CN109578656B - Support assembly of actuator - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention proposes a carriage assembly for supporting two superimposed actuators (110, 120), each of said actuators having a manually operated reset button (116, 126), characterized in that said carriage assembly (200) comprises: a support frame (22) for supporting the two actuators (110, 120); a limiting member (23) connected to the supporting frame (22) and capable of interfering with the two actuators (110, 120) to limit the rotation of the two actuators (110, 120) around the driving shaft (130); a manual control element (24) having at least one actuating element (242, 282), one of the actuating elements (242, 282) being capable of actuating a reset button (126) of one of the actuators (120).

Description

Support assembly of actuator

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technology, and more particularly to actuators for valves of heating, ventilation and/or air conditioning equipment.

Background

A heat transfer medium is used in many applications in the field of heating, ventilation and air conditioning to transfer thermal energy from a source to a destination. Thermal energy transfer may be used to heat a space or area within a building. In this case, the heat transfer medium absorbs thermal energy from a source and then releases it at least partially after delivery to a destination. The transfer of thermal energy can likewise be used to cool a space or region within a building, in which case the heat transfer medium absorbs the thermal energy at the destination and then releases it at least partially again at the source. The heat transfer medium can be any fluid, most often water or air (wind). Water has the advantage of having a very high specific heat capacity and is therefore able to transport a particularly large amount of heat per unit mass.

In order to control or regulate the flow of the heat transfer medium in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, valves are used, which are also referred to as heating, ventilation and air conditioning system valves. The flow of the heat transfer medium is regulated by means of, for example, a so-called shut-off valve or throttle valve. The opening or closing of the valve is typically actuated by an actuator. One common valve driving device in the existing heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems is an electric actuator. The driving member of the electric actuator is, for example, a motor, and the opening amount of the valve can be automatically adjusted when the motor is actuated.

The electric actuators can be divided into linear actuators and angular actuators according to the driving mode. The output of the straight stroke actuator drives a valve rod in a driven valve (such as a straight-through valve and a three-way valve) to move linearly in a pushing or pulling mode. The angular travel actuator outputs a torsional force to rotationally move a valve stem of a valve to be driven (e.g., a ball valve, a butterfly valve, a blast valve). For certain valves requiring a greater actuating force, two or more actuators may be used to actuate a valve together.

Fig. 1 shows a case where two angular stroke actuators are used to drive the same valve. As shown in fig. 1, the actuators 110 and 120 are both angular stroke actuators, and the two actuators are sleeved on a driving shaft 130 and stacked up and down to synchronously drive the driving shaft 130 to rotate. The drive shaft 130, in turn, may drive a valve (not shown) coupled to the drive shaft. In this case, synchronization between the two actuators is necessary. This synchronization is typically accomplished by manually adjusting the position of the actuator after the actuator is mounted on the valve.

Fig. 1 shows the actuator 110 having a manually operable reset button 116 for setting the actuator in a manually adjustable state in which the position of the actuator is manually adjustable by an operator. The lower actuator 120 also has a reset button. Here, the reset button is also referred to as an automatic reset switch, and is activated when the reset button is pressed by an external force, and the reset button is restored to its original position immediately after the external force is removed. When the manually operated reset button is triggered, the position of the actuator can be manually adjusted.

As described above, in the example shown in fig. 1, in order to achieve synchronous manual setting, the operator needs to manually adjust the position of the actuator while simultaneously pressing the two reset buttons provided on the actuators 110 and 120, respectively. This operation requires two operators to perform the operation, one operator (left side of fig. 1) having both hands to press the two reset buttons and to hold the reset buttons in the activated state, and the other operator (right side of fig. 1) having one hand responsible for adjusting the position of the actuator when the reset button is pressed.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a carriage assembly for supporting two actuators driving a device to be driven via one and the same drive shaft and stacked at predetermined intervals in the direction of said drive shaft, each of said actuators having a manually operated reset button. The bracket assembly can realize synchronous manual setting of the two actuators by only one operator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carriage assembly for supporting two actuators that is capable of meeting a maximum swing angle, for example a swing angle of at most ± 3 degrees, in terms of synchronization of the two actuators.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a mount assembly is provided comprising: a support frame, the first end of which is fixed on the equipment to be driven, and the second end of which is arranged at the end part of the two actuators far away from the driving shaft so as to support the two actuators; a limiting member connected to the second end of the supporting frame and capable of interfering with the two actuators to limit rotation of the two actuators about the driving shaft; a manual control having at least one actuator, one of said actuators being capable of actuating a reset button of one of said actuators. Preferably, a dimension of at least one of the actuators in one direction is smaller than the predetermined interval. The bracket assembly can realize synchronous manual setting of the double actuators by only one operator.

