Multi-section actuator
AssigneeDurkopp Adler Aktiengesellschaft
InventorChristoph Heckner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Actuator (1) adapted to be actuated by pressurized fluid as shown for example in FIG. 3, having a plurality of piston-cylinder units (A, B, C, D, E, F) arranged one behind the other and displaceable in the direction of a longitudinal axis (9), in which adjacent parts such as a piston of one unit and a cylinder of the adjacent unit are combined to form a connecting part. The individual piston-cylinder units (A, B, C, D, E, F) are so dimensioned in their lengths that the piston-cylinder units can be provided with different respective stroke lengths (ha, hb, hc, hd, he, hf). The stroke lengths can be varied by devices such as screws with hexagonal sockets (26, 110, 111, 113), and adjusted by a screw-turning tool (34). The actuator (1) has a small number of inexpensive individual parts and is easy to manufacture.
Claims24
An actuator adapted to be actuated by pressurized fluid, comprising:
- a plurality of piston-cylinder units;
- each piston-cylinder unit comprising a piston and a cylinder, the piston being arranged for movement within the cylinder along a longitudinal axis of said actuator;
- said piston-cylinder units being arranged adjacent to each other and interconnected so that an overall stroke length of said actuator corresponds to a sum of respective stroke lengths of said pistons within said cylinders;
- each piston-cylinder unit having an arrangement for setting a respective stroke length of the corresponding piston within the corresponding cylinder;
- said actuator comprising a connecting part, said connecting part comprising a single unitary component which includes the piston of one of the piston-cylinder units and the cylinder of another, adjacent piston-cylinder unit, the piston of the connecting part being arranged for movement in an adjacent cylinder to form one of the piston-cylinder units and the cylinder of the connecting part being arranged to receive an adjacent piston to form another of the piston-cylinder units;
- said connecting part having a channel for receiving and guiding said pressurized fluid into said connecting part;
- wherein each of said piston cylinder units include a pressure application area upon which said pressurized fluid is applied, each pressure application area of each of said piston cylinder units being independent of pressure application areas of other of said piston cylinder units.
An actuator comprising:
- a) a plurality of piston-cylinder units each including a piston and a cylinder being arranged for movement relative to each other, the piston-cylinder units being arranged adjacent to each other and interconnected so that an overall stroke length of said actuator corresponds to a sum of respective stroke lengths of said pistons within said cylinders;
- and
- b) a connecting part comprising a single unitary component which includes the piston of one of the piston-cylinder units and the cylinder of another, adjacent piston-cylinder unit, the piston of the connecting part being arranged for movement in an adjacent cylinder to form one of the piston-cylinder units and the cylinder of the connecting part being arranged to receive an adjacent piston to form another of the piston-cylinder units;
- wherein each of said piston cylinder units include a pressure application area upon which said pressurized fluid is applied, each pressure application area of each of said piston cylinder units being independent of pressure application areas of other of said piston cylinder units.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.