HVAC actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10069448-B2
Application number	US-201715618555-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2017
Priority date	Jun 10, 2016
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system actuator including a stator magnet and a rotor magnet. The rotor magnet turns an axle connected to an airflow door such that rotation of the axle moves the door and generates waveforms. The number of waveforms generated corresponds to how much the axle has rotated. The stator magnet is magnetized to a saturated state, thereby providing the waveforms with a consistent shape that is consistently detectable by a climate control pulse count module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system comprising:
an actuator including a stator magnet and a rotor magnet that turns an axle connected to an airflow door by way of a gear train such that rotation of the axle moves the door and generates current pulse waveforms, the number of current pulse waveforms generated corresponds to how much the axle rotates, the stator magnet is magnetized to a saturated state thereby providing the current pulse waveforms with a consistent shape that is consistently detectable by a climate control pulse count module.

2. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is an HVAC airflow door actuator.

3. The HVAC system of claim 2 , wherein the actuator is a DC motor.

4. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the stator magnet includes rubber.

5. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the current pulse waveforms gradually increase in intensity.

6. The HVAC system of claim 1 , further comprising a climate control module including the climate control pulse count module and a control sub-module;
wherein the pulse count module generates pulses corresponding to the number of current pulse waveforms received by the pulse count module, and outputs the pulses to the control sub-module.

7. The HVAC system of claim 6 , wherein the control sub-module identifies position of the airflow door based on the number of pulses received from the pulse count module.

8. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein the stator magnet is magnetized to a saturation condition of about 1,450 volts.

9. A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system comprising:
an actuator including a magnet magnetized to saturation, an axle of the actuator is connected to an airflow door such that rotation of the axle moves the airflow door and generates current pulse waveforms with a consistent shape that is consistently detectable by a climate control pulse count module, the number of current pulse waveforms generated corresponds to how much the axle rotates.

10. The HVAC system of claim 9 , further comprising a climate control module including the climate control pulse count module and a control sub-module;
wherein the pulse count module generates pulses corresponding to the number of current pulse waveforms received by the pulse count module, and outputs the pulses to the control sub-module; and
wherein the control sub-module identifies position of the airflow door based on the number of pulses received from the pulse count module.

11. The HVAC system of claim 9 , wherein the magnet is a stationary field magnet; and
wherein the actuator further comprises a rotatable armature magnet that rotates the axle.

12. The HVAC system of claim 11 , wherein the stationary field magnet includes rubber.

13. An actuator for a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the actuator comprising:
a magnet magnetized to saturation; and
an axle, rotation of the axle moves airflow control doors connected to the axle;
wherein in response to rotation of the axle the actuator generates current pulse waveforms, the number of current pulse waveforms generated corresponds to how much the axle has rotated, the current pulse waveforms have a consistent shape that is regularly detectable by a climate control pulse count module.

14. The actuator of claim 13 , wherein each one of the current pulse waveforms gradually increases in voltage.

15. The actuator of claim 13 , wherein the actuator is a DC actuator motor.

16. The actuator of claim 13 , further comprising a climate control module including the climate control pulse count module and a control sub-module;
wherein the climate control pulse count module generates pulses corresponding to the number of current pulse waveforms received by the climate control pulse count module, and outputs the pulses to the control sub-module.

17. The actuator of claim 16 , wherein the control sub-module identifies position of the airflow door based on the number of pulses received from the pulse count module.

18. The actuator of claim 13 , wherein the magnet is magnetized with about 1,450 volts.

Assignees

• Denso Int America Inc

Inventors

• Nishikawa Katsumi
• Lee Young Kwon
• Porter Matt

Classifications

• F24F2140/40

  Damper positions, e.g. open or closed · CPC title

• F24F11/30

  for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring · CPC title

• F24F2013/1433

  with electric motors · CPC title

• H02K7/1166

  comprising worm and worm-wheel (structural association with bearings specially adapted for worm gear drives H02K7/081) · CPC title

• H02P7/0094 Primary

  wherein the position is detected using the ripple of the current caused by the commutator · CPC title