In one embodiment, the actuating portion of the manual control is L-shaped and has a dimension in a first direction (first dimension) smaller than the predetermined interval, and an end portion of the actuating portion has a dimension in a second direction (second dimension) matching a reset stroke of the reset button, the first direction and the second direction being perpendicular to each other. Preferably, the manual operating part further comprises a handheld portion, the handheld portion is suitable for being handheld and is connected with the executing portion, and the manual operating part is an integrally formed part. The manual control piece is simple in structure, is suitable for being inserted into a space between two actuators, and can enable the reset button of the actuator positioned below to be kept in a trigger state. Therefore, a single operator can firstly utilize the manual control piece to keep the reset button of the actuator positioned below in a trigger state, then one hand presses the reset button of the actuator positioned above, and the other hand adjusts the positions of the two actuators. Thus, a single operator may adjust a dual actuator valve assembly as a single actuator valve assembly.

In another embodiment, the manual operating control member comprises a handheld portion and two executing portions extending from two ends of the handheld portion, the size of each executing portion in the longitudinal direction is adapted to the triggering stroke of the reset button, and the size of one executing portion in the longitudinal direction is smaller than the preset interval. The manual control piece is simple in structure and can simultaneously keep the reset buttons of the two actuators in a trigger state. Thus, a single operator may adjust a dual actuator valve assembly as a single actuator valve assembly.

In a further embodiment, the support frame comprises a first support plate and a vertical plate connected to the first support plate at a right angle, the first support plate can be fixed to the device to be driven, and after the first support plate is fixed, the vertical plate is disposed at an end position of the two actuators away from the driving shaft, and the vertical plate further has an opening through which a connection terminal of the actuator close to the vertical plate can protrude.

In yet another embodiment, the stopper includes: a swing arm connected to the riser and arranged in an axial direction of the driving shaft, the swing arm being disposed such that an edge thereof facing the actuator is spaced apart from an edge of the connection terminal of the actuator by a predetermined distance, the swing arm having a predetermined maximum swing angle; and the two limiting parts are respectively connected to the swing arm in a right angle and extend out towards the direction of the actuator, and each limiting part interferes with the corresponding actuator. The design of the limiting piece can ensure the maximum swinging angle of the swinging arm without being hindered by the terminal block of the actuator.

In another embodiment, the limiting member further includes a first connecting member and a second connecting member for connecting the swing arm to the vertical plate, the second connecting member is fixed on the body of the swing arm, the first connecting member can pass through a through hole on the vertical plate and be screwed to the second connecting member, and the swing arm can swing relative to the vertical plate.

In yet another embodiment, the swing arm includes: a first plate swingably connected to said riser; two second plates connected to both ends of the first plate, respectively, and extending in a direction of the driving shaft, the two second plates being oriented parallel to each other and perpendicular to the orientation of the first plate. Preferably, the position limiting member further comprises two pairs of rib plates, and each pair of rib plates is connected to the second plate and the position limiting part connected with the second plate. This design effectively increases the strength of the limiter.

The above characteristics, technical features, advantages and realisations of the grounding device for the driving shaft of an electric motor and the electric motor will be further explained in a clearly understandable way with reference to the following description of preferred embodiments, which is illustrated in the attached drawings.

Drawings

The following drawings are only schematic illustrations and explanations of the present invention, and do not limit the scope of the present invention.

