CN1711668A - actuator device - Google Patents

Abstract

An actuator device includes a drive motor, a reduction mechanism including a plurality of gears, an output shaft connected to the reduction mechanism, and a connector assembly. The connector assembly includes: the power supply device includes a sensor housing portion that houses a sensor that detects a rotation angle of an output shaft, a connector portion having a connector pin connected to an external connector, and a power supply portion having a power supply terminal connected to a drive motor. The sensor housing portion, the connector portion, and the power supply portion are formed integrally. The power supply terminal and the connector pin are formed of separate conductive plates. The connector assembly is molded using resin so that the conductive plate is integrally assembled therein. As a result, an actuator device that is easy to assemble can be obtained.

Description

actuator device

technical field

The invention relates to an actuator device with a drive motor.

Background technique

An actuator device including a drive motor, a reduction mechanism including a plurality of gears, and an output shaft is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 9-219957. The rotation of the driving motor is transmitted to the output shaft through the reduction mechanism, and the driven equipment connected to the output shaft is driven. The actuator device further includes: a power supply terminal connected to the driving motor, a sensor detecting a rotational angle position of the output shaft, and a plurality of connector pins connected to the external connector. The drive current is supplied to the drive motor from the outside through the external connector, and the rotation angle signal obtained by the sensor is output to the outside.

The connector pin is held by an upper housing and a lower housing forming a connector housing. The power supply terminals are provided on the first conductive plate, and the connector pins are provided on the second conductive plate. The two conductive plates are connected to each other by crimping the second conductive plate to the first conductive plate and performing spot welding. A pattern substrate constituting a part of the sensor was pasted on one of the gears constituting the reduction mechanism. A brush connected to the first conductive plate is in sliding contact with the pattern substrate.

The actuator device described above has the following disadvantages. That is, since the connector pins are sandwiched between the upper housing and the lower housing forming the connector housing, it takes time and effort to correctly arrange the connector pins at predetermined positions in the connector housing. In addition, since the first conductive plate having the power supply terminals and the second conductive plate having the connector pins must be connected, the management and assembly of the two conductive plates is complicated and time-consuming. Furthermore, it is difficult to confirm the contact state of the pattern substrate attached to the gear and the brush. As a result of these disadvantages, the assembly of the actuator device of the above-mentioned publication requires labor.

On the other hand, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-308188 discloses an actuator device including a drive motor, a reduction mechanism including a plurality of gears, and an output shaft, as in the aforementioned publication. In the actuator device disclosed in this publication, one of the gears constituting the speed reduction mechanism (herein, gears other than the worm attached to the rotating shaft of the drive motor) is pressed in the axial direction by the spring washer. By pressing the gear, a force in a direction crossing the axial direction acts on the rotating shaft of the drive motor, and as a result, rattling of the rotating shaft is suppressed.

In the above publication, in order to press one of the gears in the axial direction, a dedicated spring washer is provided. Therefore, manufacturing and assembling work of the spring washer is required, and the manufacturing cost of the actuator device increases.

Contents of the invention

The main object of the present invention is to provide an actuator device that is easy to assemble.

In order to achieve the above object, the actuator device of the present invention includes: a driving motor; a power transmission mechanism connected to the driving motor; and an output shaft connected to the power transmission mechanism. The rotation of the drive motor is transmitted to the output shaft via the power transmission mechanism. The actuator device further has a sensor for detecting the rotation angle of the output shaft; a connector terminal connected to the external connector; and a power supply terminal connected to the drive motor to supply power to the drive motor. The sensor, the connector terminal and the power supply terminal are electrically connected to each other. The drive motor is supplied with power from the outside through the external connector and the connector terminal, and the rotation angle signal obtained by the sensor is output to the outside. The actuator device also has a sensor accommodating portion accommodating the sensor; a connector portion having the connector terminal; and a power supply portion having the power supply terminal. The sensor accommodating portion, the connector portion, and the power supply portion are integrally formed.

In another aspect of the present invention, the actuator device includes: a driving motor; a power transmission mechanism connected to the driving motor; and an output shaft connected to the power transmission mechanism. The rotation of the drive motor is transmitted to the output shaft via the power transmission mechanism. The actuator device further has a sensor for detecting the rotation angle of the output shaft; a connector terminal connected to the external connector; and a power supply terminal connected to the drive motor to supply power to the drive motor. The drive motor is supplied with power from the outside through the external connector and the connector terminal, and the rotation angle signal obtained by the sensor is output to the outside. The actuator device also has a sensor accommodating portion accommodating the sensor; a connector portion having the connector terminal; and a power supply portion having the power supply terminal. The sensor accommodating portion, the connector portion, and the power supply portion are integrally formed. The connector portion is held by the first case and the second case.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, the actuator device includes: a drive motor having a rotating shaft; a motor gear mounted on the rotating shaft; a plurality of gears constituting a gear set connected to the motor gear; and on the output shaft of the gear set. The rotation of the rotary shaft is transmitted to the output shaft via the gear set. At least one of the gears constituting the gear set integrally has a pressing portion that presses the gear in the axial direction, whereby a load in a direction intersecting the axis of the rotating shaft is applied to the rotating shaft.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2( a ) is a front view of the connector assembly of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 2( b ) is a top view of the connector assembly of FIG. 1 .

Fig. 2(c) is a side view of the connector assembly of Fig. 1 .

Fig. 3(a) is a front view of the drive motor.

Fig. 3(b) is a right side view of the drive motor of Fig. 3(a).

Fig. 3(c) is a left side view of the driving motor of Fig. 3(a).

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the drive motor and the first reduction gear in Fig. 3(a).

