Actuation mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11619302-B2
Application number	US-201816640605-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2018
Priority date	Jun 14, 2017
Publication date	Apr 4, 2023
Grant date	Apr 4, 2023

Abstract

An actuation mechanism including one or more motors having an output shaft with a sun gear. A sun gear of a non-back drivable planetary gear assembly is drivingly connected to at least a portion of one or more planetary gears. The one or more planetary gears are drivingly connected to at least a portion of the sun gear, a carrier, a fixed non-rotating ring gear and a selectively rotatable output ring gear. The disclosure further relates to a method of operating an actuation mechanism that is drivingly connected to at least a portion of a vehicle parking mechanism. The method includes providing an actuation mechanism, providing a parking mechanism and one or more sensors that are operably configured to collect an amount of data to be analyzed. Based on the data analyzed, one or more failures within the parking mechanism may be determined and an alert may be sent.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An actuation mechanism, comprising:
one or more motors having a motor output shaft with a sun gear;
a planetary gear assembly comprising:
a fixed non-rotating ring gear;
a carrier;
an output ring gear;
wherein said output ring gear is selectively rotatable; and

a two-step planetary gear comprising a first end portion, a second end portion and an intermediate portion interposed between said first and second end portions,
wherein at least a portion of said two-step planetary gear is drivingly connected to at least a portion of said carrier and said sun gear,
wherein said first end portion is drivingly connected to said fixed non-rotating ring gear, and said second end portion is drivingly connected to said output ring gear,
wherein said planetary gear assembly of said actuation mechanism is non-back drivable, and wherein the two-step planetary gear has only two steps,
wherein said intermediate portion has an increased diameter portion that separates the first end portion and the second end portion, the increased diameter portion having an outermost diameter larger than an outermost diameter of said first end portion and an outermost diameter of said second end portion, and
wherein said intermediate portion defines a gap between said fixed non-rotating ring gear and said output ring gear, said gap is axially aligned with said intermediate portion and radially off-set from said intermediate portion, and an axial width of said gap is equal to an axial width of said intermediate portion.

2. The actuation mechanism of claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal length of the intermediate portion is less than a longitudinal length of the first end portion and a longitudinal length of the second end portion.

3. The actuation mechanism of claim 1 , wherein said one or more planetary gears have an outer surface, a first end portion, a second end portion and an intermediate portion interposed between said first and second end portions;
wherein a first plurality of planetary gear teeth circumferentially extend from at least a portion of said outer surface of said first end portion of said one or more planetary gears;
wherein at least a portion of said first plurality of planetary gear teeth are complementary to and meshingly engaged at least a portion of a plurality of ring gear teeth on said fixed non-rotating ring gear;
wherein a second plurality of planetary gear teeth circumferentially extend from at least a portion of said outer surface of said second end portion of said one or more planetary gears; and
wherein at least a portion of said second plurality of planetary gear teeth are complementary to and meshingly engaged with at least a portion of a plurality of output ring gear teeth circumferentially extending from at least a portion of an inner surface of said output ring gear.

4. The actuation mechanism of claim 3 , wherein said first plurality of planetary gear teeth have an outermost diameter;
wherein said second plurality of planetary gear teeth have an outermost diameter; and
wherein said outermost diameter of said second plurality of planetary gear teeth is larger than said outermost diameter of said first plurality of planetary gear teeth of said one or more planetary gears, or wherein said outermost diameter of said second plurality of planetary gear teeth is smaller than said outermost diameter of said first plurality of planetary gear teeth of said one or more planetary gears, or wherein said outermost diameter of said second plurality of planetary gear teeth is substantially equal to said outermost diameter of said first plurality of planetary gear teeth of said one or more planetary gears.

5. The actuation mechanism of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said carrier is disposed adjacent to an end of said one or more motors, and at least a portion of said sun gear and said two-step planetary gear is disposed with a hollow interior portion of said carrier.

6. The actuation mechanism of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of said output ring gear is drivingly connected to at least a portion of a parking mechanism comprising a cam that selectively drives a parking pawl into and out of engagement with a parking gear; and
wherein at least a portion of said cam is always in direct contact with at least a portion of said parking pawl of said parking mechanism.

7. The actuation mechanism of claim 6 , wherein at least a portion of a dog extending from said parking pawl is received within at least a portion of a parking pawl groove in a protruding portion of said cam of said parking mechanism.

8. The actuation mechanism of claim 6 , wherein said cam has an outer surface, a first end portion, an intermediate portion, a second end portion, a first end and a second end;
wherein a first hollow interior portion extends from at least a portion of said first end of said cam and into at least a portion of said cam of said parking mechanism; and
wherein at least a portion of said two-step planetary gear, said carrier and said output ring gear is disposed within at least a portion of said first hollow interior portion of said cam.

9. The actuation mechanism of claim 8 , further comprising one or more first biasing members and/or one or more second biasing members;
wherein at least a portion of said one or more first biasing members and said one or more second biasing members are disposed within at least a portion of said first hollow interior portion of said cam;
wherein at least a portion of said first end portion of said one or more first biasing members and/or at least a portion of said first end portion of said one or more second biasing members are connected to at least a portion of said output ring gear; and
wherein at least a portion of said second end portion of said one or more first biasing members and/or at least a portion of said second end portion of said one or more second biasing members are connected to at least a portion of said cam of said parking mechanism.

10. The actuation mechanism of claim 8 , further comprising one or more bearing assemblies disposed radially outboard from and in direct contact with at least a portion of said outer surface of said cam.

11. The actuation mechanism of claim 8 , further comprising a cam actuating member;
wherein at least a portion of said cam actuating member is connected to at least a portion of said cam; and
wherein at least a portion of said cam actuating member is operably configured to selectively rotate said cam.

12. The actuation mechanism of claim 6 , further comprising a circuit board, one or more first sensing members, one or more second sensing members and one or more third sensing members;
wherein at least a portion of said one or more first sensing members are integrally connected to at least a portion of said head of said parking pawl at a location proximate to one or more teeth extending from said parking pawl;
wherein at least a portion of said one or more second sensing members and said one or more third sensing members are integrally connected to and in electrical communication with at least a portion of said circuit board at pre-determined locations; and
wherein said one or more second sensing members and said one or more third sensing members are operably configured to sense and/or detect the presence of said one or more first sensing members.

13. The actuation mechanism of claim 1 , further comprising a connect and disconnect gear having a gear portion with a plurality of connect and disconnect gear teeth circumferentially extending from at least a portion of an outer surface of said gear portion of said connect and disconnect gear;
wherein

Assignees

• Dana Automotive Systems Group

Inventors

• Davis Justin S
• Gries Aaron
• Keller Robert D

Classifications

• F16D2500/304

  from the clutch · CPC title

• F16H63/3466

  using electric motors · CPC title

• F16H2001/2872

  comprising three central gears, i.e. ring or sun gear, engaged by at least one common orbital gear mounted on an idling carrier · CPC title

• F16H63/304 Primary

  the final output mechanisms comprising elements moved by electrical or magnetic force (band brake actuating mechanisms F16H63/3003) · CPC title

• F16H63/3425 Primary

  characterised by pawls or wheels · CPC title