Driving device

• US 8,348,240 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2007
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Webasto AG (Webasto Beteiligungs Verwaltung Gbr)
• Original Assignee: Webasto SE (Webasto Beteiligungs Verwaltung Gbr)
• Inventors: Butsuen, Tsukasa, Odoi, Kozo, Meier, Bernhard Alois
• Primary Examiner(s): MARCELO, EMMANUEL MONSAYAC
• Application Number:
  US12/514,386
• Publication Number:
  US 20100006809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,880 Days
• Field of Search: 254/342, 74/25, 744/67, 296/223, 29621606-21608, 296/54, 493/40, 493/46, 493/54
• US Class Current: 254/342
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/0573 power driven arrangements, e.g. electrical
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/643 operated by flexible elongated pulling elements, e.g. belts, chains or cables by flexible elongated push-pull mechanisms E05F15/635
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/542 Roof panels

Abstract

An output shaft to which the rotational force of a motor is transferred is housed in a case. One end side of the output shaft protrudes from a side surface of the case. A pinion gear is fixed to one end side of the output shaft. Teeth that mesh with the pinion gear are formed on the outer circumferential surface of cables. Cable guide surfaces for guiding the cables to mesh with the pinion gear are provided on the side surface of the case.

Claims

1. A drive device comprising a drive cable coupled to an object to be driven and a motor, and which is configured so that said cable is moved in the direction of its axial center line by a rotational force of the motor, comprising:

a gear mechanism for decelerating the rotational speed of the motor;

an output shaft to which an output of the gear mechanism is transferred;

a case in which said gear mechanism and output shaft are housed, wherein the output shaft is rotatably supported on the case and is housed in the case in a state in which one end side of the output shaft protrudes therefrom;

a drive-side meshing portion provided in the end of said output shaft protruding from said case;

a drive-side meshing portion provided along a predetermined length of said cable, wherein the driven-side meshing portion of said cable is disposed along one side surface of said case in such a way as to mesh with said drive-side meshing portion, and

a cable guide surface of a shape for guiding a region of the driven-side meshing portion of said cable on said side surface of said case is provided in said side surface of said case.

2. The drive device of claim 1, further comprising:

a supporting member affixed to the case and formed in such a way as to abut the driven-side meshing portion of the cable from a side opposing the cable guide surface.

3. The drive device of claim 2, further comprising:

a pair of cables are disposed with an interval therebetween; and

a fixing portion to which the supporting member is fixed is provided in a region of the case that corresponds to the interval between the pair of cables.

4. The drive device of claim 2, further comprising:

an abutting portion is provided on at least one of either the case or the supporting member to abut the other.