Electric actuator
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- KUBOTA CHEMIX CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-19
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-26
Smart Images
Figure 0007866025000001 
Figure 0007866025000002 
Figure 0007866025000003
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to an electric actuator, and particularly, for example, to an electric actuator that is attached to a water supply control device having a displacement mechanism for controlling water supply by displacement of a valve body or a partition body, and operates the displacement mechanism of the water supply control device.
Background Art
[0002] An example of a conventional electric actuator of this type is disclosed in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic opening / closing device that is attached to an existing water faucet or water weir and automatically opens and closes the water faucet or water weir.
[0003] Another example of a conventional electric actuator of this type is disclosed in Patent Document 2. Patent Document 2 discloses a water supply device in which an electric actuator is integrated in advance.
[0004] In order to solve the problems of these Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, the applicant of the present application proposed an electric actuator shown in Patent Document 3.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0005]
Patent Document 1
Patent Document 2
Patent Document 3
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0006] Since the electric actuator of Patent Document 3 can achieve miniaturization and cost reduction, it is desirable to be used as widely as possible in order to take advantage of its merits.
[0007] Therefore, the primary objective of this invention is to provide a novel electric actuator.
[0008] Another object of this invention is to provide an electric actuator that can be attached to different types of water supply control devices. [Means for solving the problem]
[0009] The first embodiment is, C An electric actuator for operating a displacement mechanism, which is attached to a water supply control device having a displacement mechanism that controls water supply by the displacement of a valve body or partition body linked to the rotation of a shaft, and which operates the displacement mechanism, comprises a main body case, a motor provided inside the main body case, and a transmission device provided inside the main body case that transmits the drive of the motor. Structure, transmission The electric actuator is equipped with a rotating shaft that is rotated by a motor via a connecting mechanism and whose lower part extends below the main body case, and a coupling for connecting the rotating shaft to the shaft, and the electric actuator is equipped with multiple support columns erected on top of the water supply control device. At the upper end, by screw, Water supply control device Fixed It can be attached.
[0010] In the first embodiment, an electric actuator (10: a reference numeral indicating a part illustrated in the embodiment, not intended to be limiting; the same applies hereinafter) is attached to a water supply control device (104) having a displacement mechanism that controls water supply by the displacement of a valve body or partition body linked to the rotation of a shaft, and operates the displacement mechanism. The electric actuator comprises a main body case (20), a motor (38) provided inside the main body case, and transmission mechanisms (42, 40) provided inside the main body case that transmit the drive of the motor. , transmission The electric actuator comprises a rotating shaft (50) that is rotated by a motor via a connecting mechanism and whose lower part extends below the main body case, and a connector (300) for connecting the rotating shaft to the shaft. The electric actuator is mounted on a plurality of support columns (138) erected on top of the water supply control device. At the upper end, by screw, Water supply control device Fixed It can be attached.
[0011] According to the first embodiment, Sending A plurality of support columns erected on the upper part of the water control device At the upper end, the electric actuator is stably mounted. It can be attached to the water supply control device.
[0017] 2nd The embodiment of First An electric actuator subordinate to the embodiment, wherein the support column is a hexagonal support column. Third The embodiment of The first or second An electric actuator subordinate to the embodiment, wherein the upper end of the shaft has at least a pair of opposing side surfaces, and the coupler has a pair of legs that sandwich the opposing side surfaces of the upper end of the shaft with a sandwiching portion, a step portion formed on the inner surface above the sandwiching portion of the legs, and a connecting portion that connects the pair of legs at their respective upper ends. 4th The embodiment of Third An electric actuator subordinate to the embodiment, wherein the protrusion integrated with the shaft is engaged with the step portion to prevent the coupler from coming off the shaft.
Advantages of the Invention
[0018] According to this invention, Multiple support columns erected on top of the water supply control device are used to power the electric actuators. Since it can be attached to the water supply control device via , the electric actuator can be stably attached to the water supply control device.
[0019] The above object, other objects, features, and advantages of this invention will become clearer from the detailed description of the embodiments described later with reference to the drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0020] [Figure 1] It is an illustrative diagram showing a state where an electric actuator according to an embodiment of this invention is installed in a field water supply device and a drainage device. [Figure 2] It is an illustrative diagram showing the appearance of an electric actuator according to an embodiment of this invention. [Figure 3] It is an illustrative diagram showing the internal structure of the electric actuator in FIG. 2. [Figure 4]It is a partial enlarged view showing an enlarged view of the periphery of the main gear in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] It is an illustrative view showing an example of the first adapter. [Figure 6] It is an illustrative view showing how the electric actuator in FIG. 2 is attached to the water supply valve. [Figure 7] It is an exploded perspective view showing the main part of the embodiment in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] It is an illustrative view showing an example of a connector, FIG. 8(A) is a perspective view, and FIG. 8(B) is a front view. [Figure 9] It is an illustrative view showing how the electric actuator shown in FIGS. 2 - 4 is attached to another water supply device using a connector. [Figure 10] It is an illustrative view showing an example of the second adapter. [Figure 11] It is an illustrative view showing an example of the third adapter. [Figure 12] It is an illustrative view showing an example of the procedure for connecting the rotating shaft of the electric actuator and the shaft of the water supply device in the embodiment of FIG. 9 via a second actuator. [Figure 13] It is a perspective view showing the main part of the embodiment of FIG. 9. [Figure 14] It is an illustrative view showing another example of a connector, FIG. 14(A) is a perspective view, and FIG. 14(B) is a front view. [Figure 15] It is an illustrative view showing an example of the procedure for connecting the rotating shaft of the electric actuator and the shaft of the water supply device in the embodiment of FIG. 9 via the connector shown in FIG. 14. [Figure 16] It is a perspective view showing an example of a restraint. [Figure 17] It is a perspective view showing another example of a connector. [Figure 18] It is an illustrative view showing how the electric actuator shown in FIGS. 2 - 4 is attached to the water supply device of the embodiment in FIG. 9 using the connector shown in FIG. 17.
Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention
[0021] Referring to Figure 1, an electric actuator 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as "actuator 10"), which is one embodiment of the present invention, comprises a motor 38, a main gear 40, and a rotating shaft 50, and is attached to a water supply control device such as a water supply valve to operate the displacement mechanism of the water supply control device. In this embodiment, the actuator 10 is used in a field water supply and drainage system 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as "system 100") and is attached to both a water supply device 104 and a drainage device 106, which are examples of water supply control devices. That is, the actuator 10 is used as a first electric actuator to operate the first displacement mechanism of the water supply device 104, and as a second electric actuator to operate the second displacement mechanism of the drainage device 106.
[0022] First, let's describe the system 100. As shown in Figure 1, the system 100 is a field facility for managing the water supply of a field 102 by remote operation or automatic control based on a pre-stored program, and is applied to fields 102 such as paddy fields where a water supply device 104 and a drainage device 106 are installed. The field 102 is divided into multiple cultivation areas by levees, and the water supply device 104 and drainage device 106 are installed for each cultivation area.
[0023] The water supply device 104 is a device for controlling the supply of water to the cultivated area (field 102), and has a displacement mechanism (first displacement mechanism) including a valve body or partition body. In this embodiment, the water supply device 104 uses an alfalfa-type water supply valve of the R&R type (a type in which the shaft moves up and down in conjunction with the rotation of the shaft), which is generally widely used.
[0024] Referring to Figures 1 and 6, the water supply device 104 comprises a cylindrical valve body 120. The upper half of the valve body 120 is covered by a dome-shaped cap 122, and multiple water outlet windows 124 are formed on the upper side wall of the valve body 120, arranged in the circumferential direction. In addition, a bearing 126 with an internal thread formed on its inner surface is provided at the upper end of the valve body 120, and this bearing A shaft (valve stem) 128, with male threads formed on its outer circumference, is screwed into the cap 122 so as to penetrate it. A disc-shaped valve body 130 with a water-sealing rubber 130a on its lower surface is provided at the lower end of the shaft 128. A valve seat 132 with a water passage 132a is provided approximately in the center of the valve body 120. When a rotational force is applied to the shaft 128 around its axis, the lead screw mechanism causes the shaft 128 and the valve body 130 to move up and down, opening and closing the water passage 132a of the valve seat 132. In other words, the water supply device 104 of this embodiment includes a first displacement mechanism that includes a valve body 130 that moves up and down in accordance with the rotation of the shaft 128.
[0025] Such a water supply device 104 is, for example, placed inside a water supply basin 108 and attached to the downstream end of a branch pipe 112 that branches off from a water pipeline 110 or an irrigation channel. An actuator 10 is attached to the water supply device 104 via a first adapter 60, which will be described later, and this actuator 10 operates the displacement mechanism (shaft 128 and valve body 130) of the water supply device 104.
[0026] On the other hand, the drainage device 106 is a device for controlling drainage from the field 102 and has a displacement mechanism including a valve body or partition body that displaces in accordance with the rotation of the shaft. In this embodiment, a drain outlet with a water level setting function is used as the drainage device 106. Such a drainage device 106 is placed, for example, in a drain basin 114 and attached to the upstream end of a drain pipe 118 that extends to the drainage channel 116. Furthermore, an actuator 10 can also be attached to the drainage device 106 as described later, and the displacement mechanism of the drainage device 106 can be operated by this actuator 10.
[0027] In Figure 1, the water supply device 104 is placed on one end of the field 102 and the drainage device 106 is placed on the opposite side. However, the placement of the water supply device 104 and the drainage device 106 can be changed as appropriate. For example, the water supply device 104 and the drainage device 106 may be placed in close proximity to each other.
[0028] Furthermore, the system 100 in this embodiment is a system that includes multiple cultivation areas, and in addition to the actuators 10 attached to the water supply device 104 and drainage device 106 installed in each cultivation area, a master unit that only performs communication is installed, and the remaining actuators 10 are designated as slave units. The master unit is wirelessly connected to remote control terminals such as smartphones, tablet terminals, PDAs and PCs owned by the user via a network such as the Internet. On the other hand, the slave actuators 10 are wirelessly connected to the master unit either directly or via other slave units using a wireless communication method compliant with the specified low-power radio standard, and are wirelessly connected to remote control terminals owned by the user via the master unit.
