Actuator
AssigneeSMC Corporation
InventorsShigekazu Nagai, Akio Saitoh, Toru Sugiyama
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A motor, a ball screw shaft, etc. are accommodated within a frame that forms an outer frame. Direct-acting guides are provided on both sides of a groove-shaped opening defined in the frame. The ball screw shaft is centrally disposed within the frame. A table slides along the direct-acting guides under the action of rotation of the ball screw shaft. The ball screw shaft has ball-screw splines formed over its entire length and both ends thereof supported by the motor and a bearing. The center of rotation of the ball screw shaft is brought into alignment with the centers of rotation of the motor and the bearing by balls inserted into the ball-screw splines.
Claims11
An actuator comprising:
- a frame having an opening slot defined therein extending axially along one side of said frame in a longitudinal direction thereof, said frame further comprising a plurality of T-shaped grooves extending axially along at least one other side of said frame;
- a slider disposed on said frame and being movable linearly along said one side of said frame, said slider including a protrusion which extends through said opening slot toward an interior of said frame;
- motive means disposed inside said frame for imparting linear motion to said slider, wherein said protrusion is coupled to said motive means in the interior of said frame;
- a plurality of stationary electrical contacts disposed along one side of said opening slot, said stationary electrical contacts being connected to power lines disposed in said frame;
- a plurality of movable electrical contacts disposed on one side of said protrusion opposite said stationary electrical contacts, said movable electrical contacts being slidable along said stationary electrical contacts when said slider moves, said movable electrical contacts further being connected through conductive lines in said slider to electrical contact terminals disposed on said slider.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.