Patent ID: 11920697
Assignee: ROTORK CONTROLS LIMITED
Field: Mechanical elements (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 12:
13. The failsafe module according to claim 1, further comprising:
an outer housing containing at least the input member and the output member, so that the outer housing, input member and output member are co-axial; whereby the outer housing comprises an aperture co-axial with the input member and through which a portion of the input member extends; and whereby a circumferential wall extends axially away from the outer housing around the aperture;
an actuator having an actuator housing which houses a drive mechanism; the actuator is mountable to the outer housing and configured to engage with the input member, such that the input member is rotatable by the drive mechanism; and,
a safety mechanism configured to prevent relative rotation between the actuator housing and the outer housing when the actuator is separated from the outer housing; the safety mechanism comprising:
a cover comprising a surface portion and a skirt portion, whereby the skirt portion extends around an edge of and axially away from the surface portion; and whereby the cover is mounted to the actuator housing via the surface portion, and removably mountable to the outer housing via the skirt portion; the cover is configured such that the skirt portion engages with the circumferential wall of the outer housing when the actuator is mounted to the outer housing, so that the cover and the outer housing are co-axial about the common axis;
an interlock mechanism configured to act between the circumferential wall of the outer housing and the skirt portion of the cover, such that the actuator housing and outer housing are rotationally fixed when the skirt portion of the cover is engaged with the circumferential wall of the outer housing; and,
a connector rotationally fixed to the drive mechanism, such that operation of the drive mechanism causes rotation of the connector; and wherein the connector and the cover are co-axial about the common axis;
wherein:
the connector comprises a protruding leg, which extends axially away from the connector when the actuator is mounted to the outer housing;
the portion of the input member extending through the aperture in the outer housing is configured to receive the protruding leg of the connector when the actuator is mounted to the outer housing, thereby rotationally fixing the connector and the input member, so that operation of the drive mechanism causes corresponding rotation of the input member via the connector; and,
the length of the skirt portion of the cover is longer than the length of the protruding leg of the connector, so that the protruding leg of the connector disengages from the input member before the skirt portion of the cover disengages from the wall of the outer housing when the actuator is separated from the outer housing, so that the actuator housing and the outer housing remain rotationally fixed by the interlock mechanism until the skirt portion of the cover is completely disengaged from the wall of the outer housing.