[0029] Furthermore, cloud computing is recommended for this wireless communication. For example, information acquired by each actuator 10 (information regarding the status of the water supply device 104 or drainage device 106, such as the degree of opening and closing of valves, and sensor information such as field water level and temperature) is transmitted to and stored on a cloud server in real time. The user can access the cloud server from a remote control terminal to check the information acquired by each actuator 10 and manage the water in the field 102 by remotely controlling each actuator 10 using the remote control terminal.
[0030] However, system 100 does not necessarily have to be a system that spans multiple cultivation areas; the field 102 to which system 100 is applied only needs to be a field where at least one water supply device 104 and one drainage device 106 are installed.
[0031] Next, the configuration of the actuator 10 will be described in detail. As shown in Figures 2-4, the actuator 10 has a main body made of a synthetic resin such as rigid polyvinyl chloride. The main body case 20 comprises a cylindrical side wall 22 and a top wall 24 that seals the upper end of the side wall 22. The lower end of the side wall 22 is tapered in a stepped manner, and this tapered portion becomes a fitting portion 26 that fits into the upper opening of the first adapter 60, which will be described later. The height dimension of the main body case 20 is, for example, 300 mm, and the outer diameter of the main body case 20 is, for example, 200 mm.
[0032] A solar panel 28 is mounted on the top surface of the top wall 24 of the main case 20. The solar panel 28 is a rectangular package of multiple solar cells enclosed in tempered glass and a sealing material, and is supported by a holder 30. The holder 30 is made of metal or resin, and for example comprises a rectangular frame 30a that covers the periphery of the solar panel 28, and a support plate 30b provided on the lower surface of the frame 30a that bends at a predetermined angle.
[0033] The main case 20 houses the control panel 32, antenna 34, battery 36, motor 38, and main gear 40, among other components.
[0034] The control panel 32, although not shown in the diagram, includes a control unit containing a CPU and memory, a wireless communication unit for wireless communication with other devices, and switches such as the main power supply. The CPU in the control unit is responsible for the overall control of the actuator 10 and controls the drive of the motor 38, etc., based on the control program stored in memory. The wireless communication unit communicates wirelessly with the user's remote control terminal and other external devices such as other actuators 10 via the antenna 34, as described above.
[0035] The battery 36 stores the electricity generated by the solar panel 28. The motor 38 is driven by the electricity stored in the battery 36, that is, the electricity generated by the solar panel 28. A small gear 42 is provided at the tip of the output shaft 38a of the motor 38, and the main gear 40 is connected to this small gear 42, thereby receiving the driving force from the motor 38 and rotating around its axis.
[0036] In this embodiment, a motor with an encoder is used as the motor 38. The encoder of the motor 38 outputs a pulse signal to the CPU of the control unit according to the rotation direction and rotation speed of the output shaft 38a. The CPU of the control unit calculates the position of the valve body 130 of the water supply device 104 or the partition body 142 of the drainage device 106 based on the pulse signal input from the encoder, i.e., the rotation direction and rotation speed of the output shaft 38a. In other words, the encoder is used as a position detection unit to detect the position of the valve body 130 or the partition body 142. However, the encoder that functions as a position detection unit does not necessarily have to be provided on the motor 38; the encoder can also be provided on the main gear 40, and the position of the valve body 130 or the partition body 142 can be calculated based on the rotation direction and rotation speed of the main gear 40. Furthermore, the control panel 32 is provided with a current value detection unit such as a current sensor (current transformer) that detects the motor current value, and the detection data from the current value detection unit is input to the CPU of the control unit.
[0037] The main gear 40 is a double-boss type gear, having a cylindrical shaft portion (boss portion) 40a extending in the vertical direction and a disc-shaped gear portion 40b on which gear teeth are formed on its outer circumference. A disc-shaped first bearing 44, which also forms the bottom wall of the main case 20, is provided at the lower end of the side wall 22 of the main case 20, and a disc-shaped second bearing 48, supported by a plurality of support portions 46, is provided above the first bearing 44. Both ends of the shaft portion 40a of the main gear 40 are rotatably held by these first bearing 44 and second bearing 48.
[0038] A roughly cylindrical rotating shaft 50 is inserted through the shaft portion 40a of the main gear 40. In other words, the rotating shaft 50 is provided so as to pass through the axial center of the main gear 40. The lower end of this rotating shaft 50 A coupling portion 50a is formed in this section, which is non-rotatably connected to the shaft 128 of the water supply device 104 or the upper end portion 308b (described later) of the connector 300, which will be described later.
[0039] Furthermore, a keyway (first keyway) 40c extending along the axial direction is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the shaft portion 40a of the main gear 40, and a sliding key (first sliding key) 50b that engages with the keyway 40c is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 50 so as to extend along the axial direction. By having such a sliding key structure consisting of the keyway 40c and the sliding key 50b, the rotating shaft 50 can rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the main gear 40 and can also slide axially relative to the shaft portion 40a of the main gear 40.