Fig. 5 is a view of the worm shown in Fig. 4 viewed from the axial direction.

Fig. 6(a) is a front sectional view of the first reduction gear.

Fig. 6(b) is a plan view of the first reduction gear in Fig. 6(a).

Fig. 6(c) is a cross-sectional view along line 6c-6c of Fig. 6(b).

Fig. 7 is a front sectional view showing a first reduction gear assembled to a lower case and an upper case.

Fig. 8 is a view of the first bearing provided on the upper housing viewed from the axial direction.

Fig. 9(a) is a front sectional view of the third reduction gear.

Fig. 9(b) is a plan view of the third reduction gear in Fig. 9(a).

Fig. 9(c) is a bottom view of the third reduction gear of Fig. 9(a).

Fig. 10(a) is a front sectional view showing a second reduction gear, a third reduction gear, and a sensor accommodating portion.

Fig. 10(b) is a partial plan view showing the second reduction gear and the connector assembly assembled in the lower case.

Fig. 11(a) is a plan view of the lower case.

Fig. 11(b) is a front view of the lower case of Fig. 11(a).

Fig. 11(c) is a partial perspective view of the lower case of Fig. 11(a).

Fig. 12(a) is a bottom view of the upper case.

Fig. 12(b) is a front view of the upper case of Fig. 12(a).

Fig. 13 is a plan view of the actuator device with the upper case removed.

Fig. 14 is a front view of the actuator device.

Fig. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an air-conditioning duct.

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is implemented as a vehicle air conditioner will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 15 , the air conditioner has an air conditioning duct 1 for circulating air. A plurality of (three in FIG. 15 ) dampers 2 , 3 , 4 are provided in the duct 1 for air conditioning. Adjust the damper 2-4 to control the air flow in the air-conditioning passage 1, for example, switch the air inlet to the introduction of external air flow or the circulation in the compartment, or open and close the "air vent" or "base" or "differential". ” with each air outlet. An actuator device 9 is provided in each of the dampers 2 to 4 . Each actuator device 9 drives the corresponding dampers 2 to 4 based on the control signal and power input from the air conditioning amplifier Z.

Next, one of the actuator devices 9 will be described. As shown in FIG. 14 , the housing of the actuator device 9 is formed by assembling a lower housing 10 as a first housing and an upper housing 11 as a second housing. As shown in FIG. 13, the actuator device 9 also has a driving motor 12, a worm 13 as a kind of gear, first, second and third reduction gears 14, 15, 16 and a connector assembly 17 constituting a gear set. . The worm 13 and the first to third reduction gears 14 to 16 constitute a power transmission mechanism, specifically a reduction mechanism.

As shown in FIGS. 11( a ) to 11 ( c ), an inclined portion 20 and a pair of motor support portions 21 and 22 are formed in the lower housing 10 . The inclined portion 20 protrudes upward from the bottom wall of the lower case 10 and has an end surface 20 a inclined relative to the bottom wall of the lower case 10 . Two motor supporting parts 21 and 22 protrude upward from the bottom wall of the lower housing 10 and hold and fix the driving motor 12 therebetween.

As shown in FIGS. 3( a ) to 3 ( c ), the drive motor 12 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The drive motor 12 has a cylindrical-shaped motor yoke 18 having a top wall 18 a at one end thereof. The opening of the motor yoke 18 is closed by an end cover 19 .

As shown in FIG. 3( a ) and FIG. 3( c ), the top wall 18 a of the motor yoke 18 has two depressed portions 18 b, 18 c at positions opposite to the radial direction thereof. The drive motor 12 is fixed to the lower case 10 such that one of the depressed portions 18 c abuts against the inclined portion 20 of the lower case 10 . The fixed angle of the drive motor 12 relative to the lower housing 10 in the circumferential direction is determined by the abutment of the depressed portion 18 c and the inclined portion 20 . The rotation shaft 12a of the drive motor 12 protrudes from the center portion of the top wall 18a.

As shown in FIG. 3( b ), a pair of plate-shaped motor terminals 12 b and 12 c protrude from positions opposite to the radial direction of the end cover 19 . The motor terminals 12b, 12c are bent in the same direction (upward direction in FIG. 3(a) and FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the worm 13 is installed on the rotating shaft 12 a of the driving motor 12 . The rotary shaft 12 a is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and protrudes from the motor yoke 18 . A notch 12d is formed at the front end of the rotary shaft 12a so that a part of the front end forms a flat surface, and the outer peripheral surface of the front end of the rotary shaft 12a is substantially D-shaped when viewed from the axis L2 direction of the rotary shaft 12a.

The worm 13 has a substantially cylindrical shape. A spiral groove 13 a is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the worm 13 . The worm 13 has an insertion hole 13b extending along its axis. The diameter of the insertion hole 13b decreases stepwise as it approaches the front end (left end in FIG. 4 ) of the worm 13 . The diameter of the insertion hole 13b at the base end of the worm 13 is slightly larger than the diameter of the rotation shaft 12a. The worm 13 is slidable along the axis L2 relative to the rotating shaft 12a.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the worm 13 has a convex portion 13c corresponding to the notch portion 12d of the rotating shaft 12a inside the insertion hole 13b. The cross-sectional shape of the portion of the insertion hole 13b corresponding to the convex portion 13c is the same as the cross-sectional shape of the portion of the rotating shaft 12a corresponding to the notch portion 12d, and constitutes a D-shape. The worm 13 is attached to the rotary shaft 12a so as to rotate integrally with the rotary shaft 12a by fitting the convex part 13c to the notch part 12d.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the first reduction gear 14 is engaged with the spiral groove 13 a of the worm 13 . In addition, the notch portion 12d is located closer to the front end of the worm 13 than the center of the first reduction gear 14 in the direction of the axis L2 of the rotating shaft 12a.

