阅读说明：本技术 线性致动器 (Linear actuator ) 是由 陈谆修 刘俊芳 黄勖维 于 2020-02-27 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明为一种线性致动器,包含基座、线性引导装置、一可移动单元、一电路板组件、一线性马达以及散热模块。线性引导装置固定在基座上；可移动单元由基座支撑,且可滑动地与线性引导装置耦接,并且在基座上方自由地往复移动；电路板组件固定在基座上,且包含印刷电路板,印刷电路板具有第一电路板表面和第二电路板表面；线性马达包含线圈组件和磁性组件,线圈组件设置在印刷电路板的第一电路板表面上,磁性组件设置在可移动单元上,并且与设置在印刷电路板上的线圈组件相对应；散热模块包含散热器和至少一散热管,散热器连接到基座,至少一散热管固定至第一电路板表面并与第一电路板表面接触。(The invention relates to a linear actuator, which comprises a base, a linear guide device, a movable unit, a circuit board assembly, a linear motor and a heat dissipation module. The linear guide device is fixed on the base; the movable unit is supported by the base, is slidably coupled with the linear guide device, and freely reciprocates above the base; the circuit board assembly is fixed on the base and comprises a printed circuit board, and the printed circuit board is provided with a first circuit board surface and a second circuit board surface; the linear motor includes a coil block disposed on a first circuit board surface of the printed circuit board, and a magnetic block disposed on the movable unit and corresponding to the coil block disposed on the printed circuit board; the heat dissipation module comprises a heat radiator and at least one heat dissipation pipe, the heat radiator is connected to the base, and the at least one heat dissipation pipe is fixed to the surface of the first circuit board and is in contact with the surface of the first circuit board.)

1. A linear actuator, comprising:

a base;

a linear guide device fixed on the base;

a movable unit supported by the base, slidably coupled with the linear guide, and freely reciprocating above the base;

a circuit board assembly fixed on the base and including a printed circuit board having a first circuit board surface and a second circuit board surface;

a linear motor including a coil block disposed on the first circuit board surface of the printed circuit board and a magnetic block disposed on the movable unit and corresponding to the coil block disposed on the printed circuit board; and

and the heat dissipation module comprises a radiator and at least one heat dissipation pipe, the radiator is connected to the base, and the at least one heat dissipation pipe is fixed on the first circuit board surface of the printed circuit board and is in contact with the first circuit board surface, so that the heat energy generated by the coil assembly is dissipated through the heat dissipation module.

2. The linear actuator of claim 1, wherein the heat sink further comprises a substrate and a plurality of heat fins, the substrate comprising a first substrate surface and a second substrate surface opposite, the plurality of heat fins disposed on the first substrate surface of the substrate.

3. The linear actuator of claim 2, wherein each of the heat pipes has a first end, a second end and an extension portion connected between the first end and the second end, the first end of each of the heat pipes is connected to the heat sink, the second end and the extension portion are fixed to and in contact with the first circuit board surface of the printed circuit board.

4. The linear actuator of claim 3, wherein the second end of the heat pipe and the extension portion are fixed to the first circuit board surface of the printed circuit board by welding or soldering.

5. The linear actuator of claim 2, wherein the heat sink further comprises a receptacle formed in a recessed manner on the second substrate surface of the substrate, and the heat dissipation module further comprises a fan disposed in the receptacle and configured to drive an airflow to perform heat exchange with the heat sink.

6. The linear actuator of claim 1, wherein the circuit board assembly further comprises an encapsulation layer disposed on the first circuit board surface of the printed circuit board, the encapsulation layer covering at least a portion of the coil assembly, at least a portion of the heat pipe, and at least a portion of the printed circuit board.

7. The linear actuator of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board further comprises an insulating substrate, a first conductive layer formed on a first insulating substrate surface of the insulating substrate, a second conductive layer formed on a second insulating substrate surface of the insulating substrate opposite to the first surface of the insulating substrate, and a plurality of conductive holes each penetrating the first insulating substrate surface and the second insulating substrate surface of the insulating substrate, and each having two ends connected to the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer, respectively.