[0040] Here, one could consider using a spline structure or a serrated structure to provide a rotating shaft that rotates with the gear and is slidable in the axial direction of the gear. However, with a spline structure or a serrated structure, it is necessary to machine multiple grooves extending axially on the outer surface of the rotating shaft, and further, to machine multiple grooves on the inner surface of the gear shaft, which increases manufacturing costs. Therefore, in this embodiment, a simple sliding key structure as described above is adopted. This is because it significantly reduces manufacturing costs.
[0041] However, since the rotating shaft 50 moves up and down while rotating, meaning that a torsional force acts on the rotating shaft 50, simply adopting a sliding key structure may result in poor rotational balance of the rotating shaft 50, potentially causing it to malfunction.
[0042] Therefore, in this embodiment, a first thrust bearing 52 is provided between the lower surface of the gear portion 40b of the main gear 40 and the upper surface of the first bearing 44, and a second thrust bearing 54 is provided between the upper surface of the gear portion 40b of the main gear 40 and the lower surface of the second bearing 48. Known thrust ball bearings or the like can be used as the thrust bearings 52 and 54.
[0043] By providing thrust bearings 52 and 54 in this manner, a sliding key structure is adopted. At the same time, the rotating shaft 50 can move up and down while rotating in a balanced manner, reducing the rotational torque during operation, and thus the load on the motor 38. This is particularly effective when the load is at its maximum during tightening (the final stage of closing). Therefore, it becomes possible to miniaturize and reduce the power consumption of the motor 38. In addition, the reduced rotational torque improves the durability of the main gear 40, bearings 44 and 48, and the rotating shaft 50.
[0044] In other words, by combining the sliding key structure with thrust bearings 52 and 54 This makes it possible to reduce manufacturing costs while ensuring smooth operation of the rotating shaft 50.
[0045] As described above, the driving force of the motor 38 is supplied to the rotating shaft 50 via the small gear 42 and the main gear 40, so these gears 40 and 42 constitute a transmission mechanism.
[0046] Furthermore, the efficiency of reducing the motor load of the actuator 10 in this embodiment has been significantly increased, and the motor load reduction effect of the thrust bearings 52 and 54 has already been confirmed by the inventors. Since it has already been done, I will omit a detailed explanation of that matter.
[0047] Although not shown in the diagram, the field 102 is appropriately equipped with sensors such as an ultrasonic sensor for detecting the field water level, a temperature sensor for detecting the air temperature, a pressure sensor for detecting the atmospheric pressure, and a moisture sensor for detecting soil moisture. Sensor information such as the field water level and air temperature detected by each sensor is input to the control unit of the actuator 10.
[0048] Next, referring to Figure 5, the first steps for attaching the actuator 10 to the water supply device 104 An example of the adapter 60 will be described. As shown in Figure 6, the first adapter 60 includes a cylindrical portion 62, a flange-shaped first connecting portion 64 protruding outward from the upper end of the cylindrical portion 62, and an annular plate-shaped second connecting portion 66 protruding inward from the lower end of the cylindrical portion 62 and having a through hole 66a in its center. The first connecting portion 64 has a plurality of bolt holes (not shown) arranged in the circumferential direction. The second connecting portion 66 also has a plurality of bolt holes (not shown) arranged in the circumferential direction. The bolt holes of the second connecting portion 66 may be elongated holes that are long in the circumferential direction.
[0049] As shown in Figure 6, when attaching the actuator 10 to the water supply device 104 using the first adapter 60, the fitting portion 26 of the main body case 20 is fitted into the cylindrical portion 62 of the first adapter 60, and the first connection portion 64 of the first adapter 60 is bolted to the bottom wall of the main body case 20 of the actuator 10. In addition, the second connection portion 66 of the first adapter 60 is bolted to the cap 122 and bearing 126 of the water supply device 104. At this time, by making the bolt hole formed in the second connection portion 66 an elongated hole in the circumferential direction, the first adapter 60 and the actuator 10 can be angle-adjusted in the circumferential direction relative to the water supply device 104. Furthermore, the upper end of the shaft 128 of the water supply device 104 protrudes upward from the through hole 66a formed in the second connection portion 66 of the first adapter 60 and is non-rotatably connected to the coupling portion 50a of the rotating shaft 50 of the actuator 10.
[0050] Referring to Figure 7, a slit 70 constituting the coupling portion 50a is formed at the lower end of the rotating shaft 50. This slit 70 receives the shaft 128 of the water supply device 104. In other words, at the upper end of the shaft 128, a pair of opposing side surfaces 134 are fitted into the slit 70, for example by cutting off the side surface of a cylinder, so that the inner surface 72 defining the slit 70 sandwiches the side surfaces 134, thereby connecting the shaft 128 to the rotating shaft 50 of the actuator 10 in a non-rotatable manner.
[0051] However, the upper end of the shaft 128 may be formed as a quadrangular prism, and it is sufficient to have a pair of opposing sides 134 that fit into the slit 70 of the rotating shaft 50.
