfaces of said plate portions of said rail support member, each of said side surface portions of said first cover plate member having a guide groove formed thereon and a guide passageway formed therein to be open at and connected to the opposite ends of said guide groove, each of said guide grooves of said side surface portions extending along said toothed rail in opposite relationship to each of said guide grooves of side plate portions of said rail support member;
• a drive motor assembly constituted by a rotor unit and a stator unit, said rotor unit including a rotation shaft member formed with an axial through bore having a center axis coincident with said common rotation axis of said rotation plates and a plurality of permanent magnets securely mounted on said rotation shaft member in circumferentially spaced-apart relationship with one another, said rotation shaft member being formed with at least three cranked shaft portions having respective eccentric axes in parallel relationship to one another and to the center axis of said axial through bore, the eccentric axes of said cranked shaft portions being displaced from and arrange equi-angularly around the center axis of said axial through bore, and said cranked shaft portions being rotatably received in said cranked through bores of said rotation plates, respectively and said stator unit including a fixed shaft member accommodated in the axial through bore of said rotation shaft member and secured at its axially opposite end portions to said first and second cover plate members of said plate assembly casing in a manner having an annular gap formed between the inner surface of said rotation shaft member and the peripheral surface of said fixed shaft member and having its center axis coincident with the center axis of the axial through bore of said rotation shaft member, and a plurality of electromagnets securely mounted on said fixed shaft member in circumferentially spaced-apart relationship to one another and facing in said annular gap to said permanent magnets mounted on said rotation shaft member, said rotation plates being rotated with respect to their common rotation axis by the rotation of said rotation shaft member with respect to said fixed shaft member;
• first and second thrust bearings each provided between each of said opposite end portions of said rotation shaft member and each of said first and second cover plate members to regulate the axial motion of said rotation shaft member with respect to said fixed shaft member in its axial direction;
• and
• a plurality of rollable balls rollably received in said guide grooves of side plate portions of said rail support member and in said guide grooves and said guide passageways of said inner side surface portions of said first cover plate member in a manner having the gap invariably regulated between each of said inner side surfaces of said rail support member and each of said side surface portions of said first cover plate member and having the distance invariably regulated between said fixed shaft member and said toothed rail to facilitate the smooth relative motion of said toothed rail with respect to said plate assembly while said rollable balls being circulated through said guide grooves and said guide passageways of said side surface portions of said first cover plate member.