Actuator of an electrical regulating equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12516744-B2
Application number	US-202318211248-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2023
Priority date	Jun 17, 2022
Publication date	Jan 6, 2026
Grant date	Jan 6, 2026

Abstract

The invention relates to an actuator of an electric equipment for regulating a flow of fluid in a conduit comprising a housing (44), an electric motor (10), a concentric, reversible, planetary reducing gear housed in said housing and mechanically connected to said motor and comprising a first reducing stage and a second reducing stage comprising at least one planet gear (31, 32, 33) with superposed outer double toothing, said top toothing (31a) being engaged with a fixed ring gear (34) and said bottom toothing (31b) being engaged with a mobile ring gear (35), and a concentric torsion spring (42) arranged around said mobile ring gear (35), mechanically connected to the housing (44) and to the mobile ring gear (35), and configured to be able to spontaneously cause the movement of said mobile ring gear (35) and of an output shaft (40) into a predetermined position in the event of a loss of electric power supply of said electric motor (10).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An actuator of an electric equipment for regulating a flow of fluid in a conduit, of the regulating valve type, equipped with a regulating member, of the butterfly valve type, the position of which within the conduit determines at least one parameter of the flow of fluid flowing from upstream to downstream of the regulating member, said actuator comprising a housing and an electric motor provided with a drive shaft adapted to be rotated when the motor is supplied with electric power, said actuator comprising:
a concentric, reversible, planetary reducing gear housed in said housing and mechanically connected to said drive shaft and comprising a first reducing stage comprising a sun gear fixedly attached to a toothed wheel rotationally driven by said drive shaft and meshing with a second reducing stage comprising at least one planet gear with superposed outer double toothing, respectively called top toothing and bottom toothing, said top toothing of each planet gear meshing with said sun gear and engaged with a fixed ring gear with inner toothing fixedly attached to said housing and said bottom toothing of each planet gear being engaged with a mobile ring gear with inner toothing fixedly attached to an output shaft, mechanically connected to said regulating member, a concentric torsion spring arranged around said mobile ring gear, mechanically connected to the housing and to the mobile ring gear, and configured to be able to spontaneously cause the movement of said mobile ring gear and of said output shaft into a predetermined position in the event of a loss of electric power supply of said electric motor.

2 . The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said second reducing stage comprises three planet gears with superposed double toothing, the top toothing of which meshes with said sun gear of said first reducing stage.

3 . The actuator as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said reducing gear further comprises a free sun gear engaged with the bottom toothing of the planet gears so as to be able to maintain the meshed position of the three planet gears in said mobile ring gear.

4 . The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said electric motor comprises an endless screw formed by a part of the drive shaft, meshed with said toothed wheel of said first reducing stage.

5 . The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a second electric motor and in that said first reducing stage comprises a second toothed wheel carrying at least one pinion engaged with said sun gear, said second toothed wheel being rotationally driven by said second electric motor to form a second reducing mode.

6 . The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
an electronic control board equipped with at least one input port intended to receive control data of said piece of equipment, software loaded on said electronic control board and configured to be able to determine control instructions of the electric motor from data received on said input port.

7 . Electric equipment for regulating a flow of fluid in a conduit, of the regulating valve type, the equipment comprising:
an actuator equipped with a regulating member, of the butterfly valve type, the position of which within the conduit determines at least one parameter of the flow of fluid flowing from upstream to downstream of the regulating member, said actuator comprising a housing and an electric motor provided with a drive shaft adapted to be rotated when the motor is supplied with electric power; a concentric, reversible, planetary reducing gear housed in said housing of the actuator and mechanically connected to said drive shaft and comprising a first reducing stage comprising a sun gear fixedly attached to a toothed wheel rotationally driven by said drive shaft and meshing with a second reducing stage comprising at least one planet gear with superposed outer double toothing, respectively called top toothing and bottom toothing, said top toothing of each planet gear meshing with said sun gear and engaged with a fixed ring gear with inner toothing fixedly attached to said housing and said bottom toothing of each planet gear being engaged with a mobile ring gear with inner toothing fixedly attached to an output shaft, mechanically connected to said regulating member; and, a concentric torsion spring arranged around said mobile ring gear, mechanically connected to the housing and to the mobile ring gear, and configured to be able to spontaneously cause the movement of said mobile ring gear and of said output shaft into a predetermined position in the event of a loss of electric power supply of said electric motor.

Assignees

• Liebherr Aerospace Toulouse Sas

Inventors

• Lafond Eric
• Wojcieszonak Rémi

Classifications

• F16H2001/2872

  comprising three central gears, i.e. ring or sun gear, engaged by at least one common orbital gear mounted on an idling carrier · CPC title

• F16K31/535 Primary

  for rotating valves (F16K31/54 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16K31/042

  with electric means, e.g. for controlling the motor or a clutch between the valve and the motor · CPC title

• F16K1/221

  specially adapted operating means therefor (operating means per se F16K31/00) · CPC title

• F16K31/043 Primary

  characterised by mechanical means between the motor and the valve, e.g. lost motion means reducing backlash, clutches, brakes or return means · CPC title