Leveling motor

• US 9,172,286 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Innotek Company Limited (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Suhyoung
• Primary Examiner(s): DESAI, NAISHADH N
• Application Number:
  US13/331,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20120153756A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 310/156.14, 31015616-15618, 310/75.D, 362465-468
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/06 Means for converting reciprocating motion into rotary motion or vice versa

Abstract

Disclosed is a leveling motor, which removes a gap from a threaded portion converting a rotating force of the leveling motor into an axial feeding force to minimize a movement error and enable a leveling operation to be precisely controlled, and includes a housing, a shaft axially moving in the housing and having on an outer circumference thereof a threaded portion, a threaded pipe provided on an outer circumference of the shaft and having on an inner circumference thereof a grooved portion that corresponds to the threaded portion, and an elastic member supplying an upward elastic force to the shaft, whereby the threaded portion axially comes into close contact with the grooved portion by the elastic force of the elastic member.

Claims

1. A leveling motor for adjusting an irradiation angle of a lamp, comprising:

a housing;

a magnet coupled with a coil and disposed within the housing for generating an electromagnetic force;

a shaft moving in the housing in an axial direction and having a threaded portion formed on a predetermined portion of an outer circumference of the shaft and a ball coupled at a first end the shaft;

a threaded pipe disposed to surround the outer circumference of the shaft, and having a grooved portion on an inner circumference of the threaded pipe wherein the grooved portion is engaged with the threaded portion of the shaft, and wherein the threaded pipe is configured to rotate the threaded portion of the shaft by the electromagnetic force; and

an elastic member disposed between a second end of the shaft and an inner surface of the housing,

wherein the elastic member comprises a coil spring for providing an elastic force toward the second end of the shaft, wherein the threaded portion of the shaft comes into close contact with the grooved portion of the threaded pipe to inhibit a backlash present therebetween.

2. The leveling motor as set forth in claim 1, wherein an outer circumference of the elastic member is supported by a lower end of the inner circumference of the threaded pipe to limit a horizontal movement of the elastic member.

3. The leveling motor as set forth in claim 2, further comprising:

a protrusion protruding upwards from the inner surface of the housing toward the second end of the shaft to limit the horizontal movement of the elastic member.

4. The leveling motor as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a spherical connector interposed between the second end of the shaft and an upper end of the elastic member.

5. The leveling motor as set forth in claim 4, further comprising:

a contact member interposed between the connector and the elastic member to support of the connector,

wherein an upper surface of the contact member contacts a bottom of the connector.

6. The leveling motor as set forth in claim 5, wherein the contact member takes a disc shape.