Valves and valve actuation – Fluid actuated or retarded – Rotary or oscillatory motor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-07
2001-08-21
Shaver, Kevin (Department: 3754)
Valves and valve actuation
Fluid actuated or retarded
Rotary or oscillatory motor
C251S077000, C251S313000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276660
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to piston actuators and more particularly to rotary pistons having a selective attachment to a shaft.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Rotary control valves have a shaft member that is driven rotatably to position the valve control member in the proper position for the requested function. Rotary valves have been proposed for use in automatic shifting power transmissions to control the position of the manual control valve during operation of the transmission. For example, the valve control member has a reverse position, a neutral position and a plurality of forward drive positions. The control member has to respond to both clockwise and counterclockwise rotary input commands.
In one control system, the piston has a pair of one way clutch members disposed between a shaft and the piston to effect a drive connection therebetween depending on the desired direction of rotation. The one-way mechanisms are hydraulically actuated to establish a drive connection and both must be released to permit the piston to return to a central position. In another rotary valve system the piston is driven to specific stops by the hydraulic control. This requires a number of hydraulic control ports to support each stop position or a piston having multiple components. A hydraulic control system having a single control piston is described in U.S. Ser. No. 09/105,405 filed Jun. 26, 1998 and assigned to the assignee of this application.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved rotary drive system having one-way drive mechanisms.
In one aspect of the present invention, a pair of selectively energizable clutch members are disposed between respective pistons and a rotary shaft member. In another aspect of the present invention, the selectively energizable clutch members are one-way mechanisms. In yet another aspect of the present invention, the one-way mechanisms each include a wrapped spring clutch.
In still another aspect of the present invention, respective linearly moveable hydraulic pistons are selectively pressurized to actuate the one-way mechanisms. In a further aspect of the present invention, rotary pistons are disposed for fluid communication with respective ones of the linearly moveable pistons. In a yet further aspect of the present invention, the linear piston is moved to energize the respective one-way mechanism prior to the admission of hydraulic fluid to the respective rotary piston.
In a still further aspect of the present invention, each piston is comprised of two components with a lost motion connection therebetween which permits one component to have a longer linear travel. In a yet still further aspect of the present invention, the shorter traveling component engages a wrapped spring clutch to provide an anchor point and the longer traveling component controls fluid flow to the actuator piston.
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Bonderer D. Austin
General Motors Corporation
Hargitt Laura C.
Shaver Kevin
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