8. The linear actuator of claim 1, wherein the base comprises:

a first base surface;

a second base surface opposite the first base surface of the base;

a body having a first mounting portion and at least a second mounting portion, the first mounting portion being located on a first side of the body and configured to mount the linear guide device, the second mounting portion being located on a second side of the body adjacent to the first side of the body and configured to mount the circuit board assembly; and

a hollow part formed in the middle area of the body.

9. The linear actuator of claim 8, wherein the printed circuit board further has a first extension portion extending outwardly from a first side of the printed circuit board and a second extension portion extending outwardly from a second side of the printed circuit board opposite the first side of the printed circuit board, and the first and second extension portions are mounted on the second mounting portion.

10. The linear actuator of claim 1, wherein the coil assembly comprises a plurality of coil parts arranged in parallel with a linear guide of the linear guide, and the circuit board assembly further comprises an auxiliary fixing unit for fixing the coil assembly on the first circuit board surface of the printed circuit board.

11. The linear actuator as claimed in claim 10, wherein the auxiliary fixing unit includes a plurality of flexible insulating strips, each of which is fitted in a hollow portion of the corresponding coil part and serves to fix the corresponding coil part on the first circuit board surface of the printed circuit board.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a linear actuator, and more particularly, to a linear actuator capable of enhancing heat dissipation efficiency.

Background

Linear actuators have been widely used in various industrial applications such as industrial machinery, precision machine tools, electronic machinery, conveyor machinery, and the like. A linear actuator typically includes a base, a pair of linear rails, a movable member, and a linear motor. A pair of linear guides are disposed on the base and spaced apart from each other. The movable member is supported by the base and is freely reciprocally movable along the length direction of the linear guide rail, so that the movable member is freely linearly reciprocally movable with respect to the base. The linear motor includes a coil assembly mounted on a fixed portion of the base, and a magnetic assembly mounted on the movable part, and the coil assembly and the magnetic assembly correspond to each other, wherein the magnetic assembly generates a magnetic field, and the coil assembly generates a displacement magnetic field by supplying an alternating current, thereby generating a magnetic repulsive force or a magnetic attractive force to form a driving force to push the movable part to move.

However, when the linear actuator is operated, the coil assembly drives the movable member to move based on the magnetic force generated by the electric power, so the coil assembly and some electronic components generate heat energy, and if the heat energy is accumulated in the linear actuator and cannot be effectively dissipated, the operation of the linear actuator may be affected, and the service life of the linear actuator may be shortened.

In view of the above, there is a need to provide a linear actuator to solve the problems faced by the prior art.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention is directed to a linear actuator which can enhance heat dissipation efficiency and prolong a service life.

In order to achieve the above objective, a preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a linear actuator, which includes a base, a linear guide, a movable unit, a circuit board assembly, a linear motor, and a heat dissipation module. The linear guide device is fixed on the base; the movable unit is supported by the base, is slidably coupled with the linear guide device, and freely reciprocates above the base; a circuit board assembly fixed on the base and including a printed circuit board having a first circuit board surface and a second circuit board surface; the linear motor includes a coil block disposed on a first circuit board surface of the printed circuit board, and a magnetic block disposed on the movable unit and corresponding to the coil block disposed on the printed circuit board; and a heat dissipation module including a heat sink connected to the base and at least one heat dissipation tube fixed to and in contact with the first circuit board surface of the printed circuit board to dissipate heat generated by the coil assembly through the heat dissipation module.

