An electric rotary and linear motion actuator

Abstract

The present application belongs to the field of automobile vehicle accessories, and particularly relates to an electric rotary and linear motion actuator for vehicle parts; the electric rotary and linear motion actuator comprises a box body and a box cover connected with the box body, a driving assembly, a transmission assembly and an output assembly are arranged in the box body, the driving assembly drives the output assembly to move through the transmission assembly, and the output assembly is provided with a through hole along an axis, the through hole penetrates through the transmission assembly to the bottom of the box body, a switch push rod is arranged in the through hole, and a switch assembly is fixed on the bottom surface of the box body corresponding to the through hole. The electric rotary and linear motion actuator has high integration and is convenient for user operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of automotive parts, and specifically relates to an electric rotary and linear motion actuator for automotive components. Background Technology

[0002] The existing solutions for automotive parts on the market can be broadly categorized as follows: 1. The first type (Lock push-push) is an electrically operated locking / unlocking actuator (electric lock). Users need to operate physical buttons on the vehicle's dashboard or through the in-vehicle entertainment system. Upon receiving an electronic signal, the system controls the locking pins of the vehicle components to lock / unlock. When the actuator is locked, the vehicle components cannot be opened; when the actuator is unlocked, the user can generally manually open the aforementioned vehicle components by pressing or pushing / pulling. 2. The second type (Push-push) is manually pressed to open / close, without any electric components, and cannot achieve independent locking of vehicle parts after the vehicle is locked. It should be added that the first type mentioned above has electric locking / unlocking functions. Sometimes, some automotive parts have independent button switches or sensor switches designed in the vicinity of the product as signal sources, replacing physical buttons in the car or virtual buttons in the in-vehicle entertainment system, so that users can operate directly on the automotive parts, which is more convenient.

[0003] Currently, all existing electric actuators require an external signal source to serve as the switching signal source for the electric actuator. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention presents a highly integrated and user-friendly electric rotary and linear motion actuator.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows: An electric rotary and linear motion actuator includes a housing and a cover connected to the housing. The housing contains a drive assembly, a transmission assembly, and an output assembly. The drive assembly drives the output assembly to move through the transmission assembly. The output assembly is characterized in that: the output assembly has a through hole along its axis, the through hole passes through the transmission assembly to the bottom of the housing, a switch push rod is provided in the through hole, and a switch assembly is fixed on the bottom surface of the housing corresponding to the through hole.

[0006] Furthermore, the output component includes a threaded sleeve connected to the transmission component, and a lead screw that mates with the threaded sleeve, with a through hole arranged along the axis of the lead screw.

[0007] Furthermore, the upper end of the lead screw is provided with a cylindrical output shaft, the housing is provided with a first groove to accommodate the output shaft, and the cover is provided with a second groove that cooperates with the first groove to hold the output shaft.

[0008] Furthermore, the upper end of the switch push rod is fixedly connected to an output terminal, the upper end of the output shaft is provided with a mounting cavity for accommodating the output terminal, a first reset spring is provided between the output terminal and the bottom surface of the mounting cavity, a fixed copper sleeve is fixed to the lower part of the switch push rod, the fixed copper sleeve abuts against the lower end of the output assembly, and there is a gap between the lower end of the switch push rod and the switch assembly.

[0009] Furthermore, the mounting cavity is provided with a terminal sealing ring, which is located between the output terminal and the inner wall of the mounting cavity, and the mounting cavity is provided with a sealing ring retainer.

[0010] Furthermore, the housing and cover located above the first and second grooves are respectively provided with sealing mounting grooves, and the output shaft sealing ring is fitted on the output shaft and installed in the sealing mounting groove.

[0011] Furthermore, the mounting cavity has at least one guide rib on its wall surface, and the output terminal has at least one guide groove on its upper surface that cooperates with the guide rib.

[0012] Furthermore, the lower end of the output shaft extends to form a sleeve, and an assembly space is formed between the sleeve and the lead screw, with the screw sleeve fitting within the assembly space.

