Anti-rotation device for the nut of an electric actuator

Abstract

A nut anti-rotation device of an electric actuator, the electric actuator includes an actuator body having an inner connecting portion, and a nut having an outer connecting portion. The nut anti-rotation device of the electric actuator includes two rotation limiting members. Each of the rotation limiting members includes an outer connecting portion, and an inner connecting portion. The outer connecting portion is engaged with the inner connecting portion of the actuator body by means of a male-female fitting. The inner connecting portion is engaged with the outer connecting portion of the nut by means of a male-female fitting. Due to the structure design that the rotation limiting members are independent from each other and connected to opposite sides of the nut respectively, the two-piece clamping arrangement allows the connection and positioning from both sides of the nut respectively, and the assembly convenience is good.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to an anti-rotation mechanism for nuts, and more particularly to an anti-rotation device for nuts of an electric actuator. Background Technology

[0002] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 Japanese Invention Patent Publication No. JP6570114B2 discloses an actuator comprising a hollow housing 11, a shaft 12 disposed within the hollow housing 11, a ball screw 13 passing through the shaft 12, a generally cylindrical nut receiver 14, and a rotation limiting member 15 embedded in the outer peripheral surface of the nut receiver 14. The hollow housing 11 has a plurality of limiting grooves 111 on its inner wall. The shaft 12 is movable back and forth relative to the hollow housing 11 to extend or retract from the hollow housing 11. The nut receiver 14 has a plurality of circumferentially spaced engagement protrusions 141. The rotation limiting member 15 has a generally C-shaped cross-section and includes a main body 151, a plurality of circumferentially spaced engagement protrusions 152, a plurality of engagement grooves 153 formed on the engagement protrusions 152, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced limiting protrusions 154.

[0003] The engaging protrusion 141 of the nut receiver 14 can engage with the engaging groove 153 of the rotation limiting member 15, while the limiting protrusion 154 of the rotation limiting member 15 engages with the limiting groove 111 of the hollow shell 1, thereby limiting the rotation of the nut receiver 14.

[0004] However, since the rotation limiting member 15 is an integral structure, during installation, the engagement groove 153 must first be aligned and engaged with the engagement protrusion 141 of the nut receiving member 14, and then the limiting protrusion 154 must be aligned with the limiting groove 111 of the hollow shell 11. The assembly process is relatively complicated and difficult to operate. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide an anti-rotation device for the nut of an electric actuator with good assembly convenience.

[0006] This utility model discloses a nut anti-rotation device for an electric actuator, wherein the electric actuator includes an actuator body and a nut. The actuator body has an inner connecting portion formed on the inner side, and the nut has an outer connecting portion formed on the outer side. The nut anti-rotation device for the electric actuator includes two rotation limiting members.

[0007] The rotation limiting member is disposed between the actuator body and the nut. Each rotation limiting member is connected to the nut. Each rotation limiting member includes a base wall, an outer connecting portion, and an inner engaging portion. The base wall has an outer surface and an inner surface arranged radially oppositely. The outer connecting portion is formed on the outer surface of the base wall and engages with the inner connecting portion of the actuator body using a convex-concave fit. The inner engaging portion is formed on the inner surface of the base wall and engages with the outer engaging portion of the nut using a convex-concave fit.

[0008] The present invention relates to an anti-rotation device for the nut of an electric actuator, wherein the outer connecting part of each of the rotation limiting members protrudes from the outer surface.

[0009] The present invention relates to an anti-rotation device for the nut of an electric actuator, wherein the inner connecting portion of each of the rotation limiting members protrudes from the inner surface.

[0010] The present invention relates to an anti-rotation device for a nut of an electric actuator, wherein the inner connecting part of the actuator body has a plurality of spaced grooves, and the outer connecting part of each rotation limiting member has a plurality of spaced protrusions that are respectively engaged with the grooves, and the number of protrusions of the rotation limiting member is the same as the number of grooves.

[0011] The present invention relates to a nut anti-rotation device for an electric actuator, wherein the actuator body defines an installation space, and each of the protrusions of each of the rotation limiting members has a top surface radially spaced from the outer surface, and an airflow groove extending from the top surface, the airflow groove extending along the axial direction and communicating with the installation space.

[0012] The present invention relates to a nut anti-rotation device for an electric actuator, wherein the actuator body defines an installation space, and each of the protrusions of each of the rotation limiting members has a top surface radially spaced from the outer surface, and a plurality of recesses extending from the top surface, the recesses communicating with the installation space.

[0013] The present invention relates to an anti-rotation device for a nut of an electric actuator, wherein the outer joint of the nut has a plurality of circumferentially spaced recesses, and the inner joint of each rotation limiting member has a plurality of circumferentially spaced protrusions that respectively engage with the recesses, and the number of protrusions of the rotation limiting member is the same as the number of recesses.

