ACTUATOR FOR VEHICLE

• US 20120255379A1
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kamtec, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kamtec, Inc.
• Inventors: Lim, Chang Sik, Jung, Ki Ho, Jang, Yong Soo, Choi, In Suk, Choi, Dong Wook
• Application Number:
  US13/375,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20120255379A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/42
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 37/186 Arrangements of actuators or linkage for bypass valves
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18184 Crank, pitman, and lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/188 including spur gear

Abstract

An actuator for a vehicle capable of selectively opening and closing a waste gate valve provided in a turbocharger is disclosed. The actuator includes a driving motor having a motor shaft, a gear assembly comprising a plurality of gears engaging with each other and with the motor shaft, a connecting unit connected with the gear assembly to move along the operation of the gear assembly, wherein the connecting unit is connected with a waste gate valve provided in a turbocharger housing.

Claims

1. An actuator for a vehicle comprising:

a driving motor comprising a motor shaft;

a gear assembly comprising a plurality of gears engaging with each other and with the motor shaft; and

a connecting unit connected with the gear assembly to move along the operation of the gear assembly,

wherein the connecting unit is connected with a waste gate valve provided in a turbocharger housing.

2. The actuator for the vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a housing unit to hold the driving motor and the gear assembly;

a cover member arranged in the housing unit, to cover the gear assembly,

wherein a shaft provided in one of the gears composing the gear assembly is projected outside passing through the cover member, to be coupled to the connecting unit.

3. The actuator for the vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the connecting unit comprises,

a first connecting member coupled to a shaft of the gear to move along the rotation of the gear;

a second connecting member comprising an end rotatably connected with the first connecting member and the other end connected with the waste gate valve; and

an intermediate connecting member provided between the first connecting member and the second connecting member, to rotatably connect the first and second connecting members with each other.

4. The actuator for the vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the first connecting member comprises,

a shaft hole formed in a non-circular shape, to insert the shaft of the gear therein;

and

an inserting hole to fixedly insert the intermediate connecting member therein.

5. The actuator for the vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the intermediate connecting member comprises a ball-joint area coupled to the second connecting member to couple the second connecting member rotatably along a back and forth direction and a right and left direction.

6. The actuator for the vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the intermediate connecting member has a cross sectional diameter that is smaller than a diameter of a coupling hole provided in the second connecting member, to enable the second connecting member to be rotatable along back/forth and right/left directions.

7. The actuator for the vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the gear assembly comprises,

a first gear to engage with a spur gear provided in the motor shaft;

a second gear to engage with the first gear; and

a third gear to engage with the second gear, the third gear comprising a shaft coupled to the connecting unit.

8. The actuator for the vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the first gear, the second gear and the third gear are arranged to enable a virtual line connecting rotational axes of the first gear, the second gear and the third gear to form a triangle.

9. The actuator for the vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the first gear and the second gear are multi-layered gears having different outer diameters, respectively.

10. The actuator for the vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the third gear has a teeth form formed in a predetermined area of an outer circumferential surface thereof, and

a magnet is arranged in the other area having no teeth form, and

a sensor is provided in the housing unit to detect an electromagnetic flux density of the magnet.

11. The actuator for the vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising:

a heat radiator provided in the housing unit to cut off heat transmission performed by exhaust gas.

12. The actuator for the vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising:

a control unit to control the driving motor,

wherein the control unit controls a position of the first connecting member to make an arrangement angle of the first connecting member be a preset angle or less with respect to a virtual perpendicular line, to prevent the value from being opened by the pressure of exhaust gas flowing the waste gate, when embodying a closed status of the waste gate by using the valve.

13. The actuator for the vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the control unit controls the arrangement angle of the first connecting member to have a value in a range of 1°

˜

40°

, when the waste gate is closed by the valve.

14. The actuator for the vehicle according to claim 12, wherein a resistance of the valve resisting against the pressure of exhaust gas is increased as an arrangement angle of the first and second connecting members is getting smaller, when a predetermined quantity of electric currents are applied to the driving motor.

15. The actuator for the vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the area of the first connecting member coupled to the shaft of the gear is arranged upper than the area thereof connected with the second connecting member, and

the area of the second connecting member coupled with the first connecting member is arranged upper than the area thereof coupled to the valve.