Method and apparatus for protecting an immersed torque motor against contamination
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsKenneth P. Hansen, Robert K. Olson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An immersed electromagnetic torque motor having a movable flapper is protected against the accumulation of contamination in magnetic gaps of the motor and the resulting jamming of the motor by coating the motor with a lacquer or other fluid-impermeable material and mounting the motor in a blind fluid chamber from which the flapper projects. An aperture is provided in the coating at a low flux area on the exterior of the motor to admit the immersing fluid for purposes of mechanical damping and, at the same time, to restrict the migration of fluid and contaminants toward magnetic gaps within the torque motor.
Claims16
Contamination resisting apparatus for an immersible electromagnetic torque motor having a movable flapper projecting from the motor for cooperative operation with a fluid orifice comprising:
- a blind chamber having an interior space in which the torque motor is mounted and a chamber wall with an opening through which the torque motor flapper extends to cooperate with the fluid orifice externally of the chamber;
- flexible sealing means engagable with the flapper for preventing fluid flow through the opening in the chamber wall and for allowing the flapper to move relative to the opening in the chamber wall in response to motor torquing;
- and
- means within the chamber providing a covering over the torque motor, the covering means having an aperture interconnecting the interior space of the chamber with the interior of the motor whereby fluid in the chamber may restrictively enter the motor.
Apparatus for protecting a torque motor having a movable flapper against the accumulation of contamination in magnetic gaps of the motor comprising:
- a fluid impermeable coating on the exterior of the torque motor other than the exterior area from which the movable flapper projects, the coating also having an aperture located at a low flux area on the exterior of the torque motor through which fluid may reach the interior of the motor;
- and
- fluid sealing means extending between the coating on the motor exterior and the movable flapper to permit the flapper to move in response to motor torquing.
Apparatus for protecting a torque motor as defined in clain 9 wherein:
- the sealing means comprises a flexible diaphragm seal engaging the flapper.
A method of protecting magnetic gaps in an electromagnetic torque motor against contaminants in a fluid in which the torque motor is immersed to provide damping of the movement of the torque motor flapper comprising:
- mounting the torque motor with the flapper free to move relative to the rest of the motor in response to motor torquing:
- coating openings and cracks on the exterior of the torque motor with a material impermeable to the fluid in which the torque motor will be immersed;
- providing an aperture in the coating at an opening or crack in a low flux area on the exterior of the motor to admit fluid to the torque motor interior for damping flapper movements and to restrict the migration of contaminants in the fluid into the magnetic gaps within the motor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.