Actuator with reduced vibration and noise

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9927003-B2
Application number	US-201514859934-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2015
Priority date	Sep 19, 2014
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

An actuator includes a motor driving a worm, a gearbox, and a motor control module. The gearbox includes a gearbox housing, a worm wheel for meshing with the worm, an output mechanism fixed to the worm wheel. The gearbox housing defines worm chamber and worm wheel chamber. The motor control module includes a control module housing, a printed circuit board and a connector of the printed circuit board. The control module housing defines a control module chamber and the connector is mounted at an open end of the control module chamber. The control module housing is connected with the gearbox housing. The control module chamber and the worm wheel chamber are located on opposite sides of the worm chamber. An isolation slot is defined between the control module chamber and the worm chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An actuator comprising:
a motor for driving a worm;
a gearbox comprising a gearbox housing, a worm wheel for meshing with the worm, an output mechanism coaxially fixed to and rotatable with the worm wheel, the gearbox housing defining a worm chamber receiving the worm and a worm wheel chamber receiving the worm wheel; and
a motor control module comprising a control module housing, a printed circuit board and a connector connected to the printed circuit board, the control module housing defining a control module chamber receiving the printed circuit board, and the connector is mounted at an open end of the control module chamber;
wherein the control module housing is connected with the gearbox housing, the control module chamber and the worm wheel chamber are located on opposite sides of the worm chamber, and an isolation slot is defined between the control module chamber and the worm chamber,
wherein a bearing supporting the worm is mounted in the worm chamber, and the isolation slot is located adjacent the bearing,
wherein the isolation slot is greater than the bearing in length measured in an axial direction of the worm, and
wherein the length of the isolation slot is two to five times the length of the bearing measured in the axial direction of the worm.

2. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the isolation slot is formed in the control module housing.

3. The actuator of claim 2 , wherein the control module housing comprises a bottom plate and a side plate extending from an edge of the bottom plate, and the isolation slot is defined through the bottom plate.

4. The actuator of claim 3 , wherein the side plate is disposed adjacent the worm chamber, the side plate includes a shield portion extending into the control module chamber, and the shielding portion is disposed in alignment with the isolation slot for blocking foreign matter from entering the control module chamber via the isolation slot.

5. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the gearbox housing is integrally formed with at least a portion of the control module housing.

6. The actuator of claim 5 , wherein the isolation slot is formed in a portion of the control module housing that is integrally formed with the gearbox housing.

7. The actuator of claim 5 , wherein an opening of the control module chamber is oriented oppositely to an opening of the worm chamber.

8. An actuator comprising:
a motor for driving a worm;
a gearbox comprising a gearbox housing, a worm wheel for meshing with the worm, an output mechanism coaxially fixed to and rotatable with the worm wheel, the gearbox housing defining a worm chamber receiving the worm and a worm wheel chamber receiving the worm wheel; and
a motor control module comprising a control module housing, a printed circuit board and a connector connected to the printed circuit board, the control module housing defining a control module chamber receiving the printed circuit board, and the connector is mounted at an open end of the control module chamber,
wherein the control module housing is connected with the gearbox housing, the control module chamber and the worm wheel chamber are located on opposite sides of the worm chamber, and an isolation slot is defined between the control module chamber and the worm chamber,
wherein the isolation slot is formed in the control module housing, and
wherein the control module housing comprises a bottom plate and a side plate extending from an edge of the bottom plate, and the isolation slot is defined through the bottom plate.

9. The actuator of claim 8 , wherein the side plate is disposed adjacent the worm chamber, the side plate includes a shield portion extending into the control module chamber, and the shielding portion is disposed in alignment with the isolation slot for blocking foreign matter from entering the control module chamber via the isolation slot.

10. The actuator of claim 8 , wherein a bearing supporting the worm is mounted in the worm chamber, and the isolation slot is located adjacent the bearing.

11. The actuator of claim 10 , wherein the isolation slot is greater than the bearing in length measured in an axial direction of the worm.

12. The actuator of claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the gearbox housing is integrally formed with at least a portion of the control module housing.

13. The actuator of claim 12 , wherein an opening of the control module chamber is oriented oppositely to an opening of the worm chamber.

Assignees

• Johnson Electric Sa

Inventors

• Qi Fa Yun
• Ren Guo Dong
• Yu gang hua
• Qin Rui Feng
• Shi Xiang Guo

Classifications

• F16H1/16 Primary

  comprising worm and worm-wheel · CPC title

• F16H57/039 Primary

  Gearboxes for accommodating worm gears · CPC title

• F16H2057/02073

  Reduction gearboxes for industry · CPC title

• H02K7/1166

  comprising worm and worm-wheel (structural association with bearings specially adapted for worm gear drives H02K7/081) · CPC title

• H02K11/33

  Drive circuits, e.g. power electronics (H02K11/38 takes precedence) · CPC title