ACTUATOR HAVING AN ADJUSTABLE RUNNING TIME

• US 20130116832A1
• Filed: 11/09/2011
• Published: 05/09/2013
• 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
• Granted Patent: US 10,113,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/276
• 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; and

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

wherein;

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

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

the first and second running times are separately adjustable.

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 running times are adjusted with signals to the processor.

4. The actuator system of claim 1, further comprising:

a communications bus connected to the processor; and

a controller connected to the communications bus; and

wherein;

the first and second running times are separately adjustable with entries put into the controller; and

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

5. The actuator system of claim 4, wherein one or more of the first and second running times are adjusted in real-time at the controller.

6. The actuator system of claim 5, wherein a test mode entry into the controller causes the one or more of the first and second running times to be set for testing.

7. The actuator system of claim 5, wherein the first and second running times can be set to be different from each other.

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

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 for adjustments of a speed of the motor and thus adjustments of a first running time of the actuator shaft in a first direction from a first position to a second position and a second running time of the actuator shaft in a second direction from a third position to a fourth position; and

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

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising making entries into a controller to provide signals, representative of adjustments to one or more of the first and second running times, 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.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising obtaining adjustments of the one or more of the first and second running times of the actuator shaft in real-time with entries made at the controller.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

selecting a test mode at the controller; and

wherein selecting the test mode will result in adjustments of the one or more of the first and second running times of the actuator shaft for testing purposes.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the communications bus conveys the signals with two polarity-insensitive wires.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

selecting at the controller a mode from a plurality of modes; and

wherein each mode of the plurality of modes is programmed to provide a first running time and a second running time.

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; and

wherein;

the processor sets running times of the motor; and

a running time of the motor is an amount time that the actuator shaft moves from one position to another position.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

a first 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; and

a second 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.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the first position is a closed position; and

the second position is an open position.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein:

a test running time is less than a saver running time; and

a saver running time is greater than a normal running time.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein running times of the motor are entered at a controller which sends signals on the communications bus to the processor that sets the running times of the motor.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the communications bus conveys the signals with two polarity-insensitive wires.