As shown in FIG. 6( a ), the first reduction gear 14 has a shaft portion 14 a. As shown in FIG. 7, both ends of the shaft portion 14a are respectively formed on first bearings 23, 24 (see FIG. 11(a) and FIG. 12( a)) support. The shaft portion 14a is pressed by the two first bearings 23 and 24 from both sides in the axis L1 direction of the shaft portion 14a.

The first bearing 23 is formed in a cylindrical shape and protrudes upward from the bottom wall of the lower housing 10 . The first bearing 24 is formed in a cylindrical shape and protrudes downward from the upper wall of the upper housing 11 . The diameter of the inner peripheral surface of each of the first bearings 23, 24 is substantially equal to the diameter of the corresponding end portion of the shaft portion 14a.

As shown in FIG. 6( a ) and FIG. 6( b ), the three coupling portions 14 c are arranged at equal angular intervals around the shaft portion 14 a and extend radially outward from the shaft portion 14 a. The worm wheel 14b which is a cylindrical gear part is integrally connected to the front-end|tip of these coupling parts 14c. The worm wheel 14b is engaged with the spiral groove 13a of the worm 13 (see FIG. 4 ).

The elastic portion 118 extends in the circumferential direction from substantially the center in the longitudinal direction (radial direction of the first reduction gear 14 ) of each coupling portion 14c. Fig. 6(c) is a cross-sectional view along line 6c-6c of Fig. 6(b). Each elastic portion 118 extends obliquely upward in the circumferential direction from the corresponding coupling portion 14c. The front end portion 118a of the elastic portion 118 is inclined slightly more gently than other portions. The upper end surface of the elastic portion 118 is formed into a gentle convex curved surface in the vicinity of the front end portion 118a. The front end portion 118a protrudes upward from the upper end surface of the worm wheel 14b.

The three elastic parts 118 are identical to each other. Therefore, in the direction of the axis line L1 of the first reduction gear 14, any one of the three elastic portions 118 protrudes from the upper end surface of the worm wheel 14b by the same amount. In other words, the front end portions 118 a of the three elastic portions 118 are located in a plane perpendicular to the axis L1 of the first reduction gear 14 . In addition, three front end portions 118a are arranged at equal angular intervals around the axis L1.

As shown in FIG. 7 , when the first reduction gear 14 is pivotally supported by the two first bearings 23 and 24 , the front end portion 118 a of the elastic portion 118 abuts against the end surface of the first bearing 24 of the upper case 11 . The distance between the opposite end surfaces of the two first bearings 23 and 24 is set so that the end surfaces of the first bearings 24 elastically deform the elastic portion 118 in the direction of the axis L1. The end surface of the first bearing 24 functions to slidably block the receiving surface of the elastic portion 118 .

As shown in FIG. 8 , four recesses, that is, grease grooves 138 , 139 , 140 , and 141 , are formed at equal angular intervals on an end surface constituting the planar first bearing 24 . Lubricants such as grease are accommodated in these grease grooves 138 to 141 . In FIG. 8 , a circle drawn with a dashed-dotted line indicates a locus where the tip portion 118 a of the elastic portion 118 slides on the end surface of the first bearing 24 when the first reduction gear 14 rotates. The grease grooves 138 to 141 are arranged on the slide track of the front end portion 118a. Each of the grease grooves 138 to 141 is inclined at an angle θ with respect to a radial line passing through the center of the first bearing 24 and one end of the grease groove.

As shown in FIG. 6(a), a gear portion 14d is formed on the shaft portion 14a. The number of teeth of the gear part 14d is smaller than the number of teeth of the said worm wheel 14b. The gear portion 14d meshes with the second reduction gear 15 (see FIG. 13 ). The gear part 14d is a small-diameter gear part, and the worm wheel 14b is a large-diameter gear part.

As shown in FIG.10(a) and FIG.10(b), the said 2nd reduction gear 15 has the 1st gear part 15a and the 2nd gear part 15b. The two gear parts 15a, 15b are formed integrally with each other. The number of teeth of the first gear part 15a is larger than the number of teeth of the gear part 14d of the first reduction gear 14, and the number of teeth of the second gear part 15b is smaller than that of the first gear part 15a. The 1st gear part 15a meshes with the gear part 14d of the 1st reduction gear 14 (refer FIG. 13).

As shown in FIG. 10( a ), the second reduction gear 15 has a cylindrical lower shaft portion 15 c and an upper shaft portion 15 d at both ends in the axial direction. The lower shaft portion 15c and the upper shaft portion 15d are supported by second bearings 25, 26 (see FIG. 11(a) and FIG. 12(a)), and the second bearings 25, 26 are formed on the lower case 10 and the upper case 11, respectively. relative to each other.

The second bearing 25 shown in FIG. 11( a ) has a cylindrical shape and protrudes upward from the bottom wall of the lower case 10 . The diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the second bearing 25 is substantially equal to the diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the lower shaft portion 15c. The second bearing 26 shown in FIG. 12( a ) has a cylindrical shape and protrudes downward from the upper wall of the upper housing 11 . The diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the second bearing 26 is substantially equal to the diameter of the upper shaft portion 15d.