[0052] In the water supply device 104 to which the actuator 10 is installed in this manner, for example, when a user sends an operation instruction (control signal) to the actuator 10 using a remote control terminal, indicating fully closed, fully open, or an arbitrary opening degree, the control unit (CPU) of the actuator 10 drives the motor 38 in accordance with the operation instruction. The driving force of this motor 38 is transmitted to the main gear 40 which constitutes the transmission mechanism, causing the main gear 40 to rotate and the rotating shaft 50 to rotate. This applies a rotational force to the shaft 128 connected to the rotating shaft 50. The shaft 128, to which the rotational force is applied, moves up and down by a lead screw mechanism between itself and the bearing 126, and the valve body 130 moves to the fully open position, fully closed position, etc. In addition, the rotating shaft 50 moves up and down so as to pass through the shaft portion 40a of the main gear 40 in accordance with the up and down movement of the shaft 128. In this way, the up and down movement of the shaft 128 is absorbed without requiring a large amount of space in the vertical direction.
[0053] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, a relatively deep counterbore 74 is formed above the slit 70 of the rotating shaft 50. This counterbore 74 receives a retaining bolt 136 that will be attached to the upper end of the connector 300 in the embodiment shown in Figure 9, which will be described later. Furthermore, at the location of this counterbore 74, female threads 76 are formed on the rotating shaft 50 at two different positions in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 50, so as to penetrate the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 50 that defines the counterbore 74.
[0054] Next, with reference to Figure 8, an example of a connector 300 for attaching the actuator 10 to another type of water supply device will be described. It should be noted that the dimensions, height, width, and spacing of the parts described below are all specific to this embodiment and are not necessarily limited. put.
[0055] The connector 300 is made of a metal such as steel, and is arch-shaped (gate-shaped) when viewed from the front (Figure 8(B)). Its overall width W is 37 mm, height H1 is 55 mm, and thickness T1 is 17 mm. The connector 300 includes a pair of legs 302 that are spaced apart and facing each other. The lower ends of the legs 302 are formed as clamping parts 304 to clamp the opposing sides 142 (similar to the side 134 in Figure 7) formed on the rectangular prism portion 140 at the upper end of the shaft 128 of the water supply device 104, as described later. The distance G1 between the opposing inner surfaces of the clamping parts 304 is 14.0 mm, and the height H2 of the clamping parts 304 is 18 mm.
[0056] A stepped portion 306 is formed on the inner surface of each leg portion 302, above the clamping portion 304. In this embodiment, the distance G2 between the opposing inner surfaces of the stepped portion 306 is 24 mm. The height H3 of the stepped portion 306 is 10 mm.
[0057] The upper ends of a pair of legs 302 of the connector 300 are connected by a connecting portion 308. The connecting portion 308 consists of a lower portion 308a with the same thickness as the legs and an upper portion 308b integrally formed above it, with a thickness T2 that is thinner than the thickness T1 of the lower portion 308a (13 mm), and the overall height H4 is 17 mm. The height of the upper portion 308b alone is 13 mm. In the center of the width direction of the connecting portion 308, a female thread 310 is formed from the upper portion 308b to a part of the lower portion 308a. This female thread 310 is used to attach the retaining bolt 136 mentioned above.
[0058] Furthermore, a counterbore hole 312 is formed in the center of the width direction of the connecting portion 308, extending upward from the lower surface of the lower portion 308a. This counterbore hole 312 is formed to a depth of 10 mm and receives the male screw 144 formed at the upper end of the shaft 128, which will be described later.
[0059] Here, an example of applying the actuator 10 shown in Figures 2-4 to a water supply device 104 of a different type than that of the embodiment in Figure 6, using this connector 300, will be described with reference to Figures 9-12.
[0060] First, in the embodiment shown in Figure 9, the second adapter 314 and the third adapter 316 shown in Figures 10 and 11 are used.
[0061] The second adapter 314 in Figure 10 is made of a metal such as aluminum and includes a disc portion 318 and a wall 320 rising from the upper surface of the disc portion 318. A female thread 321 is formed in the wall 320. A through hole 322 is formed in the center of the disc portion 318 for passing the shaft 128 of the water supply device 104. Although not clear in Figure 10, the disc portion 318 has a threaded hole for attaching the second adapter 314 to the water supply device 104 shown in Figure 9.
[0062] Furthermore, the third adapter 316 shown in Figure 11 is also made of a metal such as aluminum and has a similar form to the first adapter 60 shown in Figure 5. In other words, the third adapter 316 includes a cylindrical portion 324 and a flange-shaped connecting portion 326 that protrudes outward from the upper end of the cylindrical portion 324. As the third adapter 316 is connected to the second adapter 314 as described later, a hole 325 is formed in the cylindrical portion 324 at a position corresponding to the female thread 321. However, unlike the first adapter 60, the lower end of the cylindrical portion 324 does not have a bottom surface and is open.
[0063] These second adapter 314 and third adapter 316 are combined as shown in Figure 9.
