Sealing sleeve for geared shaft of gearmotor assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10458237-B2
Application number	US-201615331560-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2016
Priority date	Oct 22, 2015
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

A motor includes a shaft rotatable about an axis, an engaged component engaged by the shaft, a sleeve fixed to the shaft to rotate therewith, and a seal at least partly circumscribing the shaft. The shaft includes an engagement region presenting a substantially variable outer shaft surface that at least in part engages the engaged component. The sleeve includes a first section that at least partly circumscribes and engages the engagement region of the shaft. The first section of the sleeve presents an outer seal-engaging surface and an outer bearing-engaging surface. The seal and the bearing each at least partly circumscribe the engagement region of the shaft and the first section of the sleeve to engage the seal-engaging surface and the bearing-engaging surfaces, respectively, of the sleeve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A motor comprising:
a shaft rotatable about an axis;
an engaged component engaged by the shaft;
a sleeve fixed to the shaft to rotate therewith; and
a seal at least partly circumscribing the shaft,
said shaft including an engagement region presenting a substantially variable outer shaft surface that at least in part engages the engaged component,
said sleeve including a first section that at least partly circumscribes and engages the engagement region of the shaft,
said first section of the sleeve presenting an outer seal-engaging surface,
said seal at least partly circumscribing the engagement region of the shaft and the first section of the sleeve to sealingly engage the seal-engaging surface of the sleeve.

2. The motor of claim 1 ,
said variable outer shaft surface comprising a plurality of teeth.

3. The motor of claim 2 ,
said engaged component comprising a gear,
said shaft rotatably engaging said gear.

4. The motor of claim 1 ,
said shaft including a second region adjacent the engagement region,
said sleeve including a second section that at least partly circumscribes the second region.

5. The motor of claim 4 ,
said second region of the shaft and said engagement region of the shaft presenting at least substantially equal outer diameters,
said first section of the sleeve and said second section of the sleeve presenting at least substantially equal inner and outer diameters.

6. The motor of claim 4 ,
said second region of the shaft presenting a substantially smooth outer shaft surface.

7. The motor of claim 1 ,
said engagement region of the shaft including—
a primary portion configured for engagement with the engaged component, and
a transition portion adjacent the primary portion,
said primary portion and said transition portion cooperatively defining the variable outer shaft surface,
said seal and said first section of the sleeve both at least partly circumscribing the primary portion such that the first section of the sleeve is disposed between and engages each of the primary portion and the seal.

8. The motor of claim 7 ,
said first section of the sleeve additionally at least partly circumscribing and engaging the transition portion of the engagement region of the shaft.

9. The motor of claim 8 ,
said shaft including a second region adjacent the engagement region,
said transition portion extending between and interconnecting the second region of the shaft and the primary portion,
said sleeve including a second section that at least partly circumscribes the second region of the shaft.

10. The motor of claim 1 ,
said sleeve presenting an outer bearing-engaging surface,
said motor further comprising a bearing rotatably supporting the shaft,
said bearing at least partly circumscribing the sleeve and engaging the bearing-engaging surface of the sleeve.

11. The motor of claim 10 ,
said first section of the sleeve at least in part presenting the bearing-engaging surface,
said bearing at least partly circumscribing the engagement region of the shaft and the first section of the sleeve.

12. The motor of claim 11 ,
said sleeve presenting axially spaced apart first and second end margins,
said seal being disposed adjacent the first end margin,
said bearing being disposed adjacent the second end margin.

13. The motor of claim 10 ,
said motor including a housing defining a gear chamber and a motor chamber,
said housing including an intermediate plate disposed between and in part defining each of the gear chamber and the motor chamber,
said intermediate plate defining seal and bearing housings receiving and supporting the seal and the bearing, respectively.

14. The motor of claim 1 ,
said motor including a gear chamber and a motor chamber,
said seal configured to restrict passage of contaminants between the gear chamber and the motor chamber.

15. The motor of claim 1 ,
said sleeve being discrete from said shaft.

16. The motor of claim 1 ,
said sleeve comprising a harder material than said seal.

17. The motor of claim 16 ,
said sleeve comprising steel.

18. A motor comprising:
a shaft rotatable about an axis;
an engaged component engaged by the shaft;
a sleeve fixed to the shaft to rotate therewith; and
a bearing rotatably supporting the shaft,
said shaft including an engagement region presenting a substantially variable outer shaft surface that at least in part engages the engaged component,
said sleeve including a first section that at least partly circumscribes and engages the engagement region of the shaft,
said first section of the sleeve presenting an outer bearing-engaging surface,
said bearing at least partly circumscribing the engagement region of the shaft and the first section of the sleeve to engage the bearing-engaging surface of the sleeve.

19. The motor of claim 18 ,
said shaft including a second region adjacent the engagement region,
said sleeve including a second section that at least partly circumscribes the second region of the shaft,
said bearing additionally at least partly circumscribing the second region of the shaft and the second section of the sleeve.

20. The motor of claim 19 ,
said second region presenting an at least substantially smooth outer shaft surface.

21. The motor of claim 19 ,
said engagement region of the shaft including—
a primary portion configured for engagement with the engaged component, and
a transition portion adjacent the primary portion,
said transition portion extending between and interconnecting the primary portion and the second region of the shaft,
said primary portion and said transition portion cooperatively defining the variable outer shaft surface,
said bearing at least partly circumscribing both the transition portion and the secondary region such that both the first and second sections of the sleeve are at least in part disposed between and engage each of the transition portion, the secondary region, and the bearing.

22. The motor of claim 18 ,
said motor including a housing defining a gear chamber and a motor chamber,
said housing including an intermediate plate disposed between and in part defining each of the gear chamber and the motor chamber,
said intermediate plate defining a bearing housing receiving and supporting the bearing.

Assignees

• Nidec Motor Corp

Inventors

• Biro Joshua M
• Moore William D
• Johnson Philip S
• Hutsler Jeffrey M
• Michaels Paul G
• Hilton Daniel E

Classifications

• H02K7/003

  Couplings; Details of shafts (means for mounting rotors on shafts H02K1/28) · CPC title

• H02K5/1732

  radially supporting the rotary shaft at both ends of the rotor (H02K5/1737 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02K7/116

  with gears · CPC title

• H02K7/14

  Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans (with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06) · CPC title

• F16H2057/02034

  Gearboxes combined or connected with electric machines · CPC title