As shown in FIG. 10( a ), the second gear portion 15 b meshes with the third reduction gear 16 . As shown in FIG. 9( a ), the third reduction gear 16 has a disk portion 31 , a cylindrical gear portion 32 , a cylindrical upper shaft portion 33 , and a cylindrical lower shaft portion 34 . A gear part 32 is integrally formed around the disk part 31, and the gear part 32 meshes with the second gear part 15b. The upper shaft portion 33 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the disk portion 31 , and the lower shaft portion 34 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the disk portion 31 . The gear portion 32 also extends axially downward from the disk portion 31 . Therefore, the third reduction gear 16 has a substantially annular recess 16 a defined by the lower surface of the disc portion 31 , the inner peripheral surface of the gear portion 32 , and the outer peripheral surface of the lower shaft portion 34 . The number of teeth of the gear portion 32 is greater than the number of teeth of the second gear portion 15 b of the second reduction gear 15 .

The output shaft 35 further extends upward from the front end of the upper shaft portion 33 . As shown in FIG. 9( b ), the cross section of the outer peripheral surface of the output shaft 35 is substantially D-shaped. As shown in FIG. 9( c ), the cross section of the outer peripheral surface of the lower shaft portion 34 is also substantially D-shaped.

The lower shaft portion 34 and the upper shaft portion 33 are respectively formed on the third bearings 38, 39 (see FIG. 11(a) and FIG. )) support. The third bearing 38 shown in FIG. 11( a ) has a cylindrical shape and protrudes upward from the bottom wall of the lower housing 10 . The diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the third bearing 38 is substantially equal to the diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the lower shaft portion 34 . The third bearing 39 shown in FIG. 12( a ) has a cylindrical shape and protrudes downward from the upper wall of the upper housing 11 . The diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the third bearing 39 is substantially equal to the diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the upper shaft portion 33 .

As shown in FIG. 12( a ), the output port 39 a is formed in the upper case 11 by circularly cutting the upper wall in conformity with the shape of the inner peripheral surface of the third bearing 39 . That is, the output port 39 a is formed continuously with the inner peripheral surface of the third bearing 39 . The inner peripheral surface of the third bearing 39 and the output port 39 a form a through hole penetrating through the upper housing 11 .

When the upper shaft portion 33 is inserted into the third bearing 39 , as shown in FIG. 14 , the upper end surface of the upper shaft portion 33 protrudes upward from the upper wall of the upper housing 11 . That is, in a state where the actuator device 9 is assembled, the output shaft 35 extending from the upper shaft portion 33 protrudes from the upper end surface of the actuator device 9 . With respect to this output shaft 35 , a damper as a passive device is fitted outside.

As shown in FIG. 10( a ), the lower shaft portion 34 is assembled on the connector assembly 17 . As shown in FIGS. 1 to 2( c ), the connector assembly 17 is substantially L-shaped in plan view, and has a sensor housing portion 41 , a connector portion 42 and a power supply portion 43 . The sensor accommodating portion 41 is formed in a cylindrical shape having a ceiling at one end, and a hole 41a through which the lower shaft portion 34 is inserted is formed at the center of the ceiling.

As shown in FIG. 10( a), in the sensor accommodating portion 41 , a sensor 44 forming a substantially ring shape is rotatably accommodated. plugged. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 10( b ), the flat plate 48 is mounted on the sensor accommodating portion 41 through a plurality of hooks 48 a formed in its outer edge portion. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 10( a ), a hole 48 b through which the lower shaft portion 34 is inserted is formed in the center portion of the flat plate 48 .

A press-fit hole 45 having a substantially D-shaped cross section is formed at the center of the sensor 44 . The lower shaft portion 34 is press-fitted into the press-fit hole 45 , and the sensor 44 rotates integrally with the third reduction gear 16 . The sensor accommodating portion 41 is accommodated in the recessed portion 16 a defined in the third reduction gear 16 . The sensor 44 is constituted by, for example, a tension gauge having a variable resistance inside, and detects the rotation angle of the third reduction gear 16 . In addition, although not shown in particular, a circuit part constituting a part of the sensor 44 is provided in the sensor housing part 41 . This circuit unit does not rotate together with the third reduction gear 16 , but is fixedly arranged in the sensor accommodating unit 41 .

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2( b ), a flange 49 extending radially outward is formed at the opening end of the sensor accommodating portion 41 , and the flange 49 extends within a predetermined angle range around the opening end. The flange 49 has two notched surfaces 49a, 49b, and the second reduction gear 15 is disposed between the two notched surfaces 49a, 49b, as shown in FIG. 10(b).

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 10( b ), a pair of positioning recesses 46 , 47 are formed at an angular interval of 180 degrees on the outer peripheral portion of the flange 49 . These positioning recesses 46 , 47 are formed by cutting openings in the flange 49 toward the axis of the sensor accommodating portion 41 . These positioning recessed parts 46, 47 engage with substantially columnar positioning protrusions 50, 51 provided in the lower housing 10, respectively. The positioning protrusions 50 , 51 sandwich the third bearing 38 (see FIG. 11( a )), are provided on opposite radial sides, and protrude upward from the bottom wall of the lower case 10 . The arrangement position of the sensor accommodating portion 41 relative to the lower housing 10 is determined by the cooperation of the positioning recesses 46 , 47 and the positioning protrusions 50 , 51 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , the connector part 42 is connected to the flange 49 to be integrally formed with the sensor accommodating part 41 . As shown in FIGS. 1 to 2( c ), the connector unit 42 has a connector housing 40 . The connector housing 40 is formed in a substantially box shape, and a plurality of connector terminals, that is, first to fifth connector pins 42a to 42e are provided in the internal space. The connector pins 42 a to 42 e are integrally assembled in the connector housing 40 .

