Slipring housing with bayonet lock

Abstract

A slipring device includes a first part and a second part rotatable against each other. Both parts include housings with slipring components. A first housing at the first part has a hollow shaft with a bayonet lock notch to engage with a locking ring having at least one bayonet lock protrusion. The locking ring can easily be attached by a bayonet lock to lock the first part and the second part together.

Claims

1. A slipring device comprising a first part and a second part arranged for relative rotation about a center axis, wherein: the first part comprises a first housing holding at least a first slipring component; the second part comprises a second housing holding at least a second slipring component; a first bearing is arranged between the first housing and the second housing; the first housing comprises a hollow shaft about which the second part and/or the second housing is/are disposed; the hollow shaft comprising at least one bayonet lock notch; the first housing further comprises a locking ring having at least one bayonet lock protrusion oriented in a radial direction to the center axis matching to the at least one bayonet lock notch; wherein the locking ring is coupled to the outside of the hollow shaft and is configured to press against a spring between the locking ring and the second housing, in a direction parallel to the center axis, to hold the second housing against the first housing in a defined position; and a second bearing is arranged between the second housing and the locking ring.

2. The slipring device according to claim 1, wherein the spring is arranged between the second bearing and the locking ring.

3. The slipring device according to claim 1, wherein the spring is a wave spring or plate spring or disk spring.

4. The slipring device according to claim 1, wherein the spring is unitary with the locking ring.

5. The slipring device according to claim 4, wherein the spring and the locking ring both are made by a 3D printing process.

6. The slipring device according to claim 1, wherein the first bearing and the second bearing are each a ball bearing or a slide bearing.

7. The slipring device according to claim 1, wherein the first slipring component comprises a first printed circuit board which comprises at least one sliding track and/or sliding brush.

8. The slipring device according to claim 1, wherein the second slipring component comprises a second printed circuit board which comprises at least one sliding track and/or sliding brush.

9. The slipring device according to claim 1, wherein the first bearing is a ball bearing or a slide bearing.

10. The slipring device according to claim 1, wherein the hollow shaft has at least 2 bayonet lock notches or the hollow shaft has 3 bayonet lock notches.

11. The slipring device according to claim 10, wherein the bayonet lock notches are distributed at equidistant intervals along the circumference of the hollow shaft.

12. The slipring device according to claim 1, wherein at least the locking ring is made by a 3D printing process.

13. The slipring device according to claim 1, wherein at least one part of the slipring device is made by injection molding or comprises a metal.

14. The slipring device according to claim 1, wherein the first bearing is arranged between the first housing and the second housing in a direction parallel to the center axis.

15. A slipring device comprising a first part and a second part arranged rotatably against each other about a center axis, wherein: the first part comprises a first housing holding at least a first slipring component; the second part comprises a second housing holding at least a second slipring component; the first housing comprises a hollow shaft about which the second part and/or the second housing is/are disposed; a first bearing is arranged between the hollow shaft and the second housing; the hollow shaft comprising at least one bayonet lock notch; the first housing further comprises a locking ring having at least one bayonet lock protrusion oriented in a radial direction to the center axis matching to the at least one bayonet lock notch; and the locking ring is attached to the outside of the hollow shaft and is configured to hold the second housing against the first housing in a defined position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the following, the invention will be described by way of example, without limitation of the general inventive concept, on examples of embodiment and with reference to the drawings.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a slipring device.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a detail of the locking ring with bayonet lock.

(4) FIG. 3 shows the slipring in detail.

(5) FIG. 4 shows a further detail of the bayonet lock.

(6) FIG. 5 shows a detail of another bayonet lock.

(7) FIG. 6 shows a second embodiment of a slipring device.

(8) FIG. 7 shows a detail of the locking ring with bayonet lock and a slide bearing.

(9) FIG. 8 shows a third embodiment of a slipring device.

(10) FIG. 9 shows a detail of the locking ring with a modified slide bearing.

(11) FIG. 10 shows a further embodiment of a slipring device.

(12) FIG. 11 shows a detail of the locking ring of the previous embodiment.

(13) Generally, the drawings are not to scale. Like elements and components are referred to by like labels and numerals. For the simplicity of illustrations, not all elements and components depicted and labeled in one drawing are necessarily labels in another drawing even if these elements and components appear in such other drawing.

(14) While various modifications and alternative forms, of implementation of the idea of the invention are within the scope of the invention, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and are described below in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and related detailed description are not intended to limit the implementation of the idea of the invention to the particular form disclosed in this application, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(15) In FIG. 1, a first embodiment of a slipring device is shown. The slipring device basically includes a first part 100 and a second part 200, which are rotatable against each other about a center axis 130. The first part 100 has a first housing 110 which holds a first printed circuit board (PCB) 180. This PCB may hold at least one first sliding track 182 and/or at least one contact brush 190.