Fig. 1 shows a case where a conventional dual actuator drives the same drive shaft.

FIG. 2A illustrates a perspective view of a bracket assembly and two actuators in an assembled state, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2B shows a schematic structural diagram of a manual control according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3A illustrates a perspective view of a bracket assembly and two actuators in an assembled state, according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3B is a schematic structural diagram of a manual control according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the bracket assembly and two actuators from another perspective.

Figure 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the stent assembly taken along section line a-a' shown in figure 2.

Fig. 6 shows a side view of the perspective view shown in fig. 2.

Description of the reference symbols

110 is an actuator; 116: a reset button; 120: an actuator; 126: a reset button;

130 drive shaft

20: a bracket assembly; 22: a support frame; 23: a limiting member; 24: manual operation control

221: first support plate 2211: a first end portion; 2212: second end 2213: extension part

222: a vertical plate; 2222: an upper beam;

231: a first plate; 232: a first connecting member; 234: a second connecting member; 235: a second plate;

236: a rib plate; 237: a limiting part;

241: a hand-held portion; 242: an execution unit;

28: a manual operating control; 281: a hand-held portion; 282: an execution unit.

Detailed Description

In order to more clearly understand the technical features, objects and effects of the present invention, embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals indicate the same or structurally similar but functionally identical elements.

"exemplary" means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration" herein, and any illustration, embodiment, or steps described as "exemplary" herein should not be construed as a preferred or advantageous alternative.

For the sake of simplicity, the drawings only schematically show the parts relevant to the present invention, and they do not represent the actual structure as a product. In addition, for simplicity and clarity of understanding, only one of the components having the same structure or function is schematically illustrated or labeled in some of the drawings.

In this document, "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", and the like are used only to indicate positional relationships between the relevant portions, and do not limit their absolute positions.

In this document, "first", "second", and the like are used only for distinguishing one from another, and do not indicate their degree of importance, order, and the like.

In this context, "complementary shapes" and the like are not strictly mathematical and/or geometric limitations, but also include tolerances as would be understood by a person skilled in the art and allowed for manufacturing or use.

FIG. 2A illustrates a perspective view of a carriage assembly and an actuator in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 2A, the carriage assembly 20 is used to support two stacked actuators 110 and 120. The actuators 110 and 120 are fitted over the same drive shaft 130, and are stacked at a predetermined interval D along the axial direction Z of the drive shaft 130. The actuators 110 and 120 may drive the drive shaft 130 to rotate, and the drive shaft 130 may drive a device to be driven, such as a valve (not shown) to open or close. As shown in fig. 2, each actuator has a manually operated reset button. A reset button 116 is provided on the top surface of the actuator 110. A reset button 126 is also provided on the top surface of actuator 120 (the surface facing actuator 110). The reset button is used to trigger the manual adjustment mode. When the reset button is pressed, the operator may manually adjust the position of the actuator.

Referring to fig. 2A, the bracket assembly 20 includes a supporting frame 22, a stopper 23, and a manual control member 24. One end of the support frame 22 can be fixed to a device to be driven (not shown) to support the two actuators 110 and 120 in the stack. The limiting member 23 is connected to an end of the supporting frame 22 away from the driving shaft 130 for limiting the rotational movement of the two actuators 110 and 120 around the driving shaft 130. The manual operator control 24 facilitates operator depression of a reset button of at least one actuator to enable a single operator to perform manual settings of both actuators.

