Hybrid actuator

Abstract

The utility model relates to a kind of composite actuators, comprising: hydraulic cylinder, the inside of the hydraulic cylinder is equipped with piston and piston rod, the lower end of the piston rod is fixedly connected with the piston;The piston separates the upper cavity and lower cavity of the hydraulic cylinder;The outer wall of the piston is equipped with first groove, and the first groove is used to install first sealing structure;The upper end of the piston rod passes through hydraulic cylinder and is connected with external device;Outer cylinder body assembly, annular cavity is formed between the outer cylinder body assembly and the hydraulic cylinder;The outer cylinder body assembly is coaxially fixed with the hydraulic cylinder, and the lower end of both is fixed on base;Magnetorheological damper piston assembly, the magnetorheological damper piston assembly is set in the annular cavity.The utility model has the advantages of low energy consumption, high stability, good load-carrying capacity and resistance to lateral force, and good guiding property.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the fields of electro-hydraulic actuation and smart material applications, specifically to a composite actuator. Background Technology

[0002] Magnetorheological fluids are smart materials that undergo significant rheological changes under magnetic field induction. Without an applied magnetic field, they exhibit excellent Newtonian fluid flow. When an external magnetic field is applied, the magnetic particles in the magnetorheological fluid transform along the direction of the magnetic field lines within the fluid, exhibiting a certain yield strength and hindering the flow of the liquid. Controllable dampers or vibration absorbers made using the rheological properties of magnetorheological fluids have been widely used in vibration and motion control in fields such as vehicles, civil engineering, medical devices, and robotics, showing promising application prospects.

[0003] Magnetorheological dampers (MRDs) offer advantages such as fast response, low energy consumption, a wide adjustable damping force range, and simple structure, making them widely used in semi-active suspension and vibration isolation systems. However, MRDs are semi-active devices, only capable of regulating damping force and unable to actively generate power, thus limiting their control functionality. While active devices such as hydraulic actuators, linear motors, and electromechanical actuators converted from other rotating motors can provide active control force, they suffer from high energy consumption and slow response. Existing composite actuators often place the active device on the periphery, but this approach is difficult to integrate and suffers from poor heat dissipation and poor guidance. Furthermore, the piston rods of common MRDs are slender rod structures, which result in insufficient load-bearing capacity and inadequate stability under conditions of large lateral forces.

[0004] In view of this, a composite actuator is proposed to solve the problems of high energy consumption of active devices, poor guidance, and insufficient load-bearing capacity and resistance to lateral forces of piston rods in the existing technology. Utility Model Content

[0005] This utility model addresses the technical problems existing in the prior art by providing a composite actuator.

[0006] The technical solution of this utility model to solve the above-mentioned technical problems is as follows:

[0007] A composite actuator, comprising:

[0008] A hydraulic cylinder has a piston and a piston rod inside, with the lower end of the piston rod fixedly connected to the piston; the piston divides the hydraulic cylinder into an upper chamber and a lower chamber; the outer wall of the piston has a first groove for installing a first sealing structure; the upper end of the piston rod passes through the hydraulic cylinder and is connected to an external device.

[0009] An outer cylinder assembly, which forms an annular cavity with the hydraulic cylinder; the outer cylinder assembly and the hydraulic cylinder are coaxially fixed, and their lower ends are fixed to a base;

[0010] A magnetorheological damping piston assembly is disposed within the annular cavity.

[0011] In some embodiments, an intermediate cylinder body is provided, one end of which is fixedly connected to the piston, and the other end passes through and extends out of the upper end of the hydraulic cylinder, and passes through and extends out of the upper end of the outer cylinder body assembly and is connected to the outer end device.

[0012] In some embodiments, the piston rod is provided with a central hole, and the central hole is provided with an oil passage near the piston, the oil passage connecting the upper cavity and the central hole.

