Ball actuator
AssigneeSchneider Electric Industries SAS
InventorPierre Batteux
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A ball actuator 10 comprises a case 12 supporting a striker 14 with an energy storage spring 16, a control rod 18 movable in translation in a direction parallel to a geometric axis 19, detent balls 20 and control balls 22. When the rod is moved in translation by an electromagnetic relay 100, the control balls 22 escape and enable the detent balls 20 to be freed so that the striker 14 is released. Each control ball 22 is in contact with two detent balls 20 and with the rod 18 so that the forces applied to the rod 18 by the control balls 20 are much lower than the forces exerted by the striker 14 on the detent balls 22. A high-efficiency actuator is thus achieved requiring a low operating energy and with small overall dimensions.
Claims16
An actuator (10) comprising:
- a case (12) defining a geometric axis of translation (19);
- a control rod (18) movable in translation with respect to the case (12) in a direction parallel to the geometric axis of translation (19) between a latched control position and an unlatched control position, and comprising a rolling surface (46),
- a striker (14) movable in translation with respect to the case in a direction parallel to the geometric axis of translation (19) between a loaded position and an unloaded position, and comprising a bearing collar (40),
- a drive means (16) of the striker (14) operating in conjunction with the striker (14) in such a way that when the striker (14) is in its loaded position, the drive means (16) of the striker bias the striker to return to the unloaded position,
- a set of n detent balls (20), n being an integer greater than or equal to three, each detent ball (20) being movable between a latched position and a cleared position, each detent ball (20) in the latched position being pressing against said bearing collar (40) of the striker, each detent ball having a center,
- a set of n control balls (22), each control ball having a center,
- the actuator being such that when the striker (14) is in the loaded position and the rod (18) is in the latched control position, the centers of the detent balls (20) are located in a first geometric plane (II—II, 60) perpendicular to the geometric axis of translation (19), the centers of the control balls (22) are located in a second geometric plane (II—II, 62) perpendicular to the geometric axis of translation (19), each control ball (22) is bearing against the rolling surface (40) of the rod and against two corresponding detent balls belonging to the set of detent balls (20) and the center of each control ball (20) is situated between the rod (18) and a third geometric plane parallel to the geometric axis of translation and passing through the center of each of said two corresponding detent balls.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.