The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 01, 2009
Filed:
Jul. 12, 2006
Les Safran, Westlake, OH (US);
Stephen L. Douglass, Newbury, OH (US);
Les Safran, Westlake, OH (US);
Stephen L. Douglass, Newbury, OH (US);
Thermotion Corporation, Mentor, OH (US);
Abstract
A motor-driven actuator extends and retracts a piston rod. The actuator includes a housing, an electric motor having a motor shaft, a piston rod slidably extendable and retractable with respect to the housing, a speed-reduction stage coupled to the motor shaft and rotating a drive shaft parallel to the motor shaft, a speed and direction-change stage coupled to and driven by the drive shaft and rotating a wheel gear substantially perpendicular to the motor shaft, and a driving stage coupled to and driven by the wheel gear and extending and retracting the piston rod relative to the housing along a direction parallel to the motor shaft. The actuator also includes a position detector detecting when the piston rod is in the extended and retracted positions. Preferably, the position detector includes Hall effect sensors and a permanent magnet mounted on a piston driving the piston rod.