Built-In Lubricating Actuator With Internal Piston-Cam Circulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing screw-nut type actuators used in satellite communication antennas require frequent lubrication and fluid recharging, leading to complexity, bulkiness, and high lubricating fluid consumption, with external pump systems being costly and prone to leakage.
Innovation Solution
An actuator design incorporating a piston and cam mechanism within the actuator body allows for internal lubricating fluid circulation and recycling, eliminating the need for an external pump and reducing fluid consumption, with valves controlling fluid flow and an elastic return member driving the piston for efficient lubrication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an external pump system is used for lubricating the actuator, then the lubricating fluid can be circulated, but the system becomes complex, bulky and costly with hydraulic connections leading to leakage risks
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the pump function from the external system and integrates it within the actuator itself. The piston, mounted inside the actuator body, performs the pumping action directly within the lubrication circuit, eliminating the need for external hydraulic connections and reducing leakage risks while maintaining lubrication circulation capability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the pump function with the actuator's existing mechanical components. The piston that moves within the actuator body during operation also serves as the pumping element, combining the actuation function with the lubrication pumping function into a single integrated system
2Reliability
If an external pump with injection circuit is used, then lubricating fluid circulation is achieved, but the system is bulky and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention nests the lubrication pumping mechanism within the actuator body. The piston moves inside the actuator chamber, utilizing the existing internal space for dual purposes: actuation volume change and lubrication fluid pumping, thereby eliminating the need for separate external pump housing and reducing overall system volume
3Device complexity
If gravity-based lubricant circulation is used, then the system is simple, but the lubricating fluid is not recycled and must be regularly recharged
Solution Approach 1:
The invention establishes continuous circulation of lubricating fluid through the actuator. The piston-driven pumping action continuously moves lubricant through the injection circuit and back to the actuator, creating a closed-loop system where the lubricating fluid is repeatedly reused without depletion, eliminating the need for regular recharging
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 solution reduces the complexity and bulk of the lubrication system, minimizes fluid consumption, and eliminates external pump-related failures, while ensuring continuous lubrication and reduced leakage risks, allowing for efficient operation without interrupting the actuator's functioning.
Implementation Method 1
a cam surface fixed in relation to the body and against which the piston is supported so that rotation of the first element relative to the body causes a back-and-forth translation movement of the piston between the first end position and the second end position
Implementation Method 2
an elastic return member (32) arranged inside the cylinder and able to drive the piston (30, 31) to support the piston (30, 31) against the cam surface (33)
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an actuator (1) comprising: a body (4), a first element (5) mounted such that it can move rotatably in relation to said body (4), and a second element (6) mounted such that it can move translatably in relation to said body (4), either the first element (5) or the second element (6) being a screw and the other one being a nut, the nut cooperating with the screw such that a rotation of the first element (5) in relation to the body (4) around an axis of rotation (X) causes the translation of the second element (6) in relation to the body (4) parallel to the axis of rotation (X), a cylinder which is stationary in relation to the first element (5), a piston mounted such that it can move translatably inside the cylinder between a first end position and a second end position, and a cam surface which is stationary in relation to the body (4) and against which the piston is supported such that a rotation of the first element (5) in relation to the body (4) causes a translatory back-and-forth movement of the piston between the first end position and the second end position.