Rotary Electrohydraulic Actuator
AssigneeRobert Bosch GmbH
InventorsManik Kapoor, Royce Gerngross
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotary electrohydraulic actuator includes a direct drive hydraulic motor having an output shaft through opening that is concentric with a rotational axis of a rotor of the hydraulic motor. The actuator includes a power plant mounted on the hydraulic motor via a manifold. The power plant includes an electric motor driven hydraulic pump. Operation of the electric motor causes the hydraulic pump to supply pressurized fluid to the hydraulic motor. The power plant is compactly mounted to the manifold so that a longitudinal axis of the electric motor is parallel to and spaced apart from the rotational axis of the hydraulic motor.
Claims18
A rotary electrohydraulic actuator comprising
- a hydraulic motor including a hydraulic motor housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, and a rotor disposed in the hydraulic motor housing so as to rotate about a rotational axis, the rotor including a through opening that is centered on the rotational axis and serves as a hollow output shaft of the hydraulic motor, whereby the output shaft provides a gear-free connection to a driven shaft when a driven shaft is disposed in the through opening,
- a manifold that defines a fluid path between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, the manifold connected to the hydraulic motor housing in such a way as to permit the fluid path to communicate with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet and the manifold to be spaced apart from the rotational axis;
- a hydraulic pump disposed in the fluid path;
- and
- an electric motor that is configured to drive the hydraulic pump,
- wherein operation of the electric motor causes the hydraulic pump to supply pressurized fluid to one of the fluid inlet and fluid outlet of the hydraulic motor.
A driving mechanism, comprising
- a rotary electrohydraulic actuator comprising
- a hydraulic motor including a hydraulic motor housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a rotor disposed in the hydraulic motor housing so as to rotate about a rotational axis, the rotor including a through opening that is centered on the rotational axis and serves as a hollow output shaft of the hydraulic motor,
- whereby the output shaft provides a gear-free connection to a driven shaft when a driven shaft is disposed in the through opening,
- a manifold that defines a fluid path between the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, the manifold connected to the hydraulic motor housing in such a way as to permit the fluid path to communicate with the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet and the manifold to be spaced apart from the rotational axis;
- a hydraulic pump disposed in the fluid path;
- and
- an electric motor that is configured to drive the hydraulic pump, wherein operation of the electric motor causes the hydraulic pump to supply pressurized fluid to one of the fluid inlet and fluid outlet of the hydraulic motor,
- an output shaft disposed in the output shaft opening;
- and
- a frame that supports the rotary electrohydraulic actuator relative to a support surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.