[0014] The present invention relates to an anti-rotation device for a nut of an electric actuator, wherein the actuator body is a square block, and diagonals passing through the two diagonals of the actuator body are defined, and the rotation limiting member is axially symmetrical along the diagonals.

[0015] The anti-rotation device for the nut of the electric actuator of this utility model also includes a magnetic component, and the base wall of each of the rotation limiting components also has an installation port for the magnetic component to be installed.

[0016] The present invention relates to an anti-rotation device for a nut of an electric actuator, wherein each mounting port of each of the rotation limiting members radially penetrates the outer surface and the inner surface.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: by designing the rotation limiting components as independent units that are respectively connected to the opposite sides of the nut, compared to the existing rotation limiting components which are one-piece and need to be fully covered on the outer periphery of the nut housing, the two-piece clamping configuration of the rotation limiting components of this utility model can be connected and positioned separately from the two sides of the nut, resulting in better assembly convenience. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Other features and effects of this utility model will be clearly presented in the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0019] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view illustrating a conventional actuator disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. JP6570114B2;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the rotation limiting element of the existing actuator;

[0021] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of the anti-rotation device for the nut of the electric actuator of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a partial exploded perspective view of the embodiment described;

[0023] Figure 5 Viewing it from another angle Figure 4 A partial exploded view;

[0024] Figure 6 It is along Figure 3 The sectional view intercepted by line VI-VI in the middle;

[0025] Figure 7 This is a partial perspective view illustrating the rotation limiting component of the described embodiment;

[0026] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 Side view;

[0027] Figure 9 This is a partial perspective view of the embodiment described;

[0028] Figure 10 yes Figure 3A magnified partial sectional view. Detailed Implementation

[0029] Before this utility model is described in detail, it should be noted that similar components are represented by the same numbers in the following description.

[0030] See Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 This utility model discloses an embodiment of a nut anti-rotation device for an electric actuator, applicable to an electric actuator. The electric actuator includes an actuator body 2, a screw 3 disposed on the actuator body 2 and extending along an axis X, a sensor 4 mounted on the actuator body 2, and a nut 5 sleeved on the screw 3. The actuator body 2 is an extruded aluminum profile and defines a mounting space 20 extending along the axis X. The actuator body 2 includes an inner connecting portion 21 formed on the inner side, an outer mounting portion 22 formed on the outer side, and a fixing member 23 connected to the outer mounting portion 22.

[0031] In this embodiment, the actuator body 2 is a square block. The inner connecting portion 21 has a plurality of recesses 211 extending along the axis X and spaced apart, the recesses 211 being configured as rectangular grooves. The outer mounting portion 22 has a plurality of grooves 221 spaced apart and recessed towards the mounting space 20. The fixing member 23 extends along the axis X and is embedded in the corresponding groove 221. The screw 3 passes through the mounting space 20 and has a peripheral surface 31 surrounding the axis X. The sensor 4 is disposed in the corresponding groove 221, and the fixing member 23 is used to limit and position the sensor 4.

[0032] See Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 The nut 5 is fitted around the axis X and onto the outer periphery 31 of the screw 3, and includes an outer peripheral surface 52 facing the mounting space 20, and an inner peripheral surface 53 opposite to the outer peripheral surface 52 and facing the screw 3. The nut 5 also includes an outer engagement portion 51 formed on the outer side. The outer engagement portion 51 has a plurality of recessed holes 511 extending from the recessed outer peripheral surface 52 and spaced circumferentially. In this embodiment, each of the recessed holes 511 is configured as an elliptical hole.

[0033] The anti-rotation device for the nut of the electric actuator is disposed in the installation space 20 and includes two rotation limiting members 6 and multiple magnetic members 7.

[0034] The rotation limiting member 6 is disposed between the actuator body 2 and the nut 5. Each rotation limiting member 6 is independent and connected to opposite sides of the outer peripheral surface 52 of the nut 5. In this embodiment, a diagonal line L is defined passing through the two diagonal corners of the actuator body 2, wherein the rotation limiting member 6 is axially symmetrical along the diagonal line L.

[0035] See Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Figure 9 Each of the rotation limiting members 6 defines an insertion port 60 facing the outer peripheral surface 52 of the nut 5, and includes a base wall 61, an outer connecting portion 62, and an inner connecting portion 63. The base wall 61 has an outer surface 611 and an inner surface 612 arranged radially oppositely, two end edges 613 located at opposite ends, and a mounting port 610 radially penetrating the outer surface 611 and the inner surface 612. In this embodiment, the radial cross-section of the base wall 61 of each of the rotation limiting members 6 is generally C-shaped. The end edges 613 of each of the rotation limiting members 6 are spaced apart from the end edges 613 of the other rotation limiting member 6 along the diagonal L. The mounting port 610 is configured as a square opening and is used for housing the magnetic element 7. The magnetic element 7 is a magnet, and the sensor 4 is used to sense the position of the magnetic element 7.

