Clearance take-up joint for an adjustable mechanism

• US 6,579,203 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2002
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liang-Hsiung Wang, Lien-Lin Wang
• Original Assignee: Liang-Hsiung Wang, Lien-Lin Wang
• Inventors: Wang, Liang-Hsiung, Wang, Lien-Lin
• Primary Examiner(s): ESTREMSKY, SHERRY LYNN
• Application Number:
  US10/037,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20020091029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 475/162, 475/175, 297/362
• US Class Current: 475/162
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/2252 in which the central axis of the gearing lies inside the periphery of an orbital gear, e.g. one gear without sun gear
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 31/002 Hand-driven ratchets wrenches of the ratchet type B25B13/46

Abstract

A joint has a first leaf having an inner gear and a second leaf having an external gear meshing with the inner gear. A driving wedge-shaped disk is non-rotatably attached to a shaft and rotatably received between the leaves. A block with an outer wedge-shaped resistant surface is formed on the driving wedge-shaped disk. At least one driven wedge-shaped segment is mounted around the driving wedge-shaped disk. Each segment has an inner wedge-shaped surface to mate with the outer wedge-shaped resistant surface of block. A wedge arrangement is arranged between a supporting base on the disk and each segment to raise the segment as the driving wedge-shaped disk is rotated with the shaft. Accordingly, the angle between the first leaf and the second leaf can be adjusted. In addition, the shaking of the second leaf with respect to the first leaf can be prevented.

Claims

1. A clearance take-up joint comprising:

a first leaf having an inner gear formed with an axial hole;

a second leaf having a central hole defined in the second leaf and an external gear meshing with the inner gear in the first leaf;

a cap securely attached to the first leaf and having an aperture defined in the cap aligning with the central hole in the second leaf and the axial hole in the first leaf;

a driving wedge-shaped disk mounted in the central hole in the second leaf and having a block with a wedge-shaped resistant surface;

a supporting base extending from the driving wedge-shaped disk;

a shaft extending through the axial hole in the first leaf, the driving wedge-shaped disk and the aperture in the cap;

at least one driven wedge-shaped segment mounted around the driving wedge-shaped disk, each at least one driven wedge-shaped segment having an inner wedge-shaped surface mating with the wedge-shaped resistant surface of the block on the driving wedge-shaped disk and an outer periphery abutting against the inner surface of the central hole in the second leaf;

a wedge arrangement arranged between the supporting base and each at least one driven wedge-shaped segment; and

a resilient member arranged between the cap and each at least one driven wedge-shaped segment.

2. The joint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driving wedge-shaped disk has a non-circular hole defined in the driving wedge-shaped disk for the shaft extending through the non-circular hole.

3. The joint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wedge arrangement has at least one wedge portion formed on each at least one driven wedge-shaped segment;

and

a wedge-shaped recess defined in the supporting base and corresponding to respective each of the at least one wedge portion on each of the at least one driven wedge-shaped segment.

4. The joint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wedge arrangement has at least one wedge-shaped recess defined in each at least one driven wedge-shaped segment;

and

a wedge portion is formed on the supporting base and corresponding to respective each of the at least one wedge-shaped recess in each of the at least one driven wedge-shaped segment.

5. The joint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resilient member is a spring;

and

a recess is defined in each at least one driven wedge-shaped segment to receive one end of a spring.

6. The joint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the resilient member is a resilient tab integrally formed on a disk.

7. The joint as claimed in claim 1, wherein the driving wedge-shaped disk and the supporting base are made separately.

8. A clearance take-up joint comprising:

a first leaf having a first inner gear formed with a first axial hole;

a second leaf having a second inner gear formed with a second axial hole aligning with the first axial hole in the first leaf, recesses within the first and the second inner gears define a chamber between the leaves;

a planetary gear mounted in the chamber between the leaves and meshing with the inner gears in the leaves, the planetary gear having a central hole;

a driving wedge-shaped disk received in the central hole in the planetary gear and having a block with a wedge-shaped resistant surface;

a supporting base extending from the driving wedge-shaped disk;

a shaft extending through the axial holes of said leaves and the driving wedge-shaped disk;

at least one driven wedge-shaped segment mounted around the driving wedge-shaped disk, each at least one driven wedge-shaped segment having an inner wedge-shaped surface mating with the wedge-shaped resistant surface of the block on the driving wedge-shaped disk and an outer periphery abutting against the inner surface of the central hole in the planetary gear;

a wedge arrangement arranged between the supporting base and each at least one driven wedge-shaped segment; and

a resilient member arranged between the second leaf and each at least one driven wedge-shaped segment.

9. The joint as claimed in claim 8, wherein the driving wedge-shaped disk has a non-circular hole defined in the driving wedge-shaped disk for the shaft extending through the non-circular hole.

10. The joint as claimed in claim 8, wherein the wedge arrangement has at least one wedge portion formed on each at least one driven wedge-shaped segment;

and

a wedge-shaped recess defined in the supporting base and corresponding to respective each of the at least one wedge portion on each of the at least one driven wedge-shaped segment.

11. The joint as claimed in claim 8, wherein the wedge arrangement has at least one wedge-shaped recess defined in each at least one driven wedge-shaped segment;

and

a wedge portion is formed on the supporting base and corresponding to respective each of the at least one wedge-shaped recess in each of the at least one driven wedge-shaped segment.

12. The joint as claimed in claim 8, wherein the resilient member is a spring;

and

a recess is defined in each at least one driven wedge-shaped segment to receive one end of the spring.

13. The joint as claimed in claim 8, wherein the resilient member is a resilient tab integrally formed on a disk.

14. The joint as claimed in claim 8, wherein the driving wedge-shaped disk and the supporting base are made separately.