The connector assembly 17 has a conductive plate 54 . The conductive plate 54 is manufactured by punching a conductive plate such as a metal plate into a predetermined shape, and a part thereof constitutes the connector pins 42a to 42e. The conductive plate 54 also has first and second power supply terminals 56 and 57 protruding from the power supply portion 43 .

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2( b ), the conductive plate 54 also has a wiring portion 53 . The wiring part 53 has 1st - 3rd connection part 53a-53c, 1 cutting part 53d, and 1st - 3rd connection part 53e-53g. In addition, in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2( b ), there is a cutting portion 53d, and the second and third connecting portions 53b and 53c are cut off in the middle. However, when the conductive plate 54 is press-formed, the cut portion 53d does not exist, and the second and third connection portions 53b, 53c are in an uncut state similarly to the first connection portion 53a. The first to third connection portions 53e to 53g extend into the sensor housing portion 41 and are connected to the sensor 44 . According to the structure of the wiring part 53, the connection form of the connection parts 53e-53g, the connector pins 42a-42e, and the power supply terminals 56 and 57 can be set arbitrarily.

In this embodiment, the first connector pin 42 a is connected to the second power supply terminal 57 . The second and third connector pins 42b and 42c are connected to the first power supply terminal 56 and the first connection portion 53e. Moreover, the 4th connector pin 42d is connected to the 2nd connection part 53f, and the 5th connector pin 42e is connected to the 3rd connection part 53g.

The sensor accommodating portion 41 , the connector portion 42 , and the power supply portion 43 are integrally molded using resin, and the wiring portion 53 of the conductive plate 54 is exposed. Then, the cut portion 53d is formed, and any connection portion among the first to third connection portions 53a to 53c is cut.

The cutting portion 53 d is provided to electrically cut off the first connector pin 42 a from the wiring portion 53 . According to the type of the sensor 44 accommodated in the sensor accommodating part 41, etc., the connection part to be cut|disconnected is selected from the 1st - 3rd connection parts 53a-53c. In this embodiment, the 2nd and 3rd connection part 53b, 53c is cut|disconnected. Various sensors 44 can be supported by selection of the connection parts 53a to 53c to be disconnected.

As shown in FIG. 1 , a positioning recess 55 is formed on the lower surface of the connector housing 40 . The positioning recess 55 is fitted into a rib 52 (see FIG. 11( a )) provided on the bottom wall of the lower case 10 . The arrangement position of the connector part 42 with respect to the lower case 10 is determined by the fitting of the positioning recessed part 55 and the rib 52 .

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 2( c ), the power supply unit 43 is integrally formed with the connector unit 42 so as to extend sideways from the connector unit 42 . The power supply terminals 56 and 57 extend from the inside of the power supply unit 43 to the outside of the power supply unit 43 . The power supply terminals 56, 57 are formed by bending a metal plate, and slits are formed at the front ends thereof.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2(c), the front ends of the power supply terminals 56, 57 are bent so as to form a substantially V-shape when viewed from the side, and the bent parts form abutting portions 56a, 57a. The contact portions 56a, 57a contact the motor terminals 12b, 12c of the drive motor 12, respectively (see FIG. 3(b)). The contact portions 56a, 57a are formed so as to elastically deform the power supply terminals 56, 57 in a state where the contact portions 56a, 57a are in contact with the corresponding motor terminals 12b, 12c. In addition, the respective lengths of the power supply terminals 56, 57 are set so that the abutting portions 56a, 57a are properly abutted against the corresponding motor terminals 12b, 12c when the actuator device 9 is assembled. Power is supplied to the drive motor 12 from the power supply terminals 56 and 57 via the motor terminals 12b and 12c.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2( b ), the power supply unit 43 has a positioning recess 58 between the two power supply terminals 56 , 57 . The inner corners of the positioning recessed portion 58 are formed in an arc shape, and the shape of the positioning recessed portion 58 corresponds to the shape of the motor support portion 22 (see FIG. 11( a )) formed in the lower case 10 . In addition, the thickness of the power feeding portion 43 in the width direction (the vertical direction in FIG. 2( b )) is substantially equal to the distance between the motor support portion 22 and the side wall of the lower case 10 facing thereto. As shown in FIG. 13 , the arrangement position of the power supply unit 43 in the lower case 10 is determined by sandwiching the power supply unit 43 between the motor support portion 22 and the side wall of the lower case 10 .

The connector unit 17 configured in this way is held between the lower case 10 and the upper case 11 in a state where an external connector (not shown) can be inserted into the connector portion 42 as shown in FIG. 14 . By inserting the external connector into the connector portion 42, a plurality of terminals provided on the external connector are connected to the connector pins 42a to 42e, respectively. As a result, a drive current or a control signal is supplied from the outside to the drive motor 12 through the external connector, and a detection signal obtained by the sensor 44 is output to the outside.

As shown in FIG. 11( a ) and FIG. 11( b ), four hooking projections 130 to 133 are formed protruding outward on the outer surface of the side wall of the lower case 10 . On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 12( a ) and 12 ( b ), four hooks 143 to 146 are formed extending downward on the outer side wall of the upper housing 11 . The hooks 143 - 146 have pull-and-hang recesses 143 a - 146 a respectively corresponding to the hooking protrusions 130 - 133 and capable of blocking the corresponding hooking protrusions 130 - 133 .

The upper case 11 and the lower case 10 are assembled to each other as shown in FIG. 14 by fitting the hooking protrusions 130 to 133 respectively on the hooking recesses 143 a to 146 a of the corresponding hooks 143 to 146 .

Next, the action of the actuator device 9 configured as above will be described.

