US 12,259,058 B2
Valve actuator
Joohang Kang, Seoul (KR); and Youngchan Ahn, Seoul (KR)
Assigned to LG Electronics Inc., Seoul (KR)
Filed by LG Electronics Inc., Seoul (KR)
Filed on May 26, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/202,484.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2022-0064877 (KR), filed on May 26, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0383860 A1, Nov. 30, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. F16K 31/04 (2006.01)
CPC F16K 31/042 (2013.01) [F16K 31/043 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A valve actuator comprising:
a housing defining an inner space;
a motor disposed in the inner space of the housing; and
a gear assembly disposed in the inner space of the housing and configured to transmit, to a ball valve, a driving force of the motor,
wherein the gear assembly includes:
an input gear coupled to a rotational shaft of the motor and configured to rotate with the rotational shaft,
an output gear spaced apart from the input gear in a horizontal direction, coupled to a stem of the ball valve, and configured to transmit a rotational force of the input gear to the stem, and
a power transmission gear configured to transmit the rotational force of the input gear to the output gear,
wherein the power transmission gear includes a first gear set disposed between the input gear and the output gear, and
wherein the first gear set includes:
a clutch shaft disposed in the housing and configured to move in a vertical direction, and
a first gear and a second gear, each of the first gear and the second gear being in contact with and directly coupled to the clutch shaft, configured to, based on vertical movement of the clutch shaft, disengage from or couple to each other.