[0013] In some embodiments, the hydraulic cylinder further includes an inner cylinder body, and the upper end of the hydraulic cylinder is provided with an inner guide sealing seat. A second sealing structure is provided between the inner hole and the outer wall of the inner guide sealing seat. The lower part of the inner cylinder body is provided with a lower cavity oil nozzle, and the lower cavity oil nozzle is connected to the upper end of the piston rod through a hydraulic pipeline and a hydraulic pump system.

[0014] In some embodiments, the upper end of the intermediate cylinder is provided with a fixed end cap, which is fixedly connected to the upper end of the piston rod; a second groove is formed on the lower outer wall of the intermediate cylinder, and the second groove is used to install a retaining ring.

[0015] In some embodiments, the magnetorheological damping piston assembly includes a piston core and a piston outer sleeve, with an annular gap formed between the piston core and the piston outer sleeve; the magnetorheological damping piston assembly also includes an upper piston plate and a lower piston plate, the lower piston plate being mounted on the lower end of the piston core and positioned with the piston core step; the upper piston plate is sleeved on the intermediate cylinder body and presses and fixes the retaining spring.

[0016] In some embodiments, the piston sleeve is fitted over the piston core, and the piston sleeve is held by the upper piston plate and the lower piston plate, with the two ends of the piston sleeve rolled to press against the upper piston plate and the lower piston plate.

[0017] In some embodiments, a third groove is formed on the outer wall of the piston core, and an electromagnetic coil is wound on the third groove; both the cylinder body of the intermediate cylinder and the piston core are provided with wiring holes for the wires of the electromagnetic coil to pass through.

[0018] In some embodiments, the outer cylinder assembly includes an outer cylinder and an outer guide sealing ring. The outer wall of the outer guide sealing ring is provided with a static sealing ring, and the inner wall of the outer guide sealing ring is provided with a guide bushing, a dynamic sealing ring, or a dust seal.

[0019] As can be seen from the above, integrating the magnetorheological damper with the hydraulic cylinder can expand the function and capability of a single actuator and significantly reduce the energy consumption of the actuator during active control. Using the intermediate cylinder and the slender piston rod of the hydraulic cylinder to connect with the outside can improve the stability of the intermediate cylinder and the piston rod, thereby making the load-bearing capacity and resistance to lateral forces better. In addition, the actuator uses a three-cylinder structure, which makes the piston more directional. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the composite actuator provided by this utility model;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a part drawing of the hydraulic cylinder provided by this utility model;

[0022] Figure 3 Parts drawings of the intermediate cylinder and magnetorheological damping piston assembly provided by this utility model;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the gap between the piston core and the piston outer sleeve provided by this utility model.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a part drawing of the outer cylinder assembly provided by this utility model;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the control method for the composite actuator provided by this utility model.

[0026] The attached diagram lists the components represented by each number as follows:

[0027] 1. Upper cavity oil nozzle; 2. Fixed end cap; 3. Intermediate cylinder; 4. Outer cylinder assembly; 5. Magnetorheological damping piston assembly; 6. Hydraulic cylinder; 7. Base; 8. Lower cavity oil nozzle; 9. Wire; 10. Hydraulic pipeline; 11. Hydraulic pump system; 12. Piston rod; 13. Hydraulic cylinder inner guide seal seat; 14. Guide bushing; 15. Inner guide seal ring; 16. Inner cylinder; 17. Oil passage hole; 18. Piston; 19. Connecting hole; 20. Snap ring; 21. Piston core; 22. Upper piston plate; 23. Piston outer sleeve; 24. Electromagnetic coil; 25. Lower piston plate; 26. Arc-shaped gap; 27. Dust seal; 28. Static seal ring; 29. ​​Outer guide seal ring; 30. Outer cylinder; 31. Dynamic seal ring. Detailed Implementation

[0028] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0029] In the description of this application, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0030] In the description of this application, the term "for example" is used to mean "used as an example, illustration, or description." Any embodiment described as "for example" in this application is not necessarily to be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other embodiments. The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to implement and use the present invention. Details are set forth in the following description for purposes of explanation. It should be understood that those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention can be implemented without using these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and processes will not be described in detail to avoid obscuring the description of the present invention with unnecessary detail. Therefore, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is consistent with the broadest scope of the principles and features disclosed in this application.