(16) The second part 200 has a second housing 210 with a second PCB 280. The second PCB 280 may have at least one second contact brush 290 and at least one second sliding track 282. The sliding tracks and brushes are arranged such that a sliding track of the first PCB interfaces with a sliding brush of the second PCB, and vice versa to accomplish an electrical contact. Between the first housing 110 and the second housing 210 is at least a first bearing 310 which provides mechanical support and allows rotation of the second housing against the first housing. There may be at least a second bearing 320. The first housing 110 has a hollow shaft 120 which may serve as a centering means. Attached to the hollow shaft 120 is a locking ring 340 which may be configured to press in a direction of the center axis 130 against a spring 330 to hold the second housing against the first housing in a defined position. The locking ring may have a bayonet lock by which it is locked against the hollow shaft 120. The locking ring may be attached to the outside of the hollow shaft. The inner diameter of the locking ring may be larger than the outer diameter of the hollow shaft.

(17) In FIG. 2, a detail of the locking ring with bayonet lock is shown. The locking ring 340 may have a bayonet lock protrusion 342. This protrusion is guided in a bayonet lock notch 122 at the hollow shaft 120. The bayonet lock notches and the bayonet lock protrusions are arranged such that they match to each other. In an embodiment, there exit at least two, or at least three or even more bayonet lock notches and adapted bayonet lock protrusions. In an embodiment, there may be three such bayonet lock notches and bayonet lock protrusions under an angle of 120 degrees to each other. In general, the bayonet lock notches may be arranged equidistant.

(18) For assembly, the locking ring is placed on the top of the hollow shaft and the bayonet lock protrusion 342 may be inserted into the bayonet lock notch 122 and pushed downwards. In a next step, the locking ring may be rotated such that the protrusion engages with the bayonet lock and the locking ring 340 may be held in place.

(19) In FIG. 3 a slipring is shown in detail. A first printed circuit board (PCB) 180 may be mounted to a first housing as shown in FIG. 1. This PCB 180 may hold at least one first sliding track 182 and/or at least one contact brush 190. A first connector 170 may be mounted to the PCB and connector pins may be connected to the tracks. The connector may accessible by an opening of the first housing. There may also be at least one connector at the second PCB.

(20) In FIG. 4, a detail of the bayonet lock is shown. Basically, this is a side view of a section of the hollow shaft 120. Here, the bayonet lock notch 122 is shown in detail. This notch may have a first section 123 which goes into a direction such that the compression of the spring is increased. A second section 124 may be under a right angle to the first section. This section can be reached by the bayonet lock protrusion 342 by rotating the locking ring. To prevent loosening of the locking ring, there may be a notch 125 which prevents returning of the bayonet lock protrusion 342 into the first section. Normally, after the locking ring has been locked in the bayonet lock, the force of the spring 340 tends to press the locking ring outwards, which is upwards in this drawing such that the protrusion cannot pass the notch 125 without generating counter pressure against the spring.

(21) In FIG. 5, a detail of another embodiment of a bayonet lock is shown. Basically, this is similar to the previous embodiment, but has a modified second section 126. This second section 126 may have multiple sections with different heights. The bayonet lock protrusion 342 notch may engage with any of these sections resulting in a different position of the locking ring and therefore in different force of the spring 340. Here, by rotating the locking ring, the force may be adjusted.

(22) In FIG. 6, a second embodiment of a slipring device is shown. The slipring device is similar to the slipring device of FIG. 1, but has different bearings. Here, instead of ball bearings, slide bearings, also called friction bearings are used. Such bearings have surfaces sliding against each other. In this embodiment, the ball bearings are replaced by a first slide bearing 410 and a second slide bearing 420.

(23) FIG. 7 shows a detail of the locking ring with bayonet lock and a slide bearing. This is a detail of the previous figure.

(24) FIG. 8 shows a third embodiment of a slipring device. Here, no discrete slide bearings are used as in the previous embodiment. Instead, the second housing 210 may be sliding within first housing 110 and hollow shaft 120. The first housing 110 and the hollow shaft 120 may also be one part. There may be a bearing gap 510 between the second housing 210 slidably against first housing 110 and hollow shaft 120. There may be a lubricant in the bearing gap.

(25) FIG. 9 shows a detail of the locking ring of the previous embodiment. There may be a counter bearing 520 to hold the second housing 210 in place. This counter bearing may also be part of the locking ring.

(26) In FIG. 10, a further embodiment of a slipring device is shown. The slipring device is similar to the slipring device of FIG. 1, but has only one bearing, which may be a ball bearing.

(27) FIG. 11 shows a detail of the locking ring of the previous embodiment.

(28) It will be appreciated to those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that this invention is believed to provide a slipring device. Further modifications and alternative embodiments of various aspects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this description. Accordingly, this description is to be construed as illustrative only and is provided for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the general manner of carrying out the invention. It is to be understood that the forms of the invention shown and described herein are to be taken as the presently preferred embodiments. Elements and materials may be substituted for those illustrated and described herein, parts and processes may be reversed, and certain features of the invention may be utilized independently, all as would be apparent to one skilled in the art after having the benefit of this description of the invention. Changes may be made in the elements described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the following claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(29) 100 first part 110 first housing 120 hollow shaft 122 bayonet lock notch 123 first section 124 second section 125 notch 126 multi-level notch 130 center axis 170 first connector 180 first printed circuit board 182 first sliding track 190 first contact brushes 200 second part 210 second housing 280 second printed circuit board 282 second sliding track 290 second contact brushes 310 first ball bearing 320 second ball bearing 330 spring 340 locking ring 342 bayonet lock protrusion 410 first bearing 420 second bearing 510 bearing gap 520 counter bearing 620 single ball bearing