IP Library Granted Patent US 10,815,908
Granted Patent B2
US 10,815,908 · App. 15/650,700 · Granted Oct 27, 2020

Throttle drive actuator for an engine

Inventors: Martin L. Radue (Plymouth, WI); William D. Koenigs (Fond du Lac, WI)
Assignee: KOHLER CO.
F02D9/1065F02D9/02F02D11/10F02D41/0002F02M35/10249F02M35/10255H02K41/0358F02D2011/102Y02T10/42
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,815,908
App. No.
15/650,700
Granted
Oct 27, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A throttle drive actuator for an engine includes a rotor and a stator. The rotor connects with a valve of a throttle body to rotate the valve, to open a close an air passage of the throttle body of the engine.

Claims (17)

1. A throttle drive actuator for an engine, the throttle drive actuator comprising:

a rotor hub attached to or including a rotor hub magnet;

a throttle body operatively connected to the rotor hub, the throttle body including a rotatable shaft and a throttle valve, such that the rotor hub mechanically connects with the rotatable shaft to cause the throttle valve to open and close an air passage of the throttle body;

a stator including a saddle defined therein, the stator radially disposed and fixed in place around the rotor hub magnet, wherein the rotor hub is positioned radially within and rotatable within the saddle, such that the stator is configured to provide a magnetic field to rotate the rotor hub and cause the throttle valve to open and close the air passage of the throttle body; and

a spring attached directly to the rotor hub and configured to bias the throttle valve in a predetermined position.

2. The throttle drive actuator of claim 1 , wherein the rotor hub comprises a pin engaging the spring.

3. The throttle drive actuator of claim 1 , further including a throttle position sensor magnet disposed on the rotor hub.

4. The throttle drive actuator of claim 1 , further including a main actuator housing and a cover housing removably attached to the main actuator housing, wherein respective widths of the main actuator housing and the cover housing are each less than one-third of a width of the throttle body.

5. The throttle drive actuator of claim 4 , further including a seal positioned between the main actuator housing and the throttle valve.

6. The throttle drive actuator of claim 1 , further including an electronic control unit configured to control the stator.

7. The throttle drive actuator of claim 6 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to send a signal to the stator based on a received engine speed and throttle position.

8. The throttle drive actuator of claim 1 , wherein the rotor hub magnet is a permanent magnet.

9. The throttle drive actuator of claim 1 , wherein the stator comprises wire windings configured to provide the magnetic field.

10. The throttle drive actuator of claim 1 , wherein the rotor hub magnet is cylindrically shaped with a hollow center.

11. The throttle drive actuator of claim 10 , wherein a portion of the rotor hub is positioned in the hollow center of the rotor hub magnet.

12. The throttle drive actuator of claim 2 , wherein the spring is radially disposed against the rotor hub.

13. The throttle drive actuator of claim 1 , wherein the spring is radially disposed around the rotor hub.

Assignments (4)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (ABL) Recorded May 3, 2024
From: CURTIS INSTRUMENTS, INC.; DISCOVERY ENERGY, LLC; HEILA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 067306/0903 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (TERM) Recorded May 2, 2024
From: CURTIS INSTRUMENTS, INC.; DISCOVERY ENERGY, LLC; HEILA TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 067290/0853 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 1, 2024
From: KOHLER CO.
To: DISCOVERY ENERGY, LLC
Reel/Frame 067289/0516 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 1, 2017
From: RADUE, MARTIN L.; KOENIGS, WILLIAM D.
To: KOHLER CO.
Reel/Frame 043160/0121 →
Cited By (2)
US 12,385,457 US 12,448,926