[0036] Since the magnetic component 7 is driven by the corresponding rotation limiting component 6 to move synchronously along the axis X, the sensor 4 can sense the position of the magnetic component 7 to obtain the axial displacement information of the nut 5, which is highly practical. It should be noted that in this embodiment, the mounting port 610 is a through opening, but in other embodiments, the mounting port 610 can also be a blind hole or other type of groove structure, as long as it can achieve the function of positioning and fixing the magnetic component 7.

[0037] The outer connecting portion 62 is formed on the outer surface 611 of the base wall 61 and engages with the inner connecting portion 21 of the actuator body 2 using a convex-concave fit. In this embodiment, the outer connecting portion 62 protrudes from the outer surface 611 in a direction away from the inner surface 612 and has a plurality of spaced protrusions 621 that engage with the grooves 211 respectively. The number of protrusions 621 of the rotation limiting member 6 is the same as the number of grooves 211 of the actuator body 2.

[0038] Each of the protrusions 621 of each of the rotation limiting members 6 has a top surface 622 radially spaced from the outer surface 611, two end faces 623 respectively connected to opposite ends of the top surface 622 along the axis X, two side faces 624 extending along the axis X and respectively connected to opposite sides of the top surface 622, an airflow groove 625 extending along the axis X and recessed from the top surface 622, and a plurality of recesses 626 extending from the recess of the top surface 622 and spaced apart. The airflow groove 625 is in fluid communication with the mounting space 20, and its opposite ends are respectively opened at the end faces 623. The recesses 626 are spatially connected to the airflow groove 625 and in fluid communication with the mounting space 20. Each of the recesses 626 extends from the corresponding side face 624 toward the airflow groove 625.

[0039] In this embodiment, the recessed structure formed by the airflow groove 625 and the recess 626 creates multiple gaps (not shown) between the outer connecting portion 62 of the rotation limiting member 6 and the inner connecting portion 21 of the actuator body 2. This allows the airflow generated by the screw 3 during movement to be discharged or circulated through these gaps, which not only helps maintain the pressure balance around the nut 5, but also serves as a reservoir for lubricating oil (or lubricant), thus preventing the plastic parts from drying out due to lack of lubrication.

[0040] The inner engaging portion 63 is formed on the inner surface 612 of the base wall 61 and engages with the outer engaging portion 51 of the nut 5 using a convex-concave fit. In this embodiment, the inner engaging portion 63 protrudes from the inner surface 612 in a direction away from the outer surface 611 and has a plurality of circumferentially spaced protrusions 631 that are respectively engaged with the recesses 511. The number of protrusions 631 of the rotation limiting member 6 is the same as the number of recesses 511 of the nut 5, and the shape of the protrusions 631 is configured as elliptical protrusions corresponding to the shape of the recesses 511.

[0041] In this embodiment, the protrusion 631 of the inner connecting part 63 is fitted into the recess 511 of the nut 5 in a concave-convex fit, and the protrusion 621 of the outer connecting part 62 is further fitted into the groove 211 of the actuator body 2 in a concave-convex fit, so that the rotation limiting member 6 can position the nut 5 in a double clamping manner from both the inner and outer sides. This not only effectively prevents the nut 5 from rotating or shifting, but also significantly improves the overall structural stability.

[0042] In this embodiment, the protrusions 631 of each of the rotation limiting members 6 are radially aligned with the protrusions 621, but this is not a limitation. The protrusions 631 can also be staggered with the protrusions 621, as long as they can achieve the effect of fixing the nut 5 and the actuator body 2.

[0043] It is worth mentioning that in this embodiment, the outer connecting part 62 and the inner connecting part 63 of each of the rotation limiting members 6 are protruding structures, while the inner connecting part 21 of the corresponding actuator body 2 and the outer connecting part 51 of the nut 5 are recessed structures. However, in other variations, the outer connecting part 62 and the inner connecting part 63 can also be designed as recessed structures such as grooves, while the inner connecting part 21 and the outer connecting part 51 are adjusted to be protruding structures. This is not a limitation.

[0044] See Figure 6 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 In this embodiment, during assembly, the rotation limiting members 6 are clamped onto the outer peripheral surface 52 of the nut 5 along the diagonal L, so that the protrusions 631 are respectively embedded in the recesses 511. Then, the protrusions 621 are aligned with the grooves 211 of the actuator body 2, thus completing the assembly process.

