Kongsberg Automotive has been granted a patent for a pneumatic clutch actuator. The actuator includes a piston housing and a piston with a self-adjustment mechanism that can change the axial length of the piston. The mechanism consists of a position locking assembly with locking flanges and positioning slots, allowing the actuator to be locked or unlocked. GlobalData’s report on Kongsberg Automotive gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Kongsberg Automotive, heater-integrated de-icing windows was a key innovation area identified from patents. Kongsberg Automotive's grant share as of June 2023 was 1%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Pneumatic clutch actuator with self-adjustment mechanism
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11661978B2) describes a pneumatic clutch actuator with a self-adjustment mechanism. The actuator includes a piston housing and a piston that can change the clutch state between engaged and disengaged. The piston has a self-adjustment mechanism with a position locking assembly, which includes a locking member with multiple locking flanges and a positioning member with corresponding positioning slots. The position locking assembly can be in an unlocked state, with the locking member spaced from the positioning member, or a locked state, with at least one locking flange inserted into a positioning slot.
The locking member includes a locking disk with the locking flanges extending outwardly from its outer surface. These locking flanges are spaced along the circumference of the locking disk. The positioning member, on the other hand, includes a positioning ring with the positioning slots defined along its radial inner surface. The self-adjustment mechanism is coupled between the piston assembly and a mounting member, allowing for the adjustment of the axial distance between them.
The self-adjustment mechanism also includes a lead screw that extends outwardly from the position locking assembly and into a threaded internal cavity of the mounting member. By rotating the lead screw, the mounting member can be moved along the first axis, adjusting the axial distance between the piston assembly and the mounting member. The position locking assembly prevents the rotation of the lead screw when in the locked state.
The patent also describes a method of operating the pneumatic clutch actuator. Compressed air is channeled into the piston housing to move the piston from a first position to a second position. The position locking assembly is then moved to the locked state to fix the axial length of the piston. Releasing the compressed air causes the piston to move back to the first position, and the position locking assembly is moved to the unlocked state to facilitate the adjustment of the axial length of the piston.
Overall, this patent presents a pneumatic clutch actuator with a self-adjustment mechanism that allows for precise control of the clutch state. The position locking assembly ensures the stability of the adjusted position, while the method of operation provides a reliable and efficient way to change the clutch state.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
