HVAC actuator

• US 10,184,681 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2017
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Du, Jack, Graebel, Kevin, Wang, Bin, Emmons, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Norman, Marc
• Application Number:
  US15/397,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20170115023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/04 for assembling or disassembling parts
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/043 characterised by mechanical means between the motor and the valve, e.g. lost motion means reducing backlash, clutches, brakes or return means
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/74 for controlling air flow rate or air velocity
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 13/1426 characterised by actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/40 Damper positions, e.g. open or closed
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An HVAC actuator coupleable to an HVAC component is disposed in or at an insulated duct. The HVAC actuator may include a housing and a taping flange. The taping flange may be spaced from the outer surface of the duct and adjacent to an outer surface of an insulated layer of the duct when the HVAC actuator is coupled to the HVAC component, and may be configured to facilitate taping of the HVAC actuator to the outer surface of the insulating layer. It may be shaped to provide a front-facing surface that is suitable for receiving tape to provide a seal between the taping flange and the outer surface of the insulating layer. In some cases, the taping flange may extend outward from the housing around the entire perimeter of the housing. The taping flange may be formed integrally with the housing, or it formed separately and coupled to the housing.

Claims

1. An HVAC actuator configured to actuate a damper in an HVAC duct, comprising:

a rotatable output shaft having a range of rotation between a first end position and a second end position, the output shaft configured to actuate the damper within the HVAC duct when the HVAC actuator is operatively coupled to the damper;

a return spring for driving the rotatable output shaft in a first direction;

an electric motor operatively coupled to the output shaft to selectively rotate the output shaft against the return spring in a second direction;

a housing for housing the drive mechanism, the housing having a front side that faces away from the damper, a back side that faces toward the damper when the HVAC actuator is operatively coupled to the damper, and a side wall extending back from the front side toward the back side, the housing further having a front projection that project from a front side lower surface to a front side upper surface, wherein the front projection is configured to house at least part of the electric motor;

a position indicator viewable from the front side of the housing, the position indicator moves as the output shaft is rotated and indicates a current position of the output shaft along the range of rotation; and

a slot through the front side of the housing;

a range adjustment lever that extends through and moves along the slot for adjusting the range of motion of the rotatable output to less than the full range of motion, the range adjustment lever includes a range adjustment knob that is accessible by a user from outside of the housing and is configured to be hand manipulatable by the user to;

select a new first end position by moving the range adjustment knob by hand to a desired position along the slot; and

fix the selected new first end position, by manipulating the range adjustment knob by hand, sufficiently to prevent the return spring from over-driving the rotatable output shaft beyond the selected new first end position during subsequent operation of the HVAC actuator.

2. The HVAC actuator of claim 1, further comprising an end stop indicator that moves as an end stop position of the rotatable output shaft is adjusted along at least part of the range of rotation, the end stop indicator indicates a current position of an end stop, wherein the end stop indicator is read in conjunction with an end stop indicator indicia, and wherein the position indicator does not correspond to the current position of the rotatable output shaft if read in conjunction with the end stop indicator indicia.

3. The HVAC actuator of claim 1, wherein the range adjustment knob is not physically aligned with the position indicator when each are indicating a common position along the range of rotation.

4. The HVAC actuator of claim 1, wherein the sidewall defines an arc.

5. The HVAC actuator of claim 4, wherein at least part of the front side of the housing has a curved shape that has a radius.

6. The HVAC actuator of claim 5, wherein the position indicator rotates about an axis located at or adjacent the center of the curved shape.

7. The HVAC actuator of claim 6, wherein the sidewall extends along an arc that has an axis located at or adjacent the center of the arc shape.

8. An HVAC actuator configured to actuate a damper in an HVAC duct, comprising:

a rotatable output shaft having a range of rotation between a first end position and a second end position, the output shaft configured to actuate the damper within the HVAC duct when the HVAC actuator is operatively coupled to the damper;

an electric motor operatively coupled to the output shaft to selectively rotate the output shaft;

a housing for housing the drive mechanism, the housing having a front side that faces away from the damper and a back side that faces toward the damper when the HVAC actuator is operatively coupled to the damper;

a position indicator viewable from the front side of the housing, the position indicator moves as the output shaft is rotated and indicates a current position of the output shaft along the range of rotation;

an end stop indicator that moves as an end stop position of the rotatable output shaft is adjusted along at least part of the range of rotation, the end stop indicator indicates a current position of an end stop; and

wherein the end stop indicator is not physically aligned with the position indicator when each are indicating a common position along the range of rotation.

9. The HVAC actuator of claim 8, wherein the housing comprises a side wall extending back from the front side toward the back side, and wherein at least part of the end stop indicator is positioned adjacent the side wall and remains adjacent the side wall as the end stop position of the rotatable output shaft is adjusted.

10. The HVAC actuator of claim 9, wherein at least part of the side wall has an arc shape.

11. The HVAC actuator of claim 9, wherein the position indicator is positioned on the front side of the housing and remains on the front side of the housing as the output shaft is rotated along the range of rotation.

12. The HVAC actuator of claim 11, wherein at least part of the front side has curved shape that has a radius.

13. An HVAC actuator configured to actuate a damper in an HVAC duct, comprising:

a rotatable output shaft having a range of rotation between a first end position and a second end position, the output shaft configured to actuate the damper within the HVAC duct when the HVAC actuator is operatively coupled to the damper;

an electric motor operatively coupled to the output shaft to selectively rotate the output shaft;

a housing for housing the drive mechanism, the housing having a front side that faces away from the damper and a back side that faces toward the damper when the HVAC actuator is operatively coupled to the damper;

a position indicator viewable from the front side of the housing, the position indicator moves as the output shaft is rotated and indicates a current position of the output shaft along the range of rotation, wherein the position indicator is read in conjunction with a position indicator indicia;

an end stop indicator that moves as an end stop position of the rotatable output shaft is adjusted along at least part of the range of rotation, the end stop indicator indicates a current position of an end stop, wherein the end stop indicator is read in conjunction with an end stop indicator indicia; and

wherein a position along the at least part of the range of rotation indicated by the end stop indicator indicia is not physically aligned with the corresponding position along the range of rotation indicated by the position indicator indicia.

14. The HVAC actuator of claim 13, wherein the end stop indicator does not correspond to the current end stop position if read in conjunction with the position indicator indicia.

15. The HVAC actuator of claim 13, wherein the position indicator does not correspond to the current position of the output shaft if read in conjunction with the end stop indicator indicia.

16. The HVAC actuator of claim 13, wherein at least part of the end stop indicator indicia is physically located outside of a range of motion of the position indicator.

17. The HVAC actuator of claim 13, wherein at least part of the position indicator indicia is physically located outside of a range of motion of the end stop indicator.

18. The HVAC actuator of claim 13, wherein the housing comprises a side wall extending back from the front side toward the back side, and wherein at least part of the end stop indicator is positioned adjacent the side wall and remains adjacent the side wall as the end stop position of the rotatable output shaft is adjusted.

19. The HVAC actuator of claim 18, wherein at least part of the side wall has an arc shape.

20. The HVAC actuator of claim 18, wherein the position indicator is positioned on the front side of the housing and remains on the front side of the housing as the output shaft is rotated along the range of rotation.