Throttle drive actuator for an engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12448926-B2
Application number	US-202217861663-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2022
Priority date	Oct 6, 2015
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

Abstract

A throttle drive actuator for an engine includes a rotor and a stator. The rotor connects with a valve of a throttle body to rotate the valve, to open a close an air passage of the throttle body of the engine.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of operating an engine with a throttle drive actuator, the method comprising:
biasing a throttle valve of a throttle body into a first position with a biasing member attached to a throttle shaft, the throttle shaft coupled to the throttle valve and the biasing member operatively connected to the throttle shaft;
providing a first magnetic field via a first field source, a second magnetic field via a second field source, and an armature located between the first field source and the second field source, the first field source having a first north pole and a first south pole, the second field source having a second north pole and a second south pole, the second south pole positioned opposite the first north pole and the second north pole positioned opposite the first south pole such that a direction of the second magnetic field is opposite a direction of the first magnetic field, the armature comprising a coupler connected to the throttle shaft and a winding movable along an arcuate path intermediate the first field source and the second field source, the winding comprising an arcuate projection extending to one side of the coupler without extending to an opposite side of the coupler; and
energizing the winding of the armature to cause the armature to rotate along the arcuate path,
wherein the rotation of the armature causes the throttle shaft to rotate, thereby causing the throttle valve to move into a second position to open or close an air passage of the throttle body.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the biasing member comprises a spring.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein in the first position the throttle valve closes the air passage of the throttle body, and in the second position the throttle valve opens the air passage of the throttle body.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a housing, the housing comprising at least a first housing portion and an opposing second housing portion, the first housing portion coupled to the throttle body and configured to house the first field source, the second field source, and the armature.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising an electronic control unit receiving at least one signal to control a desired position of the throttle valve.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising an electronic control unit controlling energization of the winding of the armature.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the electronic control unit receives signals representing engine requested speed, engine actual speed, and throttle position.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the electronic control unit controls the energization of the winding of the armature to control the positioning of the throttle valve based on the received signals.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the armature is configured to rotate at least 75 degrees.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the armature is configured to rotate less than 360 degrees.

11. A method of operating an engine with a throttle drive actuator, the method comprising:
biasing a throttle valve of a throttle body into a first position with a spring directly attached to a throttle shaft operatively connected with the throttle body; and
selectively energizing a winding of an armature by an electronic control unit and causing the armature to rotate, the armature located between first and second magnets, the first magnet including a first north pole and a first south pole, the second magnet including a second north pole and a second south pole, wherein the first magnet and the second magnet are positioned such that the second south pole is positioned opposite the first north pole and such that the second north pole is positioned opposite the first south pole,
wherein the armature comprises a coupler connected to the throttle shaft, and the winding comprises an arcuate projection extending to one side of the coupler without extending to an opposite side of the coupler, the rotation of the armature along an arcuate path causing the throttle shaft to rotate, thereby causing the throttle valve to move into a second position to open or close an air passage of the throttle body.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein in the first position the throttle valve closes the air passage of the throttle body, and in the second position the throttle valve opens the air passage of the throttle body.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first and second magnets have an arcuate shape.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the armature is configured to rotate less than 360 degrees.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first field source comprises a first permanent magnet, wherein the first permanent magnet comprises an arcuate shape including two first ends, wherein the first north pole is adjacent one of the first ends and the first south pole is adjacent the other first end.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the second field source comprises a second permanent magnet, wherein the second permanent magnet comprises an arcuate shape including two second ends, wherein the second north pole is adjacent one of the second ends and the second south pole is adjacent the other second end.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first magnet comprises a first permanent magnet, wherein the first permanent magnet comprises an arcuate shape including two first ends, wherein the first north pole is adjacent one of the first ends and the first south pole is adjacent the other first end.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the second magnet comprises a second permanent magnet, wherein the second permanent magnet comprises an arcuate shape including two second ends, wherein the second north pole is adjacent one of the second ends and the second south pole is adjacent the other second end.

Assignees

• Kohler Co
• Discovery Energy Llc

Inventors

• Radue Martin L
• Koenigs William D

Classifications

• Y02T10/40

  Engine management systems · CPC title

• F02M35/10249

  Electrical or electronic devices fixed to the intake system; Electric wiring (electric heaters F02M31/12; sensors F02M35/10373) · CPC title

• F02M35/10255

  Arrangements of valves; Multi-way valves (F02M35/10032 takes precedence; valves in the plenum chamber F02M35/10065; check valves F02M35/10275) · CPC title

• F02D11/10

  of the electric type · CPC title

• H02K41/0358

  moving along a curvilinear path · CPC title