LINEAR ACTUATOR AND CONSTRUCTION KIT FOR PRODUCING SAID LINEAR ACTUATOR

Abstract

A linear actuator, which is assembled from a plurality of structurally identical individual actuators, each of which has a housing and an output shaft which is arranged to be longitudinally displaceable in the housing and which penetrates the housing, wherein the housing is designed on its outer surface as a polygonal profile with polygonal sides of equal length, which define outer polygonal surfaces arranged around the output shaft, wherein at least one of the polygonal surfaces of the housing is intended to rest against one of the polygonal surfaces of one of the other housings. The output shafts are coupled to one another by a common coupling element for common adjusting movements and for a parallel connection of the actuating forces acting in the individual actuators.

Claims

1. A linear actuator, comprising: a plurality of structurally identical individual actuators, each of which has a housing and an output shaft arranged to be longitudinally displaceable relative to the housing and which penetrates the housing; each of the housings have an outer surface with a polygonal profile with polygonal sides of equal length, which define outer polygonal surfaces arranged around the output shaft; and the plurality of structurally identical actuators are assembled with at least one of the polygonal surfaces of one of the housings resting against one of the polygonal surfaces of one of the other housings.

2. The linear actuator according to claim 1, wherein the individual actuators each have a rotor of an electric motor arranged in the housing and a screw drive, which is driven by the electric motor and the screw drive includes the output shaft which is arranged to be longitudinally displaceable relative to the housing and penetrates the housing.

3. The linear actuator according to claim 1, wherein the polygonal profile is formed by a triangular profile, and two triangular surfaces arranged adjacent to one another on one of the housings rest against two triangular surfaces that are formed on one each of two of the additional housings.

4. The linear actuator according to claim 1, wherein the polygonal profile is formed by a hexagonal profile, and two hexagonal surfaces arranged adjacent to one another on one of the housings to rest against two hexagonal surfaces that are formed on one each of two of the additional housings.

5. The linear actuator according to claim 1, wherein the polygonal profile is formed by an octagonal profile, and two octagonal surfaces adjoining a central octagonal surface circumferentially on one of the housings rest against two octagonal surfaces that are formed on one each of two of the additional housings.

6. The linear actuator according to claim 1, wherein the housing of each of the individual actuators has an inner surface with a polygonal profile with polygonal sides of equal length that define the outer polygonal surfaces arranged around the output shaft.

7. The linear actuator according to claim 1, wherein the outer polygonal surfaces are functional surfaces.

8. The linear actuator according to claim 7, wherein the housing of each of the individual actuators include circumferentially distributed mounting protrusions and mounting receptacles for connecting individual ones of the actuators to one another arranged on the functional surfaces, and one of the mounting protrusions of one of the housings is connected to a mounting receptacle of one of the other housings.

9. The linear actuator according to claim 1, further comprising a coupling element configured to combine the output shafts of all individual actuators with one another, the coupling element includes at least two receptacles for the output shafts of the individual actuators and a central output shaft.

10. A construction kit for producing a linear actuator according to claim 9, comprising at least one series of the structurally identical individual actuators and a plurality of different ones of the coupling element for each of the series of individual actuators, and the different ones of the coupling elements have a different number of the receptacles for the output shafts of the individual actuators.

11. A linear actuator, comprising: a plurality of structurally identical individual actuators, each of which has a housing and an output shaft arranged to be longitudinally displaceable relative to the housing and which penetrates the housing; each of the housings have an outer surface with a polygonal profile with polygonal sides of equal length, which define outer polygonal surfaces arranged around the output shaft; the plurality of structurally identical actuators are assembled with at least one of the polygonal surfaces of one of the housings resting against one of the polygonal surfaces of one of the other housings; and a coupling configured to connect the output shafts of individual ones of the actuators to a central output shaft.

12. The linear actuator according to claim 11, wherein the individual actuators each have an electric motor-driven screw drive, and the screw drive includes the output shaft which is arranged to be longitudinally displaceable relative to the housing and penetrates the housing.

13. The linear actuator according to claim 11, wherein the polygonal profile is formed by a triangular profile, and two triangular surfaces arranged adjacent to one another on one of the housings rest against two triangular surfaces that are formed on one each of two of the additional housings.

14. The linear actuator according to claim 11, wherein the polygonal profile is formed by a hexagonal profile, and two hexagonal surfaces arranged adjacent to one another on one of the housings rest against two hexagonal surfaces that are formed on one each of two of the additional housings.