The linear actuator with the heat dissipation module has the advantages that the linear guide device is fixed on the base; the movable unit is supported by the base, is slidably coupled with the linear guide device, and freely reciprocates above the base; the circuit board assembly is fixed on the base and comprises a printed circuit board, and the printed circuit board is provided with a first circuit board surface and a second circuit board surface; therefore, the heat dissipation efficiency can be enhanced, and the service life can be prolonged.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a linear actuator according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention along a first viewing angle;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the linear actuator shown in FIG. 1 taken from a second perspective;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the linear actuator of FIG. 1 from a first perspective;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the linear actuator of FIG. 1 from a second perspective;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the circuit board assembly, the coil assembly and the heat sink module of the linear actuator shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the circuit board assembly, the coil assembly and the heat sink module shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an exemplary structural diagram of a coil assembly of the linear actuator shown in FIG. 1, wherein a circuit board assembly, the coil assembly and a heat sink module are assembled together to form the coil assembly;

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the printed circuit board, coil assembly and flexible insulating strip of FIG. 7 along section line AA;

fig. 9 is an exemplary partial cross-sectional schematic view of a printed circuit board of the linear actuator shown in fig. 1.

The reference numbers are as follows:

1: linear actuator

2: base

3: linear guide device

4 Movable Unit

5: circuit board assembly

6: linear motor

7 heat radiation module

51 printed circuit board

61 coil component

62 magnetic component

71 radiator

72 radiating pipe

21: main body

22 hollow part

23 first base surface

24 second base surface

25 first mounting part

26 second mounting part

31 linear guide rail

32 sliding part

41 first platen

42 second platen

43 connecting part

45: channel

43a extension plate

52 first circuit board surface

53 second circuit board surface

54 first extension part

55 second extension part

621. 622 magnetic component

711 substrate

712 Heat sink fins

713 locus of accommodation

721 first end

722 the second end

723 extension part

73 fan

56 auxiliary fixing unit

56a flexible insulating strip

8: coil module

57 encapsulation layer

58 conductive vias

512 first conductive layer

513 second conductive layer

9: encoder

Detailed Description

Some exemplary embodiments that embody features and advantages of the invention will be described in detail in the description that follows. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the scope of the present invention, and the description and drawings are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.

Fig. 1 is a structural diagram of a linear actuator according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention along a first viewing angle. Fig. 2 is a structural diagram of the linear actuator shown in fig. 1 along a second viewing angle. Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the linear actuator of fig. 1 from a first perspective. Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the linear actuator of fig. 1 from a second perspective. Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the circuit board assembly, the coil assembly and the heat dissipation module of the linear actuator shown in fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the circuit board assembly, the coil assembly and the heat dissipation module shown in fig. 5. As shown in fig. 1 to 6, the linear actuator 1 of the present embodiment includes a base 2, at least one linear guide 3, a movable unit 4, a circuit board assembly 5, a linear motor 6, and a heat dissipation module 7. The base 2 may be fixed to a mounting surface of a mechanical device (not shown). At least one linear guide 3 is fixed to the base 2. The movable unit 4 is supported by the base 2, is slidably coupled with the linear guide 3, and is freely reciprocated above the base 2. The circuit board assembly 5 is fixed to the base 2 and comprises a printed circuit board 51, the printed circuit board 51 having a first circuit board surface 52 and a second circuit board surface 53. The linear motor 6 includes a coil block 61 and a magnetic block 62, the coil block 61 being disposed on the first circuit board surface 52 of the printed circuit board 51, and the magnetic block 62 being disposed on the movable unit 4 and corresponding to the coil block 61 disposed on the printed circuit board 51. Heat dissipation module 7 includes a heat sink 71 and at least one heat dissipation tube 72, heat sink 71 is connected to base 2, and at least one heat dissipation tube 72 is fixed to first circuit board surface 52 of printed circuit board 51 and contacts first circuit board surface 52, so that heat generated by coil assembly 61 will be dissipated through heat dissipation module 7.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4, the base 2 includes a body 21, a hollow portion 22, a first base surface 23 and a second base surface 24. The first base surface 23 is opposite to the second base surface 24. A hollow 22 is formed in the middle region of the body 21 and penetrates the first and second base surfaces 23 and 24. The body 21 has a first mounting portion 25 and at least one second mounting portion 26, the first mounting portion 25 is located on a first side of the body 21 and adjacent to the hollow portion 22 and configured to mount the linear guide device 3 thereon, and the at least one second mounting portion 26 is located on a second side of the body 21 and adjacent to the hollow portion 22 and configured to mount the circuit board assembly 5 thereon. Wherein the second side of the body 21 is adjacent to the first side of the body 21.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4, the linear guide device 3 is mounted on the first mounting portion 25 and disposed on the first base surface 23 of the base 2, the linear guide device 3 includes a linear guide rail 31 and at least one sliding member 32, the linear guide rail 31 is fixed on the first mounting portion 25 of the base 2 and adjacent to the hollow portion 22 of the base 2, and the sliding member 32 is slidably coupled to the linear guide rail 31 and can freely reciprocate along the length direction of the linear guide rail 31. Wherein the linear guide 31 may be, but is not limited to, including two sliding members 32.

