Actuator Stroke Limiting Attachment for Adjustable Stroke Length
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Solution Overview
Problem
Actuators in HVAC systems have fixed stroke lengths, making them specific to each application and difficult to reconfigure, leading to resource inefficiencies and the need for multiple actuator types, which complicates manufacturing, installation, and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a stroke limiting component with interchangeable faces having different channel lengths, coupled to the actuator housing, allows for adjustable stroke lengths and orientation control through sensors and a controller, enabling the actuator to operate with various stroke ranges without requiring internal modifications or replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If end stops are located within the actuator to control stroke length, then the stroke is specific to each actuator, but the actuator cannot be easily reconfigured for different stroke lengths
Solution Approach 1:
The actuator is divided into separable components: a housing with an engagement feature (channel) and a removable stroke limiting component with a complementary engagement feature (protrusion). This segmentation allows the stroke limiting component to be detached and reattached in different orientations to change the stroke length, resolving the contradiction between precise stroke control and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The stroke limiting component is designed to be dynamically reconfigurable through removable coupling. The engagement features (channel and protrusion) allow for easy attachment and detachment, enabling the actuator to adapt its stroke length dynamically without internal modifications, thus achieving both precise control and versatility.
2Reliability
If multiple actuator types are manufactured for different stroke lengths, then each actuator is optimized for specific situations, but manufacturing complexity and inventory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single actuator housing design with a standardized engagement feature (channel) can accommodate multiple stroke limiting components with different channel lengths. This universal housing design allows one actuator model to serve multiple applications with different stroke requirements, reducing manufacturing variety while maintaining optimized performance for each application.
Solution Approach 2:
The stroke length parameter is changed by replacing the stroke limiting component rather than manufacturing different actuator types. The housing remains identical, but the removable stroke limiting component varies in channel length to provide different stroke lengths, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining application-specific optimization.
3Manufacturing precision
If actuators are designed with fixed internal end stops, then the stroke length is precise, but installation and maintenance become more complex due to multiple actuator types
Solution Approach 1:
The stroke limiting function is segmented into a separate removable component rather than being integrated into the actuator housing. This segmentation allows for precise stroke control through the engineered engagement features (channel and protrusion) while simplifying installation and maintenance through easy removal and replacement of the stroke limiting component.
Solution Approach 2:
The stroke limiting function is extracted from the main actuator body and placed in a separate removable component. This extraction maintains precise stroke control through the designed engagement features while significantly simplifying installation and maintenance operations, as technicians can easily remove and replace the stroke limiting component without internal modifications.
4Adaptability or versatility
If interchangeable stroke limiting components are used, then the actuator becomes versatile for different applications, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple stroke limiting components with different channel lengths are designed to work with a single standardized housing engagement feature (channel). This merging approach allows the actuator to be versatile for different applications while minimizing device complexity, as the housing design remains simple and uniform across all configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
An actuator includes an actuator housing having a first engagement feature and a motor located within the actuator housing and configured to rotate a driver. The actuator also includes a stroke limiting component coupled to the driver and has a second engagement feature. One of the first and second engagement features is a channel and another of the first and second engagement features is a protrusion. The protrusion is configured to fit within the channel to define a stroke of the actuator based at least in part on a length of the channel or a length of the protrusion.