초록 ▼

A force transmitting fluid actuator for use with a control device wherein an actuator member, movable within an actuator housing, actuates the control device due to the urging force of a plurality of pistons which can be selectively pressurized in unitary increments. The plurality of pistons are dis

A force transmitting fluid actuator for use with a control device wherein an actuator member, movable within an actuator housing, actuates the control device due to the urging force of a plurality of pistons which can be selectively pressurized in unitary increments. The plurality of pistons are disposed within pressure chambers formed in the actuator housing in a symmetrical ring-shaped arrangement concentric to a single pressure chamber disposed on the vertical axis of the housing. A number of passageways interconnect the plurality of pressure chambers to form groupings of pressure chambers which act simultaneously in response to operation of a solenoid valve associated with each passageway. In addition to the symmetrical arrangement of the pressure chambers, the valve and passageway arrangement provide for a symmetric pressurization of the pressure chambers thereby resulting in a balanced force being exerted on the actuator. The amount of force each piston can exert on the actuator is limited by a piston stop designed to contact a portion of the housing while the actual piston force is transmitted by a spring disposed between each piston and the actuator. In this manner, fluctuations in the pressurizing force are not transmitted from the piston to the actuator.

대표청구항 ▼

A force transmitting fluid actuator for operating a control device, said force transmitting fluid actuator comprising: (a) a housing having an actuator portion formed therein; (b) an actuator member movable within said actuator portion; (c) a plurality of pressure chambers formed in said housing adj

A force transmitting fluid actuator for operating a control device, said force transmitting fluid actuator comprising: (a) a housing having an actuator portion formed therein; (b) an actuator member movable within said actuator portion; (c) a plurality of pressure chambers formed in said housing adjacent said actuator portion and symmetrically-arranged about the vertical axis of said housing; (d) a plurality of pistons movable within said plurality of pressure chambers such that a piston force is transmitted to a first side of said actuator upon movement of at least one of said plurality of pistons, said actuator is urged in a first direction corresponding to actuation of the control device; (e) pressure supply means for selectively pressurizing said at least one of said plurality of pistons wherein such piston force is applied to said actuator in a balanced manner about said vertical axis; (f) valving means for connecting said pressure supply means to said plurality of pressure chambers such that, said pressure supply means selectively pressurizes said plurality of pressure chambers in unitary increments; and (g) piston limiting means disposed between said plurality of pistons and said actuator member for limiting at least one of said plurality of pistons to a predetermined displacement independent of variations in the force exerted by said pressure supply means, said piston limiting means including a plurality of piston springs approximately corresponding in number to said plurality of pistons, said plurality of piston springs being disposed such that, at least a portion of such piston force is transmitted therethrough as a function of a preselected spring constant variable according to a selection of spring constants for each of said plurality of piston springs.