A system including a phaser with a first lock pin and a second lock pin in the rotor assembly. The first and second locks pins having a locked position where they engage a recess in the housing assembly and an unlocked position in which they do not engage the housing assembly. The first lock pin locks the rotor assembly to the housing assembly when the phaser is in or near an intermediate phase angle position. The second lock pin locks the rotor assembly to the housing assembly when the phaser is at a full retard position. Alternatively, the second lock pin can lock the rotor assembly to the housing assembly when the phaser is at a full advance position. The second lock pin is spring biased towards the unlocked position and is pressurized to engage and move to the locked position by either the advance or the retard chamber.

In some applications, a piston of a hydraulic actuator may move at high speeds, and large undesired forces may be generated if the piston reaches an end-stop of the hydraulic actuator at a high speed. The undesired forces may, for example, cause mechanical damage in the hydraulic actuator. A controller may receive information indicative of the piston reaching a first position at a first threshold distance from the end-stop, and, in response, may modify a signal to a valve assembly controlling flow of hydraulic fluid to and from the hydraulic actuator. Further, the controller may receive information indicative of the piston reaching a second position at a second threshold distance closer to the end-stop of the hydraulic actuator, and, in response, the controller may further modify the signal to the valve assembly so as to apply a force on the piston in a away from the end-stop.

A hydraulic forceps system includes: robotic forceps including: a gripper, first piston coupled to the gripper, first cylinder forming first pressure chamber, filled with a hydraulic fluid, together with the first piston, second piston, second cylinder forming a second pressure chamber, filled with hydraulic fluid, together with the second piston, communication passage through which the chambers communicate, motor that drives the second piston via a linear motion mechanism; control device that controls the motor based on a command position for the first piston; and position sensor used for detecting a position of the second piston. The control device includes: an observer that derives an estimated position of the first piston based on the position of the second detected by the sensor; and a position controller that derives a target rotational speed of the motor based on a deviation between the estimated position of the first piston and the command position.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to fail open or fail close actuator assemblies and related methods for valve systems. In one implementation, an actuator assembly for valves includes an outer housing that includes an inner surface at least partially defining an internal volume. The actuator assembly includes one or more first fluid openings formed in the outer housing, one or more second fluid openings formed in the outer housing, and one or more ambient openings formed in the outer housing. The actuator assembly includes a valve stem disposed at least partially in the internal volume, and a first piston disposed in the internal volume and coupled to the valve stem. The actuator assembly includes a second piston disposed in the internal volume and disposed about the valve stem.

This present invention relates to a remote electro-hydraulic actuator for actuating of mechanical devices, such as a valve in an internal combustion exhaust pipe. The actuator includes a multi-vane rotational assembly that flows the working fluid through strategically sized flow channels within the structure of the rotational assembly. The size of the holes are sized to help the stability of the valve and can also be provided with pressure check valves or reed valves to dampen the rotation of the valve and reduce any instabilities due to pulsations driven back via the output shaft.

A pressure regulating shut-off valve has a valve member regulating flow of fluid between an inlet and an outlet. The valve includes a pneumatic actuator having a piston having first and second faces that define first and second volumes within a cylinder. The second face has a greater surface area than the first face. The first and second volumes are fluidly connected to the inlet, and an electrically actuated valve controls the flow of fluid along a fluid path to the second volume. The electrically actuated valve closes the fluid path, when power is supplied to the electrically actuated valve, and opens the fluid path, when power is removed from the electrically actuated valve, which causes the pneumatic actuator to act on the valve member to hold the valve member in a fixed position.

A system including a phaser with a first lock pin and a second lock pin in the rotor assembly. The first and second locks pins having a locked position where they engage a recess in the housing assembly and an unlocked position in which they do not engage the housing assembly. The first lock pin locks the rotor assembly to the housing assembly when the phaser is in or near an intermediate phase angle position. The second lock pin locks the rotor assembly to the housing assembly when the phaser is at a full retard position. Alternatively, the second lock pin can lock the rotor assembly to the housing assembly when the phaser is at a full advance position. The second lock pin is spring biased towards the unlocked position and is pressurized to engage and move to the locked position by either the advance or the retard chamber.

This present invention relates to a remote electro-hydraulic actuator for actuating of mechanical devices, such as a valve in an internal combustion exhaust pipe. The actuator includes a multi-vane rotational assembly that flows the working fluid through strategically sized flow channels within the structure of the rotational assembly. The size of the holes are sized to help the stability of the valve and can also be provided with pressure check valves or reed valves to dampen the rotation of the valve and reduce any instabilities due to pulsations driven back via the output shaft.

A valve control module includes a controller storing a real time operating system for controlling operation of the valve control module, at least one command signal input connector in circuit communication with the controller and connectable with an external device for receiving command signal pulses from the external device, at least one driver circuit in circuit communication with the controller and connectable with a pilot valve of a valve assembly for transmitting to the pilot valve actuation signal pulses generated by the controller, and at least one digital input connector in circuit communication with the controller and connectable with a position sensor of the valve assembly for receiving stroke signal pulses from the position sensor and communicating the stroke signal pulses to the controller.

This present invention relates to a remote electro-hydraulic actuator for actuating of mechanical devices, such as a valve in an internal combustion exhaust pipe. The actuator includes a multi-vane rotational assembly that flows the working fluid through strategically sized flow channels within the structure of the rotational assembly. The size of the holes are sized to help the stability of the valve and can also be provided with pressure check valves or reed valves to dampen the rotation of the valve and reduce any instabilities due to pulsations driven back via the output shaft.