Here, in one embodiment shown in fig. 2A, a manually operable control 24, for example in the shape of a key, is used, which is capable of depressing the reset button 126 of the actuator 120. Fig. 2B shows a manually operable control 24 integrally formed from sheet material. As shown in fig. 2B, the manual operating member 24 is substantially key-shaped and includes a handle portion 241 and an L-shaped actuator portion 242 extending from the handle portion. The end of the actuator 242 is sized to press the reset button. The dimension (thickness) of the actuator 242 in the first direction (thickness direction T) is smaller than the predetermined interval D between the two actuators, so that the actuator 242 is adapted to be inserted into the gap between the two actuators. The dimension (width W1, i.e., the inner width of the L-shape) of the end of the actuator 242 in the second direction (width direction) perpendicular to the first direction matches the activation stroke of the reset button 126. Preferably, the width W2 (i.e., the outer width of the L-shape) of the actuator 242 is equal to the distance D + the trigger travel of the reset button. In the example shown in fig. 2B, the manual control member 24 is preferably an integrally formed plate, and the hand-held portion 242 and the execution portion 241 are in the same plane and have the same thickness. Alternatively, the hand-held portion 241 may be in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the actuator 242. Alternatively, the shape of the hand-held portion 241 may be any other desired shape such as a sphere, a cube, etc.

In the example shown in fig. 2A, the manual control 24 may be hung on the support 22 at a certain position, for example, on the support 22, when it is idle. In use, the operator removes the manual control element 24, places it in a horizontal position and inserts it into the predetermined space D between the two actuators, and then rotates the manual control element 24 by 90 degrees so that the actuating portion 242 thereof triggers the reset button 126. In view of the size of the actuator 242, the reset button 126 may be held in its actuated state, as shown in FIG. 2A. Further, the operator may press the reset button of the other actuator 110 with one hand and adjust the position of the actuator with the other hand. This allows a single operator to manually set a dual actuator valve as shown in fig. 2, as well as a single actuator valve.

Fig. 3A and 3B illustrate an example of another manual control. As shown in fig. 3B, the manual operation control member 28 has a hand-held portion 281, and two actuating portions 282 extending in a lateral direction of the hand-held portion 281. Each actuator 282 is generally in the form of an inverted L. The end of the actuating part 282 is adapted to press the reset button and the size of the end of the actuating part 282 in the longitudinal direction of the hand-held part 281 is adapted to the triggering stroke of the reset button. Furthermore, the dimension L of at least the lower actuator 282 in the longitudinal direction Z of the hand-held portion 281 is smaller than the predetermined spacing D between the two actuators. The manual control 28 may hang somewhere on the support 22 when idle. In use, the manual control 28 is positioned as shown in FIG. 3A with the two actuators 282 aligned with the reset buttons 116 and 126, respectively. The operator can hold the hand-held portion 281 and press down simultaneously with the two reset buttons 116 and 126. In this manner, the operator can simultaneously activate the reset buttons of both actuators with one hand and can adjust the position of the actuators with the other hand.

Alternatively, the manual control element can also be a clamping element which can be clamped onto the actuator 110 and which has a projection which can press the reset button 116. Reset button 116 is depressed while the clamp is clamped to actuator 110. The manual control piece can also have other implementation forms according to the actual requirement.

Because of the use of the manual actuation element described above, the reset button of at least one actuator can be held in the activated state (depressed state) by the manual actuation element, so that a single operator can adjust the valve assembly of a dual actuator, as can the valve assembly of a single actuator.

Fig. 4 shows an assembly of the bracket assembly and actuator from another perspective. As shown in fig. 2 to 4, the supporting frame 22 preferably includes a first supporting plate 221 and a vertical plate 222 connected to the first supporting plate 221 at a right angle. The first support plate 221 extends substantially in a plane perpendicular to the drive shaft. Riser 222 extends in a plane parallel to the drive shaft. The first support plate 221 has a first end 2211, a second end 2212, and an extension 2213 extending between the first and second ends. First end 2211 is secured to a device to be actuated (not shown), such as a valve. In the example of fig. 2-4, first end 2211 also fits over drive shaft 130 and is secured to a port of a valve (not shown) via a flange. The second end 2212 is distal to the drive shaft 130 and abuts a lower surface of the actuator 120 to support both actuators. In the example of fig. 2-4, the first support plate 221 is preferably stepped. For example, the second end 2212 is in a plane higher than the first end 2211, and the extension 2213 between the first and second ends is beveled. The first support plate 221 thus designed can provide a sufficient strength of support force to the actuator in a limited space.