[0031] Reference Figure 1 The composite actuator provided by this utility model includes a hydraulic cylinder 6, inside which is provided a piston 18 and a piston rod 12, the lower end of which is fixedly connected to the piston 18; the piston 18 divides the hydraulic cylinder 6 into an upper cavity and a lower cavity; the outer wall of the piston 18 is provided with a first groove, which is used to install a first sealing structure; the upper end of the piston rod 12 passes through the hydraulic cylinder 6 and is connected to an external device; an outer cylinder assembly 4, which forms an annular cavity with the hydraulic cylinder 6; the outer cylinder assembly 4 and the hydraulic cylinder 6 are coaxially fixed, and their lower ends are fixed to a base 7; and a magnetorheological damping piston assembly 5, which is disposed in the annular cavity.

[0032] Specifically, the composite actuator provided by this utility model also includes an intermediate cylinder 3. One end of the intermediate cylinder 3 is fixedly connected to the piston 18, and the other end passes through and extends out of the upper end of the hydraulic cylinder 6, and passes through and extends out of the upper end of the outer cylinder assembly 4 and is connected to the outer end device.

[0033] In specific application scenarios, the annular cavity formed between the hydraulic cylinder 6 and the outer cylinder assembly 4 is filled with magnetorheological fluid. When the piston 18 slides up and down in the annular cavity, the magnetorheological fluid is forced to flow through the gaps of the magnetorheological damping piston assembly 5. The inner and outer chambers formed by the intermediate cylinder 3, the hydraulic cylinder 6, and the outer cylinder assembly 4 maintain fluid exchange and pressure balance through several connecting holes 19 near the piston in the intermediate cylinder 3. Connecting the intermediate cylinder 3 and the piston rod 12 to the outside world can improve the stability of the intermediate cylinder 3 and the piston rod 12, making the actuator's load-bearing capacity and resistance to lateral forces better.

[0034] Reference Figure 2 The piston rod 12 is provided with a central hole, and the central hole is provided with an oil passage hole 17 near the piston 18. The oil passage hole 17 connects the upper cavity and the central hole.

[0035] In specific application scenarios, the outer wall of the piston 18 is provided with a groove for installing a sealing ring, which can prevent hydraulic oil from leaking between the upper and lower chambers of the inner cylinder 16.

[0036] Reference Figure 2 The hydraulic cylinder 6 also includes an inner cylinder body 16. The upper end of the hydraulic cylinder 6 is provided with an inner guide sealing seat 13. A second sealing structure is provided between the inner hole and the outer wall of the inner guide sealing seat 13. The lower part of the inner cylinder body 16 is provided with a lower cavity oil nozzle 8. The lower cavity oil nozzle 8 and the upper end of the piston rod 12 are connected to the hydraulic pump system 11 through a hydraulic pipeline 10.

[0037] In specific application scenarios, the hydraulic cylinder 6 is filled with hydraulic oil; the lower part of the inner cylinder body 16 is provided with a lower chamber oil nozzle 8, and the upper end of the piston rod acts as the upper chamber oil nozzle 1 of the hydraulic cylinder. The upper chamber oil nozzle 1 and the lower chamber oil nozzle 8 of the hydraulic cylinder are connected to the hydraulic pump system 11 through the hydraulic pipeline 10. When the hydraulic pump system 11 pumps oil to the upper chamber, the hydraulic cylinder outputs a force in the contraction direction; when the hydraulic pump system 11 pumps oil to the lower chamber, the hydraulic cylinder outputs a force in the extension direction. By integrating the hydraulic cylinder, semi-active control and active control can be integrated.

[0038] Reference Figure 3 The upper end of the intermediate cylinder 3 is provided with a fixed end cap 2, which is fixedly connected to the upper end of the piston rod 12; a second groove is opened on the lower outer wall of the intermediate cylinder 3, which is used to install the retaining ring 20.

