US 6,828,747 B2Granted

Electric actuator and method of controlling the same

AssigneeSMC Corporation

InventorsKatsuhisa Endo, Takashi Fujita, Kazuhiro Iida

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Abstract

The stop positions of start and end points for a slider are set by positionally adjusting a stopper and/or a stopper. The distance that the slider has traveled is learned according to a command from a control console in response to a manipulation of a learning manipulation element, and at least one of a speed and an acceleration is set by a speed regulator and an acceleration regulator. The control console outputs a drive signal to a motor based on at least one of the set speed in constant-speed movement of the slider and the set acceleration of accelerated movement of the slider and the learned distance that the slider has traveled, thereby moving the slider. For moving the slider to the start point or the end point, the control console controls the slider to move at a speed lower than the speed in constant-speed movement, and positions the slider at the start point or the end point.

Claims11

Dependent claims

An electric actuator having a moving mechanism movable by drive power from an electric drive source, comprising:

at least one positioning mechanism for adjusting relative stop positions of a start point and an end point for the moving mechanism;
a positional information detector for detecting positional information of said moving mechanism between said start point and said end point;
at least one of a speed regulator for setting a speed in constant-speed movement of said moving mechanism and an acceleration regulator for setting an acceleration in accelerated movement of said moving mechanism;
a control console having a learning device for learning a distance that said moving mechanism travels between said start point and said end point;
and
a learning manipulation element for operating said learning device;
wherein a stop position for said moving mechanism is set by positionally adjusting said positioning mechanism, said learning device learns the distance that said moving mechanism travels according to a command from said control console in response to a manipulation of said learning manipulation element, and at least one of the speed in constant-speed movement of said moving mechanism and the acceleration in accelerated movement of said moving mechanism is set by manipulation of said speed regulator or said acceleration regulator;
wherein said control console outputs a drive signal to said electric drive source to move said moving mechanism based on the positional information from said positional information detector, at least one of the speed set by said speed regulator and the acceleration set by said acceleration regulator, and the distance that said moving mechanism travels which is learned by said learning device and when said moving mechanism is to reach said start point or said end point, said control console controls said moving mechanism to move at a speed lower than said speed in constant-speed movement and be positioned at said start point or said end point.

5 more elements

A method of controlling an electric actuator having a moving mechanism movable by drive power from an electric drive source through a drive power transmitting mechanism, said electric actuator including at least one positioning mechanism for adjusting relative stop positions of a start point and an end point for the moving mechanism, a positional information detector for detecting positional information of said moving mechanism, at least one of a speed regulator for setting a speed in constant-speed movement of said moving mechanism and an acceleration regulator for setting an acceleration in accelerated movement of said moving mechanism, a control console having a learning device, for learning a distance that said moving mechanism travels between said start point and said end point, and a learning manipulation element for operating said learning device, said method comprising the steps of:

setting a stop position for said moving mechanism by positionally adjusting said positioning mechanism;
learning the distance that said moving mechanism travels with said learning device according to a command from said control console in response to a manipulation of said learning manipulation element;
and
setting at least one of the speed in constant-speed movement of said moving mechanism and the acceleration in accelerated movement of said moving mechanism by manipulating said speed regulator or said acceleration regulator;
wherein said control console outputs a drive signal to said electric drive source to move said moving mechanism based on the positional information from said positional information detector, at least one of the speed set by said speed regulator and the acceleration set by said acceleration regulator, and the distance that said moving mechanism travels which is learned by said learning device and when said moving mechanism is to reach said start point or said end point, said control console controls said moving mechanism to move at a speed lower than said speed in constant-speed movement and be positioned at said start point or said end point.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.