Electric Actuator Bus Bar Staggering for Compact Sensor Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electric actuators face a challenge in reducing the size of the case while effectively detecting the rotation of an output shaft, as they require additional space for a rotation sensor and connection members, leading to increased dimensions.
Innovation Solution
The electric actuator design includes a motor with a motor shaft, a first case for the motor, a second case for the deceleration mechanism, a rotation sensor in the second case, and bus bars connected to sensor terminals, where the connecting parts are positioned shifted in the circumferential and radial directions, allowing for a compact configuration without increasing the case size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rotation sensor and connection members are accommodated in the front case, then rotation detection function is provided, but the case size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting parts are arranged in a three-dimensional configuration with staggered positions in both circumferential and radial directions, transforming a two-dimensional planar arrangement into a three-dimensional spatial arrangement. This dimensional change allows multiple connecting parts to be packed more efficiently within the limited space of the front case, accommodating the rotation sensor and connection members without increasing the overall case size.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting parts are nested within the front case structure, with each connecting part positioned at different radial distances from the center. This nesting arrangement allows the connection members to be integrated within the existing case geometry rather than requiring additional external space, thereby maintaining compact dimensions while providing the necessary rotation detection functionality.
2Reliability
If multiple connecting parts are disposed at the same radial position, then electrical connection is achieved, but space efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting parts are positioned asymmetrically with respect to the radial direction, with each connecting part at a different radial distance from the center. This asymmetric arrangement breaks the symmetry of conventional arrangements where connecting parts are aligned at the same radial position, allowing more efficient use of the available space within the front case while maintaining all necessary electrical connections.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of arranging connecting parts along a single radial line (one-dimensional arrangement), the invention utilizes both circumferential and radial dimensions simultaneously (two-dimensional arrangement). This allows connecting parts to be distributed across different positions in the circumferential direction and at different radial distances, maximizing space utilization within the front case.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an electric actuator including a motor, a first case having a first opening, a second case having a second opening that opens to the other side in the axial direction, a rotation sensor, and a plurality of bus bars which are electrically connected to a plurality of sensor terminals that extend from the rotation sensor and are held in the second case. The first and second cases are fixed to each other while the first opening and the second opening face each other in the axial direction, and parts connecting the plurality of bus bars and the plurality of sensor terminals are disposed at positions shifted from each other in a circumferential direction and radially outward from the rotation sensor. Among the plurality of connecting parts, at least one pair of adjacent connecting parts are disposed at positions different from each other in the radial direction.