System and method for measuring the amount of backlash in an actuator assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12203787-B2
Application number	US-202217932167-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2022
Priority date	Sep 14, 2022
Publication date	Jan 21, 2025
Grant date	Jan 21, 2025

Abstract

A system and method for measuring an amount of backlash in an actuator assembly that includes a housing assembly, an actuator, a drive source, an actuator position sensor, a drive source position sensor, and a controller. The controller is in operable communication with the drive source, the actuator position sensor, and the drive source position sensor, and is configured to selectively implement a built-in test that determines the amount of backlash in the actuator assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for measuring an amount of backlash in an actuator assembly, comprising:
a housing assembly having a retract end stop and an extend end stop mounted therein;
an actuator disposed at least partially in the housing, the actuator coupled to receive a drive force and configured, in response to the drive force, to move to an actuator position between and including (i) a fully-retracted position, in which the actuator contacts the retract end stop, and (ii) a fully-extended position, in which the actuator contacts the extend end stop;
a drive source coupled to receive actuator commands and configured, upon receipt of the actuator commands, to supply the drive force to the actuator;
an actuator position sensor configured to sense an actuator position;
a drive source position sensor configured to sense a drive source position; and
a controller in operable communication with the drive source, the actuator position sensor, and the drive source position sensor, the controller configured to selectively implement a built-in test during which the controller:
(i) commands to the drive source to move the actuator to the fully-extended position, and then commands the drive source to move the actuator to a first predetermined position that is past the fully-extended position,
(ii) while commanding the drive source to move the actuator to the first predetermined position, reads a first actuator position from the actuator position sensor and a first drive source position from the drive source position sensor,
(iii) commands to the drive source to move the actuator to the fully-retracted position, and then commands the drive source to move the actuator to a second predetermined position that is past the fully-retracted position,
(iv) while commanding the drive source to move the actuator to the second predetermined position, reads a second actuator position from the actuator position sensor and a second drive source position from the drive source position sensor,
(v) determines a first travel distance from the first and second actuator positions,
(vi) determines a second travel distance from the first and second drive source positions, and
(vii) determines the amount of backlash from the first and second travel distances.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the first travel distance is determined by subtracting the second actuator position from the first actuator position; and
the second travel distance is determined by subtracting the second drive source position from the first drive source position.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the amount of backlash is determined by subtracting the first travel distance from the second travel distance.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the drive force supplied by the drive source is a rotational drive force, and wherein the actuator comprises:
an actuator shaft rotationally mounted in the housing assembly, the actuator shaft adapted to receive the rotational drive force and configured, upon receipt thereof, to rotate; and
an actuation member mounted on the actuator shaft and is configured to translate in response to rotation of the actuator shaft.

5. The system of claim 4 , further comprising:
a gear box mounted in the housing assembly and disposed between the drive source and the actuator shaft, the gear box having a gear assembly disposed therein that transfers the rotational drive force from the drive source to the actuator shaft.

6. The system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a bearing assembly mounted within the gear box and having the actuator shaft mounted thereon.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the actuator comprises an electromechanical actuator; and
the drive source comprises an electric motor.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is selected from the group consisting of a linear actuator and a rotary actuator.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is selected from the group consisting of an electromechanical actuator, a hydraulic actuator, and a pneumatic actuator.

10. A method for measuring an amount of backlash in an actuator assembly, comprising the steps of:
commanding, with a controller, a drive source to move the actuator assembly to a fully-extended position;
commanding, with the controller, the drive source to move the actuator assembly to a first predetermined position that is past the fully-extended position;
while commanding the drive source to move the actuator assembly to the first predetermined position, reading, with the controller, a first actuator position from an actuator position sensor and a first drive source position from a drive source position sensor;
commanding, with the controller, the drive source to move the actuator assembly to a fully-retracted position;
commanding, with the controller, the drive source to move the actuator to a second predetermined position that is past the fully-retracted position;
while commanding the drive source to move the actuator to the second predetermined position, reading, with the controller, a second actuator position from the actuator position sensor and a second drive source position from the drive source position sensor;
determining, with the controller, a first travel distance from the first and second actuator positions;
determining, with the controller, a second travel distance from the first and second drive source positions; and
determining, with the controller, the amount of backlash from the first and second travel distances.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the first travel distance is determined by subtracting the second actuator position from the first actuator position; and
the second travel distance is determined by subtracting the second drive source position from the first drive source position.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the amount of backlash is determined by subtracting the first travel distance from the second travel distance.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the actuator comprises an electromechanical actuator; and
the drive source comprises an electric motor.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the actuator is selected from the group consisting of a linear actuator and a rotary actuator.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the actuator is selected from the group consisting of an electromechanical actuator, a hydraulic actuator, and a pneumatic actuator.

16. An actuator built-in test system for measuring an amount of backlash in an actuator assembly, comprising:
a controller in operable communication with an actuator position sensor, a drive source position sensor, and a drive source that is coupled to an actuator, the controller configured to selectively implement a built-in test during which the controller:
(i) commands to the drive source to move the actuator to a fully-extended position, and then commands the drive source to move the actuator to a first predetermined position that is past the fully-extended position,
(ii) while commanding the drive source to move the actuator to the first predetermined position, reads a first actuator position from the actuator position sensor and a first drive source position from the drive source position sensor,
(iii) commands to the drive source to move the actuator to a fully-retracted position, and then commands the drive source to move the actuator to a second predetermined position that is past the fully-retracted position,
(iv) while commanding the drive source to move the actuator to the second predetermined position, reads a second actuator position from the actuator position sensor and a second drive s

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Podola David
• Nozka Michal
• Hedl Radek
• Mikan Albert

Classifications

• G05B2219/41059

  Play in gear, screw backlash, lost motion · CPC title

• G05B2219/41077

  Self tuning, test run, detect, compute optimal backlash, deformation compensation · CPC title

• G05B19/404

  characterised by control arrangements for compensation, e.g. for backlash, overshoot, tool offset, tool wear, temperature, machine construction errors, load, inertia (G05B19/19, G05B19/41 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16H57/01

  Monitoring wear or stress of gearing elements, e.g. for triggering maintenance · CPC title

• G05B2219/41032

  Backlash · CPC title