Cable actuator allowing increased joint clearance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016288319-A1
Application number	US-201414777922-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 28, 2014
Priority date	Apr 5, 2013
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cable actuator comprising a chassis ( 1 ), a screw ( 2 ) rotatably mounted on the chassis and driven by an electric motor, a nut ( 4 ) that engages with the screw and is combined with anti-rotation means such that rotation of the screw under the action of the motor causes an axial displacement of the nut, two cables ( 10 ) coupled to the nut on either side of same, the two cables being wound onto respective joint pulleys ( 11 ) each rigidly connected to a same joint shaft ( 12 ) and in which the joint pulleys have a helical groove, the helical grooves of the pulleys extending in opposing directions.

First claim

1 . A cable actuator including:
a chassis; a screw rotatably mounted on the chassis and driven by an electric motor; a nut that engages with the screw and is combined with anti-rotation means such that rotation of the screw under the action of the motor causes an axial movement of the nut; two cables extending symmetrically with respect to a rotation axis of the screw and coupled to the nut on either side thereof;
characterized in that the two cables are wound onto respective joint pulleys both rigidly connected to the same joint shaft and in which the joint pulleys are of the type that has a helical groove, the helical grooves of the pulleys extending in opposite directions.

2 . The cable actuator as claimed in claim 1 , further including idler pulleys with helical grooves rigidly connected to the same idler shaft, the cables being wound onto a respective joint pulley and a respective idler pulley, the helical grooves of the idler pulleys extending in opposite directions.

3 . The cable actuator as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the joint shaft and the idler shaft are interconnected by connecting means imposing proportionality between the rotation speeds of the two shafts.

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Kfoury Fares
• Garrec Philippe

Classifications

• F16H25/20

  Screw mechanisms (with automatic reversal F16H25/12) · CPC title

• B25J9/104 Primary

  with cables, chains or ribbons · CPC title

• F16H2025/204

  Axial sliding means, i.e. for rotary support and axial guiding of nut or screw shaft · CPC title

• F16H2025/2075

  Coaxial drive motors · CPC title

• F16H19/0622

  for converting reciprocating movement into oscillating movement and vice versa, the reciprocating movement is perpendicular to the axis of oscillation · CPC title