Drive device

• US 7,900,530 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2007
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stabilus GmbH (Stabilus S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Stabilus GmbH (Stabilus S.A.)
• Inventors: Bochen, Marian, Schindlatz, Christian, Schüttler, Oliver, Mintgen, Rolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannon; Thomas R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson; Phillip A
• Application Number:
  US11/899,864
• Publication Number:
  US 20080061643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 74/892.3, 74/892.9, 493/43, 318/111, 318/112, 318/113, 318/45, 318/46, 318/47, 318/48, 310/80, 310/112, 310/114
• US Class Current: 74/89.23
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 1/1058 for counterbalancing
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/622 using screw-and-nut mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/72 Planetary gearing
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/546 Tailgates
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/06 Means for converting reciprocating motion into rotary motion or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1079 Gear
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1082 Motor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18088 Rack and pinion type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/18576 including screw and nut

Abstract

A drive device for a hatch of a motor vehicle, wherein a spindle drive is provided with a threaded spindle and a spindle nut mounted on the threaded spindle, by which drive the first fastening element and the housing tube can be driven axially relative to each other. The spindle drive can be rotatably driven by an electric motor, where the output shaft of the motor can rotate the threaded spindle or a connecting component of a clutch. The spindle drive can be rotatably driven by two or more series-connected electric motors.

Claims

1. A drive device for a hatch of a motor vehicle, comprising:

a first fastening element, which is connectable to a stationary component or a movable component;

a housing tube of conductive material, said housing tube being located at an end of the device opposite the first fastening element and axially moveable relative to the first fastening element, said housing tube including a second fastening element located at an end opposite to the first fastening element, said second fastening element being connectable to the movable component or to the stationary component;

a spindle drive comprising a threaded spindle and a spindle nut mounted on the threaded spindle, said spindle drive being actuatable to axially move the first fastening element relative to the housing tube,

wherein one end of the threaded spindle is rotatably supported on the housing tube, is mounted in a fixed axial position with respect to the housing tube, and is rotatably driveable by the electric motor; and

wherein the spindle nut, which is connected to the first fastening element, is prevented from rotating with respect to the housing tube and the spindle nut is connected to one end of a spindle tube coaxially surrounding the threaded spindle, the first fastening element being permanently mounted on the other end of the spindle tube;

a plurality of series-connected electric motors to rotatably drive the spindle drive, an output shaft of said plural series-connected electric motors being configured to rotate the threaded spindle or a connecting component of a clutch; and

a guide tube mounted in the housing tube, said guide tube surrounding the spindle tube and forming a predefined gap between the guide tube and the spindle tube,

wherein the first fastening element is actuated by a compression spring supported on the housing tube, and wherein the compression spring embodied as an helical compression spring surrounds the guide tube and forms a predefined gap between the helical compression spring and the guide tube, said helical compression spring being surrounded by a jacket tube with another predefined gap between the helical compression spring and the jacket tube which is connected to the first fastening element.

2. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein each of said plural series-connected electric motors are installed in the housing tube.

3. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein motor shafts of each of the plural electric motors are connected non-rotatably to each other by at least one motor shaft coupling.

4. The drive device according to claim 3, wherein the motor shaft coupling is a compression coupling.

5. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plural electric motors are brush motors.

6. The drive device according to one of claim 1, wherein each of the electric motors are electronically commutated motors.

7. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein the spindle drive is rotatably drivable by each of the plural series-connected electric motors through a gearbox.

8. The drive device according to claim 7, wherein stages of the gearbox close to the plural series-connected electric motors are configured as helical gear stages.

9. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the fastening elements comprise ball heads or ball sockets of ball joints.

10. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein the spindle drive is rotatably driveable by each of said plural electric motors through a releasable clutch.

11. The drive device according to claim 10, wherein the clutch is a positive clutch or a friction clutch.

12. The drive device according to claim 10, wherein the clutch is openable and closeable.

13. The drive device according to one of claim 10, wherein the clutch is open when the drive device is not under load or is under load in an outward travel direction and is closeable when the drive device is under load in an inward travel direction.

14. The drive device according to claim 10, wherein the clutch is openable and closeable.

15. The drive device according to claim 10, wherein the clutch is magnetically engageable and disengageable.

16. The drive device according to claim 10, wherein the clutch is open when the drive device is not under load or is under load in an outward travel direction and is closeable when the drive device is under load in an inward travel direction.

17. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein the housing tube and the jacket tube inwardly and outwardly slideably engage each other in a telescoping manner.

18. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein the threaded spindle is a multi-thread spindle.

19. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein the threaded spindle has a lead of substantially 10-24 mm.

20. The drive device according to claim 19, wherein the clutch is magnetically engageable and disengageable.

21. The drive device of claim 1, wherein the compression spring comprises a helical compression spring.