Dual motor actuator and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12438418-B2
Application number	US-202318330700-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2023
Priority date	Jun 21, 2022
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

A dual motor actuator according to an embodiment includes a main motor actuator outputting torque to a main output shaft by including a main motor and a main reduction gear, an auxiliary motor actuator outputting torque to an auxiliary output shaft by including an auxiliary motor and an auxiliary reduction gear, and a clutch connecting the main output shaft and the auxiliary output shaft to each other, wherein the clutch includes a fixed clutch connected to the main output shaft and a movable clutch coupled to or released from the fixed clutch and connected to the auxiliary output shaft, and the dual motor actuator further includes an output unit connected to the movable clutch and transmitting an output from the main motor actuator or the auxiliary motor actuator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dual motor actuator comprising:
a main motor actuator outputting a torque to a main output shaft by comprising a main motor and a main reduction gear;
an auxiliary motor actuator outputting a torque to an auxiliary output shaft by comprising an auxiliary motor and an auxiliary reduction gear; and
a clutch connecting the main output shaft and the auxiliary output shaft to each other,
wherein the clutch comprises a fixed clutch connected to the main output shaft and a movable clutch coupled to or released from the fixed clutch and connected to the auxiliary output shaft, and
the dual motor actuator further comprises an output unit connected to the movable clutch and transmitting an output from the main motor actuator or the auxiliary motor actuator;
wherein a capacity of the main motor is greater than a capacity of the auxiliary motor, and
wherein a torque output of the main motor and a torque output of the auxiliary motor are set according to a equation below,
T 1 =T 2 +( J C +J 2 ){dot over (ω)}

where, T 1 : a torque output of the main motor actuator, T 2 : a torque output of the auxiliary motor actuator, J C : a mass moment of inertia of the clutch, and, J 2 : a mass moment of inertia of the auxiliary reduction gear.

2. The dual motor actuator of claim 1 , wherein the fixed clutch comprises a tooth clutch, and is coupled to the movable clutch in a tooth-like engagement structure.

3. The dual motor actuator of claim 1 , further comprising a base on which the main motor actuator and the auxiliary motor actuator are installed.

4. The dual motor actuator of claim 1 , wherein, when the main motor actuator fails, the movable clutch is released from the fixed clutch, and the auxiliary motor actuator is driven.

5. The dual motor actuator of claim 4 , further comprising an angular displacement gauge measuring an angular displacement of the output unit; wherein the auxiliary motor actuator is controlled by an angular displacement of the output unit measured by the angular displacement gauge.

6. The dual motor actuator of claim 5 , wherein the main motor actuator is determined to be a failure when an error angle and a rate of change of the error angle are greater than set values, wherein the error angle is a difference between an angular displacement input to the main motor and an angular displacement measured by the angular displacement gauge.

7. The dual motor actuator of claim 1 , wherein the main motor actuator and the auxiliary motor actuator are installed in a direction in which the main output shaft and the auxiliary output shaft face each other.

8. The dual motor actuator of claim 1 , wherein the main motor actuator and the auxiliary motor actuator are installed in a direction in which the main output shaft and the auxiliary output shaft are parallel to each other.

9. The dual motor actuator of claim 8 , wherein the movable clutch comprises a guide shaft receiving and outputting torque from the main output shaft, and the output unit comprises a main output link connected to the guide shaft, an auxiliary output link connected to the auxiliary output shaft, and a connection link connecting the main output link and the auxiliary output link to each other.

10. The dual motor actuator of claim 9 , wherein the guide shaft is installed to be supported on the base by a bearing.

Assignees

• Korea Aerospace Res Inst

Inventors

• Lee Jung Jin

Classifications

• H02K7/116 Primary

  with gears · CPC title

• H02P5/48

  by comparing mechanical values representing the speeds · CPC title

• F16D11/00

  Clutches in which the members have interengaging parts (arrangements for synchronisation F16D23/02) · CPC title

• B64C13/28

  mechanical · CPC title

• H02K7/10

  Structural association with clutches, brakes, gears, pulleys or mechanical starters · CPC title