US 5,662,020 AGranted

Inchworm type of actuator

AssigneeHonda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsHirobumi Morita, Toshikazu Asakura

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Abstract

A forward-moving inching unit and a backward-moving inching unit are built in a casing (1) which is slidable relative to a guide member (b). Each of the inching units is made up of an inching piston (60), a brake piston (61) disposed in a direction opposite to the inching piston (60), a lock member (62) disposed between the inching piston (60) and the brake piston (61) to tighten the guide member (b) when pinched between both the pistons (60, 61), a spring (63) for urging the pistons (61) to the right/to the left, a first pressure chamber (64) for pressing the brake piston (61) to the right/to the left, a second pressure chamber (65) for pressing the inching piston (60) in the opposite direction, and a valve block (2) for inputting, at the time of forward-moving inching, a fluid pressure into the second pressure chamber (65) of the forward-moving inching unit and the first pressure chamber (64) of the backward-moving inching unit and for inputting, at the time of backward-moving inching, the fluid pressure into the second pressure chamber (65) of the backward-moving inching unit and the first pressure chamber (64) of the forward-moving inching unit.

Claims31

Dependent claims

An inchworm type of actuator which moves relative to a bar-like guide member, said actuator comprising:

a brake unit;
a pair of forward-moving and backward-moving inching units, said brake unit and said inching units being built in a casing which is slidable relative to said guide member,
said brake unit comprising:
a brake piston fitted onto an outer surface of said guide member;
a brake reaction force receiving member lying opposite to said brake piston and fixed to said casing;
a brake lock member interposed between said brake piston and said brake reaction force receiving member in a condition of being fitted onto the outer surface of said guide member whereby said brake lock member tightens said guide member upon receipt of an urging force from said brake piston toward said brake reaction force receiving member;
urging means for urging said brake piston towards said brake reaction force receiving member;
and a pressure chamber for urging said brake piston in a direction away from said brake reaction force receiving member,
each of said inching units comprising:
an inching piston fitted onto the outer surface of said guide member;
an inching reaction force receiving member urged in a positive direction towards said inching piston;
an inching lock member interposed between said inching piston and said inching reaction force receiving member in a condition of being fitted onto the outer surface of said guide member whereby said inching lock member tightens said guide member upon receipt of an urging force from said inching piston in an opposite direction;
and a pressure chamber for urging said inching piston in the opposite direction, the forward-moving direction of said forward-moving inching unit being defined as the positive direction and the backward moving direction thereof as the opposite direction, the backward-moving direction of said backward-moving inching unit being defined as the positive direction and the forward-moving direction thereof as the opposite direction;
and
fluid supply means for inputting, at the time of forward-moving inching, a fluid pressure into said pressure chamber of said forward-moving inching unit and said pressure chamber of said brake unit and for inputting, at the time of backward-moving inching, the fluid pressure into said pressure chamber of said backward-moving inching unit and said pressure chamber of said brake unit.

12 more elements

An inchworm type of actuator which moves relative to a bar-like guide member, said actuator comprising:

a forward-moving inching unit;
a backward-moving inching unit, each of said inching units being built in a casing which is slidable relative to said guide member;
each of said inching units comprising:
an inching piston;
a brake piston disposed in a direction opposite to said inching piston;
a lock member disposed between said inching piston and said brake piston to tighten said guide member when pinched between both said pistons;
urging means for urging said brake piston in a positive direction;
a first pressure chamber for urging said brake piston in an opposite direction;
and a second pressure chamber for urging said inching piston in the opposite direction, the forward-moving direction of said forward-moving inching unit being defined as the positive direction and the backward-moving direction thereof as the opposite direction, the backward-moving direction of said backward-moving inching unit being defined as the positive direction and the forward-moving direction thereof as the opposite direction;
and
fluid supply means for inputting, at the time of forward-moving inching, a fluid pressure into said second pressure chamber of said forward-moving inching unit and said first pressure chamber of said backward-moving inching unit and for inputting, at the time of backward-moving inching, the fluid pressure into said second pressure chamber of said backward-moving inching unit and said first pressure chamber of said forward-moving inching unit.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.