US 11,971,069 B2
Large angle flexible pivot
Luc Blecha, Lausanne (CH); Martin Humphries, Bristol (GB); and Yoel Puyol, Renens (CH)
Assigned to ALMATECH SA, Lausanne (CH)
Appl. No. 15/773,820
Filed by ALMATECH SA, Lausanne (CH)
PCT Filed Nov. 3, 2016, PCT No. PCT/IB2016/056604
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 4, 2018,
PCT Pub. No. WO2017/077469, PCT Pub. Date May 11, 2017.
Claims priority of application No. 15193517 (EP), filed on Nov. 6, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2018/0319517 A1, Nov. 8, 2018
Int. Cl. F16C 11/12 (2006.01)
CPC F16C 11/12 (2013.01) [F16C 2326/47 (2013.01); Y10T 403/45 (2015.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A flexible pivot comprising:
a first stage comprising a first ring-shaped interface structure;
a second stage comprising a second ring-shaped interface structure in axial alignment with the first interface structure,
the flexible pivot being configured to be fixed to a base by one of the first and second interface structures and to carry a load attached to the other one of the first and second interface structures;
a first cylinder forming part of the first stage;
a second cylinder forming part of the second stage and being in axial alignment with the first cylinder and concentric with the second interface structure; and
a set of flexible connecting members configured to connect the first and the second stages, each of the flexible connecting members comprising:
a pair of legs, each of the legs extending in a direction transverse to a longitudinal axis of the respective first and second cylinders, the legs being attached to the first and second cylinders respectively, and
a cross member joining distal ends of each of the legs and being radially disposed between the first and second cylinders and inner surfaces of the first and second interface structures,
wherein the first cylinder and the first interface structure are concentric, the first stage comprising a set of flexible spokes, each of the spokes being attached to the first cylinder by an inner end and to the first interface structure by an outer end, each of the spokes extending in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the first cylinder, the spokes being intercalated between the legs of the flexible connecting members that are attached to the first cylinder,
wherein the outer end of each spoke in the set of spokes forms a strip integrally connected to the first interface structure, the strip being elastically deformable and allowing an effective length of the spokes to vary to allow for flexing of the strip in order to provide relative movement between the outer end of the spoke and the inner surface of the first interface structure to accommodate any change in a curvature to the spokes, and
wherein the second stage comprises flexible connectors configured to connect the second cylinder and the second interface structure.