Actuator

• US 20170237312A1
• Filed: 02/17/2017
• Published: 08/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CTS Corporation
• Original Assignee: CTS Corporation
• Inventors: Stewart, William Shelby, Andrina, Eric David, Zhao, Lei
• Granted Patent: US 10,348,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/215 Magnetic effect devices, e.g. Hall-effect or magneto-resistive elements
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/30 Structural association with control circuits or drive circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/33 Drive circuits, e.g. power electronics H02K11/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 2211/03 Machines characterised by circuit boards, e.g. pcb
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 29/08 using magnetic effect devices, e.g. Hall-plates, magneto-resistors H02K29/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/10 with arrangements for protection from ingress, e.g. water or fingers
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/15 Mounting arrangements for bearing-shields or end plates
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/24 specially adapted for suppression or reduction of noise or vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/003 Couplings; Details of shafts means for mounting rotors on shafts H02K1/28
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/116 with gears

Abstract

An actuator comprising a housing defining an interior cavity for a motor, gear assemblies, and a printed circuit overlying the motor and the gear assemblies. An elastomeric seal band is located between the housing and the cover for sealing the interior cavity of the housing. The seal band includes a plurality of compressible elastomeric beads that abut against the cover and exert a force against the printed circuit board respectively for preventing the vibration of the printed circuit board in the housing. A plurality of curved clips are received in respective clip brackets formed on the housing and the cover respectively for clamping a cover to the housing.

Claims

1. An actuator comprising:

a housing defining an interior cavity for a motor, a plurality of gears, and a printed circuit board;

a cover for the housing;

a seal band between the housing and the cover for sealing the interior cavity of the housing, the seal band including a plurality of beads abutting against the cover and the printed circuit board respectively to prevent vibration of the printed circuit board in the housing of the actuator.

2. The actuator of claim 1 wherein the cover defines an elongate slot adapted to receive the seal band and one or more grooves adapted to receive the plurality of beads respectively.

3. The actuator of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of beads includes opposed generally cone-shaped compressible bead segments each terminating in a flat distal end face abutting against the cover and the printed circuit board respectively.

4. The actuator of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of curved clips received in respective clip brackets formed on the housing and the cover respectively for securing the cover to the housing.

5. The actuator of claim 1 wherein each of the clips includes upper and lower clip lips and a curved clip span therebetween, each of the clip lips including a tab, each of the clip brackets defining an elongate bracket lip, an elongate bracket recess located inwardly of the elongate bracket lip, and a bracket pocket defined in the elongate bracket recess, the upper and lower clip lips being received in the respective elongate bracket recesses and the tab on each of the clip lips being received in the respective bracket pockets for clamping the respective clips to the respective brackets.

6. A vehicle engine component actuator mprising:

a housing defining an interior cavity;

a printed circuit board located in the housing and lncluding a Hall effect sensor mounted thereon;

a motor located in the interior cavity of the housing, the motor including a stationary motor stator, a rotatable motor rotor with a magnet, and a stationary motor shaft extending through the stator and the rotor and including a first end secured in a wall of the housing, the Hall effect sensor being adapted to sense a change in the magnetic field generated by the magnet in response to the rotation of the rotor;

an intermediate gear assembly located in the housing in a side-by-side relationship with the motor, the intermediate gear assembly including a first rotatable shaft and a first gear mounted to and rotatable with the first rotatable shaft;

the first gear meshing with the motor shaft; and

an output gear assembly located in the housing in a side-by-side relationship with the intermediate gear assembly and the motor with the intermediate gear assembly located between the motor and the output gear assembly, the output gear assembly including a second rotatable shaft and a second gear mounted to and rotatable with the second rotatable shaft, the second gear meshing with the first rotatable shaft of the intermediate gear assembly.

7. The vehicle engine component actuator of claim 6 wherein:

the motor shaft includes a second end extending through a first aperture in the printed circuit board;

the first rotatable shaft of the intermediate gear assembly including a first end extending through a second aperture in the printed circuit board and the first gear of the intermediate gear assembly is coupled to the first end of the first rotatable shaft and is located above and spaced from and generally parallel to the printed circuit board; and

the second gear of the output gear assembly being located below and spaced from and generally parallel to the printed circuit board.

8. The vehicle engine component actuator of claim 6 further comprising:

a cover for the housing, the cover defining an elongate slot; and

an elastomeric seal band extending through the elongate slot defined in the cover of the housing for sealing the actuator.

9. The vehicle engine component actuator of claim 8 wherein the elastomeric seal band includes a plurality of beads abutting against the cover and compressed against the printed circuit board to prevent vibration of the printed circuit board in the housing.

10. A vehicle engine component actuator comprising:

a housing defining an interior cavity;

a printed circuit board located in the housing and including a Hall effect sensor mounted thereon;

a motor located in the interior cavity of the housing, the motor including a stationary motor stator, a rotatable motor rotor with a magnet, and a stationary motor shaft extending through the stator and the rotor and including a first end secured in a wall of the housing, the Hall effect sensor being adapted to sense a change in the magnetic field generator by the magnet in response to the rotation of the rotor;

an intermediate gear assembly located in the housing in a side-by-side relationship with the motor, the intermediate gear assembly including a first rotatable shaft and a first gear mounted to and rotatable with the first rotatable shaft;

the first gear meshing with the motor shaft;

an output gear assembly located in the housing in a side-by-side relationship with the intermediate gear assembly and the motor with the intermediate gear assembly located between the motor and the output gear assembly, the output gear assembly including a second rotatable shaft and a second gear mounted to and rotatable with the second rotatable shaft, the second gear meshing with the first rotatable shaft of the intermediate gear assembly;

a cover for the housing;

an elastomeric seal between the housing and the cover for sealing the interior earn of the housing, the seal including a plurality of beads abutting against the cover and the printed circuit board respectively to prevent vibration of the printed circuit board in the housing; and

a plurality of curved clips received in respective clip brackets formed on the housing and the cover respectively for securing the cover to the housing, each of the clips including upper and lower clip lips and a curved clip span therebetween, each of the clip lips including a tab, each of the clip brackets defining an elongate bracket lip, an elongate bracket recess located inwardly of the elongate bracket lip, and a bracket pocket defined in the elongate bracket recess, the upper and lower clip lips being received in the respective elongate bracket recesses and the tab on each of the clip lips being received in the respective bracket pockets for clamping the respective clips to the respective brackets.

11. The vehicle engine component actuator of claim 11 wherein each of the plurality of beads includes opposed compressible bead segments each terminating in a distal end face abutted against the cover and the printed circuit board respectively.