Schaeffler Technologies Ag & Co .kg

Craig Hooker

Andre Vazquez

Joseph Johnson

Michael Conlin

Jason Hoover

Todd Sturgin

Nicholas Hrusch

Michael White

Carl White

Eric Ovendorf

Peter Bartell

Brad Derry

Josiah Bailey

Bartholomew Briggs

A controller includes a plurality of circuit boards and a support configured to support each circuit board. The support includes a plurality of loading surfaces axially spaced from each other and a plurality of fingers extending obliquely relative to the loading surfaces. Each circuit board is disposed between one respective loading surface and one respective finger.

Controller and circuit board support

A rotary actuator for a flight control surface includes a first electric motor connected to a first geartrain having planetary gearsets in series and a first drive gear driven by the first electric motor via the first geartrain. The first geartrain and the first drive gear define a first powertrain. The rotary actuator also includes a second electric motor connected to a second geartrain having planetary gearsets in series. The second geartrain is separate from the first geartrain. The rotary actuator further includes a second drive gear driven by the second electric motor via the second geartrain. The second geartrain and the second drive gear define a second powertrain that is coaxial with the first powertrain. Additionally, the rotary actuator includes an output shaft parallel to the first and second powertrains. The output shaft is driven simultaneously via the first and second drive gears.

Rotary actuator for flight control surface

A cable gland includes a body, a cover, and an insert. The body is configured to be received in an opening of a housing. The body has a tube defining a first cavity extending circumferentially about an axis. The cover is threadedly engaged with the tube and configured to seal the body to the housing. The insert is disposed in the first cavity and defines a second cavity configured to receive a cable. The insert includes a plurality of ribs engaged with the tube.

Cable gland

A rotary actuator includes a housing having a first end and a second end spaced from the first end along an axis. The housing defines a cavity extending circumferentially about the axis. An output shaft is arranged coaxially with the axis. The output shaft extends outwardly from the cavity through the first end. A drive system is disposed in the cavity and axially spaced from the first end. A gearbox is disposed in the cavity between the output shaft and the drive system. The gearbox is coupled to the drive system and the output shaft. A rotational controller is disposed in the cavity between the drive system and the second end. The rotational controller is configured to actuate the drive system to adjust an angular position of the output shaft.

Rotary actuator

A compact power steering system is suitable for small vehicles. A torque sensor on a steering shaft detects operator intention to turn. In response, a motor provides torque to assistance in rotating the steering shaft. A strain wave gear set multiplies the motor torque. A coupler having a torsional isolator links the gearbox output to the steering shaft.

Compact power steering system

A pumping system for fracking fluid is designed to provide nearly constant flow rate. The pumping system includes a set of linear actuator pumping units, each driven by at least one electric motor. Each pumping unit includes a hollow threaded shaft driven by the linear actuator, two hollow cylinders fixed to an interior of the hollow shaft, and hollow pistons in each of the hollow cylinders. The hollow cylinders and hollow pistons form two pumping chambers. A first pumping chamber expels fluid when the linear actuator is moving in a first direction and a second pumping chamber that expels fluid when the linear actuator is moving in an opposite direction. The speeds of the actuators are coordinated such that a total flow rate of the pumping system is substantially constant.

Co-axial inverted piston linear actuator pumping system

A pumping system for fracking fluid is designed to provide nearly constant flow rate. The pumping system includes a set of linear actuator pumping units, each driven by an electric motor. Each pumping unit includes a first set of pumping chambers that expel fluid when the linear actuator is moving in a first direction and a second set of pumping chambers that expel fluid when the linear actuator is moving in an opposite direction. The speeds of the actuators are coordinated such that a total flow rate of the pumping system is substantially constant.

Electric off-axis opposing piston linear actuator pumping system

A pumping system utilizes a linear actuator to move a shaft attached to two pistons within cylinders to pump a working fluid. A housing is designed with coolant passageways and one-way valves such that movement of the shaft also pumps coolant past cooling fins and over a motor. The shaft is formed of several sections joined by couplers which slide within a bore of the housing. The couplers have a non-round shape and the bore has a complimentary non-round cross section such that rotation of the shaft is prevented.

Linear actuator pumping system

An actuator assembly is disclosed herein. The assembly includes a motor shaft; support; harmonic drive connected to the motor shaft that includes an output connected to a drive shaft defining a first sun gear; drive mechanism; and actuator arm. The drive mechanism includes a first gear set and a second gear set. The first gear set has a first carrier including a second sun gear. The first carrier supports a first plurality of planetary gears that engage both the first sun gear and a first ring gear rotationally fixed to the support. The second gear set has a second carrier fixed to the support. The second carrier supports a second plurality of planetary gears that engage both the second sun gear and a second ring gear. The actuator arm is connected to the second ring gear such that the actuator arm is rotationally driven by the motor shaft.

Actuator assembly

An linear actuator drive arrangement is disclosed that includes a drive screw including a drive screw threading on an outer periphery thereof and a first axial end of the drive screw is configured to support a load. The arrangement includes a motor including a stator and a rotor arranged radially within the stator. The rotor includes a rotor housing, a first ring nut, and a second ring nut. A plurality of planetary screws are arranged radially between the drive screw and the first ring nut and the second ring nut. A bearing assembly is arranged radially inside a first axial end of the rotor housing, and the bearing assembly axially supports the rotor housing. An encoder ring is fixed to a radially outer surface of the rotor housing at the first axial end of the rotor housing, and the encoder ring is concentric with the bearing assembly.

Axially compact linear actuator drive arrangement

A power steering system for a watercraft includes an electromechanical rotary actuator mounted within a cylindrical housing. The electromechanical rotary actuator includes a motor and a gearing system. The housing, along with a stern bracket and an output flange, are sized and arranged to permit steering movements and trim/tilt movements of an outboard motor. The power steering system may include one or more of a redundant linear actuator, a trim/tilt mechanism, and a control system.

Steering actuator and control method

An actuatable joint for a robotic system has a body, a motor positioned in the body, an output shaft configured to be rotated by the motor relative to the body, and a bearing assembly positioned between the output shaft and the body and configured to support the rotation of the output shaft. The bearing assembly has a first axial angular contact roller bearing. The roller bearing has a pair of frusto-conical bearing rings forming a pair of parallel races, a bearing cage positioned between the pair of bearing rings and including a plurality of openings, and a plurality of rollers positioned in the openings and in contact with the races.

Actuatable joint for a robotic system having an axial angular contact roller bearing

An articulating assembly of a robotic system has an extruded connector arm including a longitudinally-extending body portion and a connection portion. The body portion has an axial base member, a perimeter wall, and a plurality of webs extending radially from the base member to the perimeter wall. The robotic system may also have an actuatable joint secured to the connection portion of the connector arm. The connector arm may be cut-to-size and replaceable, thereby forming a modular component for the robotic system.

Modular articulating assembly of a robotic system

An assembly for a smelting process including a lifting actuator for adjusting a height of an anode with respect to a smelting pot is provided. The lifting actuator includes a body supported adjacent to the smelting pot. A motor is connected to a drive screw located in the body and the motor rotates the drive screw. A floating nut is connected to the drive screw, and a carriage plate rests on the floating nut. At least one linear bearing rail is supported on the body and guides the carriage plate. The anode is mounted on the carriage plate such that the motor drives the floating nut axially within the body to adjust a height of the anode with respect to the smelting pot.

Growing community of inventors

Indian Land, SC, United States of America

Craig Hooker