Actuator assembly for translating a movable element of a driveline component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9512909-B2
Application number	US-201615135590-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 22, 2016
Priority date	Apr 23, 2015
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

An actuator assembly with first and second sleeves, a barrel, a follower, a groove, a spring, and an output member that is coupled to the second sleeve. The first sleeve has a first externally toothed body, a first flange, which extends radially outwardly from the first body, and a first bore. The barrel is received in the first bore and is rotatable therein. The follower is fixed to one of the barrel and the first sleeve and is received in the groove, which is formed in the other one of the barrel and the first sleeve. The second sleeve has a second body with an internally toothed second bore. The second sleeve is disposed about the first sleeve such that internal and external teeth are meshed to axially slidably but non-rotatably couple the first and second sleeves. The spring is disposed between the first flange and the second sleeve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An actuator assembly for selectively operating a component of a driveline, the actuator assembly comprising:
a first sleeve having a first sleeve body, a first flange and a first internal bore that is disposed about an actuation axis, the first sleeve body having a plurality of external teeth, the first flange extending radially outwardly from the first sleeve body;
a barrel received in the first internal bore and rotatable about actuation axis;
a cam follower fixedly coupled to one of the barrel and the first sleeve, the cam follower being received in a cam groove formed in the other one of the barrel and the first sleeve;
a second sleeve having a second sleeve body, the second sleeve body defining a second internal bore having a plurality of internal teeth formed thereon, the second sleeve being disposed about the first sleeve such that the internal teeth are meshed with the external teeth to thereby axially slidably but non-rotatably couple the second sleeve to the first sleeve;
a first spring disposed between the first flange and the second sleeve; and
an actuator output member coupled to the second sleeve for movement therewith along the actuation axis.

2. The actuator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first spring is received in the second internal bore and is abutted against an internal circumferentially extending shoulder formed on the second sleeve body.

3. The actuator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first sleeve has a second flange that is coupled to the first sleeve body, wherein the second sleeve is disposed between the first and second flanges.

4. The actuator assembly of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first and second flanges is a snap ring that is assembled to the first sleeve body.

5. The actuator assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a second spring that is received between the second flange and the second sleeve.

6. The actuator assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a housing and a pair of bearings, the bearings supporting the barrel for rotation relative to the housing.

7. The actuator assembly of claim 6 , wherein the bearings are mounted directly to the barrel.

8. The actuator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the actuator output member comprises a fork having a pair of arms.

9. The actuator assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a first sensor target and a first sensor, the first sensor target being coupled to the second sleeve for translation therewith along the actuation axis, the first sensor being configured to sense the first sensor target when the second sleeve is in at least one position along the actuation axis relative to the barrel and to responsively generate a first sensor signal.

10. The actuator assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a second sensor target and a second sensor, the second sensor target being coupled to the barrel for rotation therewith, the second sensor being configured to sense the second sensor target when the second sensor target is in at least one predetermined rotational position relative to the second sensor target and to responsively generate a second sensor signal.

11. The actuator assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a housing assembly that defines a closed housing cavity in which the first and second sensors are received, and wherein the first and second sensor targets are disposed outside of the closed housing cavity.

12. The actuator assembly of claim 1 , wherein the cam groove has circumferentially spaced apart ends having a wall member disposed therebetween.

13. The actuator assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor target that is coupled to the barrel for rotation therewith, wherein the first sleeve is movable along the actuation axis between a first position and second position, and wherein the first sleeve is received in the sensor target when the first sleeve is in at least one of the first and second positions.

14. The actuator assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an electric motor that is configured to provide a source of rotary power for rotating the barrel about the actuation axis.

15. The actuator assembly of claim 14 , wherein the electric motor is coupled to the cam barrel through a transmission.

Assignees

• American Axle & Mfg Inc

Inventors

• Zink Frederick E
• Calomeni Brian A
• Moradshahi Peyman
• Hopp Robert D

Classifications

• F16H63/32

  Gear shift yokes, {e.g. shift forks} · CPC title

• F16H25/186 Primary

  with reciprocation along the axis of oscillation · CPC title

• F16H63/04

  a single final output mechanism being moved by a single final actuating mechanism · CPC title

• F16H2063/005

  Preassembled gear shift units for mounting on gear case · CPC title

• F16H63/18

  the final actuating mechanism comprising cams · CPC title