15. The linear actuator according to claim 11, wherein the polygonal profile is formed by an octagonal profile, and two octagonal surfaces adjoining a central octagonal surface circumferentially on one of the housings rest against two octagonal surfaces that are formed on one each of two of the additional housings.

16. The linear actuator according to claim 11, wherein the housing of each of the individual actuators has an inner surface with a polygonal profile with polygonal sides of equal length that define the outer polygonal surfaces arranged around the output shaft.

17. The linear actuator according to claim 11, wherein the outer polygonal surfaces are functional surfaces.

18. The linear actuator according to claim 17, wherein the housing of each of the individual actuators include circumferentially distributed mounting protrusions and mounting receptacles for connecting individual ones of the actuators to one another arranged on the functional surfaces, and one of the mounting protrusions of one of the housings is connected to a mounting receptacle of one of the other housings.

19. The linear actuator according to claim 11, wherein the coupling includes at least two receptacles for the output shafts of the individual actuators that are connected to the central output shaft.

20. A construction kit for producing a linear actuator according to claim 19, comprising at least one series of the structurally identical individual actuators and a plurality of different ones of the coupling for each of the series of individual actuators, and the different ones of the couplings have a different number of the receptacles for the output shafts of the individual actuators.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The disclosure is explained in more detail below with the aid of ten figures. In the figures:

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an individual actuator of a linear actuator according to the disclosure,

[0023] FIG. 2 shows the individual actuator from FIG. 1,

[0024] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the individual actuator from FIG. 2,

[0025] FIG. 4 shows a linear actuator according to the disclosure,

[0026] FIG. 5 shows a further view of the linear actuator from FIG. 4,

[0027] FIG. 6 shows a further linear actuator according to the disclosure,

[0028] FIG. 7 shows a further view of the linear actuator from FIG. 6,

[0029] FIG. 8 shows a diagram of a further linear actuator according to the disclosure,

[0030] FIG. 9 shows a diagram of a further linear actuator according to the disclosure,

[0031] FIG. 10 shows a diagram of a further linear actuator according to the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] FIGS. 1 to 3 show an individual actuator 1, which has a housing 2 and an electric motor 3 arranged in the housing 2, the rotor 4 of which is shown here only in dashed lines and drives a screw drive 5, the rotationally driven nut 6 of which cooperates with a threaded spindle 7. The threaded spindle 7 is part of an output shaft 8 which penetrates the housing 2 and is guided in a longitudinally displaceable manner and secured against rotation relative to the housing 2.

[0033] The housing 2 is designed on its outer surface as a polygonal profile 9 with polygonal sides 10 of the same length, which define outer polygonal surfaces 11 arranged around the output shaft 8.

[0034] In this exemplary embodiment, the polygonal profile 9 is formed by a hexagonal profile with hexagonal faces which form the polygonal surfaces 11.

[0035] It can be seen from FIG. 1 that the polygonal surfaces 11 are designed as functional surfaces 15 and have mounting protrusions 16 and mounting receptacles 17 distributed around the circumference for connecting individual actuators to one another. The arrangement is selected here such that a mounting protrusion 16 of one housing 2 is assigned to a mounting receptacle 17 of a housing 2 of another individual actuator 1. This is the case when two of these individual actuators 1 are brought into contact with one another via their facing polygonal surfaces 11, as is shown, for example, in FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0036] The mounting protrusions 16 and mounting receptacles 17 in FIG. 1 lie next to one another over the circumference and at a common height along the longitudinal axis of the individual actuator.

[0037] A variant of this is indicated in FIG. 3: The functional surfaces 15 are provided with blind holes 18 at their axial end portions. If two such individual actuators 1 are to be brought into contact with one another via their facing polygonal surfaces 11, pins 19 can be inserted into the two blind holes 18 on one individual actuator 1. The protruding pins 19 form mounting protrusions 35 which engage in the blind holes 18 of the other individual actuator 1 that form the mounting receptacles 36 in order to connect the two individual actuators 1 to one another.

[0038] With the two variants described, perfect positioning and connection of the individual actuators 1 to one another can be ensured.

[0039] FIGS. 4 and 5 show a first linear actuator which is assembled from three such individual actuators 1. It can be clearly seen that the three individual actuators 1 rest against one another via their facing polygonal surfaces 11. These polygonal surfaces 11 are all arranged parallel to the output shafts 8. The dashed lines show the abutting polygonal surfaces 11 of the three individual actuators 1.

[0040] The three output shafts 8 are attached to receptacles 12 of a common combination plate 13, for example by a screw or clamp connection. The combination plate 13 carries a central output shaft 14 which is arranged parallel to the output shafts 8 of the individual actuators 1.