In the example of fig. 2-4, the riser 222 can be connected to the first support plate 221 by, for example, screwing or welding and is at a right angle to the first support plate 221. In the example of fig. 2 to 4, the vertical plate 222 is preferably a frame having an opening at the center, and the connection terminal of the actuator 120 located below can protrude from the opening of the vertical plate 222. The vertical plate 222 in fig. 2-4 can be designed into a circular frame, a hexagonal frame, a rectangular frame, or an asymmetric frame structure according to actual needs. In the example of fig. 4, one cross bar 2222 of the riser 222 is preferably located at a position intermediate the two actuators 110 and 120.

In the example of fig. 2-4, the limiting member 23 is connected to an end of the support frame 22 remote from the drive shaft 130. The stoppers 23 can interfere with the two actuators 110 and 120, respectively, to restrict the rotation of the actuators 110 and 120 about the drive shaft 130. Figure 5 shows a schematic view of the stent assembly after longitudinal cross-section. As shown in fig. 2 to 5, the limiting member 23 includes a swing arm 230 and two limiting portions 237 extending from both ends of the swing arm perpendicularly toward the actuator. The swing arm 230 is connected to the upper beam 2222 of the vertical plate 222 and arranged in the axial direction Z of the drive shaft 130. The stop portion 237 is preferably a horizontally extending stop plate that is capable of mating with a corresponding recess (e.g., 118) in the actuator housing, e.g., the stop portion 237 is adapted to be inserted into the recess of the actuator. The limiting portion 237 can limit the rotational movement of the actuators 110 and 120 about the drive shaft when rotational misalignment of the actuators about the drive shaft 130 occurs.

Preferably, the swing arm 230 can have a limited swing in a plane parallel to the riser 222, for example, a maximum swing angle of ± 3 degrees. Also, the edge of the swing arm 230 facing the actuator is spaced a predetermined distance G from the edge of the connection terminal of the actuator, as shown in fig. 6. The distance G enables the swing arm 230 to have a swing angle of ± 3 degrees at maximum without being obstructed by the connection terminal. Thus, if the two actuators 110 and 120 are out of sync, the limiting member 23 allows a maximum swing angle of ± 3 degrees.

Further, as shown in fig. 5, the limiting member 23 preferably further includes a first connecting member 232 and a second connecting member 234 for connecting the swing arm 230 to the vertical plate 222. One end of the second link 234 is fixed to the body of the swing arm. The first connecting member 232 is threaded with the second connecting member 234 through a through hole at a corresponding position on the vertical plate 222. The swing arm 230 is capable of a limited range of swing relative to the upright 222. In one example, the second link 234 has one end fixed to the center of the body of the swing arm 230 and the other end having an internal thread, and the length of the second link 234 determines the magnitude of the distance G. The first connector 232 is a screw having a cap portion and a screw portion that can be screwed into the internal thread of the second connector 234. A thread-free section is arranged between the cap-shaped part and the screw rod part, and the thread-free section can enable the swing arm to swing in a limited range relative to the opposite plate after the first connecting piece and the second connecting piece are screwed.

More preferably, the swing arm 230 may be welded from three plates. For example, the swing arm 230 may include one first plate 231 and two second plates 235. The first plate 231 is disposed facing the vertical plate 222 and is coupled to the vertical plate 222 by the above-described first and second coupling members. The second plates 235 are connected to both ends of the first plate 231, respectively, and extend in a length direction of the first plate. The orientation of the two second plates 235 is parallel to each other and perpendicular to the orientation of the first plate 231. The stopper portion 237 is attached to an end portion of the second plate. More preferably, the retaining member 23 further comprises two pairs of ribs 236, each pair of ribs being welded to the second plate 235 and the retaining portion 237 connected thereto for reinforcing the support of the retaining portion 237.

