Worm gear actuator for a marine steering apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12017745-B2
Application number	US-202017623940-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 3, 2020
Priority date	Jul 3, 2019
Publication date	Jun 25, 2024
Grant date	Jun 25, 2024

Abstract

Disclosed is an actuator for a marine steering apparatus with steering shaft. The actuator comprises a housing, a gearmotor disposed within the housing, a worm gear disposed within the housing, and a sector gear disposed within the housing. The gearmotor drives the worm gear and the worm gear drives the sector gear. The sector gear transmits torque to the steering shaft of the marine steering apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An actuator for a marine steering apparatus comprising a steering shaft, the actuator comprising:
a housing;
a gearmotor disposed within the housing;
a worm gear disposed within the housing;
a torque-transmission gear disposed within the housing, wherein the gearmotor comprises an output shaft coupled to the worm gear such that the gearmotor drives the worm gear in response to a torque from the output shaft of the gearmotor, the worm gear is coupled to the torque-transmission gear such that the worm gear drives the torque-transmission gear in response to the torque from the output shaft of the gearmotor, and when the torque-transmission gear is coupled to the steering shaft, the torque-transmission gear transmits torque to the steering shaft in response to the torque from the output shaft of the gearmotor; and
a flexible piece positioned to absorb impact loads between the torque-transmission gear and the steering shaft when the torque-transmission gear is coupled to the steering shaft.

2. The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the housing has a first mounting surface, a second mounting surface, and a stepped surface extending between the first mounting surface and the second mounting surface.

3. The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the housing has a V-shaped portion and the torque-transmission gear is disposed in the V-shaped portion of the housing.

4. The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the gearmotor includes a planetary gear arrangement.

5. The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the gearmotor is coupled to the worm gear by a spur gear train.

6. The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the torque-transmission gear is fully disposed within the housing.

7. The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , further including a printed circuit board disposed on an inner surface of the housing.

8. The actuator as claimed in claim 7 , further including a MR sensor mounted on the printed circuit board and a linearly magnetized arc magnet mounted on the torque-transmission gear.

9. The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the housing defines at least one opening configured to receive a portion of the steering shaft from outside of the housing.

10. The actuator as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the housing surrounds the at least one opening such that the housing surrounds the portion of the steering shaft when the at least one opening receives the portion of the steering shaft.

11. The actuator as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising at least one seal positioned proximate the at least one opening to seal an interior of the housing when the at least one opening receives the portion of the steering shaft.

12. The actuator as claimed in claim 11 , wherein when the at least one opening receives the portion of the steering shaft, the at least one seal seals, within the housing, the gearmotor, the worm gear, the torque-transmission gear, and the portion of the steering shaft.

13. The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the marine steering apparatus, wherein the torque-transmission gear is coupled to the steering shaft such that the torque-transmission gear transmits the torque to the steering shaft in response to the torque from the output shaft of the gearmotor.

14. The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a rigid piece comprising a mechanical hard stop that limits an amount of torsional movement of the flexible piece.

15. The actuator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the torque-transmission gear is a sector gear.

16. An actuator for a marine steering apparatus comprising a steering shaft, the actuator comprising:
a housing;
a gearmotor disposed within the housing;
a worm gear disposed within the housing;
a torque-transmission gear disposed within the housing, wherein the gearmotor comprises an output shaft coupled to the worm gear such that the gearmotor drives the worm gear in response to a torque from the output shaft of the gearmotor, the worm gear is coupled to the torque-transmission gear such that the worm gear drives the torque-transmission gear in response to the torque from the output shaft of the gearmotor, and when the torque-transmission gear is coupled to the steering shaft, the torque-transmission gear transmits torque to the steering shaft in response to the torque from the output shaft of the gearmotor; and
a torsionally compliant coupler to absorb impact loads between the torque-transmission gear and the steering shaft when the torque-transmission gear is coupled to the steering shaft.

17. The actuator as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the torque-transmission gear is a sector gear.

18. A marine steering apparatus comprising:
a transom bracket configured to be mounted on a transom of a marine vessel;
a swivel bracket pivotably coupled to the transom bracket;
a steering shaft;
an actuator supported by the swivel bracket such that the actuator is tiltable with the swivel bracket relative to the transom bracket, the actuator comprising:
a housing;
a gearmotor disposed within the housing;
a worm gear disposed within the housing; and
a torque-transmission gear disposed within the housing, wherein the gearmotor comprises an output shaft coupled to the worm gear such that the gearmotor drives the worm gear in response to a torque from the output shaft of the gearmotor, the worm gear is coupled to the torque-transmission gear such that the worm gear drives the torque-transmission gear in response to the torque from the output shaft of the gearmotor, and when the torque-transmission gear is coupled to the steering shaft, the torque-transmission gear transmits torque to the steering shaft in response to the torque from the output shaft of the gearmotor;

wherein:
the torque-transmission gear is coupled to the steering shaft such that the torque-transmission gear transmits the torque to the steering shaft in response to the torque from the output shaft of the gearmotor;
the swivel bracket comprises a first mounting surface and a second mounting surface;
the housing has a first mounting surface, a second mounting surface, and a stepped surface extending between the first mounting surface of the housing and the second mounting surface of the housing;
the first mounting surface of the housing is mounted to the first mounting surface of the swivel bracket; and
the second mounting surface of the housing is mounted to the second mounting surface of the swivel bracket.

19. The marine steering apparatus of claim 18 , further comprising a propulsion unit, wherein rotation of the steering shaft about a steering axis relative to the transom bracket imparts steering motion to the propulsion unit relative to the transom.

20. The marine steering apparatus of claim 18 , wherein:
a portion of the steering shaft is received in the housing;
the actuator further comprises at least one seal positioned to seal an interior of the housing; and
the gearmotor, the worm gear, the torque-transmission gear, and the portion of the steering shaft are sealed within the housing.

21. The marine steering apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the torque-transmission gear is a sector gear.

Assignees

• Marine Canada Acquisition Inc
• Dometic Marine Canada Inc

Inventors

• Davidson Noam Dean
• Chernoff Payton
• Henriques Brenden

Classifications

• B63H25/34

  Transmitting of movement of engine to rudder, e.g. using quadrants, brakes · CPC title

• B63H25/10 Primary

  with mechanical transmission · CPC title