US 8,783,277 B2 · Actuator and position-detecting method therefor

Abstract

In an actuator, an electric power supply to a position-detecting detector for an object to be driven can be carried out in a timely manner during a power failure to thereby suppress an electric power consumption in the position-detecting detector, whereby duration time of a power-failure compensation battery can be prolonged, and a variety of detectors can be selected and utilized without limitation in accordance with a use environment and usefulness. During the power failure, a switching means 40 establishes a linking state in which an input shaft 11 of a reduction mechanism 10 and a manual inputting means 30 are linked to each other. When the linking state is detected by a detecting means, an electric power is fed from a battery 80 to a rotation detector by a control section 70, so that the control section 70 can obtain a displacement of the object to be driven, based on a signal output from the rotation detector. In a state in which the input shaft 11 of the reduction mechanism 10 can be manually rotated, the electric power is fed to the rotation detector. Thus, a useless consumption of the electric power of the battery 80 can be suppressed, and it is possible to suitably obtain the displacement of the object to be driven without an interruption even if the power failure happens.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A position-detecting method for an actuator in which a rotational driving force, generated in an electric motor, is transmitted to an object to be driven, through the intermediary of a reduction mechanism, characterized by:

feeding an electric power from a battery to minimum necessary circuits of a control section during a power failure;
further feeding an electric power from said battery to a resolver for detecting a rotating state of an output shaft of said electric motor during the power failure, when said control section detects an ON-state of an interlock switch which represents that an input shaft of said reduction mechanism is linked to a manual inputting means rotationally driven by a person's driving operation, so as to be rotated;
and
obtaining a displacement of the object to be driven based on a signal which is output from said resolver, and which is related to the rotating state of the output shaft of said electric motor resulting from the person's driving operation.

1 more element

An actuator for driving an object to be driven by transmitting a rotational driving force, generated in an electric motor, to the object to be driven, through the intermediary of a reduction mechanism, characterized by:

a manual inputting means that is rotated by a person's manual operation, and that is provided beside an input shaft defined as an input terminal of said reduction mechanism to which the rotational driving force is input;
a switching means that switches a linking state in which the input shaft of said reduction mechanism is linked to said manual inputting means so as to be rotated and an unlinking state in which the input shaft of said reduction mechanism is not linked to said manual inputting means to each other;
a detecting means that detects the linking state between the input shaft of said reduction mechanism and said manual inputting means;
a rotation detector that detects a rotational state of an output shaft of said electric motor so as to output it as a signal;
a control section that controls said electric motor, and that obtains a displacement of the object to be driven, based on a signal output from said rotation detector;
and
a battery that at least feeds an electric power to said control section in a power failure which is not a usual power supply state,
wherein the input shaft of said reduction mechanism is directly connected to the output shaft of said electric motor to be integrally rotatable together therewith so that the rotational driving force generated in said electric motor is input to the input shaft of said reduction mechanism in the usual power supply state, and
wherein said control section establishes a state in which the electric power is fed from said battery to only minimum necessary control circuits of said control in the power failure state, and a state in which the electric power is fed from said battery to said rotation detector so as to be able to obtain the displacement of the object to be driven, based on the signal output from said rotation detector.

6 more elements

a manual inputting means that is rotated by a person's manual operation, and that is provided beside an input shaft defined as an input terminal of said reduction mechanism to which the rotational driving force is input;
a switching means that switches a linking state in which the input shaft of said reduction mechanism is linked to said manual inputting means so as to be rotated and an unlinking state in which the input shaft of said reduction mechanism is not linked to said manual inputting means to each other;
a detecting means that detects the linking state between the input shaft of said reduction mechanism and said manual inputting means;
a rotation detector that detects a rotational state of an output shaft defined as an output terminal of said reduction mechanism from which the rotational driving force is output, to thereby output it as a signal;
a control section that controls said electric motor, and that obtains a displacement of the object to be driven, based on a signal output from said rotation detector;
and
a battery that at least feeds an electric power to said control section in a power failure which is not a usual power supply state,
wherein the input shaft of said reduction mechanism is linked to the output shaft of said electric motor to be rotatable, and is rotated by the rotational driving force generated in said electric motor, and
wherein said control section establishes a state in which the electric power is fed from said battery to only minimum necessary control circuits of said control in the power failure state, and a state in which the electric power is fed from said battery to said rotation detector so as to be able to obtain the displacement of the object to be driven, based on the signal output from said rotation detector.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Actuator and position-detecting method therefor

Life of this patent

Actuator and position-detecting method therefor

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims23