Telescopic linear actuator
AssigneeSuspa GmbH
InventorDean A. Zimmerman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inner leg telescopically fits within an outer leg and includes a motor coaxially mounted to an end remote from the outer leg. A drive screw is coupled to the motor shaft and extends through a drive nut in an axially extending drive nut riser. As the motor rotates the drive screw, the inner leg extends and retracts from the outer leg. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the drive nut riser is a hollow cylindrical tube extending substantially the length of the outer tube to position the drive nut near the intersection between the inner and outer legs when fully extended. Such an arrangement allows a motor to be coaxially mounted within the inner leg and, therefore, concealed and provides the desired extension and retraction of the legs for adjustment to different operative positions.
Claims16
A motorized telescopic leg assembly comprising:
- an outer tubular leg;
- an inner tubular leg telescopically fitted within said outer leg;
- and
- a drive assembly mounted within said inner and outer tubes, said drive assembly including:
- a base plate;
- a drive nut riser tube extending from said base plate;
- a drive nut mounted to an end of said riser tube remote from said base plate;
- a drive screw threadably extending into said drive nut and extendable into said riser tube;
- and
- a motor fitted within said inner leg and having a shaft coupled to said drive screw for rotating said drive screw for extending and retracting the inner leg with respect to the outer leg.
A drive assembly for telescopic legs including an outer tubular leg and an inner tubular leg telescopically fitted within said outer leg, said drive assembly extending within said inner and outer legs and comprising:
- a base plate;
- a drive nut riser tube extending from said base plate;
- a drive nut mounted to an end of said riser tube remote from said base plate;
- a drive screw threadably extending into said drive nut and extendable into said riser tube;
- and
- a motor fitted within the inner leg and having a shaft coupled to said drive screw for rotating said drive screw for extending and retracting the inner leg with respect to the outer leg.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.