[0013] Furthermore, the lower end of the sleeve extends outward to form a disc, and also includes a second return spring. The second return spring is sleeved on the sleeve, with its lower end abutting against the disc and its upper end abutting against the box next to the second groove.

[0014] Furthermore, the edge of the disc protrudes outward to form a guide block, and the inner wall of the box is provided with a rotating groove and a straight groove, and the guide block moves within the rotating groove and the straight groove.

[0015] In summary, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: The actuator-triggered switch assembly of the present invention does not require an additional independent button switch or virtual switch. Users can directly operate automotive parts through the actuator, which has better integration and is more in line with user habits, resulting in a better user experience. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the present invention (with the lid removed); Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the present invention (without the box cover and wire harness cover); Figure 4This is a perspective view of the present invention (without the box cover, wiring harness cover plate and output assembly); Figure 5 This is a front view schematic diagram of the present invention; Figure 6 for Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the cross section of AA; Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the lead screw; Figure 8 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the output terminals; In the diagram, 1 represents the housing, 10 represents the first groove, 11 represents the sealing mounting groove, 12 represents the output shaft sealing ring, 13 represents the rotating groove, 14 represents the straight groove, 15 represents the mounting area, 150 represents the retaining groove, and 16 represents the wiring harness cover. 2 is the lid, 20 is the second recess. 3 is the driver component. 4 represents the transmission components. 5 is the output component, 50 is the threaded sleeve, 51 is the lead screw, 52 is the output shaft, 520 is the mounting cavity, 521 is the terminal sealing ring, 522 is the sealing ring retaining ring, 523 is the guide rib, 524 is the sleeve body, 5240 is the disc body, 5241 is the second return spring, and 5242 is the guide hole. 6 is a through hole, 60 is a switch push rod, 61 is a switch assembly, 600 is an output terminal, 601 is a first reset spring, 602 is a fixing copper sleeve, 603 is a guide groove, and 6001 is a connector. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, so that those skilled in the art can better understand and implement the present invention. However, the embodiments described are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0018] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "set on" or "fixed to" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intermediate component. When a component is referred to as being "fixed to" another component, or "fixedly connected" to another component, the fixing method can be detachable or non-detachable. When a component is considered to be "connected" or "rotatably connected" to another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intermediate component. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," "upper," "lower," and similar expressions used are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0019] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein in the description of this invention is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0020] In this invention, terms such as "first," "second," and "third" are used not to represent specific quantities or orders, but merely to distinguish names. Example

[0021] See Figures 1 to 7 As shown, an electric rotary and linear motion actuator includes a housing 1 and a cover 2 connected to the housing. The housing 1 is provided with a drive assembly 3, a transmission assembly 4 and an output assembly 5. The drive assembly 3 drives the output assembly 5 to move through the transmission assembly 4. The output assembly 5 is characterized in that: the output assembly 5 is provided with a through hole 6 along the axis, the through hole 6 passes through the transmission assembly 4 to the bottom of the housing 1, a switch push rod 60 is provided in the through hole, and a switch assembly 61 is fixed on the bottom surface of the housing corresponding to the through hole.

[0022] This invention improves the actuator structure by integrating the switch assembly into the housing. Users can trigger the switch assembly via a push-button on the output assembly, conforming to user habits of pressing to open and pressing again to close. Specifically, the user presses the push-button to trigger the switch assembly, which then sends a signal to the drive assembly, causing the output assembly to extend and unlock / open the vehicle component. After use, the user resets the vehicle component and presses the push-button again to trigger the switch assembly, locking the output assembly. This invention integrates the switch assembly within the actuator, eliminating the need for a separate button switch or virtual switch, allowing users to directly operate the vehicle component. This is more intuitive, better suited to user habits, and improves user convenience.

[0023] In this embodiment, see Figure 3 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the output component 5 includes a screw sleeve 50 connected to the transmission component and a lead screw 51 that cooperates with the screw sleeve. The through hole 6 is set along the axis of the lead screw. The drive component drives the screw sleeve to rotate through the transmission component. The rotation of the screw sleeve drives the lead screw to move up and down. When the lead screw moves upward, it can push open the vehicle parts, realizing the pre-unlocking of the vehicle parts and facilitating the user to perform the next operation.

