Position signal transmitter for a servo drive

Abstract

A position signal transmitter (1) for indicating the position of a servo drive includes a housing (2) adapted to be connected to the servo drive, and a switching shaft (4) that is rotatably supported in the housing and adapted to be coupled in a positive manner to an operating shaft of the servo drive. At least one switching cam (24A, 24B ) provided with an internal gearing (28) is mounted on the shaft (4) so that the internal gearing (28) engages an externally geared section (29A, 29B ) of the wall of the shaft (4). The externally geared section (29A, 29B ) of the shaft wall is elastically deflectable in a substantially radial direction toward the central rotational axis (30) of the switching shaft (4). One or more mechanical or inductive switches are mounted in the housing (2) to be cooperatively actuated by the switching cam. When normal operating torques below a torque threshold are applied to the switching cam, a positive engagement between the internal gearing of the cam and the external gearing of the elastically deflectable section of the shaft wall is maintained, but when a torque exceeding the torque threshold is applied, the switching cam will rotate relative to the shaft while the internal gearing (28) of the cam slips pitch-by-pitch in a ratcheting or detented manner over the external gearing of the elastically deflectable section (29A, 29B ), which is thereby elastically deflected temporarily out of meshing engagement. In this manner, it is simple to adjust the angular position of the switching cam on the shaft, for example by using an adjusting tool having an externally geared end that is inserted into a tool access groove in the shaft.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.