Motor locking mechanism including memory alloy wire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12348114-B2
Application number	US-202318215173-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2023
Priority date	Dec 30, 2020
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

A locking apparatus comprises a sliding member, and a first memory alloy wire configured to engage the sliding member to exert a first force to move the sliding member in a first sliding direction to a locked position when electrical energy is applied to the first memory alloy wire. The locking apparatus further comprises a second memory alloy wire configured to exert a second force to engage the sliding member to move the sliding member in a second sliding direction to an unlocked position when electrical energy is applied to the second memory alloy wire. The apparatus further comprises a position limiting structure. When the sliding member is moved to the locked position, the position limiting structure holds the sliding member at the locked position. When the sliding member is moved to the unlocked position, the position limiting structure holds the sliding member at the unlocked position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stabilization system comprising:
a payload;
one or more locking systems, each of the one or more locking systems including:
a motor configured to adjust an attitude of the payload, the motor comprising a stator and a rotor configured to rotate relative to the stator;
a sliding structure capable of engaging the rotor to lock the rotor;
a memory alloy wire configured to engage the sliding structure to exert a first force to move the sliding structure in a first sliding direction from a first position to a second position when electrical energy is applied to the memory alloy wire, where the applied electrical energy causes the memory alloy wire to shorten, the shortening exerting the first force to cause movement of the sliding structure through the engagement of the memory alloy wire with the sliding structure; and
a restoring structure to engage the sliding structure to exert a second force to move the sliding structure in a second sliding direction from the second position to the first position.

2. The stabilization system of claim 1 , the memory alloy wire being a first memory alloy wire, wherein:
the restoring structure includes a second memory alloy wire;
the second memory alloy wire is configured to engage the sliding member to exert the first force to move the sliding member in the second sliding direction from the second position to the first position when electrical energy is applied to the second memory alloy wire, where the applied electrical energy causes the second memory alloy wire to shorten, the shortening exerting the first force to cause movement of the sliding member through the engagement of the second memory alloy wire with the sliding member.

3. The stabilization system of claim 1 , wherein:
when the motor is powered off, the sliding structure engages the rotor to lock the rotor;
and/or when the motor is in a standby mode, the sliding structure engages the rotor to lock the rotor.

4. The stabilization system of claim 1 , wherein:
the stabilization system further comprises a yaw axis, a roll axis, and a pitch axis; and
the motor of one of the one or more locking systems is configured to rotate about one of the yaw axis, the roll axis, or the pitch axis.

5. The stabilization system of claim 2 , wherein:
the stabilization system further comprises a yaw axis, a roll axis, and a pitch axis; and
the at least one locking system includes:
a first locking system wherein the motor of the first locking system is configured to rotate about the yaw axis,
a second locking system wherein the motor of the second locking system is configured to rotate about the roll axis, and
a third locking system wherein the motor of the third locking system is configured to rotate about the pitch axis.

6. The stabilization system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more locking system further comprises a path limiting structure limiting the movement of the sliding structure between the first position and the second position along a path.

7. The stabilization system of claim 6 , wherein:
the path limiting structure further includes a straight line channel in which one of first and second protrusions of the sliding structure is received and is limited to move along the straight line channel;
the first sliding direction is towards a central axis of the motor; and
the second sliding direction is away from the central axis of the motor.

8. The stabilization system of claim 1 , wherein:
a rotor of the motor includes a motor groove;
when the sliding structure is in the first position, a portion of the sliding structure fits into the motor groove, thereby preventing the motor from rotating; and
when the sliding structure is in the second position, the sliding structure is withdrawn from the motor groove.

9. The stabilization system of claim 8 , wherein the portion of the sliding structure engages the motor groove through a slope surface, the slope surface protecting the sliding structure from being broken by allowing the sliding structure to withdraw from the motor groove under a force causing displacement between the sliding structure and the motor.

10. The stabilization system of claim 1 , wherein the first memory alloy wire and the second memory alloy wire each has two fixed ends, the fixed ends connectable to an electrical energy supply.

11. The stabilization system of claim 10 , wherein:
the sliding structure includes a first protrusion and a second protrusion;
the first memory alloy wire exerts the first force to move the sliding structure through contact with the first protrusion of the sliding structure; and
the second memory alloy wire exerts the second force to move the sliding structure through contact with the second protrusion of the sliding structure.

12. The stabilization system of claim 11 , wherein:
the first memory alloy wire is configured to have a shape of a pentagonal arrow including:
the contact with the first protrusion of the sliding structure as a tip of the pentagonal arrow; and
the two fixed ends of the first memory alloy wire each at a rear end of the pentagonal arrow.

13. The stabilization system of claim 12 , wherein the first sliding direction extends from the pentagonal arrow tip to the rear of the pentagonal arrow.

14. The stabilization system of claim 11 , wherein:
the second memory alloy wire includes one or more turning points;
the second memory alloy wire is configured to have a W-shape including:
the contact with the second protrusion of the sliding structure as a middle of the W-shape;
two turning points of the one or more turning points as two bottom ends of the W-shape; and
the two fixed ends of the second memory alloy wire each at a side end of the W-shape.

15. The stabilization system of claim 14 , wherein the second sliding direction extends from the middle top to the bottom of the W-shape.

16. The stabilization system of claim 1 , wherein:
each of the first memory alloy wire and the second memory alloy wire shorten when electrical energy is applied thereto;
the first memory alloy wire is responsive to the application of electrical energy to exert the first force to move the sliding structure to the first position; and
the second memory alloy wire is responsive to the application of electrical energy to exert the first force to move the sliding structure to the second position.

17. The stabilization system of claim 16 , further comprising:
a position limiting structure, wherein:
when the sliding structure is moved to the first position, the position limiting structure holds the sliding structure at the first position; and
when the sliding structure is moved to the second position, the position limiting structure holds the sliding structure at the second position.

18. The stabilization system of claim 17 , wherein:
the sliding structure includes a first groove and a second groove;
the position limiting structure includes a leaf spring having a protrusion portion;
the position limiting structure holds the sliding structure at the locked position by the protrusion portion of the leaf spring engaging the first groove when the sliding structure is moved to the first position; and
the position limiting structure holds the sliding structure at the first position by the protrusion portion of the leaf spring engaging the second groove when the sliding structure is moved to the second position.

Assignees

• Sz Dji Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yang Zhenpo
• Sun Xin
• Wang Ping
• Qiu Jianda

Classifications

• B64U10/14

  with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters · CPC title

• H02K2207/00

  Specific aspects not provided for in the other groups of this subclass relating to arrangements for handling mechanical energy · CPC title

• H02K2201/18

  Machines moving with multiple degrees of freedom · CPC title

• H02K1/22

  Rotating parts of the magnetic circuit · CPC title

• F03G7/06143

  Wires · CPC title