As shown in fig. 1 to 4, the movable unit 4 includes a first platen 41, a second platen 42, and a connecting portion 43. The first platen 41 and the second platen 42 are parallel to and assembled with each other and a channel 45 will be formed between the first platen 41 and the second platen 42. The connection portion 43 is connected with the assembly structure of the first platen 41 and the second platen 42, and the connection portion 43 can be, but is not limited to, connected to the edge of the first platen 41, and the connection portion 43 can be fixed on the sliding member 32 of the linear guide device 3 by a fixing element (e.g., a screw), so that the movable unit 4 can slide along the length direction of the linear guide rail 31 and freely reciprocate on the base 2. The first platen 41 includes a first inner surface adjacent to the channel 45 and the second platen 42 includes a second inner surface adjacent to the channel 45 and corresponding to the first inner surface of the first platen 41. In the present embodiment, the connecting portion 43 has an L-shaped structure. In some embodiments, the connecting portion 43 includes an extension plate 43a extending outward from one side thereof.

As shown in fig. 1 to 6, the circuit board assembly 5 is fixed to the base 2, and the circuit board assembly 5 includes a printed circuit board 51 and at least one electronic component (not shown). The printed circuit board 51 has a first circuit board surface 52, a second circuit board surface 53, a first extension 54 and a second extension 55. The first extension portion 54 extends outwardly from a first side of the printed circuit board 51, and the second extension portion 55 extends outwardly from a second side of the printed circuit board 51, wherein the first and second sides of the printed circuit board 51 are opposite to each other. The first extension 54 and the second extension 55 of the printed circuit board 51 are mounted on the second mounting portion 26 of the base 2 by fixing members (e.g., screws) so that the circuit board assembly 5 is firmly fixed to the base 2 while the circuit board assembly 5 is mostly accommodated in the hollow portion 22 of the base 2, and further, the printed circuit board 51 is disposed between the first platen 41 and the second platen 42 of the movable unit 4 and in the passage 45 between the first platen 41 and the second platen 42. The first circuit board surface 52 of the printed circuit board 51 corresponds to a first interior surface of the first platen 41 and the second circuit board surface 53 of the printed circuit board 51 corresponds to a second interior surface of the second platen 42. In this case, as the movable unit 4 moves along the length direction of the linear guide 31, the first platen 41 and the second platen 42 will not contact the printed circuit board 51.

As also shown in fig. 1 to 6, the linear motor 6 includes a coil element 61 and a magnetic element 62. The coil assembly 61 is disposed on the first circuit board surface 52 of the printed circuit board 51, and the coil assembly 61 includes a plurality of coil parts 611, the plurality of coil parts 611 are arranged along a length direction of the printed circuit board 51, and preferably, the plurality of coil parts 611 are arranged along a direction parallel to the linear guide 31. The magnetic unit 62 is provided on the movable unit 4 and corresponds to the coil unit 61, the magnetic unit 62 includes a plurality of magnetic members 621 that are a first group and a plurality of magnetic members 622 that are a second group, the plurality of magnetic members 621 in the first group are provided on the first inner surface of the first platen 41 and correspond to the coil members 611 provided on the printed circuit board 51, and the plurality of magnetic members 622 in the second group are provided on the second inner surface of the second platen 42 and correspond to the coil members 611 provided on the printed circuit board 51. Preferably, the plurality of magnetic members 621 in the first group are arranged along a line parallel to the linear guide 31, and the plurality of magnetic members 622 in the second group are also arranged along a line parallel to the linear guide 31, each of the magnetic members 621, 622 in the first group or in the second group has an N-pole and an S-pole, in some embodiments, the N-pole and the S-pole of the magnetic member 621 in the first group are alternately arranged along the passage 45 of the movable unit 4, the N-pole and the S-pole of the magnetic member 622 in the second group are alternately arranged along the passage 45 of the movable unit 4, and the magnetic members 621, 622 of the magnetic assembly 62 generate a magnetic field. When an alternating current is supplied through the coil block 611 of the coil block 61, which is disposed on the printed circuit board 51 and is disposed corresponding to the magnet blocks 621, 622 of the magnetic block 62, generates an offset magnetic field, and thus, a repulsive force or an attractive force is generated to form a driving force to push the movable unit 4 to move.

