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US 2014/0174287 A1Published application
Rotary Vane Actuator With Continuous Vane Seal
AssigneeWoodward, Inc.
InventorDouglas Paul Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a rotary vane actuator that includes a rotor assembly including a rotor hub. The rotor hub has a first and second vane assembly disposed radially on the rotor hub. Continuous seals are disposed in continuous seal grooves along pathways provided along the vanes. A stator housing having a central chamber includes an interior surface adapted to receive the rotor assembly, the interior surface is adapted to continuously contact the first continuous seal and the second continuous seal when the rotor assembly is rotated inside of the central chamber. The vane assemblies and the stator housing define pressure chambers inside of the central chamber.
Claims30
A rotary vane actuator comprising:
- a rotor assembly including a rotor hub having a longitudinal axis, said rotor hub having:
- at least first and second vane assemblies disposed radially on the rotor hub, each of the first and second vane assemblies comprising:
- first and second vanes disposed on the rotor hub, with an integral valley member between the first vane and the second vane,
- continuous seal groove disposed continuously along a pathway following a longitudinal peripheral face of the first vane, then along a first lateral peripheral face of the first vane, then across a first lateral face of the valley member, then along a first lateral peripheral face of the second vane, then along a longitudinal peripheral face of the second vane, then along a second lateral peripheral face of the second vane, then across a second lateral peripheral face of the valley member, and then along a second lateral peripheral face of the second vane to a point of beginning of the first pathway,
- a continuous seal disposed in the continuous seal groove along the pathway;
- and
- a stator housing having a central chamber having an interior surface adapted to receive the rotor assembly;
- and
- wherein the first and second vane assemblies and the stator housing define four pressure chambers inside of the central chamber;
- and
- wherein in at least one of the first and second vane assemblies a portion of the pathway of the seal groove and the continuous seal that crosses at least one of the lateral peripheral faces of the valley members is spaced apart from the rotor hub a predetermined distance to form a fluid flow path for fluid from two pressure chambers positioned opposite each other in the central chamber.
8 more elements
A rotary vane actuator comprising:
- a rotor assembly including a rotor hub having a longitudinal axis, said rotor hub having:
- at least first and second vane assemblies disposed radially on the rotor hub, each of the first and second vane assemblies comprising:
- a first vane disposed on the rotor hub and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the rotor hub and having a first side and a second side, and a second vane disposed on the rotor hub, with an integral valley member between the first vane and the second vane,
- a continuous seal groove disposed continuously along a pathway following a longitudinal peripheral face of the first vane, then along a first lateral peripheral face of the first vane, then across a first lateral face of the valley member, then along a first lateral peripheral face of the second vane, then along a longitudinal peripheral face of the second vane, then along a second lateral peripheral face of the second vane, then across a second lateral peripheral face of the valley member, and then along a second lateral peripheral face of the first vane to a point of beginning of the pathway,
- a continuous seal disposed in the first continuous seal groove along the pathway;
- and
- a stator housing having a central chamber having an interior surface adapted to receive the rotor assembly;
- and
- wherein the central chamber includes a first arcuate ledge and a second opposing arcuate ledge disposed radially inward along the perimeter of the chamber, each of said first and second arcuate ledges having a first terminal end adapted to contact the respective first vane of a respective one of the first and second vane assemblies and a second terminal end adapted to contact the respective second vane of a respective one of the first and second vane assemblies.
6 more elements
A method of rotary actuation comprising:
- providing a rotor assembly including a rotor hub adapted to connect to an output shaft, said rotor hub having at least two opposing vane assemblies disposed radially on the rotor hub, each of said vane assemblies comprising:
- a first vane disposed on the rotor hub and having a first side and a second side, and a second vane disposed on the rotor hub, with a valley member between the first vane and second vane,
- a continuous seal groove disposed on a peripheral edge of the first and second vanes and the valley member, and
- a continuous seal disposed in the continuous seal groove;
- providing a stator housing having a central chamber including a first arcuate ledges and a second opposing arcuate ledges disposed radially inward along the perimeter of the chamber, each of said opposing ledges having a first terminal end and a second terminal end;
- providing a rotational fluid at a first pressure and contacting the first side of the first vanes of the opposing vane assemblies with the first rotational fluid;
- providing a rotational fluid at a second pressure less than the first pressure and contacting the second side of the first vanes of the opposing vane assemblies with the second rotational fluid;
- rotating the rotor assembly in a first direction of rotation;
- stopping the rotation of the rotor assembly by contacting at least one of the first terminal ends with at least one of the first vanes.
6 more elements
A rotary vane actuator comprising:
- a rotor assembly including a rotor hub having a longitudinal axis, said rotor hub having:
- at least first and second opposing vane assemblies disposed radially on the rotor hub, each of the first and second vane assemblies comprising:
- a first vane disposed on the rotor hub and having a first side and a second side, and a second vane disposed on the rotor hub, with a valley member between the first vane and the second vane,
- a continuous seal groove disposed on a peripheral edge of the first and second vanes and the valley member, and
- a continuous seal disposed in the continuous seal groove;
- a stator housing having a central chamber having an interior surface adapted to receive the rotor assembly;
- and
- wherein the first and second vane assemblies and the stator housing define four pressure chambers inside of the central chamber.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.