Multi-stage spur gear transmission

• US 6,601,467 B1
• Filed: 06/11/2001
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maxon Motor GmbH (Karl-Walter Braun, PhD)
• Original Assignee: Maxon Motor GmbH (Karl-Walter Braun, PhD)
• Inventors: Fütterer, Bodo
• Primary Examiner(s): FENSTERMACHER, DAVID MORGAN
• Application Number:
  US09/786,487
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 744/21.R, 744/21.A, 744/12.R, 744/13, 744/14
• US Class Current: 74/421.00A
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 1/20 involving more than two intermeshing members
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/021 Shaft support structures, e.g. partition walls, bearing eyes, casing walls or covers with bearings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19647 Parallel axes or shafts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19684 Motor and gearing

Abstract

A multistage spur-type gearing for small and miniature electric motors having a gearing housing and at least two gear shafts or axles held in the gearing housing, with spur gears of different diameters arranged on the gear shafts or axles. To achieve an extremely small construction at maximum reduction ratios in comparison with conventional spur-type gearings, at least two spur gears are fixedly connected to one another and combined to form a dual gear set, with the dual gear set rotatably supported on a gear axle made from a hard material, such as ceramics. At least one of the gear shafts should fixedly be held as a gear axle in the housing. An input shaft opening through which a motor shaft projects into the gearings is arranged to be substantially coaxial to the center axis of the gearing housing with which the gear shafts also extend in parallel and at some distance. Such a gearing makes it possible to arrange several reduction stages on one gear axle. Preferably, only two gear shafts or axles are used. Thus, in constructional terms, the present gearing is the smallest one among all conceivable variants of the gearing.

Claims

1. A multistage spur-type gearing for small-sized electric motors comprising in combination a gearing housing including an input shaft opening through which a motor shaft can be inserted into the interior of said housing for operating the spur-type gearing with the small electric motor, at least two gear shafts that are held in said gearing housing and extend at a distance from and in parallel with the center axis of said gearing housing, and spur gears of different diameters which are arranged on said gear shafts, at least one of said gear shafts being fixedly held as a gear axle in said gearing housing, and at least two spur gears being fixedly connected to one another and combined to form at least one dual gear set which is rotatably supported on a said gear shaft, said gear shaft (9, 11) being made from a sintered material in a sintering process and substantially containing a ceramic material, and said input shaft opening arranged to be substantially coaxial to the center axis (M) of said gearing housing (2, 3).

2. The multistage spur-type gearing according to claim 1, wherein said motor shaft (6) of the electric motor is toothed.

3. The multistage spur-type gearing according to claim 1, wherein said gear shafts are axles.

4. The multistage spur-type gearing according to claim 1, wherein said gear shafts (9, 11) are made from zirconium oxide.

5. The multistage spur-type gearing according to claim 1, wherein said gear shafts (9, 11) are oriented in parallel with one another.

6. The multistage spur-type gearing according to claim 1, wherein said gear shafts (9, 11) are arranged to be diametically opposed relative to said center axis (M) of the spur-type gearing (1).

7. The multistage spur-type gearing according to claim 1, wherein at least two dual gear sets (8, 10, 13, 14, 25, 28) are made identical with one another.

8. The multistage spur-type gearing according to claim 7, wherein at least one said dual gear set (8, 10, 13, 14, 25) integrally forms a toothed gear section (8a, 10a, 13a, 14a, 25a) and a pinion section (8b, 10b, 13b, 14b, 15b, 25b), said pinion section (8b, 10b, 13b, 14b, 25b) having a smaller diameter than said toothed gear section (8a, 10a, 13a, 14a, 25a).

9. The multistage spur-type gearing according to claim 7, wherein at least one said dual gear set (8, 10, 13, 14, 25, 28) is made from a sintered material by means of a sintering process.

10. The multistage spur-type gearing according to claim 7, wherein at least one dual gear set (8, 10, 13, 14, 25, 28) is produced by means of an injection molding process.

11. The multistage-type gearing according to claim 7, wherein at least one said dual gear set (8, 10, 13, 14, 25, 28) is made from a hardened material.

12. The multistage spur-type gearing according to claim 11, wherein said hardened material is metal material.

13. The multistage spur-type gearing according to claim 1, wherein during operation said gearing housing (2, 3, 4) is arranged to be coaxial to said motor shaft 6) of the small electric motor.

14. The multistage spur-type gearing according to claim 1, and wherein there is further provided an input stage which is engagement with said motor shaft (6) and is designed as a ring gear (20a) which is seated on said gear shaft (9).

15. The multistage spur-type gearing according to claim 1, wherein said gearing housing (2, 3, 4) is made substantially cylindrical.

16. The multistage spur-type gearing according to claim 1, and wherein there is further provided an output shaft (16) which is guided to the outside through an output shaft opening provided on said gearing housing (2, 3, 4) and is rotatable relative to said gearing housing (2, 3, 4).

17. The multistage spur-type gearing according to claim 16, and wherein there is further provided an input stage which is in engagement with said motor shaft (6), and wherein said input stage is arranged on said gear shaft (9) on which said output shaft (16) is also arranged.

18. The multistage spur-type gearing according to claim 17, wherein said gear shaft (9, 11) is designed as said output shaft and rotatably supported in said gearing housing (2, 3, 4).

19. The multistage spur-type gearing according to claim 16, and a bearing bush (17, 23) in which said output shaft (16) is rotatably supported in said gearing housing (2, 3, 4) and is arranged between said gearing housing and said output shaft.

20. The multistage spur-type gearing according to claim 16, wherein said output shaft (16) is designed at least in sections as a ring gear (16a) in which said gear shaft (9, 11) is rotatably received at least sectionwise.

21. The multistage spur-type gearing according to claim 20, and wherein said gear shaft is rotatably received relative to said output shaft.