[0039] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4The magnetorheological damping piston assembly 5 includes a piston core 21 and a piston outer sleeve 23, with an annular gap formed between the piston core 21 and the piston outer sleeve 23. The magnetorheological damping piston assembly 5 also includes an upper piston plate 22 and a lower piston plate 25. The upper piston plate 22 and the lower piston plate 25 are provided with several small holes or gaps at positions aligned with the annular gap, allowing for communication between both ends of the piston 18 and the annular gap. Preferably, the gaps are as follows: Figure 4 The arc-shaped gap 26 is shown.

[0040] Specifically, the lower piston plate 25 is installed at the lower end of the piston core 21. The lower piston plate 25 and the piston core 21 are positioned by a step to ensure their coaxiality. Both the cylinder body of the intermediate cylinder 3 and the piston core 21 have wiring holes for the wires 9 of the electromagnetic coil 24 to pass through. The upper piston plate 22 is sleeved on the outside of the intermediate cylinder 3 and presses the retaining ring 20 tightly. The outer wall of the piston core 21 has a third groove, on which the electromagnetic coil 24 is wound. The piston outer sleeve 23 is sleeved on the outside of the piston core 21. The piston outer sleeve 23 is held by the upper piston plate 22 and the lower piston plate 25. The two ends of the piston outer sleeve 23 are rolled to press the upper piston plate 22 and the lower piston plate 25, permanently fixing the intermediate cylinder 3, the piston core 21, the upper piston plate 22, the lower piston plate 25, and the piston outer sleeve 23 into one unit.

[0041] In specific application scenarios, when the electromagnetic coil 24 is not energized, the magnetorheological fluid in the gap of the magnetorheological damping piston assembly 5 is a highly fluid liquid, resulting in very low damping force on the piston 18. When the electromagnetic coil 24 is energized, a magnetic field is generated in the gap, causing the magnetorheological fluid to become almost solid due to the magnetic field, resulting in poor fluidity and increased damping force on the piston 18. Furthermore, the greater the applied current, the stronger the magnetic field in the gap, the worse the fluidity of the magnetorheological fluid, and the greater the damping force on the piston 18. After the current is cut off, the magnetic field disappears, and the magnetorheological fluid in the gap returns to a highly fluid liquid state, resulting in a smaller damping force on the shock absorber. Therefore, by controlling the current of the electromagnetic coil 24, the damping force of the shock absorber can be adjusted, thereby achieving kinematic or dynamic control of external devices connected to the intermediate cylinder 3.

[0042] Reference Figure 5 The outer cylinder assembly 4 includes an outer cylinder 30 and an outer guide sealing ring 29. The outer wall of the outer guide sealing ring 29 is provided with a static sealing ring 28, and the inner wall of the outer guide sealing ring 29 is provided with a guide bushing 14, a dynamic sealing ring 31 or a dust seal 27.

[0043] Based on the aforementioned composite actuator, this utility model also provides a control method for the composite actuator, such as... Figure 6As shown, for use in the compound actuator described above, the method includes the following steps:

[0044] When the actuator is working in semi-active control mode, the current of the electromagnetic coil is completely controlled by the electronic control system according to the preset control algorithm to adjust the damping force implemented by the magnetorheological damper. At this time, the hydraulic cylinder of the actuator is in a free follow-up state.

[0045] The control mode can be adjusted manually or electronically.

[0046] The electromagnetic coil is an electromagnetic coil wound on the third groove of the outer wall of the piston core;

[0047] When the actuator operates in active control mode: the electronic control system determines the direction of motion of the actuator through sensors, and calculates the output direction and magnitude of the actuator according to a preset control algorithm; if the output direction of the actuator is the same as the direction of motion of the actuator (e.g. Figure 6 (As shown in the first and third quadrants), the hydraulic cylinder outputs active control force, and the magnetorheological damper implements minimum damping force; if the output force direction of the actuator is opposite to the motion direction of the actuator (e.g., ... Figure 6 In the second and fourth quadrants shown, the main damping force is provided by the magnetorheological damper, and the hydraulic cylinder compensates for the differential force value.

