Abstract:
The present invention provides a rotation limiting device. The rotation limiting device includes a base; a rotator capable of rotating relative to the base; and a rotating shaft slidably connected between the base and the rotator. A spiral groove is provided on one of the base and the rotator, and a stripe groove opposite to the spiral groove is provided on the other one of the base and the rotator, two ends of the rotating shaft are slidahly connected respectively in the spiral groove and the stripe groove, and the rotator is rotated to cause the rotating shaft to slide from starting positions of the spiral groove and the stripe groove to terminal positions of the spiral groove and the stripe groove, such that a rotation angle of the rotator is greater than 360°.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This is a continuation application of international Application No. PCT/CN2014/085623, filed on Aug. 29, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to rotation control tools and, in particular, to a rotation limiting device. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Existing rotation limiting devices generally can only limit rotation within one circumference or rotation within 360°, but cannot limit rotation within a wider angle greater than 360°. 
       SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
       [0004]    Accordingly, it is desired to provide a rotation limiting device capable of limiting rotation within wide angles greater than 360°. 
         [0005]    The embodiments of the present invention provide a rotation limiting device comprising a base and a rotator capable of rotating relative to the base, a spiral groove may be provided on one of the base and the rotator, a stripe groove opposite to the spiral groove be provided on the other one of the base and the rotator, a starting position of the spiral groove may be opposite to a starting position of the stripe groove, a terminal position of the spiral groove may be opposite to a terminal position of the stripe groove, a rotating shaft may be slidably connected between the base and the rotator, one end of the rotating shaft may be slidably received in the spiral groove, the other end of the rotating shaft may be slidably received in the stripe groove, an angle of the rotating shaft rotating from the starting position to the terminal position of the spiral groove may be greater than 360°. 
         [0006]    The embodiments of the present invention also provide a rotation limiting device comprising a base and a rotator capable of rotating relative to the base, a spiral groove may be provided. On one of the base and the rotator, a stripe groove opposite to the spiral groove may be provided on the other one of the base and the rotator, a rotating shaft may be slidably connected between the base and the rotator, two ends of the rotating shaft may be slidably connected respectively in the spiral groove and the stripe groove, the rotator may be rotated to cause the rotating shaft to slide from the starting positions of the spiral groove and the stripe groove to the terminal positions of the spiral groove and the stripe groove, a rotation angle of the rotator may be greater than 36020 . 
         [0007]    The rotation limiting device according to the present invention may provide a spiral groove and a stripe groove between a base and a rotator which may be capable of rotating with respect to each other, two ends of a rotating shaft may be slidably received respectively in the spiral groove and the stripe groove by the rotating shaft connected between the base and the rotator, when the rotator is rotated, two ends of a rotating shaft may be caused to slide respectively along the spiral groove and the stripe groove, in turn a rotation angle of the rotator may be greater than 360° and the rotation is limited by the rotation angle. 
         [0008]    In some embodiments, the spiral groove may be provided on a surface of the base and spirally rotate 480° with the center of the base as a center of a circle of rotation. 
         [0009]    In some embodiments, two ends of the rotating shaft may be sleeved with bearings respectively, the hearing at one end may be slidably received in the spiral groove, and the bearing at the other end may be slidably received in the stripe groove. 
