US 12,448,926 B2
Throttle drive actuator for an engine
Martin L. Radue, Plymouth, WI (US); and William D. Koenigs, Fond du Lac, WI (US)
Assigned to Discovery Energy, LLC, Kohler, WI (US)
Filed by Kohler Co., Kohler, WI (US)
Filed on Jul. 11, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/861,663.
Application 17/861,663 is a continuation of application No. 17/022,999, filed on Sep. 16, 2020, granted, now 11,408,358.
Application 17/022,999 is a continuation of application No. 15/650,700, filed on Jul. 14, 2017, granted, now 10,815,908, issued on Oct. 27, 2020.
Application 15/650,700 is a continuation in part of application No. 14/876,166, filed on Oct. 6, 2015, granted, now 9,739,218, issued on Aug. 22, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0341363 A1, Oct. 27, 2022
Int. Cl. F02D 9/10 (2006.01); F02D 9/02 (2006.01); F02D 11/10 (2006.01); F02D 41/00 (2006.01); F02M 35/10 (2006.01); H02K 41/035 (2006.01)
CPC F02D 9/1065 (2013.01) [F02D 9/02 (2013.01); F02D 11/10 (2013.01); F02D 41/0002 (2013.01); F02M 35/10249 (2013.01); F02M 35/10255 (2013.01); H02K 41/0358 (2013.01); F02D 2011/102 (2013.01); Y02T 10/40 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating an engine with a throttle drive actuator, the method comprising:
biasing a throttle valve of a throttle body into a first position with a biasing member attached to a throttle shaft, the throttle shaft coupled to the throttle valve and the biasing member operatively connected to the throttle shaft;
providing a first magnetic field via a first field source, a second magnetic field via a second field source, and an armature located between the first field source and the second field source, the first field source having a first north pole and a first south pole, the second field source having a second north pole and a second south pole, the second south pole positioned opposite the first north pole and the second north pole positioned opposite the first south pole such that a direction of the second magnetic field is opposite a direction of the first magnetic field, the armature comprising a coupler connected to the throttle shaft and a winding movable along an arcuate path intermediate the first field source and the second field source, the winding comprising an arcuate projection extending to one side of the coupler without extending to an opposite side of the coupler; and
energizing the winding of the armature to cause the armature to rotate along the arcuate path,
wherein the rotation of the armature causes the throttle shaft to rotate, thereby causing the throttle valve to move into a second position to open or close an air passage of the throttle body.