Actuator with Integrated Motor and Spring Damping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing actuators for movable elements, such as doors and flaps, require separate components for active movement and counter movement damping, leading to complexity and inefficiency, particularly in ensuring safe and reliable operation without electric power.
Innovation Solution
An integrated actuator system with an electric motor that actively drives movement in one direction and passively damps counter movement using a spring element, allowing for compact and modular design, enabling motorized movement with spring-driven return and damping without additional components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate spring-damper elements are used for return movement and damping, then the counter movement can be damped, but the device complexity increases due to multiple components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the motor, spring element, and damper into a single integrated actuator unit. The motor (7) is firmly coupled to the actuating body (9) and works in conjunction with the spring element (13) and damping mechanism within the same housing (1), eliminating the need for separate spring-damper elements and reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliable counter movement damping.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor unit serves multiple functions: it actively drives the actuating body in the driving direction, passively dampens counter movement through its electromagnetic braking capability, and coordinates with the spring element for return movement. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed while improving system reliability.
2Reliability
If separate components are used for active driving and passive damping, then each function can be optimized, but the actuator size and volume increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the motor, spring element, and damping mechanism into a compact single housing (1), with all components arranged within the same actuator body. This merging approach maintains functional optimization while significantly reducing the overall actuator volume compared to using separate components.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring element (13) is nested within the housing (1) alongside the motor (7) and damping mechanism. The actuating body (9) moves within the housing while carrying the second fastening element (5b). This nested arrangement allows multiple functional components to coexist in a compact configuration, optimizing space utilization while maintaining reliable performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The actuator system achieves efficient and reliable motorized movement with integrated damping, reducing component costs and enabling safe operation without electric power, ensuring convenient and fail-safe functionality.
Implementation Method 1
The motor is configured, in particular by circuit configuration, structural features, programming or a control system constructed for this purpose, to actively drive the actuating body exclusively in a driving direction along the axial direction
Implementation Method 2
The motor is also configured to passively damp a counter movement of the actuating body counter to the driving direction
Implementation Method 3
The actuator contains a spring element (return spring), which can be loaded by the movement of the actuating body in the driving direction
Data Source
AI summary
An actuator producing an active movement between fastening elements of the actuator and damping a counter movement contains a main body having a first fastening element, an actuating body movable relative to the main body along an axial direction and having a second fastening element, and an electric motor for actively driving the actuating body exclusively in a driving direction along the axial direction and for passively damping a counter movement of the actuating body counter to the driving direction being brought about by external action on the fastening elements. An object assembly contains an object and the actuator in which the spring element is structurally separate from the rest of the actuator, and an interaction between the spring element and the rest of the actuator is achieved in an object to be operated by the actuator, at least in a correctly mounted state of the actuator.