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US 9,431,868 B2Granted
Manual override device for an electric actuator and method for use
AssigneeTolomatic, Inc.
InventorsGary Rosengren, Jeremy R. Forbord, Igor Glikin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a manual override tool for an electric actuator. The manual override tool includes an accessible first end, a shaft operably connected with the first end and is movable in a linear direction and is rotatable, and a plurality of gear teeth on the shaft. The accessible first end is used to engage and disengage the plurality of gear teeth with a plurality of notches provided on an interior rotor of the electric actuator, such that the accessible first end may be used to manually operate the electric actuator.
Claims21
A manual override tool for an electrically powered linear actuator having a linear thrust member, a motor and an actuator housing, the manual override tool comprising:
- a shaft having an accessible first end exterior to the actuator housing and a distal end portion inserted into the actuator housing;
- and
- a plurality of gear teeth on the shaft;
- wherein the accessible first end is configured to control engagement and disengagement of the plurality of gear teeth by moving the shaft linearly until the gear teeth are engaged with a plurality of notches or gear teeth provided on a periphery of an interior rotor of the electrically powered linear actuator, the motor coupled to the interior rotor having a rotational axis to rotate a screw shaft within the actuator housing, such that the engagement provides mechanical advantage to generate torque while turning the manual override tool via the accessible first end;
- wherein the manual override tool is an integral part of the electrically powered linear actuator having the actuator housing and the linear thrust member, with the accessible first end exterior to the actuator housing and the distal end portion inserted into the actuator housing, and with the gear teeth on the shaft engaged with the interior rotor of the electrically powered linear actuator;
- and
- wherein the accessible first end is further configured to manually operate the electrically powered linear actuator such that rotation of the shaft causes rotation of the interior rotor and screw shaft which transfers into linear motion of the thrust member to a desired position;
- and
- wherein the manual override tool is configured for the shaft to be movable in a linear direction transverse to the rotational axis of the interior rotor, from an engaged position with the plurality of gear teeth engaged with the periphery of the interior rotor to a disengaged position in a normal operating mode of the electrically powered linear actuator.
6 more elements
A manual override tool for an electrically powered linear actuator having an actuator housing, a motor and a linear thrust member, the manual override tool comprising:
- a shaft having an accessible first end exterior to the actuator housing and a distal end portion inserted into a hole in the actuator housing;
- a plurality of gear teeth on the shaft;
- and
- means for engaging and disengaging the plurality of gear teeth by moving the shaft linearly until the gear teeth are in engagement with a plurality of notches or gear teeth provided on a periphery of an interior rotor of the electrically powered linear actuator, the motor coupled to the interior rotor having a rotational axis to rotate a screw shaft within the actuator housing, such that the engagement provides mechanical advantage to generate torque while turning the manual override tool via the accessible first end;
- wherein the manual override tool is an integral part of the electrically powered linear actuator having the actuator housing and the linear thrust member, with the accessible first end exterior to the actuator housing and the distal end portion inserted into the actuator housing, and with the gear teeth on the shaft engaged with the interior rotor of the electrically powered linear actuator;
- and
- wherein rotation of the accessible first end manually operates the electrically powered linear actuator such that rotation of the interior rotor and screw shaft transfers into linear motion of the thrust member to a desired position;
- and
- wherein the shaft is movable in a linear direction transverse to the rotational axis of the interior rotor, from an engaged position with the plurality of gear teeth engaged with the periphery of the interior rotor to a disengaged position configured for a normal operating mode of the electrically powered linear actuator.
6 more elements
A manual override tool integral to a linear actuator having a thrust member, an electric motor and an actuator housing, the manual override tool comprising:
- a shaft having an accessible end exterior to the actuator housing and a distal portion inside the actuator housing;
- and
- a plurality of gear teeth on the distal portion of the shaft, proximate an interior rotor;
- wherein the accessible end is configured to control engagement and disengagement of the plurality of gear teeth with the interior rotor by moving the shaft in a linear direction transverse to a rotational axis of the interior rotor, from an engaged position in which the gear teeth are engaged with a plurality of notches or gear teeth provided on an outer peripheral edge of the interior rotor for manual operation of the linear actuator to a disengaged position in which the gear teeth are disengaged from the interior rotor for normal operation of the linear actuator;
- wherein the electric motor is coupled to the interior rotor to rotate a screw shaft within the actuator housing and the engagement provides mechanical advantage to generate torque while turning the manual override tool via the accessible end, in order to manually operate the linear actuator such that rotation of the shaft causes the rotation of the interior rotor and screw shaft about the rotational axis which transfers into linear motion of the thrust member to a desired position.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.