Actuator mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12486709-B2
Application number	US-202217938801-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 7, 2022
Priority date	Oct 7, 2022
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

An apparatus can include a housing. The housing can define a cavity. The housing can include a barrel cam profile. The apparatus can include an anchor. The anchor can be at least partially disposed within the cavity. The anchor can move between a first position and a second position. The apparatus can include a drive body. The drive body can be disposed within the cavity. The apparatus can include a spring. The spring can be at least partially disposed between the anchor and the drive body. The apparatus can include a shaft to interface with the drive body. The shaft can translate the anchor. The spring of the barrel cam profile can rotate the anchor between the first position and the second position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus, comprising:
a housing defining a cavity, the housing comprising a slot and a barrel cam profile; an anchor comprising a pin, the anchor at least partially disposed within the cavity, the anchor to translate and rotate within the cavity to move between a first position and a second position, the slot to prevent the anchor from rotating the pin disposed in the slot; a drive body disposed within the cavity; a spring at least partially disposed between the anchor and the drive body; and a shaft to interface with the drive body, the shaft to translate the anchor; the spring or the barrel cam profile to rotate the anchor between the first position and the second position.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
the spring comprising a torsion spring, the torsion spring biases the anchor to the second position; and the barrel cam profile comprising a single sided barrel cam profile, the single sided barrel cam profile to rotate the anchor and increase a tension in the torsion spring as the shaft translates the anchor from the second position to the first position.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
the housing comprising a first slot, a second slot, a first single sided barrel cam profile, and a second single sided barrel cam profile, the barrel cam profile being the first single sided barrel cam profile; the first slot transitions into the first single sided barrel cam profile and the second slot transitions into the second single sided barrel cam profile; the first single sided barrel cam profile disposed opposite the second single sided barrel cam profile.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
the spring to rotate the anchor as the anchor moves from the first position to the second position; and the barrel cam profile to rotate the anchor as the anchor moves from the second position to the first position, the barrel cam profile being a single-sided barrel cam profile.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
the anchor comprising a pin; the housing comprising a slot, the slot comprising a first slot end and a second slot end; and the barrel cam profile comprising a first profile end and a second profile end, the second slot end transitions into the first profile end; the pin disposed at the first slot end with the anchor in the first position, the anchor to translate within the cavity as the pin moves along the slot between the first slot end and the second slot end, and the anchor to translate and rotate as the pin moves along the barrel cam profile between the first profile end and the second profile end.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
the anchor defining an anchor cavity; the spring defining a central aperture; and the drive body comprising a boss that extends from the drive body, through the central aperture, and into the anchor cavity, the boss couples the drive body to the anchor such that the anchor translates with the drive body and the anchor rotates relative to the drive body.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
the anchor defining an anchor cavity; the drive body comprising a boss and a body aperture, the boss extends from the drive body into the anchor cavity and the body aperture extends through the drive body and the boss, at least a portion of the body aperture has a threaded profile; and the shaft comprising a lead screw that extends through the body aperture and interacts with the threaded profile of the body aperture such that the drive body translates as the lead screw rotates.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
the spring comprising a torsion spring, the torsion spring comprising a first spring arm and a second spring arm; the anchor comprising a first contact surface to interface with the first spring arm; the drive body comprising a second contact surface to interface with the second spring arm; and the housing defining a longitudinal axis; the anchor to rotate about the longitudinal axis in a first direction to move the first contact surface in the first direction and decrease a tension within the torsion spring, and the anchor to rotate about the longitudinal axis in a second direction to move the first contact surface in the second direction and increase the tension within the torsion spring, the first direction opposite the second direction.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
an activator coupled to the shaft to move the anchor between the first position and the second position, the activator comprising at least one of a motor and a linear actuator.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising:
an activator coupled to the shaft; the anchor defining an anchor cavity; and the housing comprising a first end and a second end; the activator disposed at the first end of the housing; the anchor to extend through the second end of the housing; the drive body disposed between the activator and the anchor; and the shaft extending from the activator, through the drive body, and into the anchor cavity.

11 . A method, comprising:
activating an actuator, the actuator comprising:
a housing defining a cavity, the housing comprising a slot and a barrel cam profile;
an anchor at least partially disposed in the cavity, the anchor comprising a pin;
a drive body disposed in the cavity;
a spring disposed between the anchor and the drive body; and
a shaft that interfaces with the drive body;
moving the anchor from a first position to a second position, moving the anchor includes translating the anchor within the cavity via the shaft and rotating the anchor within the cavity via the spring or the barrel cam profile; and preventing, by the slot, the anchor from rotating within the cavity with the pin disposed in the slot.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the housing comprises a first slot, a second slot, a first barrel cam profile, and a second barrel cam profile, the barrel cam profile being the first barrel cam profile, the first barrel cam profile disposed opposite the second barrel cam profile; and the anchor comprises a first pin and a second pin, the method comprising:
moving the first pin along the first slot and the first barrel cam profile; and
moving the second pin along the second slot and the second barrel cam profile.

13 . The method of claim 11 , comprising:
rotating the anchor via the spring as the anchor moves from the first position to the second position; and rotating the anchor via the barrel cam profile as the anchor moves from the second position to the first position, the barrel cam profile being a single sided barrel cam profile.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the spring is a torsion spring, comprising:
the torsion spring comprising a first spring arm and a second spring arm; the anchor comprising a first contact surface; and the drive body comprising a second contact surface, the method further comprising:
contacting the first spring arm with the first contact surface;
contacting the second spring arm with the second contact surface;
reducing a tension in the spring by moving the anchor from the first position to the second position; and
increasing the tension in the spring by moving the anchor from the second position to the first position.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the shaft is a lead screw, the method comprising:
rotating the lead screw; translating the drive body through the cavity along the lead screw based on the housing preventing the drive body from rotating; translating the anchor based on the translating of the drive body; and rotating the

Assignees

• Rivian Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Curran Spencer Charles
• Papanikolaou Kosta

Classifications

• B60K2015/0515

  Arrangements for closing or opening of inlet cover · CPC title

• E05Y2201/638

  Cams; Ramps · CPC title

• E05Y2900/534

  Fuel lids, charger lids · CPC title

• E05Y2201/604

  Transmission members · CPC title

• B60K15/05 Primary

  Inlet covers · CPC title