Integral thermal compensation for an electro-mechanical actuator
US7126259B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 19, 2004 |
| Grant date | Oct 24, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 19, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02N2/043
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The present invention includes a method of compensating for differences in the rate of thermal expansion in one or more elements of an electro-mechanical actuator. The electro-mechanical actuator can include one or more elements such as a piezoelectric ceramic multilayer actuator (CMA) and a mechanism to amplify the motion of the CMA. A difference in the rate of thermal expansion or coefficient of thermal expansion, CTE, between the materials in the CMA and the amplifying mechanism can cause the two components to vary in size at differing rates as the ambient temperature varies. Since the amplifying mechanism provides substantial amplification of the motion of the CMA, the relative variation in size of the components due to temperature can be translated by the amplifying mechanism as motion of the CMA. This can result in substantial motion of the amplifying mechanism. Replacing a mechanical element in the amplifying mechanism with an element having a different value for the CTE substantially reduces the difference in CTE of the materials, thereby reducing the thermally induced motion of the amplifying mechanism. Further, the material used and the means of interconnecting the replac…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.