Sealed actuator with internal clutching

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10274027-B2
Application number	US-201414899729-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2014
Priority date	Jun 19, 2013
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A sealed actuator with internal clutching assembly including an output shaft, output detent ring, moving detent ring, and a wave spring, which is fit inside a sealed housing. The moving detent ring is able to move axially to the output shaft and the output detent ring is able to rotate on the output shaft. Intermeshing ramped teeth of these rings are held together by a wave spring and allow the output shaft to rotate and transmit torque of a motor through a main gear operably coupled to an output gear mounted on the output shaft to the outside of the housing. During predetermined high loads, the output and moving detent rings ramped teeth create an axial force that overcomes the load from the wave spring, which allows moving detent ring to disengage and output shaft to rotate freely to help prevent damage to the actuator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sealed actuator with internal clutching for attachment to a vehicle component, comprising:
an output shaft with an output gear and an output detent ring that are free to rotate about the output shaft;
a moving detent ring slidably mounted on said output shaft and selectively radially locked to the output shaft for rotation with the output shaft;
first intermeshing ramped teeth on the output detent ring in selective meshed engagement with second intermeshing ramped teeth on the moving detent ring;
a wave spring mounted on said output shaft providing a biasing force against said moving detent ring thereby selectively holding the second intermeshing ramped teeth of the moving detent ring against the first intermeshing ramped teeth of the output detent ring, wherein upon receiving a predetermined level of high load sufficient to overcome the biasing force of the wave spring, the first intermeshing ramped teeth and the second intermeshing ramped teeth will create an axile force that overcomes the biasing force of the wave spring, that allows the moving detent ring to disengage from the output shaft and allows the output shaft to rotate freely;
a housing portion that is fixed and sealed within which said output shaft is mounted;
a main gear having selective torsional force transferring gear contact with said output gear;
a motor having a worm gear providing selective torsional force transferring gear contact with said main gear wherein, said worm gear is rotatable to transmit torque from said motor through said main gear and said output gear to the outside of said housing portion via the output shaft.

2. The sealed actuator with internal clutching of claim 1 , wherein said output detent ring is mounted to selectively rotate on said output shaft.

3. The sealed actuator with internal clutching of claim 1 , wherein said moving detent ring is mounted to selectively move axially on said output shaft.

4. The sealed actuator with internal clutching of claim 1 , wherein said moving detent ring is locked radially with respect to said output shaft.

5. The sealed actuator with internal clutching of claim 1 , wherein said output shaft further comprises interlocking splines and said moving detent ring further comprises outer interlocking splines, wherein said moving detent ring is locked radially on said output shaft by said outer interlocking splines and respective interlocking splines.

6. The sealed actuator with internal clutching of claim 1 , wherein said actuator does not change height when it clutches.

7. The sealed actuator with internal clutching of claim 1 , wherein said actuator does not change shape or height when it clutches.

8. The sealed actuator with internal clutching of claim 1 , wherein said output gear has circumferential segments in mesh with recesses in said output detent ring.

9. The sealed actuator with internal clutching of claim 1 , further comprising a first locking ring and a second locking ring located toward respective ends of said output shaft to hold together said output shaft, output gear, output detent ring, moving detent ring, and wave spring on said output shaft.

10. The sealed actuator with internal clutching of claim 1 , wherein said motor further comprises a printed circuit board (PCB), said PCB correlating with vehicle communication networks and/or at least one sensor for commanding energizing of said motor based upon predetermined conditions.

11. The sealed actuator with internal clutching of claim 1 , wherein said housing portion has a first half and a second half that are joined and held together by fasteners to form a waterproof housing.

12. The sealed actuator with internal clutching of claim 11 , further comprising a first seal and a second seal that are rings mounted toward the ends of said output shaft to form a weather tight seal between said output shaft and a respective opening in said first half and second half.

13. The sealed actuator with internal clutching of claim 12 , wherein said motor and electronics and connector contacts of said motor are located within a cavity formed by a first motor cavity located in said second half and a second motor cavity in said second half, and said main gear is located within a cavity formed by a main gear cavity located in said first half and a second main gear cavity in said second half.

14. The sealed actuator with internal clutching of claim 13 , wherein said moving detent ring, wave spring, output detent ring, output gear, output shaft, and a first and second retaining ring are located in a first clutch assembly cavity and second clutch assembly cavity in said first and second half, respectively.

15. The sealed actuator with internal clutching of claim 1 , wherein said output shaft is rotatable in both directions.

16. The sealed actuator with internal clutching of claim 1 , wherein said sealed actuator with internal clutching provides an output pass through drive arrangement allowing said sealed actuator with internal clutching to drive a shaft or an external moving part from either end or both ends.

17. The sealed actuator with internal clutching of claim 1 , wherein said sealed actuator with internal clutching is used for driving an active grill system.

18. A sealed actuator with internal clutching for attachment to a vehicle component, comprising:
an output shaft with a lower portion having a plurality of interlocking splines;
an output detent ring rotatably mounted on a portion of said output shaft having no interlocking splines;
an output gear rotatably mounted on said portion of said output shaft having no interlocking splines, where said output gear is in mesh with said output detent ring, wherein the output detent ring and the output gear are free to rotate about the output shaft;
a moving detent ring slidably mounted on said lower portion of said output shaft, where said moving detent ring is intermeshable with said output detent ring and the moving detent ring is selectively radially locked to the output shaft for rotation with the output shaft;
first intermeshing ramped teeth on the output detent ring in selective meshed engagement with second intermeshing ramped teeth on the moving detent ring;
a wave spring mounted on said output shaft providing a biasing force against said moving detent ring thereby selectively holding the second intermeshing ramped teeth of the moving detent ring against the first intermeshing ramped teeth of the output detent ring, wherein upon receiving a predetermined level of high load sufficient to overcome the biasing force of the wave spring, the first intermeshing ramped teeth and the second intermeshing ramped teeth will create an axile force that overcomes the biasing force of the wave spring, that allows the moving detent ring to disengage from the output shaft and allows the output shaft to rotate freely preventing damage to the sealed actuator with internal clutching;
a housing portion that is fixed and sealed within which said output shaft is mounted;
a main gear having selective torsional force transferring gear contact with said output gear;
a motor having a worm gear providing selective torsional force transferring gear contact with said main gear wherein, said worm gear is rotatable to transmit torque from said motor through said main gear and said output gear to the outside of said housing portion via the output shaft.

19. The sealed actuator with internal clutching of claim 18 , wherein said output detent ring is mounted to selectively rotate on said output shaft.

Assignees

• Magna Exteriors Inc

Inventors

• Matthews Martin R
• Povinelli Anthony J

Classifications

• F16H1/16

  comprising worm and worm-wheel · CPC title

• F16D43/2024 Primary

  the axially moving part being coaxial with the rotation, e.g. a gear with face teeth · CPC title

• H02K7/1166

  comprising worm and worm-wheel (structural association with bearings specially adapted for worm gear drives H02K7/081) · CPC title

• F16H35/10

  Arrangements or devices for absorbing overload or preventing damage by overload · CPC title

• F16D7/044

  the axially moving part being coaxial with the rotation, e.g. a gear with face teeth · CPC title