When the driving motor 12 is driven, the worm 13 rotates integrally with the rotating shaft 12a, and the rotation of the worm 13 is transmitted to the first reduction gear 14 (see FIG. 4 ). As shown in FIG. 7 , the elastic portion 118 presses the first reduction gear 14 toward the first bearing 23 of the lower housing 10 along its axis L1 to press the first reduction gear 14 toward the first bearing 23 . Therefore, the frictional resistance generated between the first reduction gear 14 and the first bearing 23 is large.

As the frictional resistance between the first reduction gear 14 and the first bearing 23 increases, the torque of the drive motor 12 required to transmit rotation to the first reduction gear 14 also increases. The screw 13 must transmit torque to the first reduction gear 14 with an extra strong force corresponding to the increased frictional resistance.

On the other hand, as the torque transmitted from the worm 13 to the first reduction gear 14 increases, a reaction force corresponding to the large torque acts from the first reduction gear 14 to the worm 13 . This reaction force acts radially outward (downward in FIG. 4 ) of the first reduction gear 14 from the meshing portion of the first reduction gear 14 and the worm 13 .

The rotating shaft 12 a of the drive motor 12 inserted into the insertion hole 13 b of the worm 13 also receives a reaction force from the first reduction gear 14 . Therefore, the rotating shaft 12a rotates while being urged in the direction in which the reaction force acts (downward in FIG. 4 ).

The present embodiment described above has the following advantages.

The sensor accommodating part 41 , the connector part 42 and the power supply part 43 constituting the connector unit 17 are integrally formed (see FIG. 1 ). Therefore, the amount of work required for assembling the actuator device 9 is reduced, and the actuator device 9 can be easily manufactured.

The sensor accommodating portion 41 is accommodated in a substantially annular recess 16 a defined inside the gear portion 32 of the third reduction gear 16 (see FIG. 10( a )). Therefore, a space for accommodating the sensor 44 can be provided inside the gear portion 32, and the actuator device 9 can be downsized.

The connector unit 17 has a substantially L-shape in plan view (see FIG. 2( b )). Therefore, the external dimension of the connector assembly 17 is shortened, and the actuator device 9 can be miniaturized.

By appropriately selecting the connecting portions 53a to 53c to be cut according to the type of the sensor 44 to be used, it is possible to provide a wiring structure suitable for the sensor 44 to be used. Therefore, instead of the tensiometer type sensor 44, for example, a pulse code type sensor that forms a digital signal from an output pulse and detects the rotation angle of the output shaft 35 in detail, or detects the output shaft 35 twice using an ON/OFF signal. A sensor of the rotational angle type can also be accommodated in the common connector assembly 17 . Therefore, it is not necessary to change the connector unit 17 according to the type of the sensor 44, and the versatility of the connector unit 17 can be improved.

A desired wiring structure can be realized by cutting the coupling portions 53a to 53c in the non-cut state. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform connection work such as soldering in order to realize a desired wiring structure, thereby suppressing the use of lead.

The motor terminals 12b, 12c extending from the end cover 19 are bent so that the surfaces of the motor terminals 12b, 12c facing the end cover 19 are in close contact with the end cover 19 (see FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b)). Therefore, the actuator device 9 can be miniaturized in terms of the axial direction of the drive motor 12 .

The motor terminals 12 b and 12 c are brought into close contact with the end cover 19 , and the motor terminals 12 b and 12 c are pressed against the end cover 19 by the contact portions 56 a and 57 a of the power supply terminals 56 and 57 . As a result, the resonance point of the motor terminals 12b, 12c is raised, and the harsh resonance around 1 kHz can be avoided.

The drive motor 12 is fixed to the lower case 10 so that the depressed portion 18 c of the motor yoke 18 abuts against the inclined portion 20 formed in the lower case 10 . Therefore, the drive motor 12 having a cylindrical shape can be accurately positioned in its circumferential direction.

The wiring portion 53 is connected to the sensor 44 inside the sensor housing portion 41 . When the connector assembly 17 is molded, the arrangement position of the wiring portion 53 with respect to the sensor accommodating portion 41 can be easily confirmed.

The connector portion 42 has a connector housing 40 , and connector pins 42 a to 42 e are embedded in the connector housing 40 when the connector housing 40 is molded. Thereby, labor time for separately assembling the connector pins 42 a to 42 e does not occur when assembling the actuator device 9 .

The connector pins 42 a to 42 e and the power supply terminals 56 and 57 are integrally arranged on the conductive plate 54 as a part of the conductive plate 54 . Therefore, labor time for separately connecting the connector pins 42a to 42e and the power supply terminals 56 and 57 is not generated.

The first reduction gear 14 is pressed along the axis L1 by the elastic portion 118 integrally formed with the first reduction gear 14 (see FIG. 7 ). For example, the first reduction gear 14 is pressed along the axis L1 without using other members such as elastic washers. Therefore, reduction in the number of parts and simplification of the assembly process can be realized, and the manufacturing cost of the actuator device 9 can be reduced.

The rotating shaft 12a is rotated while being urged radially outward of the worm wheel 14b (lower side in FIG. 4 ), in other words, in a direction intersecting the axis of the rotating shaft 12a. Therefore, the rotary shaft 12 a rotates while being pressed in the radial direction relative to a bearing (not shown) provided in the drive motor 12 . Therefore, rattling of the rotating shaft 12a with respect to the bearings inside the drive motor 12 is suppressed, and noise and vibration of the rotating shaft 12a caused by the rattling can be suppressed.

The elastic portion 118 is integrally formed on the coupling portion 14c extending radially outward from the shaft portion 14a of the first reduction gear 14 (see FIGS. 6( a ) to 6 ( c )). The elastic portion 118 is provided further radially outward than the gear portion 14d formed in the shaft portion 14a. This makes it possible to divide the molding model along the axis L1 of the first reduction gear 14 when molding the first reduction gear 14 including the elastic portion 118 . Thus, the first reduction gear 14 integrally having the elastic portion 118 can be easily formed.

