Method for improving repeatability and removing hysteresis from electromechanical actuators

Abstract

A process of enhancing repeatability of the force applied to an object by an electromechanical system having an electric motor, a rotary to linear motion converter and a gear train mechanically coupling the motor to the converter includes providing an analog signal having a magnitude indicative of the desired force, supplying the analog signal to the motor to apply force to the object, removing the analog signal from the motor and reapplying the signal before any free play motion within the converter and gear train can occur. During a command for a desired force, the sequence of supplying the analog signal to the motor to apply force to the object, removing the analog signal from the motor, and resupplying the analog signal to the motor prior to any free play motion occurring within the gear train and converter are repeated several times. The rapid reapplication of the analog signal prevents any backlash associated with the gear train and converter. The process may be employed to selectively apply a compressive force to a compressible stack of interleaved braking disks to apply a braking force to a rotating wheel where an operator initiated digital braking command indicative of a desired braking force is converted to an analog signal having a magnitude indicative of the desired braking force to provide more consistent wheel braking in response to specific braking force commands.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.