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US 5,492,051 AGranted
Rotary actuator with a modified seal structure
AssigneeFichtel & Sachs AG
InventorsStefan Schiffler, Robert Pradel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Rotary actuator, including a cylinder and motor shaft, as well as end caps which define a work chamber, whereby a number of ribs on the inside surface of the cylinder and the same number of vanes on the motor shaft divide the working area into work chambers which are alternately supplied with hydraulic medium, and seal units inside grooves in the ribs and vanes which hydraulically separate the work chambers from one another, characterized by the fact that there is a space between the seals and the side walls of the grooves which is offset by an additional volume.
Claims20
A rotary actuator comprising:
- cylinder means;
- shaft means;
- said shaft means being at least partially surrounded by at least a portion of said cylinder means;
- said shaft means having a length and defining a longitudinal axis along the length thereof;
- at least one of said shaft means and said cylinder means being rotatable about said longitudinal axis with respect to the other of said shaft means and said cylinder means;
- said shaft means comprising an outer wall surface;
- at least a portion of said outer wall surface being disposed a substantial distance from said longitudinal axis;
- said cylinder means comprising an inner wall surface;
- at least a portion of said inner wall surface being disposed about and towards said outer wall surface;
- at least a portion of said inner wall surface being disposed substantially concentrically with respect to at least a portion of said outer wall surface to define a chamber therebetween;
- said chamber comprises hydraulic fluid;
- at least one of:
- said shaft means outer wall surface, and
- said cylinder means inner wall surface comprising at least one projection between said outer wall surface and said inner wall surface to divide said chamber into a first chamber portion and a second chamber portion;
- said at least one projection comprising at least one groove disposed in said at least one projection towards the other of:
- said shaft means outer wall surfacer and
- said cylinder means inner wall surface;
- said at least one groove having a volume;
- means for sealing disposed in said at least one groove to minimize fluid flow between said first chamber portion and said second chamber portion;
- said means for sealing comprising:
- a first body means;
- a second body means separate from said first body means;
- said first body means filling a first portion of the volume of said at least one groove;
- said second body means filling a second portion of the volume of said at least one groove;
- said first body means comprising means for sealing the fluid to minimize flow of the fluid between said inner wall surface and said outer wall surface by making sealing contact against one of said inner wall surface and said outer wall surface;
- said first portion comprising a substantial portion of the volume of said at least one groove;
- said second portion comprising a substantial portion of the volume of said at least one groove;
- said second body means not comprising means for sealing a fluid by making sealing contact against one of said inner wall surface and said outer wall surface;
- said at least one groove comprising a width in a circumferential direction about said longitudinal axis;
- said first body means comprising a first body;
- said second body means comprising a second body;
- said first body and said second body comprising different materials;
- and
- at least a portion of said first body being disposed adjacent to at least a portion of said second body in a circumferential direction across a substantial portion of the width of said at least one groove.
31 more elements
A rotary actuator comprising:
- cylinder means;
- shaft means;
- said shaft means being at least partially surrounded by at least a portion of said cylinder means;
- said shaft means having a length and defining a longitudinal axis along the length thereof;
- at least one of said shaft means and said cylinder means being rotatable about said longitudinal axis with respect to the other of said shaft means and said cylinder means;
- said shaft means comprising an outer wall surface;
- at least a portion of said outer wall surface being disposed a substantial distance from said longitudinal axis;
- said cylinder means comprising an inner wall surface;
- at least a portion of said inner wall surface being disposed about and towards said outer wall surface;
- at least a portion of said inner wall surface being disposed substantially concentrically with respect to at least a portion of said outer wall surface to define a chamber therebetween;
- said chamber comprises hydraulic fluid;
- at least one of:
- said shaft means outer wall surface, and
- said cylinder means inner wall surface comprising at least one projection between said outer wall surface and said inner wall surface to divide said chamber into a first chamber portion and a second chamber portion;
- said at least one projection comprising at least one groove disposed in said at least one projection towards the other of:
- said shaft means outer wall surface, and
- said cylinder means inner wall surface;
- said at least one groove having a volume;
- means for sealing disposed in said at least one groove to minimize the fluid flow between said first chamber portion and said second chamber portion;
- said means for sealing comprising:
- a first body means;
- a second body means separate from said first body means;
- said first body means filling a first portion of the volume of said at least one groove;
- said second body means filling a second portion of the volume of said at least one groove;
- said first body means comprising means for sealing the fluid to minimize flow of fluid between said inner wall surface and said outer wall surface by making sealing contact against one of said inner wall surface and said outer wall surface;
- said first portion comprising a substantial portion of the volume of said at least one groove;
- said second portion comprising a substantial portion of the volume of said at least one groove;
- said second body means not comprising means for sealing a fluid by making sealing contact against one of said inner wall surface and said outer wall surface;
- said at least one groove comprising a width in a circumferential direction about said longitudinal axis;
- said first body means comprising a first body;
- said second body means comprising a second body;
- at least a portion of said first body being disposed adjacent to at least a portion of said second body in a circumferential direction across a substantial portion of the width of said at least one groove;
- and
- said second body comprising a body other than a sealing body for sealing the fluid to minimize flow of the fluid between said inner wall surface and said outer wall surface by making sealing contact against one of said inner wall surface and said outer wall surface.
31 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.