Flexible pivot with internal pivoting axis
AssigneeCSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA
InventorsPierre-Marcel Genequand, Philippe Schwab
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flexible pivot with internal pivoting axis comprises two stages that are symmetrical with respect to a median plane perpendicular to the pivoting axis and separated by an external circular recess containing the median plane, each stage comprising an outer annular interface connected by a plurality of radial, flexible guiding arms to a common intermediate cylinder having an axis that is the same as the internal pivoting axis.
Claims9
A flexible pivot with a pivotal axis of symmetry, the pivot comprising:
- two stages that are symmetrical with respect to a median plane perpendicular to said pivotal axis;
- each stage including an outer annular interface connected to radially outward ends of a respective plurality of radial, flexible guiding arms located within the outer annular interface, the arms the other stage being coaxially spaced from corresponding arms of another stage;
- a circular recess extending through the annular interface and separating corresponding arms of the stages, the recess being located in the median plane for separating the stages;
- and
- inner ends of the arms of each stage being connected to a common intermediate cylinder located within the outer annular interface of each stage and having an axis common with the pivotal axis of symmetry.
An assembly of stacked flexible pivots with a common pivotal axis of symmetry, each pivot of the assembly comprising:
- two stages that are symmetrical with respect to a median plane perpendicular to said pivotal axis;
- each stage including an outer annular interface connected to radially outward ends of a respective plurality of radial, flexible guiding arms, the arms of one of the stages being coaxially spaced from corresponding arms of the other stage;
- a circular recess extending through the outer annular interface and separating corresponding arms of the stages, the recess being located in the median plane for separating the stages;
- inner ends of the arms of each stage being connected to a common intermediate cylinder located within the outer annular interface of each stage and having an axis common with the pivotal axis of symmetry;
- and
- means for attaching confronting surfaces of axially adjacent neighboring annular interfaces.
An assembly of monolithically stacked flexible pivots with a common pivotal axis of symmetry, each pivot of the assembly comprising:
- two stages that are symmetrical with respect to a median plane perpendicular to said pivotal axis;
- each stage including an outer annular interface connected to radially outward ends of a respective plurality of radial, flexible guiding arms, the arms of one of the stages being coaxially spaced from corresponding arms of the other stage;
- a circular recess extending through the outer annular interface and separating corresponding arms of the stages, the recess being located in the median plane for separating the stages;
- inner ends of the arms of each stage being connected to a common intermediate cylinder located within the outer annular interface of each stage and having a common axis with the pivotal axis of symmetry;
- the annular interfaces of axially adjacent neighboring pivots being integrally formed while the guiding arms and the intermediate cylinder of neighboring pivots are separated by an internal circular slot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.