Transmit motion via flexures
AssigneeUnisys Corporation
InventorMichael N. Tranquilla
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A linkage couples a pair of rotatable shafts so that the rotation of one the shafts causes rotation of the other said shaft about the some axis. The linkage includes a pair of thin flexure strips disposed in parallel between the pair of parallel rotatable shafts One end of the pair of flexure strips is coupled to one of the rotatable shafts and the other end of the pair of flexure strips is coupled to the other rotatable shaft. The pair of thin flexure strips is coupled to the shafts so that the rotation of one of the shafts will cause the flexure strips to rotate the other of the shafts. The rotatable shafts rotate around parallel axes. The flexure strips flex and bend together as the rotatable shafts rotate. The rotational motion transmitted by the flexure strips has the same axis as the rotation axis of the shafts.
Claims17
A linkage coupling first and second rotatable shafts which allows the rotation of one said shafts to cause rotation of the other said shaft, said linkage comprising:
- a first link secured to said first shaft so as to rotate said first shaft when said first link is rotated;
- a second link secured to said second shaft so as to rotate said second shaft when said second link is rotated, said first and second shafts rotating around parallel axes;
- and,
- a pair of thin flexure strips disposed in parallel between said first and second links so that the rotation of one of said links will cause said flexure strips to rotate the other of said links thus causing rotation of said shafts around parallel axes, said flexure strips flexing and bending together as said links rotate, the rotational motion transmitted by said flexure strips having the same axis as the rotation axis of said shafts.
A linkage coupling a pair of rotatable shafts which allows the rotation of one said shaft to cause rotation of the other said shaft, said linkage comprising:
- a pair of thin flexure strips disposed in parallel between said pair of parallel rotatable shafts, one end of said pair of flexure strips coupled to one of said rotatable shafts and the other end of said pair of flexure strips coupled to said other rotatable shaft;
- said pair of thin flexure strips coupled to said shafts so that the rotation of one of said shafts will cause said flexure strips to rotate said other of said shafts;
- and,
- said rotatable shafts rotating around parallel axes, said flexure strips flexing and bending together as said rotatable shafts rotate, the rotational motion transmitted by said flexure strips having the same axis as the rotation axis of said shafts.
A linkage array wherein first shaft means is mounted rotatably in first linkage means, second shaft means is mounted rotatably in second linkage means, and paired-flexure coupling means is disposed between said linkage means to accommodate minor coordinate corotation of both said shaft means, up to about 90°, yet without backlash, or sliding surfaces or attendant noise or dust.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.