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US 6,186,047 B1Granted
Device for locking the sliding of the rod of a linear actuator and a linear actuator provided with the device
AssigneeReady S.R.L.
InventorDanilo Baruffaldi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The locking device comprises resilient repulsion means (58) which react between a fixed body (16) and one or more rolling members (42) and which tend to urge these members in the direction of wedging between two wedging surfaces (34, 36) associated with the body (16) and with the rod (12) of the actuator (10), respectively. A control piston (48) is arranged so as to engage the rolling members (42) in order to urge them in the release direction under the effect of a thrust exerted on the piston in the opposite direction to the force exerted by the resilient means (54).
Claims14
A device for the unidirectional locking of the sliding of the rod of a linear actuator, the device comprising:
- an outer body fast with or adapted to be fastened to an end of a casing of the actuator in an arrangement such as to surround the rod,
- means defining, in the body, at least one pair of radially-facing wedging surfaces associated with the body and with the rod, respectively,
- rolling members which are disposed between the wedging surfaces and which can be wedged between the surfaces as a result of their rolling in one direction and as a result of a constriction of the coupling between the wedging surfaces and the rolling member, each rolling member being rotatable around a chordal axis,
- resilient repulsion means reacting between the body and the rod through each rolling member and tending to urge the latter in the wedging direction, and
- a control piston slidable longitudinally in the body and co-operating with each rolling member in order to bring about the rolling thereof, the control piston being arranged so as to engage each rolling member in order to urge it in the release direction as a result of a thrust exerted on the piston in the opposite direction to the force exerted by the resilient repulsion means,
- wherein:
- the body or an element fixed to the body has a series of longitudinal, peripheral grooves, and each rolling member is rotatable about a chordal axis and is guided in a respective groove as it rolls along said wedging surfaces,
- each rolling member has generatrices of uniform radius and the wedging surfaces of the respective pair of surfaces converge in the direction of wedging,
- one of the wedging surfaces of the pair is constituted by a longitudinal track of the rod parallel to the axis thereof, and the other wedging surface is constituted by a track fixed relative to the body and converging towards the longitudinal track, and in that the respective rolling
- member is a roller with a chordal axis, and
- wherein the converging track is constituted by the base of a respective longitudinal groove which has sides restraining the roller.
8 more elements
A device for the unidirectional locking of the sliding of the rod of a linear actuator, the device comprising:
- an outer body fast with or adapted to be fastened to an end of a casing of the actuator in an arrangement such as to surround the rod,
- means defining, in the body, at least one pair of radially-facing wedging surfaces associated with the body and with the rod, respectively,
- rolling members which are disposed between the wedging surfaces and which can be wedged between the surfaces as a result of their rolling in one direction and as a result of a constriction of the coupling between the wedging surfaces and the rolling member, each rolling member being rotatable around a chordal axis,
- resilient repulsion means reacting between the body and the rod through each rolling member and tending to urge the latter in the wedging direction, and
- a control piston slidable longitudinally in the body and co-operating with each rolling member in order to bring about the rolling thereof, the control piston being arranged so as to engage each rolling member in order to urge it in the release direction as a result of a thrust exerted on the piston in the opposite direction to the force exerted by the resilient repulsion means,
- wherein:
- the body or an element fixed to the body has a series of longitudinal, peripheral grooves, and each rolling member is rotatable about a chordal axis and is guided in a respective groove as it rolls along said wedging surfaces,
- each rolling member is in the form of a cam, and wherein the wedging surfaces of the respective pair are parallel both to one another and to the axis of the rod,
- one of the wedging surfaces is constituted by a longitudinal surface of the rod, and
- the cam is rotatable about an intermediate chordal axis, fixed axially and movable radially relative to the body, and has opposed eccentric arcuate surfaces for engagement with the respective wedging surfaces which are eccentric and symmetrical relative to the chordal axis.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.