The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 08, 1998
Filed:
Aug. 13, 1997
Yoshito Hashikawa, Nagasaki, JP;
Japan Development Consultants, Inc., Nagasaki, JP;
Abstract
An expandable shaft comprises: a shaft body having a central axis and an outer cylindrical surface; a fluid passageway extending along the central axis of the shaft body; fluid introducing ports radially outwardly extending and communicating with the fluid passageway; a fluid filling to the fluid passageway and the fluid introducing ports; grooves extending on the outer cylindrical surface of the shaft body in a direction of the central axis of the shaft body, wherein each groove communicates with the respective introducing ports; and long lugs slidably inserted into the grooves, wherein the long lugs are elastically returned in the grooves when a fluid pressure by the fluid is eliminated, and the long lugs are protruded from the outer cylindrical surface when the fluid pressure is applied. Thus, the long lugs are able to stroke within the limits of the difference of the angle between the sloped bottom portion of the long lugs and the sloped locking surface of the grooves.