Ball screw assembly with one-piece deflecting elements

A ball screw assembly comprising:

• a screw provided with an outer thread;
• a nut provided with an inner thread;
• a series of balls able to circulate along a circulating path between the screw and the nut, along which the balls are engaged in the threads thereof;
• and
• recirculating means defining a recirculating channel to carry balls from one end to the other end of said circulating path;
• wherein
• the recirculating channel comprises a return channel provided on the nut and between the ends of this return channel and the corresponding ends of said circulating path,
• deflecting channels which are defined by surfaces of deflecting elements engaged in respective holes of the nut and defined by local zones of surfaces of these respective holes;
• and wherein
• the axis of the holes, which receive the deflecting elements, are placed in planes which are symmetrical with respect to a plane containing the axis of the nut;
• and wherein
• the deflecting elements are of one-piece units and comprise respective pick-up and release lugs engaged between the threads of the screw and the nut, wherein the holes of the nut receiving the deflecting elements have successively, from the outside to the inside of the nut, cylindrical surfaces, respective convex toroidal surfaces and conical surfaces, the convex toroidal surfaces and the conical surfaces defining said local zones.

A ball screw assembly comprising:

• a screw provided with an outer thread;
• a nut provided with an inner thread;
• a series of balls able to circulate along a single circulating path between the screw and the nut, along which the balls are engaged in the threads thereof;
• and
• recirculating means defining a single recirculating channel to carry balls from one end to the other end of said circulating path;
• wherein
• the single recirculating channel comprises a return channel provided on the nut and between the ends of this return channel and the corresponding ends of said circulating path,
• deflecting channels which are defined by surfaces of deflecting elements engaged in respective holes of the nut and defined by local zones of surfaces of these respective holes;
• and wherein
• the holes each comprise only a single opening in an outer radial surface of the nut, and wherein
• the axis of the holes, which receive the deflecting elements, are placed in planes which are symmetrical with respect to a plane containing the axis of the nut and wherein
• the deflecting elements are of one-piece units, arranged about the outer circumference of the nut, and comprise respective pick-up and release lugs engaged between the threads of the screw and the nut, wherein the outer thread is configured such that the single circulating path includes all of the outer threads along the screw between the deflecting elements, and wherein
• the deflecting elements being configured such that insertion into the nut must be via the outer radial surface thereof, the deflecting elements having a shape such that insertion of the deflecting elements into the nut can only be accomplished if the deflecting elements are properly indexed during insertion into the nut, the deflecting elements engaging the nut via at least one of the group of an interference fit and a snap fit between the nut and the deflection elements, wherein
• the holes of the nut receiving the deflecting elements have successively, from the outside to the inside of the nut, cylindrical surfaces, respective convex toroidal surfaces and conical surfaces, the convex toroidal surfaces and the conical surfaces defining said local zones.