The front end portions 118 a of the three elastic portions 118 are located in one plane perpendicular to the axis L1 of the first reduction gear 14 . In addition, three front end portions 118a are arranged at equal angular intervals around the axis L1. Therefore, these elastic portions 118 can provide a well-balanced and stable load to the first reduction gear 14 along the axis L1.

The elastic portion 118 is formed in the coupling portion 14c extending radially outward from the shaft portion 14a. Therefore, the length of the elastic portion 118 can be increased in the circumferential direction of the first reduction gear 14 . In other words, the settable range of the length of the elastic portions 118 can be increased, and the intensity of the pressing force exerted by these elastic portions 118 can be easily set.

Grease grooves 138 to 141 for accommodating a lubricant such as grease are formed on the end surface of the first bearing 24, and are located on a track along which the front end portion 118a of the elastic portion 118 slides (see FIG. 8 ). Therefore, when the first reduction gear 14 rotates, the lubricant is automatically applied to the front end portion 118a, and the first reduction gear 14 rotates smoothly.

The grease grooves 138 to 141 extend obliquely with respect to the radial direction of the first bearing 24 . Therefore, when the front-end|tip part 118a of the elastic part 118 slides on the grease groove 138-141, it can be suppressed being caught by the grease groove 138-141.

The integral rotation of the rotating shaft 12a and the worm 13 can be realized by fitting the protrusion 13c provided in the insertion hole 13b with the notch 12d formed in the rotating shaft 12a (see FIG. 4 ). Therefore, compared with the case where a collar (collar) for preventing the rotation of the worm 13 is press-fitted into the rotating shaft 12a, the number of parts can be reduced, and the size of the rotating shaft 12a in the direction of the axis L2 can be shortened, making the actuator device miniaturization.

The cutout portion 12d is located closer to the tip of the worm 13 than the center of the first reduction gear 14 with respect to the axis L2 direction of the rotary shaft 12a (see FIG. 4 ). That is, the convex part 13c of the worm 13 which engages with the notch part 12d is located in the front-end|tip of the worm 13 rather than the meshing part of the 1st reduction gear 14 and the worm 13. As shown in FIG. The wall thickness of the portion of the worm 13 corresponding to the convex portion 13 c is not constant in the circumferential direction, and there is a high possibility of deformation in the outer shape when the worm 13 is molded with resin. On the contrary, at the portion of the worm 13 whose wall thickness is constant in the circumferential direction, deformation hardly occurs in the outer shape. In the present embodiment, since the worm 13 meshes with the first reduction gear 14 at a portion with minimal deformation, the vibration of the rotating shaft 12a caused by the deformation of the shape of the worm 13 and the vibration of the rotating shaft 12a are suppressed. generation of noise.

The worm 13 is slidable along the axis L2 relative to the rotating shaft 12a. Therefore, even if a force along the axis L2 is applied to the worm 13, the force is hardly transmitted to the rotary shaft 12a. Therefore, generation of noise or vibration due to movement of the rotary shaft 12a in the axial direction is suppressed.

When the first reduction gear 14 is pivotally supported by the two first bearings 23 , 24 , the elastic portion 118 contacts the first bearing 24 of the upper housing 11 with a gently convex curved surface. Therefore, even when the first reduction gear 14 rotates in any direction, the elastic portion 118 can be prevented from being caught on the first bearing 24 .

In addition, the embodiment of the present invention may be changed as follows.

In the above-described embodiment, the control signal is input to the actuator device 9 from the outside and the detection signal obtained by the sensor 44 is output to the outside through the external connector connected to the connector portion 42 . However, a communication IC may be incorporated in the actuator device 9, and these signals may be communicated wirelessly or by wire.

The number of connector pins 42a to 42e provided in the connector portion 42 is not limited to five, and may be four or less or six or more.

The number of reduction gears provided in the reduction mechanism is not limited to three, and may be appropriately changed.

In the above-described embodiment, the first reduction gear 14 meshes with the second reduction gear 15 , and the second reduction gear 15 meshes with the third reduction gear 16 . However, the first reduction gear may mesh with the second reduction gear 15 and the third reduction gear.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the driven device is externally fitted on the output shaft 35 provided on the third reduction gear, but instead, the output shaft may have a concave portion into which the driven device is fitted.

The number of elastic portions 118 provided in the first reduction gear 14 is not limited to three, and may be appropriately changed.

Contrary to FIG. 7 , it can also be realized by using a bearing provided in the lower housing 10 to press the elastic part 118 .

As long as the grease grooves 138 to 141 have a shape that can accommodate lubricant, they may be changed to any shape such as hemispherical recesses, for example.

The number of grease tanks 138-141 is not limited to four, and may be appropriately changed.

The lubricant accommodated in the grease grooves 138 to 141 is not limited to grease.

In the above embodiment, the elastic portion 118 is formed in the first reduction gear 14 . However, the elastic portion may be integrally formed with the second reduction gear 15 or the third reduction gear as long as the torque for the first reduction gear 14 can always be maintained at a predetermined value or more.