[0041] When the linear actuator is actuated, the three individual actuators 1 are energized and the output shafts 8 of the individual actuators move together in a desired stroke. This stroke is transmitted via the combination plate 13 and the central output shaft 14 to a machine element (not shown). The parallel connection of the three individual actuators 1 means a tripling of the actuating force available at the central output shaft 14.

[0042] FIGS. 6 and 7 show two further linear actuators which are assembled from a plurality of such individual actuators 1. According to FIG. 6, two individual actuators 1 are connected to one another. According to FIG. 6, four individual actuators 1 are connected to one another. Combination plates of different sizes are used depending on the number of assembled individual actuators 1. The exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 6 shows a combination plate 20 with only two receptacles 21 for output shafts 8 of the individual actuators 1. The exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 7 shows a combination plate 22 with four receptacles 23 for output shafts 8 of the individual actuators 1. These combination plates 20, 22 each carry one of the central output shafts 14.

[0043] FIG. 8 shows a diagram of an assembly of six individual actuators 24 which form a linear actuator, the housings 25 of which have a polygonal profile in the form of an equilateral triangle. Otherwise, these individual actuators 24 can have the same structure as the individual actuators 1 described above. It can be clearly seen that all of the individual actuators 24 rest against one another via their facing polygonal surfaces 27.

[0044] FIG. 9 shows a diagram of an assembly of six individual actuators 1 which form a linear actuator, as has already been described in the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1. It can be clearly seen that all of the individual actuators 1 are arranged annularly and rest against one other via their facing polygonal surfaces 11. In the center of the annular arrangement, a central opening 28 is formed, which can be used, for example, to hold the entire assembly of this linear actuator. For example, a hexagonal rod could be used on which each individual linear actuator is held.

[0045] FIG. 10 uses a diagram to show an assembly of four individual actuators 30 which form a linear actuator, the housings 31 of which have a polygonal profile 32 in the form of an equilateral octagon and form an octagonal profile. Otherwise, these individual actuators 30 can have the same structure as the individual actuators 1 described above. It can be clearly seen that all of the individual actuators 30 rest against one another via their facing polygonal surfaces 34. In the center of the annular arrangement, a central opening 33 is formed, which can be used, for example, to hold the entire assembly of this linear actuator. For example, a square rod could be used, on which each individual actuator 30 is held.

[0046] In each of the exemplary embodiments, adapted combination plates are provided, as described above. The design of said combination plates follows the arrangement of the individual actuators and the position of the output shafts. These combination plates can have, for example, two, three, four, five or six receptacles for mounting the output shafts of the individual actuators.

[0047] All of the linear actuators described here are built from a common construction kit. This construction kit includes, for example, the series of individual actuators 1, 24, 30 described here as well as a plurality of different combination plates for each series of individual actuators. The combination plates differ in the number of receptacles and the center-to-center distance of the receptacles. Since the honeycomb shape enables a particularly favorable packing density, a simple construction kit can have merely the series of individual actuators with a hexagonal profile and a plurality of different combination plates, depending on the number of individual actuators combined with one another.

[0048] The combination plates 13, 20, 22 proposed in the exemplary embodiments described above can be referred to in a general form as coupling elements 37, 38, 39 which couple the output shafts of several individual actuators to one another for common adjusting movements.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0049] 1 Individual actuator [0050] 2 Housing [0051] 3 Electric motor [0052] 4 Rotor [0053] 5 Screw drive [0054] 6 Nut [0055] 7 Threaded spindle [0056] 8 Output shaft [0057] 9 Polygonal profile [0058] 10 Polygonal sides [0059] 11 Polygonal surface [0060] 12 Receptacle [0061] 13 Combination plate [0062] 14 Central output shaft [0063] 15 Functional surface [0064] 16 Mounting protrusion [0065] 17 Mounting receptacle [0066] 18 Blind hole [0067] 19 Pin [0068] 20 Combination plate [0069] 21 Receptacle [0070] 22 Combination plate [0071] 23 Receptacle [0072] 24 Individual actuator [0073] 25 Housing [0074] 26 Polygonal profile [0075] 27 Polygonal surface [0076] 28 Central opening [0077] 29 Central opening [0078] 30 Individual actuator [0079] 31 Housing [0080] 32 Polygonal profile [0081] 33 Central opening [0082] 34 Polygonal surface [0083] 35 Mounting protrusions [0084] 36 Mounting receptacles [0085] 37 Coupling element [0086] 38 Coupling element [0087] 39 Coupling element