Cam and wedge-type self-locking mechanism

A self-locking mechanism (10) for locking a rotating element (12) in a locking position comprising:

• (a) a rotating member (12) rotatable between locked and unlocked positions;
• (b) a self-locking mechanism (10) for locking the rotating member (12) in a locked position and including:
• (1) a rotating carrier (14);
• (2) an interlocking cam surface (60) and wedge surface (26) operatively interconnected between the rotating carrier (14) and the rotating locking member (12) for (1) rotating together in unison in an unlocked mode and (2) interlocking in a locked mode;
• (3) the wedge surface (26) being fixed to and rotatable with the rotating carrier (14) or the rotating member (12) and the cam surface (60) being fixed and rotatable with the other;
• (4) a driver (16) for (1) simultaneously rotating the rotating member (12), the rotating carrier (14), and the wedge and cam surfaces (26, 60);
• and (2) dislodging the cam and wedge surfaces (60, 26) when wedged and locked together such that the cam and wedge surfaces (60, 26) as well as the rotating member (12) and rotating carrier (14) can be rotated in unison and together;
• and
• (5) wherein the cam surface (60) and wedge surface (26) are so spaced and oriented such that the respective surfaces (60, 26) may be wedged and locked together in response to the rotating carrier (14) and the rotating member (12) tending to rotate from a locked position.

A self-locking mechanism (10) for securely locking a rotational member (12) in a locked position comprising:

• (a) a rotating member (12);
• (b) a rotating carrier (14) rotatably held within a housing (122) and generally axially aligned with the rotating member (12);
• (c) cooperating wedge and cam surfaces (26, 60) interposed between the rotating carrier (14) and the rotating member (12) with the wedge surface (26) being secured to the rotating carrier (14) or to the rotating member (12) and the cam surface (60) being secured to the other;
• (d) wherein the cam and wedge surfaces (60, 26) are generally radially aligned and spaced, and disposed in face-to-face relationship, and rotate about a generally common axis as the rotating carrier (14) and rotating member (12) are rotated;
• (e) the wedge surface (26) and the cam surface (60) being disposed relative to each other such that in an unlocked mode, the two are disposed against each other in an aligned position and rotate in unison as the rotating carrier (14) and rotating member (12) are rotated;
• (f) wherein the wedge surface (26) and cam surface (60) are configured such that one will wedge against the other in response to selective relative rotation, resulting in the rotating member (12) assuming a locked position with the wedging action of the wedge surface (26) and cam surface (60) preventing the rotating member (12) from rotating from its unlocked position;
• and
• (g) a driver (16) for imparting relative rotational movement between the cam surface (60) and wedge surface (26) so as to move the cam and wedge surfaces (60, 26) from the wedged and locked position and thereafter rotating the rotating carrier (14) and rotating member (12), cam surface (60) and wedge surface (26) in unison and together such that the rotating member (12) can be moved between its locked and unlocked positions.

A method of self-locking a rotating locking member (12) comprising the steps of:

• (a) rotating the rotating locking member (12) between locked and unlocked positions;
• (b) rotating a self-locking mechanism (10) back and forth with the rotating locking member (12) as the rotating locking members move back and forth between locked and unlocked positions;
• (c) locking the rotating locking member (12) in a locked position by driving a wedge surface (26) associated with the self-locking mechanism (10) into a wedged and locked position with a cam surface (60) also associated with the self-locking mechanism (10) and thereby locking the self-locking mechanism (10) from rotating;
• (d) effectively connecting the self-locking mechanism (10) with the rotating locking member (12) such that the rotating locking member (12) cannot rotate from its locked position when the self-locking mechanism (10) is disposed in its locked position;
• and
• (e) unlocking the self-locking mechanism (10) by rotating the wedge and cam surfaces (26, 60) away from each other so as to dislodge the self-locking mechanism (10) and then rotating the self-locking mechanism (10) with the rotating locking member (12) and rotating the rotating locking member from the locked position to the unlocked position.