The heat dissipation module 7 is connected to the base 2 through a connection part 75, and the heat dissipation module 7 includes a heat sink 71 and at least one heat dissipation pipe 72. The heat sink 71 includes a substrate 711, a plurality of heat dissipation fins 712, and accommodation portions 713. The substrate 711 includes a first substrate surface and a second substrate surface, the first substrate surface being opposite the second substrate surface. A plurality of heat radiating fins 712 are disposed on a first substrate surface of a substrate 711. The receiving portion 713 is formed in a recessed manner on the second substrate surface of the substrate 711. Preferably, the heat dissipation module may comprise two heat dissipation tubes 72, the two heat dissipation tubes 72 being arranged in parallel with each other, each heat dissipation tube 72 having a first end 721, a second end 722 and an extension 723 connected between the first end 721 and the second end 722, the first end 721 of the heat dissipation tube 72 being connected to the heat sink 71, the second end 722 and the extension 723 being fixed to the first circuit board surface 52 of the printed circuit board 51 and contacting the first circuit board surface 52, wherein the second end 722 and the extension 723 may be, but are not limited to, fixed to the first circuit board surface 52 by welding or soldering. When the linear actuator 1 operates, the coil block 61 drives the movable unit 4 to move based on the magnetic force generated by the electric power

When the linear actuator 1 is operated, the coil assembly 61 drives the movable unit 4 to move based on the magnetic force generated by the electric power, so that heat energy is generated from the coil assembly 61 disposed on the printed circuit board 51, and the heat energy can be dissipated through the printed circuit board 51 and the heat dissipating pipe 72 of the heat dissipating module 7 because the second end 722 and the extending portion 723 of the heat dissipating pipe 72 are in contact with the first circuit board surface 52 of the printed circuit board 51, and the coil assembly 61 is disposed between the two heat dissipating pipes 72. By using the heat dissipation module 7, heat energy is not accumulated in the linear actuator 1 and can be dissipated efficiently, so that the operation of the linear actuator 1 is not affected and the service life of the linear actuator 1 is also increased. In some embodiments, the heat dissipation module 7 includes a fan 73, and the fan 73 is disposed in the accommodating portion 713 and configured to drive the airflow to perform heat exchange with the heat sink 71, so that the heat energy transferred to the heat sink 71 is dissipated through an active heat dissipation mechanism.

Referring to fig. 4 and 5, in some embodiments, the circuit board assembly 5 of the linear actuator 1 further includes an auxiliary fixing unit 56 for fixing the coil assembly 61 on the first circuit board surface 52 of the printed circuit board 51, the auxiliary fixing unit 56 includes a plurality of flexible insulating strips 56a, wherein the flexible insulating strips 56a may be, but not limited to, plastic strips or rubber strips, and the number of the flexible insulating strips 56a is equal to the number of the coil elements 611, and each of the flexible insulating strips 56a is fitted in the hollow portion of the corresponding coil element 611 and is used for fixing the corresponding coil element 611 on the first circuit board surface 52 of the printed circuit board 51.

