Actuator and heat store for actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022252130-A1
Application number	US-202017622671-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 7, 2020
Priority date	Jul 8, 2019
Publication date	Aug 11, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to an actuator for an orthopedic device with an actuator housing and a heat store for storing the heat produced during operation of the actuator, the heat store having a heat store housing that has a cavity and a heat storage medium present therein, or consisting of a heat storage medium. The heat store is designed to be attachable to or in the actuator housing and has a receiving region that matches an actuator housing region and, when the heat store is mounted, is in heat-transferring contact with the actuator housing.

First claim

1 . An actuator for an orthopedic device, the actuator having an actuator housing and a heat store for storing the heat produced during operation of the actuator;
wherein the heat store has a heat store housing, which has a cavity and a heat storage medium present therein, or wherein the heat store consists of the heat storage medium; wherein the heat store is designed in such a way that it can be fixed on or in the actuator housing and has a receiving region, which is designed to correspond to an actuator housing section and which, in an installed state of the heat store, is in heat-transferring contact with the actuator housing.

2 . The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat store is fastened detachably on the actuator housing, in particular nonpositively and/or positively.

3 . The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein fastening devices, in particular screw sockets, undercuts, clips, clamping elements, plugs, plug receptacles, magnets, ferromagnetic elements and/or hook-and-loop fastening elements, are arranged or formed on the heat store and the actuator housing.

4 . The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein positive engagement elements are arranged or formed on a side of the receiving region which faces the actuator, said positive engagement elements being designed to correspond to positive engagement elements on an outer side of the actuator housing.

5 . The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat store is designed to be at least partially flexible on a side of the receiving region which faces the actuator.

6 . The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat store is designed to be at least partially rigid on a side which faces away from the actuator.

7 . The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat store is formed from different materials, and the material in the receiving region has a thermal conductivity λ M1 which is higher than the thermal conductivity λ M2 of a second material outside the receiving region.

8 . The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an outer contour of a side of the heat store which faces away from the actuator and/or a contour of the receiving region have/has a contour which is designed to correspond to a contour of the outer side of the actuator housing.

9 . The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one heat conductor, in particular a thermal paste, a heat-conducting mat and/or a heat-conducting plate, is arranged between the actuator housing and the heat store.

10 . The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein it is designed as a hydraulic actuator, in particular as a hydraulic damper.

11 . The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat store surrounds the actuator housing circumferentially.

12 . The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat store is of multi-part design.

13 . The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat storage medium has a specific heat capacity of at least c p =1 J/(g*K) at a temperature of T=25° C.

14 . The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat storage medium has a specific enthalpy of fusion of at least h WM =100 kJ/kg.

15 . The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the specific heat capacity of the heat storage medium is higher than the specific heat capacity of the actuator housing.

16 . The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat storage medium is in the form of a wax, paraffin, a salt, salt hydrate, metastable salt hydrate, in particular sodium acetate trihydrate, or a dimensionally stable silica gel.

17 . The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heat storage medium is designed to be actively triggerable.

18 . An orthopedic device having an actuator as claimed in claim 1 .

19 . A heat store having a heat store housing as claimed in claim 1 for fastening on an actuator of an orthopedic device.

20 . An actuator for an orthopedic device comprising:
an actuator housing and a heat store for storing the heat produced during operation of the actuator, wherein the heat store has a heat store housing which has a cavity and a heat storage medium present therein, or wherein the heat store consists of the heat storage medium; and wherein the heat store is configured to be detachably fixed on or in the actuator housing by a fastening device, and wherein the heat store has a receiving region which is designed to correspond to an actuator housing section and which, in an installed state of the heat store, is in heat-transferring contact with the actuator housing.

Assignees

• Bock Otto Healthcare Prod Gmbh

Inventors

• Sima Harald
• Mejia Nino Juan Pablo
• Haglage Joachim

Classifications

• A61F2002/701

  operated by electrically controlled means, e.g. solenoids or torque motors · CPC title

• F16F9/19

  with a single cylinder {and of single-tube type} · CPC title

• A61F5/0102

  specially adapted for correcting deformities of the limbs or for supporting them; Ortheses, e.g. with articulations · CPC title

• F28D20/00 Primary

  Heat storage plants or apparatus in general; Regenerative heat-exchange apparatus not covered by groups F28D17/00 or F28D19/00 · CPC title

• F16F2222/12

  Fluid damping · CPC title