Claims (22)

1. An actuator device, characterized in that it comprises: motor; a power transmission mechanism connected to the drive motor; an output shaft connected to the power transmission mechanism, through which the rotation of the drive motor is transmitted to the output shaft; a sensor for detecting the rotation angle of the output shaft; Connector terminals connected to external connectors; The power supply terminal connected to the drive motor and supplying power to the drive motor is electrically connected to the sensor, the connector terminal and the power supply terminal, through the external connector and the connector terminal, from the outside supplying power to the driving motor, and outputting the rotation angle signal obtained by the sensor to the outside; a sensor accommodating portion for accommodating the sensor; a connector portion having said connector terminal; and A power supply portion having the power supply terminal, the sensor accommodating portion, the connector portion, and the power supply portion are integrally formed. 2. An actuator device, characterized in that it comprises: motor; a power transmission mechanism connected to the drive motor; an output shaft connected to the power transmission mechanism, through which the rotation of the drive motor is transmitted to the output shaft; a sensor for detecting the rotation angle of the output shaft; Connector terminals connected to external connectors; The power supply terminal connected to the drive motor to supply power to the drive motor supplies power to the drive motor from the outside through the external connector and the connector terminal, and outputs the rotation angle signal obtained by the sensor to the outside; a sensor accommodating portion for accommodating the sensor; a connector part having said connector terminal; a power supply part having the power supply terminal, the sensor accommodating part, the connector part and the power supply part are integrally formed; and The first case and the second case hold the connector portion by these two cases. 3. Actuator arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The power transmission mechanism includes a plurality of gears, one of which has the output shaft and also has a recess for accommodating the sensor accommodating portion. 4. Actuator arrangement according to claim 3, characterized in that, The gear having the concave portion has a cylindrical gear portion defining the concave portion. 5. Actuator device according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The sensor accommodating portion, the connector portion, and the power supply portion form a single unit configured in a substantially L-shape. 6. Actuator device according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The sensor accommodating portion, the connector portion, and the power supply portion are molded using resin to form a single assembly. 7. An actuator arrangement according to claim 6, characterized in that, The power supply terminal and the connector terminal are integrally assembled in the assembly. 8. The actuator device as claimed in claim 1 is integrally formed, characterized in that, The power supply terminal and the connector terminal are formed by a separate conductive plate, and the conductive plate also has a wiring portion including a connection portion connected to the sensor and a coupling portion that can be cut off arbitrarily, according to the coupling portion The cut-off mode determines the connection mode between the connecting part, the connector terminal and the power supply terminal. 9. Actuator arrangement according to claim 8, characterized in that, The sensor accommodating portion, the connector portion, and the power supply portion form a separate component that is molded using resin so that the conductive plate is integrally assembled therein. 10. An actuator arrangement according to claim 9, characterized in that The assembly is molded such that the wiring portion is exposed to the outside. 11. Actuator device according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The power transmission mechanism includes a motor gear mounted on a rotating shaft of the drive motor, and a plurality of gears constituting a gear set connected to the motor gear, at least one of the gears constituting the gear set integrally having Press the pressing part of the gear in the axial direction. 12. Actuator arrangement according to claim 11, characterized in that, The gear having the pressing portion has a shaft portion, and the pressing portion is disposed radially outside of the shaft portion. 13. Actuator arrangement according to claim 12, characterized in that, The gear having the pressing portion also has a small-diameter gear portion disposed on the shaft portion; a cylindrical large-diameter gear portion provided radially outside the shaft portion; and a coupling portion extending radially between the shaft portion and the large-diameter gear portion to integrally connect the large-diameter gear portion to the shaft portion, The pressing portion extends from the coupling portion to the circumferential direction of the corresponding gear. 14. Actuator arrangement according to claim 11, characterized in that, The gear having the pressing portion has a small-diameter gear portion and a large-diameter gear portion integrally formed with each other, and the pressing portion is provided on the large-diameter gear portion so as to be located radially outward of the small-diameter gear portion. 15. Actuator arrangement according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that The motor gear is a worm, and the large-diameter gear part is a worm wheel meshing with the worm. 16. Actuator arrangement according to any one of claims 11-15, characterized in that A plurality of the pressing parts are arranged at equal angular intervals around the axis of the corresponding gear. 17. Actuator arrangement according to any one of claims 11-16, characterized in that A housing is also provided, and the housing has a receiving surface that slidably blocks the pressing part, and the receiving surface has a concave part for accommodating lubricant at a position corresponding to the sliding track of the pressing part. 18. An actuator arrangement according to claim 17, characterized in that The recess is formed in the shape of a groove and extends obliquely relative to the radial direction of the associated gear wheel. 19. An actuator device, characterized in that it comprises: a drive motor with a rotating shaft; a motor gear mounted on the rotating shaft; a plurality of gears forming a gear set coupled to said motor gear; and an output shaft connected to the gear set, through which the rotation of the rotating shaft is transmitted to the output shaft, At least one of the gears constituting the gear set integrally has a pressing portion that presses the gear in the axial direction, whereby a load in a direction intersecting the axis of the rotating shaft is applied to the rotating shaft. 20. An actuator arrangement according to claim 19, characterized in that The gear having the pressing portion has a shaft portion, and the pressing portion is disposed radially outside of the shaft portion. 21. An actuator arrangement according to claim 20, characterized in that, The gear having the pressing portion also has a small-diameter gear portion disposed on the shaft portion; a cylindrical large-diameter gear portion provided radially outside the shaft portion; and a coupling portion extending radially between the shaft portion and the large-diameter gear portion to integrally connect the large-diameter gear portion to the shaft portion, The pressing portion extends from the coupling portion to the circumferential direction of the corresponding gear. 22. An actuator arrangement according to claim 19, characterized in that The gear having the pressing portion has a small-diameter gear portion and a large-diameter gear portion integrally formed with each other, and the pressing portion is provided on the large-diameter gear portion so as to be located radially outward of the small-diameter gear portion.

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