ACTUATING DRIVE AND METHOD FOR COOLING A SOLID BODY ACTUATOR HOUSED IN AN ACTUATING DRIVE WITH AN ACTUATING ELEMENT

• US 20150221854A1
• Filed: 07/23/2013
• Published: 08/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Original Assignee: Fraunhofer Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forsching E.V.
• Inventors: Melz, Tobias, Matthias, Michael, Hanselka, Holger
• Granted Patent: US 9,899,592 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/202 using longitudinal or thickness displacement combined with bending, shear or torsion displacement
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/505 the cross-section being annular
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/88 Mounts; Supports; Enclosures; Casings
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/886 Additional mechanical prestressing means, e.g. springs
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 35/00 Magnetostrictive devices integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N39/00
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 35/80 Constructional details

Abstract

The invention ris an actuating drive for deflecting an actuating element by a solid body actuator (2) which, when an electrical voltage or an alternating magnetic field is applied, experiences a length change. A housing (1) encloses the solid body actuator to define an interspace (13) in a fluid-tight manner. Furthermore, the solid body actuator includes a hollow duct (6) having one end connected to a first hollow conduit (20) passing through the housing and the other end opening into the interspace. The interspace is additionally connected in a fluid-tight manner to a second hollow conduit (21) passing through the housing.

Claims

1-18. -18. (canceled)

19. An actuating drive for uniaxial, bi-directional deflection of an actuating element, comprising:

a solid body actuator with at least one end thereof braced on a frontal face in a housing, the solid body actuator changing in length in a longitudinal direction in response to a change in an electrical voltage applied to the solid body actuator or a magnetic field acting on the solid body actuator transferred via a second frontal face opposite the first frontal face in the longitudinal direction of the solid body actuator which displaces the solid body actuator, the housing at least partly surrounding the solid body actuator and the solid body actuator defining at least one fluid-tight interspace and including a hollow duct passing through the solid body actuator at least in regions thereof; and

wherein

the hollow duct passing through the solid body actuator at least in the regions has a hollow end connected to a hollow conduit passing through the housing and has another hollow end which opens into the at least one interspace; and

the at least one interspace is connected in a fluid-tight manner with a second hollow conduit passing through the housing; and

wherein

the solid body actuator includes at least two hollow cylindrical or perforated disc piezoelectric or magnetostrictive elements or is a stacked actuator composed of layered or hollow cylindrically shaped piezoelectric or magnetostrictive individual components which are joined by each end face thereof;

a connecting element joining the piezoelectric or magnetostrictive elements or stacked actuator; and

either the connecting element is cylindrical or is a sleeve having an outer diameter matching the inner diameter of the at least two hollow cylindrical elements or the stacked actuator, which directly abuts a respective end face thereof and is connected to an inner wall of the connecting element by an adhesive or the connecting element is cylindrical or is a sleeve with an outer diameter matching a respective inside diameter of the at least two hollow cylindrical elements or the stacked actuator has a sleeve that at least partially projects radially beyond the cylindrical connecting element or the sleeve in a circumferential direction has an outer surface thereof including two support surfaces each aligned orthogonally with the outer surface and facing axially away from each other and on which front faces of the hollow cylindrical actuator elements or the stacked actuators are at least partially supported.

20. The actuating drive according to claim 19, wherein:

the solid body actuator comprises a rod including a hollow duct passing through the solid body actuator in a longitudinal direction with the hollow duct opening onto end faces of the solid body actuator;

the housing and the solid body actuator radially define the interspace surrounding the solid body actuator over an entire length thereof and which is in fluid connection with the hollow duct in a region of the second frontal face; and

the second hollow conduit opens through the4 housing into the interspace in a region of the first frontal face of the solid body actuator.

21. An actuating drive according to claim 19, wherein:

the solid body actuator comprises a piezoelectric actuator including at least two hollow cylindrical or perforated disc piezoelectric elements or individual components supplied with an electrical voltage via separate electrical feeds.

22. An actuating drive according to claim 20, wherein:

the solid body actuator comprises a piezoelectric actuator including at least two hollow cylindrical or perforated disc piezoelectric elements or individual components supplied with an electrical voltage via separate electrical feeds.