It should be understood that although the present description has been described in terms of various embodiments, not every embodiment includes only a single embodiment, and such description is for clarity purposes only, and those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments described herein may be combined as suitable to form other embodiments, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The above-listed detailed description is only a specific description of a possible embodiment of the present invention, and they are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, and equivalent embodiments or modifications such as combinations, divisions or repetitions of features, which do not depart from the technical spirit of the present invention, should be included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims (10)

1. A carriage assembly for supporting two actuators (110, 120) for driving a device to be driven via the same drive shaft (130) and which are stacked at predetermined intervals (D) in the direction of the drive shaft (130), each actuator having a manually operated reset button (116, 126), characterized in that the carriage assembly (200) comprises:

a support frame (22) with a first end (2211) fixed on the device to be driven and a second end (2222) arranged at the end of the two actuators (110, 120) far away from the drive shaft (130) for supporting the two actuators (110, 120);

a limiter (23) connected to the second end (2222) of the support frame (22) and capable of interfering with the two actuators (110, 120) to limit the rotation of the two actuators (110, 120) about the drive shaft (130);

a manual control element (24, 28) having at least one actuating element (242, 282), one of the actuating elements (242, 282) being capable of actuating a reset button (126) of one of the actuators (120).

2. The bracket assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the actuating portions (242) has a dimension in one direction that is less than the predetermined spacing (D).

3. The bracket assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one actuator includes a first actuator (242) having an L-shape with a dimension (T) in a first direction less than the predetermined spacing (D), an end of the first actuator (242) having a dimension (W1) in a second direction (W) matching the activation stroke of the reset button (126), the first and second directions being perpendicular to each other.

4. The bracket assembly of claim 3, wherein the manual control element further comprises a first hand-held portion (241), the first hand-held portion (241) being adapted to be held by a hand, the first actuating portion (242) extending from the first hand-held portion (241), and wherein the manual control element is an integral member.

5. The holder assembly according to claim 2, wherein said manual actuation member comprises a second hand-held portion (281) and two second actuating portions (282) extending from both ends of said second hand-held portion (281), each of said second actuating portions (282) having a dimension in a longitudinal direction adapted to the actuation travel of said reset button (116, 126), and wherein a dimension of one of said second actuating portions (282) in said longitudinal direction (Z) is smaller than said predetermined interval (D).

6. The bracket assembly according to any of the claims 1 to 5, wherein the support frame (22) comprises a first support plate (221) and a vertical plate (222) connected to the first support plate at a right angle, the first support plate (221) is capable of being fixed to the device to be driven, and after the fixing, the vertical plate (222) is disposed at an end position of the two actuators (110, 120) far away from the driving shaft (130), and the vertical plate (222) further has an opening through which a terminal of the actuator close to the vertical plate is capable of protruding.

7. The bracket assembly according to claim 6, wherein the retainer (23) comprises:

a swing arm (230) connected to the vertical plate (222) and disposed along an axial direction (Z) of the driving shaft (130), the swing arm (230) being disposed such that an edge thereof facing the actuator is spaced apart from an edge of a connection terminal of the actuator by a predetermined distance (G), the swing arm having a predetermined maximum swing angle;

two limiting parts (237) which are respectively connected to the swing arm (230) at right angles and extend towards the direction of the actuator, wherein each limiting part (237) interferes with the corresponding actuator (110, 120).

8. The bracket assembly of claim 7, wherein the retaining member (23) further comprises a first connector (232) and a second connector (234) for connecting the swing arm (230) to the vertical plate (222), the second connector (234) being fixed to the body of the swing arm, the first connector (232) being capable of passing through a through hole in the vertical plate (222) and being screwed to the second connector (234) and enabling the swing arm (230) to swing relative to the vertical plate (222).

9. The carriage assembly of claim 7, wherein the swing arm (230) comprises:

a first plate (231) swingably connected to the vertical plate (222);

two second plates (235) respectively connected to both ends of the first plate (231) and extending in a direction of the driving shaft, the two second plates (235) being oriented parallel to each other and perpendicular to an orientation of the first plate (231).

10. The bracket assembly according to claim 9, wherein the retainer (23) further comprises two pairs of webs (236), each pair of webs being connected to the second plate (235) and the retainer (237) connected thereto.

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