Actuator having an adjustable running time

• US 10,113,762 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2011
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Grabinger, Cory, Thomle, Adrienne, McNallan, Torrey William, Waseen, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad
• Assistant Examiner(s): Booker, Kelvin
• Application Number:
  US13/293,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20130116832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,547 Days
• Field of Search: 700276
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/04 using a motor
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/70 Control systems characterised by their outputs; Constructional details thereof
• 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: G05D 13/08 without auxiliary power

Abstract

An actuator system having an actuator with a rotatable shaft. The shaft may have a first running time to rotate from a first position to a second position in one direction. The shaft may have a second running time to rotate from a first position to a second position in another direction. The first and second running times may be separately adjustable. A motor may be connected through a gear train to the rotatable shaft. A processor may control a rotation of the motor and thus the running times of the shaft. The running times may be adjusted with signals to the processor from a remote controller connected to the processor via a communications bus.

Claims

1. An actuator system for a heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:

a motor;

a gear train mechanically connected to the motor and having an HVAC actuator shaft;

a processor connected to the motor;

a shaft position indicator connected to the gear train and to the processor;

a communications bus connected to the processor; and

a controller connected to the communications bus; and

wherein;

the actuator shaft is rotatable a first number of degrees from a first position to a second position in a first direction and a second number degrees from a third position to a fourth position in a second direction;

a time for the actuator shaft to rotate the first number of degrees from the first position to the second position in the first direction is a first running time;

a time for the actuator shaft to rotate the second number of degrees from the third position to the fourth position in the second direction is a second running time;

the processor is programmed to set the first running time to a first time value and the second running time to a second time value for each of a plurality of different modes including a first normal mode and a test mode, where the first and second time values are different from one another in at least one of the plurality of different modes, wherein the first and second running times are separately adjustable and programmable via an entry from a user interface of the controller, wherein the first and second time values in the test mode are each different from the first and second time values in the first normal mode;

the first and second running times are separately adjustable and programmable with entries by a user put into the controller;

signals representative the entries are sent from the controller to the processor via the communications bus;

one or more of the first and second running times are adjusted by the user in realtime at the controller; and

wherein one of the plurality of modes is selectable by the user at the controller, causing the first and second running times associated with the selected mode to be set.

2. The actuator system of claim 1, wherein:

the first position is a closed position;

the second position is an open position;

the third position is the open position; and

the fourth position is the closed position.

3. The actuator system of claim 1, wherein the first and second running times are each programmable to be different from one another during different modes.

4. The actuator system of claim 1, wherein the communications bus conveys the signals with two polarity-insensitive wires.

5. The actuator system of claim 1, wherein the controller includes a user interface.

6. The actuator system of claim 1, further comprising a selector accessible on the actuator, the selector configured to select one of the plurality of different modes.

7. The actuator system of claim 6, wherein the selector is accessible from two opposing sides of the actuator.

8. The actuator system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different modes includes at least two normal modes, the test mode, and an emergency mode, wherein at least one of the first and second running times is different in each of the plurality of different modes.

9. A method for adjusting running times in an actuator associated with a heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:

providing an HVAC actuator comprising a motor, a gear train connected to the motor, and an actuator shaft connected to the gear train; and

entering signals into a processor to program a speed of the motor and thus program a first programmed running time of the actuator shaft in a first direction from a first position to a second position and a second programmed running time of the actuator shaft in a second direction opposite the first direction from a third position to a fourth position for each of a plurality of different modes including a first normal mode and a test mode, wherein the first programmed running time differs from the second programmed running time in at least one of the plurality of different modes;

making entries by a user into a controller to provide signals, representative of adjustments to one or more of the first and second running times for each of the plurality of different modes, via a communications bus to the processor for adjustments of the speed of the motor and thus adjustments of one or more of the first and second running times of the actuator shaft for each of the plurality of different modes;

making a selection by the user at the controller of one of the plurality of different modes, thereby obtaining adjustments of the one or more of the first and second running times of the actuator shaft in real-time associated with the selected mode;

wherein the actuator shaft can be connected to an apparatus in a heating, ventilating and air conditioning system; and

wherein the first programmed running time and the second programmed running time in the test mode are each different values from first and second programmed running times in the first normal mode.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

selecting the test mode at the controller; and

wherein selecting the test mode will result in programming the one or more of the first and second running times of the actuator shaft to be shorter times than the first and second running times of any other of the plurality of different modes.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the communications bus conveys the signals with two polarity-insensitive wires.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein making entries and the selection by the user are made on a user interface in the controller.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising the user selecting one of the plurality of different modes by using a selector accessible on the actuator, the selector configured to select one of the plurality of different modes.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of different modes includes at least two normal modes, the test mode, and an emergency mode, wherein at least one of the first and second running times is different in each of the plurality of different modes.

15. An actuator system for a heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:

a motor;

a gear train mechanically connected to the motor;

an HVAC actuator shaft mechanically coupled to the gear train; and

a processor connected to the motor;

a communications bus connected to the processor;

a controller connected to the communications bus; and

wherein;

the processor programs running times of the motor according to one of a plurality of modes of operation including at least a first normal mode, a test mode, and a saver mode, each of the plurality of modes of operation having a different programmed running time of the motor;

a first programmed running time of the motor is an amount time that the actuator shaft moves from a first position to a second position as driven by the motor via the gear train;

a second programmed running time of the motor is an amount of time that the actuator shaft moves from a second position to a first position as driven by the motor via the gear train;

a test running time corresponding to the test mode for moving the actuator shaft from the first position to the second position is less than a saver running time corresponding to a saver mode for moving the actuator shaft from the first position to the second position and a saver running time is greater than the first normal running time corresponding to the first normal application mode for moving the actuator from the first position to the second position;

the first and second programmed running times for each of the plurality of modes are separately adjustable and programmable to be different from one another, with entries by a user put into the controller;

the first and second programmed running times in the test mode are each different from the first and second programmed running times in the first normal mode and in the saver mode;

signals representative the entries are sent from the controller to the processor via the communications bus; and

one or more of the first and second programmed running times are adjusted by the user in real-time at the controller.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the first position is a closed position; and

the second position is an open position.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the communications bus conveys the signals with two polarity-insensitive wire.

18. The actuator system of claim 15, wherein the controller includes a user interface.

19. The actuator system of claim 15, further comprising a selector accessible on the actuator, the selector configured to select one of the plurality of modes.

20. The actuator system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of modes includes at least two normal modes, the test mode, and the saver mode, wherein at least one of the first and second running times is different in each of the plurality of modes.