Safety release mechanism for linear actuator

• US 8,413,532 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2010
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiMOTION Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: TiMOTION Technology Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Wu, Chou-Hsin
• Primary Examiner(s): Luong, Vinh
• Application Number:
  US12/815,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20110304231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 74/893.8, 74/893.9, 744/247.8, 746/06.R, 561/6, 192/48.6, 192/141, 188/72.1, 188 717- 719, 188 727- 729, 188/196.D, 188/196.V
• US Class Current: 74/89.38
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2025/2084 Perpendicular arrangement of drive motor to screw axis
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2025/209 using worm gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 25/2025 with means to disengage the nut or screw from their counterpart; Means for connecting screw and nut for stopping reciprocating movement F16H25/2015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/21 Devices for sensing speed or position, or actuated thereby specially adapted for machines having non-mechanical commutating devices H02K29/06, H02K29/14
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2213/06 Machines characterised by the presence of fail safe, back up, redundant or other similar emergency arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/06 Means for converting reciprocating motion into rotary motion or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/108 with friction clutches
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18672 Plural screws in series [e.g., telescoping, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18696 including means to selectively transmit power [e.g., clutch, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18704 Means to selectively lock or retard screw or nut
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19735 Nut disengageable from screw
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2186 Gear casings

Abstract

A safety release mechanism for a linear actuator having a lead screw and a telescopic tube includes a nut, a protection shroud, a sleeve connected to the telescopic tube, a clutching element and a spiral spring. The nut is threadedly and drivingly connected to the lead screw. The protection shroud is fixedly and drivingly connected to one side of the nut. One end of the sleeve is sheathed on the protection shroud while the other end thereof is fixedly connected to the telescopic tube. The outer periphery of the sleeve is formed with notches. The clutching element is sheathed on the sleeve and formed with protrusions configured to be selectively inserted into or removed from the notches. The spiral spring is sheathed on the protection shroud and the clutching element. With this arrangement, cleavage or damage of components can be prevented to thereby increase the safety of operation.

Claims

1. A safety release mechanism for a linear actuator, and the linear actuator having a lead screw and a telescopic tube, and the safety release mechanism comprising:

a nut, threadedly and drivingly coupled to the lead screw;

a protection shroud, fixedly and drivingly coupled to an edge of the nut;

a telescopic tube sleeve, with an end sheathed on the protection shroud and another end fixed to the telescopic tube, and having a plurality of notches formed at an outer periphery of the telescopic tube sleeve;

a clutching element, sheathed on the telescopic tube sleeve, and having a plurality of protrusions formed on the clutching element, and selectively inserted into or detached from the notches; and

a spiral spring, sheathed on the protection shroud and the clutching element;

thereby, when the lead screw is rotated clockwise, then the spiral spring drives the protection shroud in a tight binding manner, and the clutching element and the telescopic tube sleeve is moved linearly together, and when the lead screw is rotated counterclockwise and the telescopic tube is blocked, then the protection shroud is released from being elastically clamped by the spiral spring, and the protection shroud is rotated together with the lead screw.

2. The safety release mechanism for the linear actuator as recited in claim 1, wherein the nut includes a first external thread formed at an outer periphery of an end of the nut, and the protection shroud includes a second internal thread formed at a middle section of the protection shroud and threadedly coupled to the first external thread.

3. The safety release mechanism for the linear actuator as recited in claim 1, wherein the protection shroud includes a retaining wall, a first cylindrical section outwardly extended from an end of the retaining wall, and a second cylindrical section extended outwardly from an end of the first cylindrical section, and the telescopic tube sleeve is sheathed on an outer periphery of the second cylindrical section, and an end of the spiral spring away from the clutching element is sheathed on an outer periphery of the first cylindrical section.

