JPH0579504A - Rack/pinion type oscillating actuator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To use a rack/pinion type oscillating actuator in the industrial fields for electronics, medicine, and food, by defining a rack/pinion chamber and movable piston chambers on both sides of it by partition walls in the actuator main body, and introducing water as working fluid into the movable piston chambers. CONSTITUTION:When water is supplied to movable piston chambers 3 or 4 through ports A or B, pistons 5, 5 are moved to right or left. Following it, a rack 7 is reciprocated and a pinion 6 is driven to rotate. Hereby, fluid energy of the water is converted to rotational movement and the movement can be taken out from the output shaft of the pinion 6. Although water is leaked from the movable piston chambers 3, 4 or oil is leaked from the rack/pinion chamber 2 during movement of the pistons 5, 5 and the like, the water or the oil is drained outside the actuator from ports T through intermediate chambers 16, 17. Consequently, mixing of water and oil in the chambers 2 and the chambers 3, 4 can be prevented.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a rack and pinion type rocking actuator, and more particularly to a rack and pinion type rocking actuator using water as a working fluid.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A hydraulic rack and pinion type swing actuator as shown in FIG. 2 has been conventionally used as one of the mechanisms for efficiently converting the energy of a fluid into rotary motion.

The hydraulic rack and pinion type swing actuator includes a pair of pistons 13 and 13 connected by a rack 12 in an actuator body 11, and a pinion 14 that meshes with the rack 12. When hydraulic oil flows in and out of the piston movable chamber 15 from the port A or the port B formed in the actuator body 11, the pistons 13 and 13 make a linear motion, and the linear motion of the piston is made by the gear mechanism of the rack and pinion. This is converted into rotational movement, and the pinion 14 provided on the output shaft is operated by the reciprocating movement of the rack 12 connected to the pistons 13, 13 so as to swing and rotate.

[0004]

However, since the above-mentioned conventional hydraulic rack and pinion type swing actuator uses oil as a working fluid, it is safe and secure as in the fields of electronic, pharmaceutical and food industries. There is a problem that it cannot be used in an environment where cleanliness is required.
Also, in order to deal with it, if you use a fluid such as water,
At the rack and pinion portion, abrasion due to friction or corrosive abrasion due to cavitation may occur, which may deteriorate the mechanical structure. In addition, if only the rack and pinion part is filled with oil and water is used as the working fluid of the piston, oil leaks from the seal part of the piston due to the low viscosity of water, and oil mixes with water. There is a point.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and the object thereof is to use water as a working fluid, so that safety and cleanliness are required in the fields of electronics, medicine, food industry, etc. It has a structure that can be used in the environment and that does not cause deterioration of the mechanical structure due to wear and corrosion on the rack and pinion parts and that water and oil do not mix in the actuator. A rack and pinion type swing actuator is provided.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the rack and pinion type swing actuator of the present invention comprises:
A swinging actuator having a moving element for linearly moving by the pressure of a working fluid in the actuator body and a converting mechanism for converting the linear movement of the moving element into rotational movement, wherein a rack and pinion chamber and both sides thereof are provided in the actuator body. A piston movable chamber is defined by a partition wall, pistons as moving elements are slidably provided in the piston movable chamber, a pinion is provided in the rack and pinion chamber, and a connecting rod having a rack is provided between the pistons. And the rack is engaged with the pinion so that water as a working fluid can be introduced into the piston movable chamber.

[0007]

According to the present invention having the above-described structure, when water is supplied to the piston movable chamber, the piston reciprocates in the piston movable chamber, and accordingly, the rack makes a reciprocating linear motion and meshes with the rack. The pinion is rotationally driven, and the fluid energy of water can be converted into rotational motion and taken out from the output shaft of the pinion. Even if water or oil leaks from the movable piston chamber and the rack and pinion chamber, the water and oil do not mix because the chambers are not adjacent to each other.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a rack and pinion type swing actuator according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

The rack and pinion type swing actuator is
The actuator body 1 is provided with a rack and pinion chamber 2 and piston movable chambers 3 and 4 defined therein. The rack and pinion chamber 2 is filled with oil. Pistons 5 and 5 are fitted in the piston movable chambers 3 and 4 so as to be linearly movable, and a pinion 6 having an output shaft is provided in the rack and pinion chamber 2. The pair of pistons 5 and 5 are connected by a connecting rod 8 having a rack 7 formed at the center thereof, and the rack 7 is meshed with a pinion 6.

Sealing members 9, 9 are provided on the pistons 5, 5.
Is fitted to prevent water in the piston movable chambers 3 and 4 from leaking to the outside. Further, the seal members 10, 10 are also fitted to the left and right partition walls forming the rack and pinion chamber 2 to prevent the oil in the rack and pinion chamber 2 from leaking to the outside. It should be noted that the connecting rod 8 is formed with the rack 7 only in the central portion thereof and is not formed in the vicinity of the seal member 10. Intermediate chambers 16 and 17 are formed between the rack and pinion chamber 2 and the movable piston chambers 3 and 4 with the pistons 5 and 5 as movable partition walls, and the rack and pinion chamber 2 or the movable piston chambers 3 and 3. When oil or water leaks out from port 4, it is discharged through a port T formed in the intermediate chambers 16 and 17.

Next, the operation of the rack and pinion type swing actuator according to the present invention constructed as described above will be described.

When the pressurized liquid (water) is supplied from the port A or B to the movable piston chamber 3 or 4, the pistons 5, 5 move rightward or leftward in the movable piston chamber 3, 4. Along with this, the rack 7 reciprocates, and the pinion 6 meshed with the rack 7 is rotationally driven. As a result, the fluid energy of the pressurized liquid (water) can be converted into rotational motion and taken out from the output shaft of the pinion 6.

Further, even if water leaks from the piston movable chambers 3 and 4 or oil leaks from the rack and pinion chamber 2 while the pistons 5 and 5 are moving, etc., these water and oil are still contained in the intermediate chamber 1.
It is discharged from the port T to the outside of the actuator via 6 and 17. Therefore, it is possible to prevent water and oil from being mixed in the rack and pinion chamber 2 and the piston movable chambers 3 and 4.

[0014]

As is apparent from the above description of the embodiments, according to the rack and pinion type swing actuator of the present invention, by using water as a working fluid for linearly reciprocating the piston, electronic / medical -Can be used in environments where safety and cleanliness are required such as in the food industry. Further, since the piston movable chamber and the rack and pinion chamber are partitioned by the partition wall, the rack and pinion chamber can be filled with oil, and the wear and corrosion of the rack and pinion portion can be avoided. In addition, even if water or oil leaks from the movable piston chamber or the rack and pinion chamber, since the two chambers are not adjacent to each other, the water in the movable piston chamber and the oil in the rack and pinion chamber do not mix with each other.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the basic configuration of an embodiment of a rack and pinion swing actuator according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a conventional rack and pinion swing actuator.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 actuator body 2 rack and pinion chamber 3,4 piston movable chamber 5 piston 6 pinion 7 rack 8 connecting rod 9,10 sealing member 16,17 intermediate chamber

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A rocking actuator comprising a moving element that linearly moves by the pressure of a working fluid in the actuator body and a conversion mechanism that converts the linear movement of the moving element into a rotary movement, wherein a rack is provided in the actuator body. A partition wall defines a pinion chamber and a piston movable chamber on both sides of the pinion chamber, and pistons as movers are slidably provided in the piston movable chamber respectively. A rack and pinion type swing actuator, characterized in that the rack and pinion are connected by a connecting rod having the above, and the rack is meshed with the pinion so that water as a working fluid can be introduced into the piston movable chamber.