IP Library › Granted Patent US 6,948,417
Granted Patent B2
US 6,948,417 · App. 10/134,752 · Granted Sep 27, 2005

Fluid cylinder with swivel joint

Assignees: Komatsu Ltd.; Komatsu Zenoah Co.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,948,417
App. No.
10/134,752
Granted
Sep 27, 2005
Kind
B2
Abstract

A fluid cylinder with a swivel joint which is more improved with high utility is provided. To this end, in the fluid cylinder, a flow passage (R 2 b ) leading to a chamber ( 1 F) at the rod side of the cylinder is provided inside a rod ( 3 ), and a pin hole ( 3 H) in a rod front end portion ( 3 F) and a pin (P 1 ) fitted in the pin hole ( 3 H) are formed into a swivel joint so that the flow passage (R 2 b ) is always guided to an outside even if the pin hole ( 3 H) and the pin (P 1 ) are relatively rotated.

Claims (60)

1. A fluid cylinder with a swivel joint comprising a cylinder tube, a piston fitted into said cylinder tube to be slidable in said cylinder tube, and a piston rod in which with a part at a rod front end portion side being protruded outside said cylinder tube and said piston being integrally fitted thereon, a protrusion amount of said part at the rod front end portion side to an outside of said cylinder tube is changed according to entrance and exit of fluid into and out of a chamber at a rod side and a chamber at a side opposite the rod inside said cylinder tube, an entire body being extended and contracted according to a change in said protrusion amount,

said cylinder comprising a pin hole, into which a pin provided at another member is fitted, and relative rotation of said cylinder tube around said pin is freely made during extension and contraction of the cylinder,

said cylinder further comprising

a first opening, which is non-annular and provided in an outer circumferential surface of said pin,

a second opening, which is non-annular and provided in an inner circumferential surface of said pin hole, and always opposes said first opening even when said cylinder tube relatively rotates around said pin,

a third opening provided in an end surface of said pin, and

a swivel flow passage having a first flow passage provided inside said pin and leading from said first opening to said third opening, and a second flow passage leading from said second opening into said chamber at said rod side and said chamber at said side opposite the rod inside said cylinder tube, in which said first flow passage and said second flow passage always communicate with each other via said first opening and said second opening even when said cylinder tube relatively rotates around said pin,

wherein said second flow passage is provided inside said piston rod.

2. The fluid cylinder with the swivel joint according to claim 1 , further comprising:

at least one first annular seal, which is provided in at least one region of an outer circumference of said pin between said first and second openings and at least one of said end surfaces of said pin.

3. The fluid cylinder with the swivel joint according to claim 2 , further comprising:

at least one labyrinth groove provided in at least one region of the outer circumferential surface of said pin and the inner circumferential surface of said pin hole between said first and second openings and said at least one first annular seal.

4. The fluid cylinder with the swivel joint according to claim 2 , further comprising:

at least one second annular seal which is provided in at least one region in the outer circumference of said pin between at least said one first annular seal and said a least one of said end surfaces of said pin and is fitted onto said pin,

at least one third flow passage which is opened in at least one region of the outer circumferential surface of said pin and the inner circumferential surface of said pin hole, between at least said one first annular seal and at least said one second annular seal, and reaches the swivel flow passage, and

a check-valve which is provided in at least said one third flow passage and allows only flow of fluid into said swivel flow passage.

5. The fluid cylinder with the swivel joint according to claim 4 , further comprising:

a filter detachably attached from an outside at a side of said check-valve, opposite to the swivel flow passage, in said third flow passage.

6. A fluid cylinder with a swivel joint comprising a cylinder tube, a piston fitted into said cylinder tube to be slidable in said cylinder tube, and a piston rod in which with a part at a rod from end portion side being protruded outside said cylinder tube and said piston being integrally fitted thereon, a protrusion amount of said part at the rod front end portion side to an outside of said cylinder tube is changed according to entrance and exit of fluid into and out of a chamber at a rod side and a chamber at a side opposite the rod inside said cylinder tube, an entire body being extended and contracted according to a change in said protrusion amount,

said cylinder comprising a pin hole, into which a pin provided at another member is fitted, in one end portion of at least one of a tube rear end portion and said rod front end portion, said tube rear end portion being an end portion at a side of said chamber at a side opposite said rod of said cylinder tube, and relative rotation of said cylinder tube around said pin is freely made during extension and contraction of the cylinder,

said cylinder further comprising

a first opening, which is non-annular and provided in an outer circumferential surface of said pin,

a second opening, which is non-annular and provided in an inner circumferential surface of said pin hole, and always opposes said first opening even when said cylinder tube relatively rotates around said pin,

a third opening provided in an end surface of said pin, and

a swivel flow passage having a first flow passage provided inside said pin and leading from said first opening to said third opening, and a second flow passage leading from said second opening into one of said chamber at said rod side and said chamber at said side opposite the rod inside said cylinder tube, in which said first flow passage and said second flow passage always communicate with each other via said first opening and said second opening even when said cylinder tube relatively rotates around said pin,

wherein said second opening is provided in a relative rotation range of said cylinder tube around said pin in the inner circumferential surface of said pin hole.