[0064] The water supply device 104 shown in Figure 9 is of the type in which the valve is opened and closed directly with a handle (not shown), and does not have a flat top surface like the water supply device 104 in the embodiment of Figure 6. Therefore, in this embodiment, when there is no water pressure, the handle is removed, the screws (not shown) on the bearing cover above the water supply valve are removed, and it is replaced with a predetermined hexagonal support column 138. For example, if there are four screws on the bearing cover... Total number Replace the screws with hexagonal support posts 138. For example, if there are 6 screws, replace every other screw (a total of 3 screws) with hexagonal support posts 138.
[0065] Since female threads are formed at the upper end of each hexagonal support column 138, the disc portion 318 of the second adapter 314 shown in Figure 10 is attached to the upper end of the hexagonal support column 138 using male threads. In this state, the upper end of the shaft 128 shown in Figure 9 is exposed above the disc portion 318 through the through hole 322 of the disc portion 318 of the second adapter 314, and the upper end of the water supply device 104 can be made flat.
[0066] In that state, the connector 300 shown in Figure 8 is then attached to the upper end of the shaft 128, as shown in Figure 12(A).
[0067] The upper end of the shaft 128 is formed as a rectangular prism portion 140 in the shape of a quadrangular prism, as shown in Figure 12, for example, and has a pair of opposing side surfaces 142. However, the side surfaces 142 may be formed by cutting off the side surface of a cylinder, similar to the side surface 134 shown in Figure 7, and a male thread 144 is formed extending upward from the upper surface of the rectangular prism portion 140. A nut 1146 (a round nut in this embodiment, but a square nut may also be used) is screwed onto the upper end of the male thread 144, and the nut 146 is received by the stepped portion 306 of the connector 300, and the pair of side surfaces 142 of the rectangular prism portion 140 of the shaft 128 are positioned within the clamping portion 304 of the connector 300. However, this positioning operation involves screwing the nut 146 onto the upper end of the male screw 144, and then positioning the nut 146 onto the stepped portion 306 and the pair of side surfaces 142 into the clamping portion 304 from the side of the connector 300, that is, from the front (Figure 8(B)) or back side of the connector 300. This state is shown in Figure 12(A), and at this time, the tip of the male screw 144 is not yet inside the counterbore hole 312, and the side surfaces 142 of the rectangular prism portion 140 of the shaft 128 are not yet fully inside the clamping portion 304.
[0068] Next, the nut 146 is rotated to move it toward the base end of the male screw 144. As a result, the position of the nut 146 is restricted by the stepped portion 306 of the connector 300, so as the nut 146 rotates, the male screw 144 is displaced relatively upward, and the shaft 128 is also displaced upward, resulting in the state shown in Figure 12(B). In this state, the tip of the male screw 144 is inserted into the counterbore hole 312, and since the nut 146 is restricted by the stepped portion 306, the male screw 144 will not fall out of the counterbore hole 312. In addition, the side surface 142 of the rectangular prism portion 140 of the shaft 128 is completely contained within the clamping portion 304.
[0069] Next, as shown in Figure 12(C), a retaining bolt 136 is attached to the female thread 310 formed in the upper part 308b of the connecting portion 308 of the connector 300. The retaining bolt 136 has a male thread 136a at its lower end, with a smaller diameter portion 148 formed above it. By screwing the male thread 136a into the female thread 310, the retaining bolt 136 is attached to the upper side of the connecting portion 308 (upper part 308b) of the connector 300.
[0070] Then, as shown in Figure 12(D), the retaining bolt 136 is inserted into the counterbore 74 formed in the rotating shaft 50 of the actuator 10. At this time, the slit 70 (Figure 7) formed at the lower end of the rotating shaft 50 covers the upper part 308b of the connecting portion 308 of the connector 300, as shown in Figure 12. In other words, by sandwiching the upper part 308b of the connecting portion 308 of the connector 300 with the inner surface 72 (Figure 7) of the slit 70, the connector 300 is connected to the rotating shaft 50 of the actuator 10 in a way that prevents rotation. In this state, the set screw 150 is screwed into one of the two female threads 76 formed on the side surface of the counterbore 74 of the rotating shaft 50. The small diameter portion 148 of the retaining bolt 136 is held in place. In other words, the set screw 150 that engages with the small diameter portion 148 of the retaining bolt 136 constitutes the locking part. Therefore, the connector 300 will not fall off the rotating shaft 50.
[0071] On the other hand, as explained earlier, the engagement between the nut 146 and the stepped portion 306 prevents the shaft 128 from falling off the connector 300. Furthermore, since the side surface 142 of the rectangular prism portion 140 of the shaft 128 is clamped by the clamping portion 304 of the connector 300, the shaft 128 is connected to the rotating shaft 50 via the connector 300 in a way that prevents rotation.
[0072] Finally, as shown in Figure 9, the third adapter 316 is attached to the lower end of the actuator 10, and a bolt is screwed through the hole 325 provided in the cylindrical portion 324 of the third adapter 316 into the female thread 321 provided in the wall 320 of the second adapter 314, thereby joining it to the second adapter 314. This connects the actuator 10 and the water supply device 104, resulting in the state shown in Figure 9.