         [0010]    In some embodiments, a first connecting hole may be provided at a center of the base, a second connecting hole may be provided at a center of the rotator, and a connecting shaft may be fixed in the first connecting hole of the base and rotatably connected in the second connecting hole of the rotator. 
         [0011]    In some embodiments, two bearings may be sleeved on the connecting shaft and mounted in the second connecting hole of the rotator. 
         [0012]    In some embodiments, a starting position of the spiral groove may be close to the first connecting hole of the base, a terminal position athe spiral goove may be distant from the first connecting hole, and a line connecting the starting position and the terminal position of the spiral groove may pass through the first connecting hole. 
         [0013]    In some embodiments, the first connecting hole is a stepped hole and comprises three hole segments with different diameters, a first hole, a second hole, and a third hole, in sequence; the first hole and the third hole is disposed on two ends the second hole; and a diameter of the second hole is less than a diameters of the first hole and a diameters of the third hole, such that two shoulders are formed on the two ends of the second hole. 
         [0014]    In some embodiments, the third hole and the spiral groove are on a same surface. 
         [0015]    In some embodiments, a starting position of the stripe groove may be close to the second connecting hole of the rotator, a terminal position of the stripe groove may be distant from the second connecting hole, and a line connecting the starting position and the terminal position of the stripe groove may extend along a radial direction of the rotator. 
         [0016]    In some embodiments, the spiral groove may be provided on a surface of the base and spirally rotate 480° 0  with a center of the base as a center of a circle of rotation. 
         [0017]    In some embodiments, two ends of the rotating shaft may be sleeved with bearings respectively, the bearing at one end may be slidably received in the spiral groove, and the bearing at the other end may be slidably received in the stripe groove. 
         [0018]    In some embodiments, the spiral groove and the stripe groove may be disposed face to face, and a terminal position of the spiral groove and a terminal position of the stripe groove may be opposite perpendicularly. 
         [0019]    In some embodiments, a first connecting hole may be provided at a center of the base, a second connecting hole may be provided at a center of the rotator, and a connecting shaft may be fixed in the first connecting hole of the base and slidably connected in the second connecting hole of the rotator. 
         [0020]    In some embodiments, two bearings may be sleeved on the connecting shaft and mounted in the second connecting hole of the rotator. 
         [0021]    In some embodiments, a starting position of the spiral groove may be close to the first connecting hole of the base, a terminal position of the spiral groove may be distant from the first connecting hole, and a line connecting the starting position and the terminal position of the spiral groove may pass through the first connecting hole. 
         [0022]    In some embodiments, a starting position of the stripe groove may be close to the second connecting hole of the rotator, a terminal position of the stripe groove may be distant from the second connecting bole, and a line connecting the starting position and the terminal position of the stripe groove may extend along a radial direction of the rotator. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a rotation limiting device according to embodiments of the present disclosure; 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the rotation limiting device of  FIG. 1  from another angle; 
           [0025]      FIG. 3  is a cross sectional view of the rotation limiting device of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a base of the rotation limiting device of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 5  is a front view of the base of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a rotator of the rotation limiting device of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 7  is a front view of the rotator of  FIG. 6 . 
       
