Actuator

• US 10,454,333 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2013
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH (INA-Holding Schaeffler GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Neunzig, Dirk, Frey, Harald, Kiorktsidis, Charalampos, Kremina, Vinzent, Noll, Michael, Kohlen, Peter, Reif, Jorg, Opre, Calin
• Primary Examiner(s): Leung, Quyen P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson, Eric
• Application Number:
  US14/651,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20150326089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,140 Days
• Field of Search: 310 43, 310 64
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/33 Drive circuits, e.g. power electronics H02K11/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/08 Insulating casings
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/116 with gears
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/223 Heat bridges
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/227 Heat sinks

Abstract

An actuator includes a metal housing that consists of multiple housing parts, an electric motor, an actuating member, a transmission mechanism that adapts the movement of the electric motor to the actuating member and an electronic system for controlling the electric motor. A heat sink is situated in a housing part consisting of plastic, said heat sink being connected to a metal housing part.

Claims

1. An actuator comprising:

a housing having a plurality of housing parts, wherein at least one housing part is plastic and at least one housing part is metal;

an electric motor arranged in the housing;

an actuating member;

a transmission mechanism configured to couple movement of the electric motor to the actuating member;

an electronics system configured to control the electric motor;

a heat sink that is a first part of a leadframe and directly connected to a region of the at least one housing part that is plastic by at least one mounting element to secure the heat sink to the at least one housing part that is plastic, the heat sink being directly connected to the metal housing part and wherein the at least one mounting element is one of a latch and a plug-in connection; and

at least one conductor that is a second part of the leadframe configured as one or more electrical conductor paths and directly connected to a region of the at least one housing part that is plastic and configured to contact the electric motor.

2. The actuator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one housing part is a plastic lid.

3. The actuator as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat sink is a metal body.

4. The actuator as claimed in claim 3, wherein the metal body contains at least one metal having good thermal conductivity.

5. The actuator as claimed in claim 4, wherein the at least one metal having good thermal conductivity is at least one of copper and aluminum.

6. The actuator as claimed in claim 3, wherein the metal body is connected in one part to the electrical conductor paths by the plastic housing.

7. The actuator as claimed in claim 3, wherein the metal body has substantially v-shaped webs arranged in receptacles of the metal housing, wherein each leg of the substantially v-shaped web contacts a side wall of the receptacle.

8. The actuator as claimed in claim 7, wherein the webs are formed such that they are arranged in the receptacles under preload.

9. The actuator as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one removable connection that is a third part of the leadframe arranged between the heat sink and the at least one conductor.