Patent ID: 6026697
Filing Date: 2000-02-22
Classification: F16H,Y10T

Abstract:
A drive nut bracket for attaching a drive nut engaged with a drive screw to a driven component in order to move such driven component in a drive direction upon rotation of such drive screw and for providing rotational constraint in order to prevent said drive nut from rotating about an axis of such drive screw, such drive screw being aligned substantially parallel to such drive direction, said drive nut bracket, said drive nut bracket further providing linear constraint of such drive nut along such axis of such drive screw between such drive nut and such driven component so that rotation of such drive screw causing motion of such drive nut parallel to such axis of such drive screw causes movement of such driven component parallel to such drive direction, said drive nut bracket comprising:(a) a base engageable with such driven component, said base including at least one base pivot portion, said at least one base pivot portion having a pivot axis substantially parallel to such drive direction;(b) at least one rotatable pivot portion, having a pivotal connection to said at least one base pivot portion, to be rotatable about said pivot axis relative to said at least one base pivot portion;(c) a drive nut engaging portion attached to said at least one rotatable pivot portion, said drive nut engaging portion having at least one slide surface portion for sliding engagement with such drive nut so that such drive nut may slide relative to said drive nut engaging portion in a direction substantially perpendicular to said pivot axis so that a displacement of such driven component relative to such drive screw in a first direction perpendicular to such drive screw and in a second direction perpendicular to such drive screw do not cause loads between such drive nut and such drive screw in said first direction perpendicular to such drive screw or in said second direction perpendicular to such drive screw, said at least one slide surface portion providing said rotational constraint of such drive nut; and(d) at least one drive force receiving surface portion disposed on said nut engaging portion facing generally along such axis of such drive screw to provide such linear constraint of such drive nut relative to such driven component.