Actuator assembly comprising a bearing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017175807-A1
Application number	US-201615350752-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 14, 2016
Priority date	Dec 17, 2015
Publication date	Jun 22, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

This invention provides an actuator assembly having an actuator with a cylinder-shaped shaft rotatable around an axially extending center axis (A), the shaft having an envelope surface. The assembly further provides a fixed, tubular bearing surrounding a section of the shaft, the bearing having an inner surface facing the envelope surface of the shaft so that an interface between the shaft and the bearing is created. The interface provides at least one circumferential groove and at least one complimentary circumferential ridge. The groove is arranged in the one of the envelope surface of the shaft and the inner surface of the bearing and the complimentary ridge is arranged in the other of the envelope surface of the shaft and the inner surface of the bearing.

First claim

1 . An actuator assembly comprising:
an actuator having a cylinder-shaped shaft rotatable around an axially extending center axis (A), the shaft having an envelope surface, and a fixed, tubular bearing surrounding a section of the shaft, the bearing having an inner surface facing the envelope surface of the shaft so that an interface between the shaft and the bearing is created, wherein the interface includes at least one circumferential groove and at least one complimentary circumferential ridge, and wherein the groove is arranged in the one of the envelope surface of the shaft and the inner surface of the bearing and the complimentary ridge is arranged in the other of the envelope surface of the shaft and the inner surface of the bearing.

2 . The actuator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one groove is arranged in the envelope surface of the shaft and the complimentary ridge is arranged in the inner surface of the bearing.

3 . The actuator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one groove is arranged in the inner surface of the bearing and the complimentary ridge is arranged in the envelope surface of the shaft.

4 . The actuator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one groove has a trapezoidal cross-section.

5 . The actuator assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the trapezoid is an isosceles trapezoid and a proximal base of the isosceles trapezoid with respect to the central axis is shorter than a distal base of the isosceles trapezoid.

6 . The actuator assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the perimetral length of a section of the cylinder-shaped shaft that extends between two neighboring grooves equals the length of the proximal base associated with at least one of the two grooves.

7 . The actuator assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the perimetral length of a section of the cylinder-shaped shaft that extends between two neighboring grooves differs from the length of the proximal base associated with at least one of the two grooves.

8 . The actuator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one groove has a quadrangular cross-section.

9 . The actuator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the groove-ridge pairs are equidistantly arranged.

10 . The actuator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the inner diameter of the cylinder-shaped shaft is equal to the shortest distance between the two grooves that are farthest away from each other.

11 . The actuator assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator is a linear actuator.

12 . The actuator assembly according to claim 11 , wherein the linear actuator controls operation of a wind deflector that is part of a vehicle.

Assignees

• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Larsson Reine
• Manne Nils

Classifications

• F16C33/20

  Sliding surface consisting mainly of plastics (F16C33/22 - F16C33/28 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16H25/24 Primary

  Elements essential to such mechanisms, e.g. screws, nuts (F16H25/22 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F16C17/10 Primary

  for both radial and axial load · CPC title

• B62D35/00

  Vehicle bodies characterised by streamlining · CPC title

• F16H25/04

  for conveying rotary motion · CPC title