Compact linear to rotary actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11199248-B2
Application number	US-201916399557-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2019
Priority date	Apr 30, 2019
Publication date	Dec 14, 2021
Grant date	Dec 14, 2021

Abstract

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a linear-to-rotary apparatus that includes a linear actuator having an actuator housing including a piston chamber, a piston shaft disposed in the piston chamber, and a rotor apparatus. The rotor apparatus includes a rotary joint defining a rotational axis, a rotor arm extending radially from the rotary joint and configured to at least partially pivot about the rotary joint, and a torque linkage pivotably connected to the rotor arm. The torque linkage is also attached to an end of the piston shaft of the piston at a pivot connection joint, where the pivot connection joint defines a pivot axis that is substantially perpendicular to the translation axis of the piston shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A linear-to-rotary motion apparatus comprising:
a first linear actuator comprising:
a first actuator housing comprising a first piston chamber; and
a first piston shaft disposed at least partially within the first piston chamber and configured to translate within the first piston chamber along a first translation axis, the first piston shaft comprising a first piston shaft end configured to selectively extend and retract linearly along the first translation axis relative to the first actuator housing;

a second linear actuator comprising:
a second actuator housing comprising a second piston chamber;
a second piston shaft disposed at least partially within the second piston chamber and configured to translate within the second piston chamber of the second actuator housing along a second translation axis, the second piston shaft comprising a second piston shaft end configured to selectively extend and retract linearly along the second translation axis relative to the second actuator housing; and

a rotor apparatus comprising:
a first rotary joint defining a first rotational axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first translation axis;
a rotor arm extending radially from the first rotary joint and configured to pivot about the first rotary joint, the rotor arm having a first rotor arm end positioned away from the first rotary joint, and the rotor arm having a second rotor arm end positioned away from the first rotary joint and away from the first rotor arm end, wherein the second rotor arm end is positioned substantially opposite the first rotor arm end with respect to the first rotary joint;
a first torque linkage having a first torque linkage end pivotably connected to the first rotor arm end of the rotor arm, and a second torque linkage end opposite the first torque linkage end and pivotably connected to the first piston shaft end of the first piston shaft at a first pivot connection joint, the first pivot connection joint defining a first pivot axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first translation axis of the first piston shaft, wherein the rotor arm at least partially overlaps the first piston shaft in a two dimensional viewing plane, the first pivot axis and the first rotational axis being normal to the two dimensional viewing plane;
a second torque linkage having a third torque linkage end pivotably connected to the second rotor arm end of the rotor arm, and a fourth torque linkage end opposite the third torque linkage end and pivotably connected to the second piston shaft end of the second piston shaft at a second pivot connection joint, the second pivot connection joint defining a second pivot axis that is substantially perpendicular to the second translation axis of the second piston shaft and parallel to the first pivot axis of the first pivot connection joint;
a first guide structure connected to the first pivot connection joint and configured to at least partially guide movement of the first pivot connection joint; and
a second guide structure connected to the second pivot connection joint and configured to at least partially guide movement of the second pivot connection joint.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first guide structure comprises a first guide slider positionally fixed in space relative to the first rotary joint and slidably coupled to the first pivot connection joint, the first guide slider configured to guide sliding movement of the first pivot connection joint parallel to the first translation axis.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first linear actuator is a fluid actuator.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the fluid actuator is a double-acting fluid actuator.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein one of the first actuator housing or the rotor arm is configured to be coupled to an airframe structure of an aircraft, and the other of the first actuator housing or the rotor arm is configured to be coupled to a moveable control surface of the aircraft, such that the moveable control surface is configured to move relative to the airframe structure by the linear-to-rotary motion apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the second guide structure comprises a second guide slider positionally fixed in space relative to the first rotary joint and slidably coupled to the second pivot connection joint, the second guide slider configured to guide sliding movement of the second pivot connection joint parallel to the second translation axis.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the first actuator housing and the second actuator housing are configured to be coupled to an airframe structure of an aircraft, and the rotor arm is configured to be coupled to a moveable control surface of the aircraft, such that the moveable control surface is configured to move relative to the airframe structure by the linear-to-rotary motion apparatus; or
the first actuator housing and the second actuator housing are configured to be coupled to the moveable control surface of the aircraft, and the rotor arm is configured to be coupled to the airframe structure of an aircraft, such that the moveable control surface is configured to move relative to the airframe structure by the linear-to-rotary motion apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first linear actuator or the second linear actuator is a fluid actuator.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first linear actuator or the second linear actuator is a double-acting fluid actuator.

Assignees

• Woodward Inc

Inventors

• Mawle Craig D
• Spickard Mark A
• Brinks Barry T

Classifications

• F15B15/06 Primary

  for mechanically converting rectilinear movement into non- rectilinear movement · CPC title

• F16H21/22

  with one connecting-rod and one guided slide to each crank or eccentric · CPC title

• F16H21/34 Primary

  with two or more connecting-rods to each crank or eccentric · CPC title

• B64C13/26

  without power amplification or where power amplification is irrelevant · CPC title

• F16C7/023

  for piston engines, pumps or the like · CPC title