[0073] Thus, in the embodiment shown in Figure 9, the actuator 10 can be attached to the water supply device 104 and operated in the same way as in the embodiment shown in Figure 6. In other words, in the water supply device 104 to which the actuator 10 is attached, for example, when a user sends an operation instruction (control signal) to the actuator 10 using a remote control terminal, indicating fully closed, fully open, or an arbitrary opening, the control unit (CPU) of the actuator 10 drives the motor 38 in accordance with the operation instruction. The driving force of this motor 38 is transmitted to the rotating shaft 50 via a transmission mechanism, causing the rotating shaft 50 to rotate. A rotational force is applied to the shaft 128 connected to the rotating shaft 50 via a connector 300.
[0074] In the above embodiment, in order to prevent the shaft 128 from falling off the connector 300 by engaging with the stepped portion 306 of the connector 300, an upwardly extending male thread 144 is formed on the upper end of the shaft 128, and a nut 146 is screwed onto the male thread 144, so that the nut 146 protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft 128 and engages with the stepped portion 306.
[0075] However, the nut 146 can also be replaced with a bolt head (not shown). In this case, an internal thread (not shown) may be formed extending downward from the upper surface of the prismatic portion 140 of the shaft 128, and a bolt may be screwed into this internal thread, so that the bolt head protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the shaft 128 and engages with the stepped portion 306.
[0076] The connector 300 shown in Figure 14 is suitable for cases where high torque is required for the actuator 10. In the actuator 10 of the embodiment, a slit 70 is provided at the lower end of the rotating shaft 50, and the shaft 128 of the water supply device 104 or the connector 300 is connected so as not to rotate by the slit 70 (its inner surface 72). Therefore, when it is necessary to increase the torque required to rotate the shaft 128 of the water supply device 104, there is a risk that the rotating shaft 50 may split at the slit 70. For this reason, in the following embodiment, a connector 300 is used that can reinforce the lower end of the rotating shaft 50.
[0077] The connector 300 in Figure 14 differs from the connector 300 shown in Figure 8, except for the following: the overall thickness T3 is thicker than the thickness T1 in Figure 8, for example, 24 mm. However, the thickness T2 of the upper part 308b of the connector 308 is the same as the thickness T2 in Figure 8. This is because this upper part 308b needs to fit into the slit 70 of the rotating shaft 50, similar to the embodiment in Figure 9.
[0078] The reason for increasing the thickness T3 is that grooves 328 are placed on both sides of the upper part 308b mentioned above. This is to form part 326. In other words, a groove 328 is formed on the outer side of the upper part 308b in the thickness direction by the stopper 326. The width of this groove 328 in the thickness direction is selected to be the maximum thickness from the inner surface 72 of the slit 70 of the rotating shaft 50 shown in Figure 7 to the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 50, that is, a width that can accommodate the slit forming portion 78 shown in Figure 15.
[0079] Figure 15 shows the procedure for connecting the rotating shaft 50 and the shaft 128 using the connector 300 shown in Figure 14.
[0080] The method for connecting the shaft 128 to the connector 300, as shown in Figure 15(A), is the same as previously explained with reference to Figure 12. The method for connecting the rotating shaft 50 to the connector 300 in that state is also basically the same as the method explained in Figure 12.
[0081] The slit 70 of the rotating shaft 50 is placed over the upper portion 308b of the connecting portion 308 of the connector 300. At this time, as shown in Figure 15(B), the slit-forming portion 78 of the rotating shaft 50 that defines the slit 70 is inserted into the groove 328 of the connector 300. As a result, this slit-forming portion 78 is sandwiched between the upper portion 308b and the stopper 326. Therefore, the stopper 326 can restrain the slit-forming portion 78 of the rotating shaft 50 that defines the slit 70 from the outside. In other words, the stopper 326 constitutes a restraining means that restrains the rotating shaft 50 from the outside at the portion of the slit 70. This prevents the rotating shaft 50 from breaking or breaking even when high torque is required to rotate the shaft 128 of a water supply control device such as a water supply device 104.
[0082] In the connector 300 shown in Figure 14, the height of the stopper 326 (depth of the groove 328) may be such that the rotating shaft 50 is held down from the outside in at least a portion of the slit 70, but it is desirable that it be such that it can be restrained from the outside over the entire depth of the slit 70.
[0083] As another embodiment of a restraining means for restraining such a rotating shaft 50 from the outside at the slit 70, the restraining device 330 shown in Figure 16 is used. This restraining device 330 is made of a metal such as steel and has a hole 332 formed in the center. The diameter of this hole 3232 is sized to allow the rotating shaft 50 to pass through. However, the outer diameter, i.e., wall thickness, of the restraining device 330 is arbitrary, but should be determined according to the required strength of the restraining device 330. The thickness (vertical direction) of the restraining device 330 should also be determined according to the required strength.