23. An actuating drive according to either of claim 19, wherein:

the solid body actuator comprises a magnetostrictive actuator including at least the two magnetostrictive elements in a hollow cylinder or a perforated disc element or individual magnetostrictive components generate a variable magnetic field interacting with the magnetostrictive actuator.

24. An actuating drive according to either of claim 20, wherein:

the solid body actuator comprises a magnetostrictive actuator including at least the two magnetostrictive elements in a hollow cylinder or a perforated disc element or individual magnetostrictive components generate a variable magnetic field interacting with the magnetostrictive actuator.

25. An actuating drive according to claim 19, including:

a centering device for centering the solid body actuator with respect to the housing disposed at a region of an end face of the solid body actuator, the centering device being in operative connection with the solid body actuator and the bi-directionally deflectable actuating element to axially bias the solid body actuator in combination with a force provided by a spring element.

26. An actuating drive according to claim 20, including:

a centering device for centering the solid body actuator with respect to the housing disposed at a region of an end face of the solid body actuator, the centering device being in operative connection with the solid body actuator and the bi-directionally deflectable actuating element to axially bias the solid body actuator in combination with a force provided by a spring element.

27. An actuating drive according to claim 21, including:

a centering device for centering the solid body actuator with respect to the housing at a region of an end face of the solid body actuator with the centering device being in operative connection with the solid body actuator and the bi-directionally deflectable actuating element to axially bias the solid body actuator in combination with a force provided by a spring element.

28. An actuating drive according to claim 22, including:

a centering device for centering the solid body actuator with respect to the housing at a region of an end face of the solid body actuator with the centering device being in operative connection with the solid body actuator and the bi-directionally deflectable actuating element to axially bias the solid body actuator in combination with a force provided by a spring element.

29. The actuating drive according to claim 23, including:

a centering device for centering the solid body actuator with respect to the housing at a region of an end face of the solid body actuator with the centering device being in operative connection with the solid body actuator and the bi-directionally deflectable actuating element to axially bias the solid body actuator in combination with a force provided by a spring element.

30. The actuating drive according to claim 24, including:

a centering device for centering the solid body actuator with respect to the housing at a region of an end face of the solid body actuator with the centering device being in operative connection with the solid body actuator and the bi-directionally deflectable actuating element to axially bias the solid body actuator in combination with a force provided by a spring element.

31. An actuating drive according to claim 19, wherein:

a hollow conduit is connected to a fluid pump which delivers a liquid or gas-phase coolant from a coolant reservoir into the hollow duct and the interspace and the second hollow conduit is connected to an outlet.

32. An actuating drive according to claim 20, wherein:

a hollow conduit is connected to a fluid pump which delivers a liquid or gas-phase coolant from a coolant reservoir into the hollow duct and the interspace and the second hollow conduit is connected to an outlet.

33. An actuating drive according to claim 21, wherein:

a hollow conduit is connected to a fluid pump which delivers a liquid or gas-phase coolant from a coolant reservoir into the hollow duct and the interspace and the second hollow conduit is connected to an outlet.

34. An actuating drive according to claim 23, wherein:

a hollow conduit is connected to a fluid pump which delivers a liquid or gas-phase coolant from a coolant reservoir into the hollow duct and the interspace and the second hollow conduit is connected to an outlet.

35. An actuating drive according to claim 25, wherein:

a hollow conduit is connected to a fluid pump which delivers a liquid or gas-phase coolant from a coolant reservoir into the hollow duct and the interspace and the second hollow conduit is connected to an outlet.

36. The actuating drive according to claim 31, wherein:

an outlet is connected in fluid-tight manner to a cooling unit which cools the coolant; and

that the cooling unit is connected in fluid-tight manner to the coolant reservoir.

37. An actuating drive according to claim 19, wherein:

the sleeve at least partially projects radially beyond an outer surface in the circumferential direction radially displaced from the housing.

38. An actuating drive according to claim 19, comprising:

at least one centering element mounted on the sleeve which at least partially projects radially beyond the outer surface in the circumferential direction which contacts the housing and supports the solid body actuator centrally inside the housing.

39. An actuating device according to claim 38, wherein:

the at least one centering element comprises a pin or peg connected to the sleeve and to the housing.

40. An actuating drive according to claim 39, comprising:

at least one duct integrated into the sleeve which at least partially projects radially beyond the outer surface in the circumferential direction with at least one duct providing a fluid connection between the hollow duct and the interspace.