Linear actuator system
AssigneeTolomatic, Inc.
InventorsGary W. Rosengren, Wyatt Grunerud, Jeremy Forbord, Aaron Dietrich
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An actuator system includes a housing with a screw shaft extending along a longitudinal axis. The stator component of an electric motor is coupled to the housing, with a rotor extending along the longitudinal axis. A thrust tube is engaged with the screw shaft, for example with a nut assembly configured to convert rotational motion of the rotor into linear motion of the thrust tube. A modular cooling assembly is selectively coupled to the exterior surface of the actuator housing, and configured to dissipate heat.
Claims37
1-16. (canceled)
A linear actuator system comprising:
- a housing;
- a screw shaft extending along an axis of the housing;
- a motor having a stator coupled to the housing and a rotor disposed about the screw shaft;
- a nut assembly engaged with the screw shaft;
- a thrust tube engaged with the nut assembly, wherein rotation of the rotor is converted into linear motion of the thrust tube along the axis;
- and
- a modular cooling assembly selectively couplable to the actuator housing and disposed in thermal contact with a surface thereof, the modular cooling assembly configured to dissipate heat generated by operation of the linear actuator.
A method comprising:
- operating a motor of a linear actuator having a housing and a screw shaft extending along an axis, the motor having a stator coupled to the housing and a rotor disposed about the screw shaft;
- positioning a thrust tube with respect to the housing, the thrust tube engaging the screw shaft with a nut assembly configured to convert rotational motion of the motor to linear motion of the thrust tube along the axis;
- and
- dissipating heat generated by the linear actuator with a modular cooling assembly selectively couplable to and decoupleable from the actuator housing, the modular cooling assembly disposed in thermal contact with an surface of the actuator housing to transfer the heat therefrom.
A modularly cooled linear actuator system comprising:
- a housing having a screw shaft extending along a longitudinal axis;
- a motor having a stator coupled to the housing and a rotor disposed about the screw shaft;
- a nut assembly engaged with the screw shaft;
- a thrust tube member engaged with the nut assembly, wherein rotation of the rotor is converted into linear motion of the thrust tube member along the longitudinal axis;
- and
- a modular cooling assembly selectively couplable to the actuator housing and having an inner surface in thermal contact therewith, the modular cooling assembly configured to dissipate heat generated by operation of the linear actuator.
A linear actuator system comprising:
- a housing having a longitudinal axis;
- a screw shaft extending along the longitudinal axis of the housing;
- a motor having a stator coupled to the housing and a rotor disposed about the screw shaft, the rotor extending from a first end to a free end opposite the first end;
- a thrust tube engaged with the screw shaft, wherein rotation of the rotor is converted into linear motion of the thrust tube along the longitudinal axis;
- and
- a single bearing assembly at the first end of the rotor, the single bearing assembly configured to rotationally the free end of the rotor about the longitudinal axis, absent additional bearing components at the free end of the rotor or between the free end and the single bearing assembly at the first end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.