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary structure of a coil assembly of the linear actuator shown in fig. 1, in which a circuit board assembly, the coil assembly and a heat dissipation module are assembled together to form the coil assembly, and fig. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a cross-section of the printed circuit board, the coil assembly and the flexible insulation strip shown in fig. 7 along a cross-sectional line AA. As shown in fig. 1 to 8, in some embodiments, the circuit board assembly 5, the coil assembly 61 and the heat dissipation module 7 may be assembled together to form the coil module 8, and the circuit board assembly 5 further includes an encapsulation layer 57 disposed on the first circuit board surface 52 of the printed circuit board 51, the encapsulation layer 57 covers the coil component 611 of the coil assembly 61, the extensions 723 and the second ends 722 of the two heat dissipation pipes 72, the flexible insulation strip 56a and the first circuit board surface 52 of the printed circuit board 51. In some embodiments, the encapsulation layer 57 further covers at least a portion of the second circuit board surface 53 of the printed circuit board 51, but not limited thereto. And the coil part 611 and the two radiating pipes 72 of the coil assembly 61 can be more firmly fixed to the printed circuit board 51 by using the potting layer 57. In addition, the encapsulation layer 57 may be, but is not limited to, made of thermosetting resin, Ajinomoto build-up film (ABF), prepreg material, molding compound (molding compound), epoxy material, epoxy resin with filler, or any other suitable insulating material having high thermal conductivity.

Fig. 9 is an exemplary partial cross-sectional schematic view of a printed circuit board of the linear actuator shown in fig. 1. As shown in fig. 1 to 9, in some embodiments, the circuit board assembly 5 includes at least one electronic component (not shown in fig. 9) disposed on the second circuit board surface 53 of the printed circuit board 51, and when the linear actuator 1 operates, the coil assembly 61 drives the movable unit 4 to move based on the magnetic force generated by the electricity, so that the coil assembly 61 disposed on the first circuit board surface 52 of the printed circuit board 51 and the electronic component disposed on the second circuit board surface 53 of the printed circuit board 51 generate heat energy. To dissipate the heat energy generated on both sides of the circuit board assembly 5, in some embodiments, the printed circuit board 51 further comprises a plurality of conductive vias 58. In the embodiment, the printed circuit board 51 further includes an insulating substrate 511, a first conductive layer 512 and a second conductive layer 513, the first conductive layer 512 is formed on a first insulating substrate surface of the insulating substrate 511, the second conductive layer 513 is formed on a second insulating substrate surface of the insulating substrate 511, so that the first conductive layer 512 and the second conductive layer 513 are located on two opposite surfaces of the insulating substrate 511, and the first conductive layer 512 and the second conductive layer 513 are made of a conductive material (e.g., copper). Each of the conductive holes 58 penetrates the first insulating substrate surface and the second insulating substrate surface of the insulating substrate 511, and each of the conductive holes 58 has both ends connected to the first conductive layer 512 and the second conductive layer 513, respectively, and preferably, each of the conductive holes 58 is formed of a through hole and coated with a conductive material on an inner wall of the through hole, and in the present embodiment, the conductive hole 58 has a thermal conductive property and an electrical conductive property.

When the linear actuator 1 is operated, the coil assembly 61 drives the movable unit 4 to move based on the magnetic force generated by the electricity, so that the coil assembly 61 disposed on the first circuit board surface 52 of the printed circuit board 51 and the electronic components disposed on the second circuit board surface 53 of the printed circuit board 51 generate heat energy, and after the heat energy is generated by at least one electronic component disposed on the second circuit board surface 53 of the printed circuit board 51, the heat energy is transferred to the first circuit board surface 52 of the printed circuit board 51 through the plurality of conductive holes 58 and can be further transferred to the heat dissipation pipe 72 for dissipation, thereby improving the heat dissipation efficiency.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 3, the linear actuator 1 further comprises an encoder 9, the encoder 9 is disposed on the first mounting portion 25 of the base 2 and adjacent to the linear guide 31, and the encoder 9 is configured to sense the position and movement of the movable unit 4 so as to allow a control unit (not shown) of the linear actuator 1 to control the movement of the movable unit 4.

In summary, the present invention provides a linear actuator having a heat dissipation module, so as to enhance heat dissipation efficiency and prolong service life.

The present invention may be modified in various ways by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the appended claims.