Actuator assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11193567-B2
Application number	US-202016856708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2020
Priority date	Apr 26, 2019
Publication date	Dec 7, 2021
Grant date	Dec 7, 2021

Abstract

An actuator assembly is disclosed herein. The assembly includes a motor shaft; support; harmonic drive connected to the motor shaft that includes an output connected to a drive shaft defining a first sun gear; drive mechanism; and actuator arm. The drive mechanism includes a first gear set and a second gear set. The first gear set has a first carrier including a second sun gear. The first carrier supports a first plurality of planetary gears that engage both the first sun gear and a first ring gear rotationally fixed to the support. The second gear set has a second carrier fixed to the support. The second carrier supports a second plurality of planetary gears that engage both the second sun gear and a second ring gear. The actuator arm is connected to the second ring gear such that the actuator arm is rotationally driven by the motor shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An actuator assembly comprising:
a motor configured to rotate a motor shaft;
at least one support;
a harmonic drive connected to the motor shaft, the harmonic drive including an input connected to the motor shaft, a reaction element fixed to the at least one support, and an output connected to a drive shaft that defines a first sun gear;
a drive mechanism including:
a first gear set having a first carrier including a second sun gear, the first carrier supporting a first plurality of planetary gears that engage both the first sun gear and a first ring gear rotationally fixed to the at least one support; and
a second gear set having a second carrier fixed to the at least one support, the second carrier supporting a second plurality of planetary gears that engage both the second sun gear and a second ring gear; and

an actuator arm connected to the second ring gear, such that the actuator arm is rotationally driven by the motor.

2. The actuator assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a collar arranged between the actuator arm and the second ring gear.

3. The actuator assembly of claim 2 , wherein the collar is rotatable about a rotation axis (X 1 ) of the motor shaft.

4. The actuator assembly of claim 2 , wherein the collar is rotatably supported via a plurality of bearing elements arranged between the collar and the at least one support.

5. The actuator assembly of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of at least 500:1 between the motor shaft and the actuator arm is provided.

6. The actuator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the motor is at least partially arranged inside of the at least one support.

7. The actuator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one support includes a first support and a second support that is spaced away from the first support, and the second carrier is fixed to the first support.

8. The actuator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one support includes a first support and a second support that is spaced away from the first support, and the actuator arm is arranged between the first support and the second support.

9. The actuator assembly of claim 1 , wherein a first bearing assembly supports a first axial end of the drive shaft and a second bearing assembly supports a second axial end of the drive shaft.

10. The actuator assembly of claim 9 , wherein the actuator arm is concentric about the drive shaft.

11. The actuator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second sun gear is arranged axially between the first sun gear and the motor shaft.

12. The actuator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of planetary gears and the second ring gear are arranged axially between the first gear set and the motor shaft.

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Vazquez Andre
• Hooker Craig

Classifications

• F16H49/001

  Wave gearings, e.g. harmonic drive transmissions · CPC title

• F16H37/041 Primary

  for conveying rotary motion with constant gear ratio · CPC title

• F16H1/46

  Systems consisting of a plurality of gear trains each with orbital gears, {i.e. systems having three or more central gears} · CPC title