[0045] Based on the above explanation, the advantages of the aforementioned embodiments can be summarized as follows:

[0046] 1. Since the rotation limiting member 6 is a two independent structural design that is connected to the opposite sides of the nut 5, compared with the existing rotation limiting member 15 which is a single piece and needs to be completely covered on the outer periphery of the nut receiving member 14, resulting in poor assembly convenience, the two-piece clamping configuration of the rotation limiting member 6 in this embodiment can be connected and positioned by the two sides of the nut 5 respectively, resulting in good assembly convenience.

[0047] 2. The protrusion 631 of the inner connecting part 63 is fitted into the recess 511 of the nut 5 in a concave-convex fit, and the protrusion 621 of the outer connecting part 62 is fitted into the groove 211 of the actuator body 2 in a concave-convex fit, so that the rotation limiting member 6 can position the nut 5 with a double clamping structure on both the inner and outer sides. In this way, in addition to effectively preventing the nut 5 from rotating or shifting, the overall structural stability can also be greatly improved.

[0048] 3. The recessed structure formed by the airflow groove 625 and the recess 626 creates multiple gaps between the outer connecting part 62 of the rotation limiting member 6 and the inner connecting part 21 of the actuator body 2. The airflow generated by the screw 3 during movement can be discharged or circulated through these gaps, which not only helps maintain the pressure balance around the nut 5, but also allows the gaps to serve as a storage area for lubricating oil, preventing the plastic parts from drying out due to lack of lubrication.

[0049] 4. The magnetic component 7 is driven by the corresponding rotation limiting component 6 to move synchronously along the axis X. The sensor 4 can sense the position of the magnetic component 7 to obtain the axial displacement information of the nut 5, which is highly practical.

Claims

1. A nut anti-rotation device for an electric actuator, the electric actuator comprising an actuator body and a nut, the actuator body having an inner connecting portion formed on the inner side, and the nut having an outer connecting portion formed on the outer side, characterized in that: The anti-rotation device for the nut of the electric actuator includes: Two rotation limiting members are disposed between the actuator body and the nut. The rotation limiting members are respectively connected to the nut. Each rotation limiting member includes a base wall, an outer connecting part, and an inner engaging part. The base wall has an outer surface and an inner surface arranged radially oppositely. The outer connecting part is formed on the outer surface of the base wall and is engaged with the inner connecting part of the actuator body by means of a convex-concave fit. The inner engaging part is formed on the inner surface of the base wall and is engaged with the outer engaging part of the nut by means of a convex-concave fit.

2. The anti-rotation device for the nut of the electric actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer connecting portion of each of the rotation limiting members protrudes from the outer surface.

3. The anti-rotation device for the nut of the electric actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner engagement portion of each of the rotation limiting members protrudes from the inner surface.

4. The anti-rotation device for the nut of the electric actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner connecting portion of the actuator body has a plurality of spaced grooves, wherein the outer connecting portion of each of the rotation limiting members has a plurality of spaced protrusions that respectively engage with the grooves, and the number of protrusions of the rotation limiting members is the same as the number of grooves.

5. The anti-rotation device for the nut of the electric actuator according to claim 4, characterized in that: The actuator body defines an installation space, wherein each of the protrusions of each of the rotation limiting members has a top surface radially spaced from the outer surface, and an airflow groove extending recessed from the top surface, the airflow groove extending along the axial direction and communicating with the installation space.

6. The anti-rotation device for the nut of the electric actuator according to claim 4, characterized in that: The actuator body defines an installation space, wherein each of the protrusions of each of the rotation limiting members has a top surface radially spaced from the outer surface, and a plurality of recesses extending from the top surface, the recesses communicating with the installation space.

7. The anti-rotation device for the nut of the electric actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer engagement portion of the nut has a plurality of circumferentially spaced recesses, wherein each of the rotation limiting members has a plurality of circumferentially spaced protrusions that respectively engage with the recesses, and the number of protrusions of the rotation limiting member is the same as the number of recesses.

8. The anti-rotation device for the nut of the electric actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The actuator body is a square block, and diagonals passing through the two diagonal corners of the actuator body are defined, wherein the rotation limiting member is axially symmetrical along the diagonals.

9. The anti-rotation device for the nut of the electric actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The anti-rotation device for the nut also includes a magnetic component, and the base wall of each of the rotation limiting components also has an mounting port for the magnetic component.

10. The anti-rotation device for the nut of the electric actuator according to claim 9, characterized in that: Each of the mounting openings of each of the rotational limiting members radially penetrates the outer surface and the inner surface.

Images