Valve actuator
AssigneeLG Electronics Inc.
InventorsJoohang Kang, Youngchan Ahn, Deokkyu Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A valve actuator includes a motor and a gear assembly that receives driving force of the motor and controls a valve. In the gear assembly, a power transmission gear for transmitting rotational force of an input gear to an output gear includes a selective power transmission unit. When the output gear is in physical contact with a stopper, the power transmission gear transmits the rotational force of the input gear to the output gear is blocked. Accordingly, even after the valve is actuated to close a path, the rotational force of the input gear is not transmitted to the output gear even though the motor is continuously driven.
Claims18
A valve actuator comprising:
- a motor;
- and
- a gear assembly configured to receive a driving force of the motor and control a valve,
- wherein the gear assembly includes:
- a first gear coupled to a rotational shaft of the motor and configured to receive the driving force of the motor,
- a second gear coupled to the valve and configured to transmit a rotational force of the first gear to the valve,
- at least one stopper configured to limit a rotational angle of the second gear, and
- at least one power transmission gear configured to transmit the rotational force of the first gear to the second gear,
- wherein the at least one power transmission gear includes a third gear configured to, based on the rotational angle of the second gear, selectively block the rotational force of the first gear being transmitted to the second gear,
- wherein the third gear is configured to, based on the second gear not contacting the stopper, transmit the driving force of the motor to the second gear through the first gear, and
- wherein the third gear is configured to, based on the second gear contacting the stopper, block the driving force of the motor from being transmitted to the second gear through the first gear.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.