    
    
     REFERENCE NUMBERS OF ELEMENTS 
       [0030]      
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 rotation limiting device 
                 100 
               
               
                   
                 base 
                 10 
               
               
                   
                 first connecting hole 
                 12 
               
               
                   
                 first hole 
                 121 
               
               
                   
                 second hole 
                 122 
               
               
                   
                 third hole 
                 123 
               
               
                   
                 spiral groove 
                 14 
               
               
                   
                 rotator 
                 20 
               
               
                   
                 second connecting hole 
                 22 
               
               
                   
                 stripe groove 
                 24 
               
               
                   
                 connecting shaft 
                 30 
               
               
                   
                 first bearing 
                 32 
               
               
                   
                 rotating shaft 
                 40 
               
               
                   
                 second bearing 
                 42 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0031]    The disclosed embodiments of the present invention will be explained further in the following embodiments in connection with the above-mentioned drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0032]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-2 , the present disclosure provides a rotation limiting device  100 . The rotation limiting device  100  includes a base  10 , a rotator  20 , a connecting shaft  30 , and a rotating shaft  40 , etc. The connecting shaft  30  may be configured to rotatably connect the base  10  and the rotator  20  and to allow the rotating shaft  40  to slide between the base  10  and the rotator  20  by rotating the rotator  20 . 
         [0033]    Referring to  FIGS. 3-5 , the base  10  may be in a discoid shape, a first connecting hole  12  may be provided at the center of the base  10 , a spiral groove  14  may be provided on the surface of the discoid shape of the base  10 . The spiral groove  14  may start at a first position A close to the first connecting hole  12 , and terminate at a second position B distant from the first connecting hole  12  after spirally rotating from position A to position B. A line connecting the first position A and the second position B may pass through the first connecting hole  12 . That is, the line connecting the first position A and the second position B may extend along a radial direction of the base  10 . The space between the first position A and the first connecting hole  12  may be less than the space between the second position B and the first connecting hole  12 . The second position B may be close to a periphery of the base  10 . In some embodiments, the spiral groove  14  may spirally rotate an angle of approximately 480° with the center of the base  10  as the center of a circle. However, in some other embodiments, a spiral angle of the spiral groove  14  may be an arbitrary angle greater than 360° within a range allowed by the diameter of the base  10 . The first connecting hole  12  may be a stepped hole and comprise three segments of holes with different diameters, for example, a first hole  121 , a second hole  122  and a third hole  123  in sequence. In some embodiments, the third hole  123  and the spiral groove  14  may be on a same surface. The diameter of the second hole  122  may be less than the diameters of the first hole  121  and the third hole  123  disposed on two ends thereof and, thus, two shoulders may be formed on the two ends of the second bole  122 . 
         [0034]    Referring to  FIGS. 6-7 , the rotator  20  may be substantially in a discoid shape and have a diameter substantially equivalent to the diameter of the base  10 . However, in some embodiments, the size and the shape of the rotator  20  may be different from that of the base  10 . A second connecting hole  22  may be provided at the center of the surface of the discoid shape of the rotator  20 , and a stripe groove  24  may be provided on one of surfaces of the rotator  20 . The stripe groove  24  and the spiral groove  14  of the base  10  may be disposed face to face. The stripe groove  24  may extend along the radial direction of the rotator  20 . The stripe groove  24  may start at a first position C close to the second connecting hole  22 , and extend linearly along the radial direction of the rotator  20  to a second position D distant from the second connecting hole  22  and stops at the second position D. The first position C may correspond to the first position A of the spiral groove  14  of the base  10  and, in particular, these two positions may be opposite perpendicularly. The second position D may be close to the periphery of the rotator  20  and correspond to the second position B of the spiral groove  14  of the base  10  and, in particular, these two positions may be opposite perpendicularly. That is, the distance between the first position C and the second position D of the stripe groove  24  may be equal to the distance between the first position A and the second position B of the spiral groove  14 . 
         [0035]    It can be understood that, in some other embodiments, the first position C may not correspond to the first position A of the spiral groove  14  of the base  10 , while the second position D may be close to the periphery of the rotator  20  and correspond to the second position B of the spiral groove  14  of the base  10 . The first position C may correspond to the first position A of the spiral groove  10  of the base  10 , while the second position D may be close to the periphery of the rotator  20  and may not correspond to the second position B of the spiral groove  14  of the base  10 . Alternatively, the first position C may not correspond to the first position A of the spiral groove  14  of the base  10 , while, at the same time, the second position may be close to the periphery of the rotator  20  and may not correspond to the second position B of the spiral groove  14  of the base  10 . 
