Gearbox

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12456896-B2
Application number	US-202218076378-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2022
Priority date	May 27, 2022
Publication date	Oct 28, 2025
Grant date	Oct 28, 2025

Abstract

A rotary actuator assembly includes a gearbox disposed within a cavity of a housing. The gearbox includes a fixed gear with elevations arranged on an outer surface that are designed to engage the housing and fix the gear to the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A rotary actuator assembly, comprising:
a hollow housing including a first end and a second end spaced from the first end along an axis, the hollow housing defining a cavity extending from the first end to the second end; an output shaft arranged coaxially with the axis and extending outwardly from the cavity through the first end; a drive system disposed in the cavity and drivably connected to the output shaft; and a gearbox disposed in the cavity and arranged axially between the output shaft and the drive system, the gearbox drivably connected to the drive system and the output shaft; and the gearbox having a fixed gear comprising a plurality of inner gear teeth and a plurality of circumferentially spaced elevations, and the plurality of circumferentially spaced elevations plastically deform the hollow housing so as to torsionally and axially fix the fixed gear to the hollow housing.

2 . The rotary actuator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of circumferentially spaced elevations extend radially outwardly from an outer surface of the fixed gear, the outer surface extending circumferentially about the plurality of inner gear teeth.

3 . The rotary actuator assembly of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of circumferentially spaced elevations engage and plastically deform a radial inner surface of the hollow housing, and the outer surface of the fixed gear is a radial piloting surface that, via the radial inner surface of the hollow housing, radially guides the fixed gear within the hollow housing, and the radial piloting surface is arranged circumferentially adjacent to the plurality of circumferentially spaced elevations.

4 . The rotary actuator assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced depressions arranged on the outer surface, and at least one of the circumferentially spaced depressions is arranged circumferentially adjacently to and adjoined with a corresponding one of the plurality of circumferentially spaced elevations.

5 . The rotary actuator assembly of claim 4 , wherein a circumferential width of each one of the circumferentially spaced elevations is less than a circumferential width of each one of the plurality of circumferentially spaced depressions.

6 . The rotary actuator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the gearbox is a strain wave gearbox.

7 . The rotary actuator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of circumferentially spaced elevations cut into a material of the hollow housing and displace the material of the hollow housing so as to torsionally and axially fix the fixed gear to the hollow housing.

8 . The rotary actuator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of circumferentially spaced elevations cut into the hollow housing.

9 . The rotary actuator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of circumferentially spaced elevations define an outermost radial extent of the fixed gear.

10 . The rotary actuator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fixed gear further comprises an outer surface arranged radially outwardly of and extending circumferentially about the plurality of inner gear teeth, and the plurality of circumferentially spaced elevations are arranged on the outer surface.

11 . The rotary actuator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fixed gear includes a first axial side and a second axial side axially spaced from each other, and the plurality of circumferentially spaced elevations extend from the first axial side towards the second axial side.

12 . A rotary actuator assembly, comprising:
a housing defining a cavity; a gearbox disposed in the cavity, the gearbox including a fixed gear having:
a plurality of inner gear teeth engaged with a rotatable component of the gearbox; and
a profiled lateral surface having:
a plurality of lateral sides defining a plurality of circumferentially spaced summits that engage and plastically deform the housing so as to torsionally and axially fix the fixed gear to the housing, the plurality of lateral sides comprising:
a first lateral side;
a second lateral side converging with the first lateral side to define a first summit of the plurality of circumferentially spaced summits; and
a third lateral side converging with the second lateral side to define a second summit of the plurality of circumferentially spaced summits.

13 . The rotary actuator assembly of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of circumferentially spaced summits engage and plastically deform a radial inner surface of the housing.

14 . The rotary actuator assembly of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of lateral sides are flat planar surfaces that extend circumferentially around the plurality of inner gear teeth.

15 . The rotary actuator assembly of claim 14 , wherein:
the first lateral side converges with the second lateral side to define a first interior angle of the first summit; the second lateral side converges with the third lateral side to define a second interior angle of the second summit; and the first interior angle and the second interior angle are greater than 90 degrees.

16 . The rotary actuator assembly of claim 15 , wherein an axial width of the plurality of circumferentially spaced summits is less than a longitudinal length of the plurality of lateral sides.

17 . The rotary actuator assembly of claim 15 , wherein a first end of the second lateral side defines the first summit and a second end of the second lateral side defines the second summit.

18 . The rotary actuator assembly of claim 12 , wherein a first profile of a first longitudinal end of each of the plurality of circumferentially spaced summits is different than a second profile of a second longitudinal end of each of the plurality of circumferentially spaced summits when viewed radially relative to a central axis of the fixed gear.

19 . The rotary actuator assembly of claim 18 , wherein the first profile is a wedged cutter that cuts into the housing.

20 . The rotary actuator assembly of claim 12 , wherein the gearbox further comprises an output gear and a toothed flex ring configured to rotatably engage the fixed gear and the output gear.

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Bartell Peter

Classifications

• H02G15/046

  with bores or protruding portions allowing passage of cable conductors · CPC title

• H02G15/013

  Sealing means for cable inlets (inlets for cables filled with, or surrounded by, gas or oil H02G15/32) · CPC title

• H02G3/0675

  with bolts operating in a direction parallel to the conductors · CPC title

• G01D5/245

  using a variable number of pulses in a train · CPC title

• F16H2057/02082

  for application in vehicles other than propelling, e.g. adjustment of parts · CPC title