Patent ID: 8418572

Claim:
A three-dimensional cam mechanism comprising: a supporting member; a three-dimensional cam configured to be pivotally supported to the supporting member so as to be rotatable about a predetermined cam rotation axis, said three-dimensional cam having a cam guide face; and a follower side link pivotally supported to an another portion of said supporting member to be guided along said cam guide face, wherein said three-dimensional cam comprises at least a pair of said cam guide faces which are independent from each other, said cam guide faces are shaped into a three-dimensional configuration, one of said cam guide faces having three dimensional configuration is spaced from the other of said cam guide faces having three dimensional configuration by a predetermined distance, said follower side link being formed at its one end with at least a pair of cam followers, each said cam follower extends at a predetermined angle with respect to said follower side link to be guided along said cam guide face, said cam followers correspond to said cam guide faces, respectively, each one of three dimensional curved faces of said cam guide faces are set such that a portion in a circumferential direction of the cam guide face in contact with said cam follower is caused to successively vary its radius from said cam rotation axis and also its height with respect to the cam rotation axis while the three-dimensional cam rotates, thereby translating a rotational movement of said three-dimensional cam into a swinging movement at the other end of said follower side link, and also translating the swinging movement of said follower side link into the rotational movement of said three dimensional cam, and wherein said three-dimensional cam has a C-shape, said three-dimensional cam has a C-shaped surface having first and second ends, a direction of said C-shaped surface gradually changes between said first and said second ends, said at least the pair of said cam guide faces having a first cam guide face and a second cam guide face, said first and second cam guide faces being provided along both sides of said C-shaped surface between said first and said second ends, respectively, facing direction of said first cam guide face gradually changes from said first end to said second end: from a direction crossing with said cam rotation axis; and through an axial direction of said cam rotation axis, and facing direction of said second cam guide face gradually changes from said first end to said second end: from an axial direction of said cam rotation axis; and through a direction crossing with said cam rotation axis.