7. The fluid cylinder with the swivel joint according to claim 6 ,

wherein said relative rotation range is set on a surface at said piston side in said pin hole inner circumferential surface when said second flow passage reaches said chamber at the side opposite the rod in said cylinder tube.

8. The fluid cylinder with the swivel joint according to claim 7 , further comprising:

at least one first annular seal, which is provided at least at one region of an outer circumference of said pin between said first and second openings and at least one of said end surfaces of said pin.

9. The fluid cylinder with the swivel joint according to claim 8 , further comprising:

at least one labyrinth groove provided in at least one region of the outer circumferential surface of said pin and the inner circumferential surface of said pin hole between said first and second openings and said at least one first annular seal.

10. The fluid cylinder with the swivel joint according to claim 8 , further comprising:

at least one second annular seal which is provided in at least one region in the outer circumference of said pin between at least said one first annular seal and said a least one of said end surfaces of said pin and is fitted onto said pin,

at least one third flow passage which is opened in at least one region of the outer circumferential surface of said pin and the inner circumferential surface of said pin hole, between at least said one first annular seal and at least said one second annular seal, and reaches the swivel flow passage, and

a check-valve which is provided in at least said one third flow passage and allows only flow of fluid into said swivel flow passage.

11. The fluid cylinder with the swivel joint according to claim 10 , further comprising:

a filter detachably attached from an outside at a side of said check-valve, opposite to the swivel flow passage, in said third flow passage.

12. The fluid cylinder with the swivel joint according to claim 6 ,

wherein said relative rotation range is set on a side opposite said piston in said pin hole inner circumferential surface when said second flow passage reaches said chamber at the rod side in cylinder tube.

13. The fluid cylinder with the swivel joint according to claim 12 , further comprising:

at least one first annular seal, which is provided at least at one region of an outer circumference of said pin between said first and second openings at least one of said end surfaces of said pin.

14. The fluid cylinder with the swivel joint according to claim 13 , further comprising:

at least one labyrinth groove provided in at least one region of the outer circumferential surface of said pin and the inner circumferential surface of said pin hole between said first and second openings and said at least one first annular seal.

15. The fluid cylinder with the swivel joint according to claim 13 , further comprising:

at least one second annular seal which is provided in at least one region in the outer circumference of said pin between at least said one first annular seal and said at least one of said end surfaces of said pin and is fitted onto said pin,

at least one third flow passage which is opened in at least one region of the outer circumferential surface of said pin and the inner circumferential surface of said pin hole, between at least said one first annular seal and at least said one second annular seal, and reaches the swivel flow passage, and

a check-valve which is provided in at least said one third flow passage and allows only flow of fluid into said swivel flow passage.

16. The fluid cylinder with the swivel joint according to claim 15 , further comprising:

a filter detachably attached from an outside at a side of said check-valve, opposite to the swivel flow passage, in said third flow passage.

17. The fluid cylinder with the swivel joint according to claim 6 , further comprising:

at least one first annular seal, which is provided at least at one region of an outer circumference of said pin between said first and second openings and at least one of said end surfaces of said pin.

18. The fluid cylinder with the swivel joint according to claim 17 , further comprising:

at least one labyrinth groove provided in at least one region of the outer circumferential surface of said pin and the inner circumferential surface of said pin hole between said first and second openings and said at least one first annular seal.

19. The fluid cylinder with the swivel joint according to claim 17 , further comprising:

at least one second annular seal which is provided in at least one region in the outer circumference of said pin between at least said one first annular seal and said at least one of said end surfaces of said pin and is fitted onto said pin,

at least one third flow passage which is opened in at least one region of he outer circumferential surface of said pin and the inner circumferential surface of said pin hole, between at least said one first annular seal and at least said one second annular seal, and reaches the swivel flow passage, and

a check valve which is provided in at least said one third flow passage allows only flow of fluid into said swivel flow passage.

20. The fluid cylinder with the swivel joint according to claim 19 , further comprising:

a filter detachably attached from an outside at a side of said check-valve, opposite to the swivel flow passage, in said third flow passage.

Assignments (3)
MERGER Recorded Apr 15, 2008
From: KOMATSU LTD.; KOMATSU ZENOAH CO.
To: KOMATSU LTD.
Reel/Frame 020828/0169 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE SECOND NAME OF THE OMITTED ASSIGNOR PREVIOUSLY RECORD ON REEL 012863 FRAME 0568. Recorded Jun 15, 2005
From: FUTAMI, TATSUYA; YAMAMOTO, YOSHIAKI; KANEMARU, KENJI; TAMARU, MASATAKE
To: KOMATSU LTD.; KOMATSU ZENOAH CO.
Reel/Frame 016339/0124 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 30, 2002
From: FUTAMI, TATSUYA; YAMAMOTO, YOSHIAKI; KANEMARU, KENJI; TAMARU, MASATAKE
To: KOMATSU LTD.
Reel/Frame 012863/0568 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2001-135800 · May 7, 2001 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20020162449A1 · Nov 7, 2002