[0048] The control mode can be adjusted manually or electronically.

[0049] In specific application scenarios, if the output direction of the actuator is opposite to the direction of the actuator's movement, the magnetorheological damper can bear the main damping force, and the hydraulic cylinder can compensate for the difference in force value. This method allows the magnetorheological damper to provide a large damping force with extremely low energy consumption, thereby reducing the overall energy consumption of the actuator.

[0050] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, those skilled in the art, upon learning the basic inventive concept, can make other changes and modifications to these embodiments. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be interpreted as including the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications falling within the scope of the present invention.

[0051] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this utility model without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if these modifications and variations fall within the scope of the claims of this utility model and their equivalents, this utility model also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A composite actuator, characterized in that, include: A hydraulic cylinder has a piston and a piston rod inside, with the lower end of the piston rod fixedly connected to the piston; the piston divides the hydraulic cylinder into an upper chamber and a lower chamber; the outer wall of the piston has a first groove for installing a first sealing structure; the upper end of the piston rod passes through the hydraulic cylinder and is connected to an external device. An outer cylinder assembly, which forms an annular cavity with the hydraulic cylinder; the outer cylinder assembly and the hydraulic cylinder are coaxially fixed, and their lower ends are fixed to a base; A magnetorheological damping piston assembly is disposed within the annular cavity.

2. The composite actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: An intermediate cylinder body, one end of which is fixedly connected to the piston, and the other end which passes through and extends out of the upper end of the hydraulic cylinder, and also passes through and extends out of the upper end of the outer cylinder body assembly and is connected to the outer end device.

3. The composite actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The piston rod has a central hole, and the central hole has an oil passage near the piston, the oil passage connecting the upper cavity and the central hole.

4. The composite actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hydraulic cylinder also includes an inner cylinder body. The upper end of the hydraulic cylinder is provided with an inner guide sealing seat. A second sealing structure is provided between the inner hole and the outer wall of the inner guide sealing seat. The lower part of the inner cylinder body is provided with a lower cavity oil nozzle. The lower cavity oil nozzle is connected to the upper end of the piston rod through a hydraulic pipeline and is connected to the hydraulic pump system.

5. The composite actuator according to claim 2, characterized in that, The upper end of the intermediate cylinder is provided with a fixed end cap, which is fixedly connected to the upper end of the piston rod; a second groove is opened on the lower outer wall of the intermediate cylinder, which is used to install a retaining ring.

6. The composite actuator according to claim 5, characterized in that, The magnetorheological damping piston assembly includes a piston core and a piston outer sleeve, with an annular gap formed between the piston core and the piston outer sleeve; the magnetorheological damping piston assembly also includes an upper piston plate and a lower piston plate, the lower piston plate is installed at the lower end of the piston core, and the lower piston plate is positioned with the piston core step; the upper piston plate is sleeved on the intermediate cylinder body, and the retaining spring is pressed and fixed.

7. The composite actuator according to claim 6, characterized in that, The piston sleeve is fitted over the piston core. The piston sleeve is held by the upper end plate and the lower end plate of the piston. The two ends of the piston sleeve are rolled to press against the upper end plate and the lower end plate of the piston.

8. The composite actuator according to claim 7, characterized in that, The piston core has a third groove on its outer wall, and an electromagnetic coil is wound on the third groove; both the cylinder of the intermediate cylinder and the piston core have wiring holes for the wires of the electromagnetic coil to pass through.

9. The composite actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer cylinder assembly includes an outer cylinder and an outer guide sealing ring. The outer wall of the outer guide sealing ring is provided with a static sealing ring, and the inner wall of the outer guide sealing ring is provided with a guide bushing, a dynamic sealing ring, or a dust seal.

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