Xerox Corporation

Other

Russell K Brunner

James L Johnson

Martin O Halfhill

A linear actuator for selectively moving a carriage relative to a support frame along a predefined linear path. The linear actuator includes a drive shaft having a cylindrical surface fabricated of a first material, means for rotatably mounting the drive shaft to the frame for rotation of the drive shaft about the axis of the cylindrical surface, means coupled to the drive shaft for rotating the drive shaft about such axis, a carriage to be driven, a roller having a peripheral surface fabricated of a second material which is less hard than the first material, means for mounting the roller to the carriage with the roller being rotatable about a first axis, means for mounting the carriage to the support frame with the carriage being movable relative to the support frame along the predefined linear path and with the peripheral surface of the roller being in frictional engagement with the cylindrical surface of the drive shaft whereby the roller is caused to rotate about its first axis by rotation of the drive shaft when the first axis is parallel to the axis of the drive shaft and is additionally caused to move along the predefined linear path during rotation of the drive shaft when the first axis is oblique to the axis of the drive shaft, and means for controllably pivoting the roller about its second axis to control movement of the roller and thus the carriage along the predefined linear path.

Linear actuator

A disc drive memory device is described utilizing a continuously rotating drive shaft and a roller which rides thereon to effect translational motion of a carriage to move a read/write head between address locations on a magnetic recording surface of a data storage disc.

Disc drive linear actuator and control system therefor

A linear actuator for selectively moving a carriage relative to a support frame along a predefined linear path. The linear actuator includes a drive shaft having a cylindrical surface, means for rotatably mounting the drive shaft to the frame for rotation of the drive shaft about the axis of the cylindrical surface, means coupled to the drive shaft for rotating the drive shaft about such axis, a carriage to be driven, a roller having a peripheral surface of convex cross-sectional configuration, means for mounting the roller to the carriage with the roller being rotatable about a first axis and pivotable about a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, means for mounting the carriage to the support frame with the carriage being movable relative to the support frame along the predefined linear path and with the roller being in frictional engagement with the cylindrical surface of the drive shaft whereby the roller is caused to rotate about the first axis by rotation of the drive shaft when the first axis is parallel to the axis of the drive shaft and is additionally caused to move along the predefined linear path during rotation of the drive shaft when the first axis is oblique to the axis of the drive shaft, and means for controllably pivoting the roller about the second axis to control movement of the roller and thus the carriage along the predefined linear path. The degree of convexity of the peripheral surface of the roller is optimized in the sense that the torque required to pivot the roller about the second axis is made as small as possible consistent with an acceptable level of stress on the roller and cylindrical surface of the drive shaft.

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Russell K Brunner