         [0036]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , the connecting  30  may be rotatably connected between the base  10  and the rotator  20 . In some embodiments, the connecting shaft  30  may be rotatably connected in the rotator  20  through two first bearings  32 . The two first bearings  32  may be mounted respectively in the second connecting hole  22  of the rotator  20 , each one of the two first bearings  32  may be levelled with a surface of the rotator  20  corresponding thereto after being mounted within the second connecting hole  22 . One end of the connecting shaft  30  may pass through the two first bearings  32  and the connecting shaft  30  may be over fitting with the two first bearings  32 . 
         [0037]    One end of the connecting shaft  30  may be fixed to a side of one of the two first bearings  32  through a connecting screw, and the other end of the connecting shaft  30  may protrude out of one of the two first bearings  32  and be fixedly connected to the base  10 . In some embodiments, the other end of the connecting shaft  30  may abut against shoulder portions of the first connecting hole  12  of the base  10 , and be fixedly connected in the first connecting hole  12  of the base  10  through another connecting screw. However, the rotatable connection between the base  10  and the rotator  20  may not be limited to the implementation dependent on the first bearings  32  on the connecting shaft  30 , other means may be employed to rotatably connect the base  10  with the rotator  20 . 
         [0038]    The rotating shaft  40  may be slidably connected between the base  10  and the rotator  20 . One end of the rotating shaft  40  may be slidably connected in the spiral groove  14  of the base  10 , and the other end of the rotating shaft  40  may be slidably connected in the stripe groove  24  of the rotator  20 . In some embodiments, two ends of the rotating shaft  40  may be slidably connected respectively in the base  10  and the rotator  20  through two second bearings  42 . The two second bearings  42  may be sleeved respectively at two ends of the rotating shaft  40  and received respectively in the spiral groove  14  of the base  10  and the stripe groove  24  of the rotator  20 . In some embodiments, each one of the two ends of the rotating shaft  40  may pass through the second bearings  42  and protrude out thereof. Correspondingly, shapes of grooves of the spiral groove  14  of the base and the stripe groove  24  of the rotator  20  for receiving two ends of the rotating shaft  40  may be provided as stepped grooves, thereby the second bearing  42  with a greater diameter may be received in a groove with a greater width of the stepped grooves, and an end with a smaller diameter and protruding out of the rotating shaft  40  of the second bearing  42  may be received in a groove with a smaller width of the stepped grooves. A shaft shoulder formed between the stepped grooves can abut exactly against the second bearings  42  to prevent the second bearings  42  to shift in its vertical direction. 
         [0039]    A rotating process of the rotation limiting device  100  may be performed by the various components of the rotation limiting device  100  as follows. 
         [0040]    (1) Before rotating, the rotating shaft  40  may be located at a rotation starting position of the base  10  and the rotator  20 . Specifically, one of the second bearings  42  on two ends of the rotating shaft  40  may be located at the first position A of the spiral groove  14  of the base  10 , the other one of the second bearings  42  may be located at the first position C of the rotator  20 . 
         [0041]    (2) The rotator  20  is rotated, due to the limitation of the spiral groove  14  of the base  10 , the one of the second bearings  42  of the rotating shaft  40  which is received in the spiral groove  14  may only move along a spiral line. At the same time, due to the limitation of the stripe groove  24  of the rotator  20 , the other one of the second bearings  42  of the rotating shaft  40  which is received in the stripe groove  24  may only move along a straight line. 
         [0042]    (3) As the rotator  20  is being rotated, the rotating shaft  40  slides from the first position A to the second position B along the spiral groove  14 , the other end of the rotating shaft  40  may slide from the first position C to the second position D along the stripe groove  24 , and the rotation of the rotator  20  is stopped at this point. The total rotating angle may be approximately 480° or other preset limitation degrees at this time. 
         [0043]    It should be noted that the spiral groove  14  and the stripe groove  24  may be not limited to be provided respectively on the base  10  and the rotator  20 , it is also possible that the stripe groove  24  may be provided on the base  10  and the spiral groove  14  may be provided on the rotator  20 , which may likewise enable the rotating shaft  40  to slide in the spiral groove  14  and the stripe groove  24 , thereby rotation and limitation of wide angles between the rotator  20  and the base  10  may be achieved. 
         [0044]    The rotation limiting device  100  according to a disclosed embodiment of the present invention may provide a spiral groove  14  and a stripe groove  24  between a base  10  and a rotator  20  which may be capable of rotating with respect to each other, two ends of the rotating shaft  40  may be slidably received respectively in the spiral groove  14  and the stripe groove  24  by the rotating shaft  40  connected between the base  10  and the rotator  20 . When the rotator  20  is being., rotated, the two ends of the rotating shaft  40  may slide respectively along the spiral groove  14  and the stripe groove  24 , in turn the rotating angle of the rotator  20  may be greater than 360° and the rotation may be limited by the rotating angle. 
         [0045]    It can be understood that various respective modifications and alternatives may occur to those skilled in the art according to technical concepts of the present invention, and all these modifications and alternatives should belong to the scope to be sought for protection by the claims of the invention.