[0084] In order to use such a restraint device 330, the connector 300 is also modified as shown in Figure 17. In Figure 17, the connector 300 of this embodiment has a narrower width in the upper portion 308b of the connector 308 compared to the connector 300 of the example in Figure 8. That is, both sides of the upper portion 308b, as viewed from the front, are cut out, and restraint device receivers 334 are formed on both sides of the front of the upper portion 308b.
[0085] Figure 18 shows the actuator 10 and the water supply device 104 connected using the connector 300 and restraint 330. In this embodiment, first, the second adapter 314 is mounted on the hexagonal support column 138, similar to the embodiment in Figure 9. Then, before screwing in the set screw 150, the rotating shaft 50 is passed through the restraint 330, and then the rotating shaft 50 and the shaft 128 are connected via the connector 300 in the procedure described with reference to Figure 11. However, the set screw 150 is not yet screwed in.
[0086] Next, the restraint 330, which has been pre-placed on the rotating shaft 50, is lowered until it hits the restraint receiver 334. As shown in Figure 18, the lower end of the rotating shaft 50 is then surrounded by the restraint 330. Finally, as in the embodiment shown in Figure 9, the retaining bolt 136 is secured with the set screw 150. At the same time, as shown in Figure 18, the third adapter 316 is attached to the lower end of the actuator 10, and a bolt is screwed through the hole 325 provided in the cylindrical portion 324 of the third adapter 316 into the female thread 321 provided in the wall 320 of the second adapter 314, thereby joining it to the second adapter 314, and the connection between the actuator 10 and the water supply device 104 is connected, resulting in the state shown in Figure 18.
[0087] In the embodiment shown in Figure 18, the restraint 330 can also restrain the slit-forming portion 78 (Figure 15) that defines the slit 70 of the rotating shaft 50 from the outside. In other words, the restraint 330 constitutes a restraining means that restrains the rotating shaft 50 from the outside at the portion of the slit 70. This prevents the rotating shaft 50 from breaking or being destroyed, even when high torque is required to rotate the shaft 128 of a water supply control device such as the water supply device 104.
[0088] However, compared to using a restraining means (stopper 326) integrated with the connector 300, using a separate restraining means (restraining device 330) from the connector 300 has the disadvantage of being more troublesome to attach and detach.
[0089] As a restraining means separate from the connecting device 300, the restraining device 330 shown in Figures 16-18 is not the only option; for example, a stainless steel band can also be used.
[0090] In the above embodiment, the slit 70 of the rotating shaft 50 was placed over the upper part 308b of the connector 300 to connect the rotating shaft 50 and the connector 300, but the connection structure between the rotating shaft 50 and the connector 300 is not limited to this.
[0091] In another embodiment, for example, a recess may be formed in the connecting portion 308 (upper portion 308b) of the connector 300, a protrusion that fits into the recess may be formed on the lower end surface of the rotating shaft 50, and the two may be screwed together with the protrusion fitted into the recess.
[0092] Furthermore, as another embodiment, for example, the connecting portion 308 (upper portion 308b) of the connector 300 could be made cylindrical in shape with the same diameter as the rotating shaft 50, and this cylindrical portion could be connected to the lower end of the rotating shaft 50 with a commercially available coupling member.
[0093] The specific dimensions and shapes mentioned above are merely examples and can be modified as needed according to product specifications and other requirements. [Explanation of symbols]
[0094] 10… Electric Actuator 20...Main unit case 50 ... rotation axis 70…Slit 72...Inner self 74 ... Counterbore hole 76 ... Female thread 78 ... Slit forming portion 128...shaft 104 ...Water supply equipment (water supply control device) 106 ... Drainage system (water supply control device) 134 ... side view 136... Retaining bolt 140 ... prism section 142 ... side view 144 ... Male screw 146...nut 148 ... Small diameter section 150 ... Set screw 300 ... Connector 302...legs 304 ... Clamping part 306 ... Stepped section 308…Connection part 308a…lower part 308b…upper part 310 ... Female thread 312 ... Counterbore
Claims
1. An electric actuator for operating a displacement mechanism, which is attached to a water supply control device having a displacement mechanism that controls water supply by the displacement of a valve body or partition body linked to the rotation of a shaft, Main unit case, The motor provided inside the main body case, A transmission mechanism provided within the main body case for transmitting the drive of the motor, A rotating shaft that is rotated by the motor via the transmission mechanism and whose lower part extends downward to the main body case, The rotating shaft is provided with a connector for connecting it to the shaft, The electric actuator is fixedly attached to the water supply control device by screws at the upper ends of a plurality of support columns erected on top of the water supply control device.
2. The electric actuator according to claim 1, wherein the support column is a hexagonal support column.
3. The upper end of the shaft has at least one pair of opposing sides, The electric actuator according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the connector has a pair of legs that clamp the opposing sides of the upper end of the shaft with a clamping portion, stepped portions formed on the inner surfaces of the legs above the clamping portion, and a connecting portion that connects the pair of legs at their respective upper ends.
4. The electric actuator according to claim 3, wherein the connecting member is prevented from coming off the shaft by engaging the protruding portion, which is integral with the shaft, with the stepped portion.