Actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9925951-B2
Application number	US-201715450186-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2017
Priority date	Mar 30, 2016
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

An actuator includes a housing section that houses a driving source and is mountable on a first mounting region and a deploying section that is mountable on a second mounting region and deployable with a driving force of the driving source. The housing section includes a case of metal and a securing member supporting the driving source and secured to the case inside the case. A mounting hole is formed through the case and securing member for receiving a pivot member connected to the first mounting region. A fixing hole is formed through the case and the securing member at a different position from the mounting hole for receiving a fixing member that fixes the securing member to the case. An inner circumferential plane of the mounting hole of the case is in contact with the pivot member on the region disposed towards a deploying direction of the deploying section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An actuator which is adapted to be mounted on a first mounting region and on a second mounting region so as to be operable to separate the second mounting region from the first mounting region, the actuator comprising a housing section that houses a driving source and is adapted to be mounted on the first mounting region and a deploying section that is adapted to be mounted on the second mounting region and deployable, when pressed by a driving force of the driving source, in such a fashion as to move forward relative to the housing section and to separate the second mounting region from the first mounting region, the housing section comprising:
a case that is tubular and formed from metal;
a securing member that is disposed inside the case and secured to the case for supporting the driving source;
a mounting hole that is used to mount the housing section on the first mounting region, the mounting hole being formed through the case and securing member in a direction perpendicular to an axial center of the case for receiving a pivot member connected to the first mounting region, the mounting hole being formed at a root end region of the housing section which root end region being disposed on an opposite side to a deploying direction of the deploying section with respect to the driving source, wherein an inner circumferential plane of the mounting hole of the case is configured to be brought into contact with the pivot member at least on a region thereof disposed towards the deploying direction of the deploying section when the actuator is actuated; and
a fixing hole for receiving a fixing member that fixes the securing member to the case and prevents disengagement of the securing member from the case in an opposite direction to the deploying direction of the deploying section, the fixing hole being formed through the case and the securing member in a direction perpendicular to the axial center of the case and disposed at a different position from the mounting hole in the root end region of the housing section.

2. The actuator as set forth in claim 1 , wherein an axial center of the mounting hole and an axial center of the fixing hole are orthogonal when projected on a plane perpendicular to an axial center of the actuator.

3. The actuator as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
the driving source includes a gas generator which, when actuated, generates an actuating gas composed of a combustion gas;
the housing section and the deploying section are configured to slide against each other and form, there between, a gas chamber filled with the actuating gas when the actuator is actuated; and
the deploying section comprises:
a pressured region that is subjected to a pressure of the actuating gas in the gas chamber;
a sliding region that adjoins the pressured region and is slidable against a constituent of the gas chamber on the part of the housing section; and
a connecting region that is adapted to be mounted on the second mounting region, the connecting region adjoining the pressured region on an opposite side to the sliding region with respect to the pressured region.

4. The actuator as set forth in claim 3 , wherein:
the securing member includes a connector to be connected to a signal input region of the gas generator and a spacer that supports the connector;
the connector is composed of a pair of split parts that are split in a direction perpendicular to the axial center of the case and stored in and secured to the case in an integrated state;
the connector holds a socket for receiving the signal input region of the gas generator between the split parts;
the spacer is composed of a pair of split parts that are split in a direction perpendicular to the axial center of the case and stored in and secured to the case in an integrated state;
the spacer holds a lead wire extending from the socket between the split parts; and
the mounting hole and fixing hole of the housing section are disposed at a position farther away from the deploying direction of the deploying section than the lead wire held by the spacer.

5. The actuator as set forth in claim 4 , wherein:
the case of the housing section is composed of an inner case that is generally tubular in shape and is provided, at a leading end region thereof, an opening for releasing the actuating gas generated by the gas generator;
the securing member supports the gas generator in such a manner that a leading end of the gas generator for emitting the actuating gas faces towards the leading end region of the inner case;
the deploying section comprises a ceiling wall that covers the opening of the inner case and serves as the pressured region and a circumferential wall that extends from an outer peripheral edge of the ceiling wall in such a manner as to cover an outer circumference of the inner case, such that the deploying section is so deployable as to move relative to the housing section when the ceiling wall is pressed by the actuating gas;
the inner case further includes a flange-like projecting region that projects out of an outer circumference of the leading end region of the inner case and is provided with a sealing member slidable against an inner circumferential plane of the circumferential wall of the deploying section; and
the deploying section further includes, on an inner circumference of an end region of the circumferential wall remote from the ceiling wall, a holder region that projects inward so as to be slidable against a region of the outer circumference of the inner case except the flange-like projecting region and prevents the deploying section from being disengaged from the housing section when abutting against the flange-like projecting region.

6. The actuator as set forth in claim 5 , wherein:
the spacer of the securing member of the housing section includes a lead-out region that holds the lead wire in a bent fashion in a direction generally perpendicular to an axial center of the inner case and leads them out of the housing section; and
the deploying section further includes, at an end edge of the circumferential wall remote from the ceiling wall, a fitting recessed region in which the lead-out region of the spacer is fitted.

7. The actuator as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the actuator is configured to be employed in a hood lifting device that moves the second mounting region away from the first mounting region for lifting a rear end region of a hood of a vehicle, wherein the housing section is mounted on the first mounting region disposed on the part of a body structure of the vehicle beneath the rear end region of the hood while the deploying section is mounted on the second mounting region disposed at the rear end region of the hood.

Assignees

• Toyoda Gosei Kk

Inventors

• Aoyama Joji
• Takaya Hisashi
• Sasaki Takashi
• Fukuyama Takaki

Classifications

• B60R21/38 Primary

  using means for lifting bonnets · CPC title

• F15B15/19

  Pyrotechnical actuators · CPC title