4. The safety release mechanism for the linear actuator as recited in claim 3, wherein the telescopic tube sleeve includes a convex ring formed and extended from an external surface of the convex ring, and the notches are formed in the intervals between the convex rings, and a retaining ring is outwardly extended from an end of the clutching element, and the protrusions are extended from an external end surface of the retaining ring and inserted into or detached from the notches respectively.

5. The safety release mechanism for the linear actuator as recited in claim 4, wherein the spiral spring includes both ends abutted against the retaining wall of the protection shroud and the retaining ring of the clutching element respectively.

6. The safety release mechanism for the linear actuator as recited in claim 1, wherein the spiral spring rotates in the same direction of the lead screw.

7. The safety release mechanism for the linear actuator as recited in claim 6, wherein the spiral spring includes at least one interval formed between the plurality of continuously wound rings.

8. The safety release mechanism for the linear actuator as recited in claim 1, further comprising a limit position cover passed into the telescopic tube sleeve and fixedly coupled to the protection shroud for limiting an axial displacement of the telescopic tube sleeve.

9. A linear actuator, comprising:

a driving mechanism including a holder and an electric motor mounted to the holder for producing clockwise and counterclockwise rotations;

a lead screw, driven by the electric motor for producing a rotation;

an outer tube, sheathed on the exterior of the lead screw, and fixed to an end of the holder, and having a stop element installed on the outer tube and at an end away from the holder;

a telescopic tube, passed and coupled into the outer tube, and capable of extending or retracting with respect to the outer tube; and

a safety release mechanism, comprising a nut threadedly and drivingly coupled to the lead screw;

a protection shroud, fixedly and drivingly coupled to an edge of the nut;

a telescopic tube sleeve, with an end sheathed on the protection shroud and another end fixed to the telescopic tube;

a clutching element, sheathed on the telescopic tube sleeve, and installed corresponding to the stop element;

a spiral spring sheathed on the protection shroud and the clutching element, and having a plurality of notches formed at an outer periphery of the telescopic tube sleeve, and the clutching element having a plurality of protrusions formed thereon and inserted into or detached from the notches respectively;

thereby, when the lead screw is rotated clockwise, then the spiral spring drives the protection shroud in a binding manner to drive the protection shroud, the clutching element and the telescopic tube sleeve to move linearly together, and when the clutching element is passed through a position of the stop element and blocked, the clutching element is pushed away to release the link relation with the telescopic tube sleeve, such that the telescopic tube and the telescopic tube sleeve stop moving outward.

10. The linear actuator of claim 9, wherein the nut includes a first external thread formed at an outer periphery of an end of the nut, and the protection shroud includes a second internal thread formed at a middle portion of the protection shroud and threadedly coupled to the first external thread.

11. The linear actuator of claim 9, wherein the protection shroud a retaining wall, a first cylindrical section outwardly extended from an end of the retaining wall, and a second cylindrical section outwardly extended from an end of the first cylindrical section, and the telescopic tube sleeve is sheathed on an outer periphery of the second cylindrical section, and an end of the spiral spring away from the clutching element is sheathed on an outer periphery of the first cylindrical section.

12. The linear actuator of claim 11, wherein the telescopic tube sleeve includes a convex ring formed and extended from an external surface of the convex ring, and the notches are formed in the interval between the convex rings, and a retaining ring is outwardly extended from an end of the clutching element, and the protrusions are extended from an external distal surface of the retaining ring and inserted into or detached from the notches respectively.

13. The linear actuator of claim 12, wherein the spiral spring has both ends abutted against the retaining wall of the protection shroud and the retaining ring of the clutching element respectively.

14. The linear actuator of claim 9, wherein the spiral spring rotates in the same direction of the lead screw.

15. The linear actuator of claim 14, wherein the spiral spring includes at least one interval formed between the plurality of continuously wound rings.

16. The linear actuator of claim 9, wherein the safety release mechanism further comprises a limit position cover passed into the telescopic tube sleeve and fixedly coupled to the protection shroud for limiting an axial displacement of the telescopic tube sleeve.