EXPANSION ACTUATOR

• US 20100066040A1
• Filed: 11/28/2007
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Suyama, Koichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,011,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/5.522
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/015 the regulating means comprising electric or electronic elements B60G17/002, B60G17/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/144 with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/154 the lateral arm having an L-shape
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/46 camber angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/462 Toe-in/out
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/42 Electric actuator
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/44 Axial actuator, e.g. telescopic
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/42 Joints with cam surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/50 Constructional features of wheel supports or knuckles, e.g. steering knuckles, spindle attachments
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 3/20 all arms being rigid
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/006 Attaching arms to sprung or unsprung part of vehicle, characterised by comprising attachment means controlled by an external actuator, e.g. a fluid or electrical motor B62D7/146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/008 Attaching arms to unsprung part of vehicle B60G7/005, B60G7/006 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/0418 Electric motor acting on road wheel carriers
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2025/2075 Coaxial drive motors
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2025/2087 using planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 25/20 Screw mechanisms with automatic reversal F16H25/12
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18576 including screw and nut
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18664 Shaft moves through rotary drive means

Abstract

In an expansion actuator employing a screw feed mechanism, when a screw feed mechanism (60) formed from a male thread member (58) and a female thread member (59) that are screwed one into the other is driven by a motor (33) via a reduction gear (44), relative displacement between the male thread member (58) and the female thread member (59) in the direction of an axis (L) can be outputted as expansion and contraction due to relative movement of first and second housings (31, 32). Since the screw feed mechanism (60) is disposed so as to surround outer peripheries of the motor (33) and the reduction gear (44), which are disposed on the axis (L), compared with a case in which the motor (33), the reduction gear (44), and the screw feed mechanism (60) are disposed in series on the axis (L), it is possible to make the dimension of the expansion actuator (14) in the axis (L) direction smaller.

Claims

1. An expansion actuator in which a screw feed mechanism (60) formed from a male thread member (58) and a female thread member (59) that are screwed one into the other is driven by a motor (33) via a reduction gear (44), and relative displacement between the male thread member (58) and the female thread member (59) in the direction of an axis (L) is outputted as a thrust force,

characterized in that the motor (33) and the reduction gear (44) are disposed on the axis (L), and the screw feed mechanism (60) is disposed so as to surround outer peripheries of the motor (33) and the reduction gear (44).

2. The expansion actuator according to claim 1, wherein the reduction gear (44) and the screw feed mechanism (60) are connected via a resilient coupling (71).

3. The expansion actuator according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the expansion actuator is a toe control actuator (14) for changing the toe angle of a wheel (W) of an automobile.