Actuator, electric motor and associated method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12355313-B2
Application number	US-202318185920-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2023
Priority date	Oct 8, 2018
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

An electrical switch for an electric machine includes body, a stator fixedly secured to the body and a rotor. The actuator includes a first member securable to the rotor and rotatable with it. The actuator also includes a second member, a first electrically conductive member cooperates with the second member. The actuator also includes a second electrically conductive member. The second electrically conductive member is spaced from said first electrically conductive member when said first electrically conductive member is in the first axial position and electrically engaged with said first electrically conductive member when said first electrically conductive member is in the second axial position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An actuator for an electric machine having body, a stator fixedly secured to the body and a rotor having a shaft rotatably secured to the body and defining an axis of rotation thereof, the actuator comprising:
a base positionable on a length of the shaft;
a first member attached to the base, the first member including a plurality of arms hingeably attached to the base each of the arms include a magnet segment having a first end attached to the arm and a second end opposite the first end, the first end having a polarity; and,
a second member including a stem slidably fitted to a housing and a second member magnet, the stem positioned on a stem centerline parallel to the axis of rotation of the shaft such that the stem and the second member magnet are offset relative to the shaft the second member magnet having the same polarity as the second end of the magnet segments such that the second member is repulsed by the first member.

2. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the second member magnet of the second member is repulsed by the magnet segment of the first member when the shaft at or below a first rotational speed.

3. The actuator of claim 2 , wherein at a second rotational speed greater than the first rotational speed the plurality of arms elastically deform relative to the base such that the magnet segments of the first member are urged radially outward.

4. The actuator of claim 3 , wherein the second member magnet is urged in a downward direction toward the base at the second rotational speed.

5. The actuator of claim 4 further comprising a downward urging device which urges the second member magnet downwardly to a trip position at the second rotational speed.

6. The actuator of claim 5 wherein at the first rotational speed, the second member magnet is balanced by magnetic repulsion forces from the first member and by downward urging forces from the downward urging device.

7. The actuator of claim 5 , wherein at the second rotational speed the downward urging forces from the downward urging device urge the second member magnet downward to activate the actuator 40 .

8. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the base includes a collar which attaches the base to the shaft by a friction fit.

9. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the base includes a collar having a set screw which removably secures the collar to the shaft by a friction fit.

10. The actuator of claim 9 , wherein the shaft includes a bore sized and configured to receive the set screw such that the base is positioned at a specific length along the shaft.

11. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of arms are configured to elastically deform outwardly due to rotation of the shaft.

12. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the magnet segments are arc-shaped.

13. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the first end and the second end have opposite polarities.

14. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein each of the magnet segment are adjacent to one another.

15. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein each of the magnet segment are spaced apart from one another.

16. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the each of the magnet segments are positioned at a radial distance from the axis of rotation.

17. The actuator of claim 16 , wherein the stem is spaced a radial distance from the axis of rotation such that the stem of the second member magnet is offset relative to the shaft.

18. The actuator of claim 17 , wherein spaced radial distance of the stem is less than the radial distance of the magnet segments such that the second member magnet is positioned above the magnet segment of the first member.

19. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of arms have a hexagonal orientation, and the first member includes six arms.

20. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the first member includes two to six arms.

Assignees

• Regal Beloit America Inc

Inventors

• Crosson Jeffrey William

Classifications

• H02K7/003

  Couplings; Details of shafts (means for mounting rotors on shafts H02K1/28) · CPC title

• H02K11/23 Primary

  Mechanically-actuated centrifugal switches · CPC title

• H01H2001/545

  having permanent magnets directly associated with the contacts · CPC title

• H01H35/10 Primary

  Centrifugal switches (level of mercury displaced by centrifugal action H01H29/26) · CPC title