A suspension assembly provides a suspension frame and a supporting frame, the suspension frame being movably coupled to the supporting frame. The suspension assembly further provides at least one flexure that links the suspension frame to the supporting frame. The suspension assembly including at least one stopper to limit movement of the supporting frame and the suspension frame with respect to each other.

A leaf spring for a flat-wiping connector includes a front section having a first surface corresponding to a plane, the front section further including a front edge configured to connect the leaf spring to the flat-wiping connector. The leaf spring further includes a rear section having a second surface angled with respect to the plane corresponding to the first surface of the front section. The rear section further includes a third surface connected to the second surface and oriented at an angle with respect to the second surface. At least a portion of an edge of the rear section is configured to interact with a positive stop of a connector housing to lock the leaf spring within the connector housing upon insertion of the leaf spring into the connector housing.

A coil spring includes a wire rod and an elastic coat provided on the wire rod. The coil spring includes a coil section including a plurality of coil portions. The wire rod includes a round cross-sectional portion, a cross-section varying portion, and a rectangular cross-sectional portion along the longitudinal direction of the wire rod. The cross section of the rectangular cross-sectional portion is substantially square and has a first plane and a second plane. The first plane and the second plane oppose each other in the coil section. The elastic coat is provided on at least one of the first plane and the second plane. The elastic coat is continuous from the round cross-sectional portion to the cross-sectional variation portion and the rectangular cross-sectional portion.

A wire material for a canted coil spring includes a core wire composed of a steel having a pearlite structure, a copper plating layer covering the outer peripheral surface of the core wire, the copper plating layer being composed of copper or a copper alloy, and a hard layer disposed adjacent to the outer periphery of the copper plating layer, the hard layer having a higher hardness than the copper plating layer. The steel constituting the core wire contains 0.5% or more by mass and 1.0% or less by mass carbon, 0.1% or more by mass and 2.5% or less by mass silicon, and 0.3% or more by mass and 0.9% or less by mass manganese, the balance being iron and unavoidable impurities.

A suspension assembly for a camera lens element includes a support member with a wire attach structure and a moving member coupled to the support member. The moving member includes a plate, flexure arms extending from the plate and coupled to the support member, and a wire attach structure. A bearing supports the plate of the moving member for movement with respect to the support member. A shape memory alloy wire is coupled to and extends between the wire attach structures of the support member and the moving member. The limiter limits a range of movement of the moving member with respect to the support member, and in embodiments includes an opening in one of the moving member plate and the support member, and a stop that includes an engagement portion extending into the opening in the other of the moving member plate and the support member. The opening has a first diameter, and the engagement portion has a second diameter that is less than the first diameter.

The object of the present invention is a new configuration of torsional spring with a flat structure, capable of ensuring response linearity, modelling ease and accuracy, versatile use while safeguarding the possibility of the inner passage of wiring or of any accessory components along the transmission/torsion axis.

Embodiments of the present techniques provide methods for assembling and manufacturing shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator assemblies, which may also advantageously simplify the process of, speed-up the process of and/or reduce the cost of manufacturing SMA actuator assemblies.

An electromechanical steering system may include a reduction gearbox where a worm gear is mounted in first and second bearings rotatably about a longitudinal axis. Rolling elements are disposed between inner and outer rings of the bearings. The inner rings are rotationally fixed on a shaft driven by the worm gear. A spring element is disposed between the inner ring of the second bearing and the worm gear. The spring element has an at least partially annular main body that when installed extends coaxially with the longitudinal axis. Spring arms in a circumferential direction are spaced apart from the longitudinal axis emanating from an external circumferential side of the main body. A first spring arm has a first leg that points away from the longitudinal axis and a second leg on which a free end is disposed, with the second leg running at least partially parallel to the longitudinal axis.

A landing gear actuation system is disclosed herein. The landing gear actuation system includes an attachment point integral to a movable member, a flexible pull member having a first end coupled to the attachment point, and a motor configured to move the flexible pull member, wherein the movement of the flexible pull member moves the attachment point and the movable member.

A pre-loaded piezoelectric stack actuator comprising a stack of piezoelectric material. Caps are coupled at opposed ends of the stack. Each of the caps includes projecting fingers. Insulating plates are stacked between the ends of the stack and the caps. A pair of pre-loaded spring plates are coupled to the stack. The spring plates define slots. The fingers on the caps extend through respective ones of the slots at respective ends of the spring plates for coupling the spring plates to the stack. A method of pre-loading the piezoelectric stack actuator includes the step of mounting the stack, the caps, the insulating plates, and the spring plates in a pre-load tool that applies a pre-load tensile stretching force to the spring plates. The pre-load tensile force is subsequently released and the actuator is removed from the tool.