[0024] See Figure 4As shown, in order to improve the reliability of the actuator, the upper end of the lead screw 51 is provided with a cylindrical output shaft 52, the housing 1 is provided with a first groove 10 to accommodate the output shaft, and the cover 2 is provided with a second groove 20 that cooperates with the first groove to hold the output shaft. The first groove and the second groove together form a circular through hole, and the output shaft is fitted in the circular through hole and can move along the axial direction of the circular through hole.

[0025] Further, see Figure 6 and Figure 8 As shown, the upper end of the switch push rod 60 is fixedly connected to an output terminal 600. The upper end of the output shaft 52 is provided with a mounting cavity 520 for accommodating the output terminal. A first return spring 601 is provided between the output terminal 600 and the bottom surface of the mounting cavity. A fixing copper sleeve 602 is fixed to the lower part of the switch push rod 60. The fixing copper sleeve 602 abuts against the lower end of the output assembly. Specifically, the fixing channel abuts against the lower end surface of the lead screw. There is a gap between the lower end of the switch push rod 60 and the switch assembly. The first return spring is in a compressed state, providing an upward force to the fixing channel at the lower end of the switch push rod. The switch push rod is always in contact with the lower end of the lead screw, creating a gap between the lower end of the switch push rod and the switch assembly. This prevents the switch assembly from being accidentally triggered. When the user presses the output terminal, the output terminal moves the switch push rod to overcome the force of the first reset spring, causing the lower end of the switch push rod to trigger the switch assembly and complete the switch signal triggering. When the user releases the pressure on the output terminal, the force of the first reset spring causes the output terminal to move upward until the fixed copper sleeve on the switch push rod abuts against the lower end of the lead screw. The switch push rod designed here can automatically reset through the above structure, preventing accidental triggering of the switch assembly.

[0026] See Figure 6 As shown, a terminal sealing ring 521 is provided in the mounting cavity 520. The terminal sealing ring is located between the output terminal and the inner wall of the mounting cavity. A sealing ring retainer 522 is provided in the mounting cavity. The terminal sealing ring improves the sealing between the output terminal and the mounting cavity, and enhances the dustproof and waterproof capabilities of the actuator.

[0027] See Figure 6 As shown, the housing 1 and the cover 2 located above the first groove 10 and the second groove 20 are respectively provided with sealing mounting grooves 11. The output shaft sealing ring 12 is sleeved on the output shaft and installed in the sealing mounting groove. The output shaft sealing ring is sleeved on the output shaft, which improves the dustproof and waterproof capability between the output shaft and the housing, and meets the equipment's dustproof and waterproof requirements.

[0028] See Figure 6 , Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, the mounting cavity 520 has at least one guide rib 523 on its wall surface, and the output terminal 600 has at least one guide groove 603 on its upper surface that cooperates with the guide rib. The guide rib and the guide groove cooperate to limit the direction of movement of the output terminal in the mounting cavity. The output terminal can only move axially in the mounting cavity. At the same time, the output terminal can also rotate with the output shaft. In this embodiment, the mounting cavity has four guide ribs on its wall surface, which are arranged in four equal parts; the corresponding output terminal has four guide grooves.

[0029] See Figure 3 , Figure 7 As shown, the lower end of the output shaft 52 extends to form a sleeve 524, and an assembly space is formed between the sleeve and the lead screw. The screw sleeve 50 is fitted in the assembly space. Through the above structure, the connection between the screw sleeve and the lead screw is more reliable, thereby ensuring the smoothness of their movement.

[0030] The lower end of the sleeve 524 extends outward to form a disc 5240, and also includes a second return spring 5241. The second return spring is sleeved on the sleeve, with the lower end of the second return spring abutting against the disc and the upper end of the second return spring abutting against the housing next to the second groove. When the actuator is working, when the screw sleeve drives the lead screw to move, the output shaft extends outward, and at the same time, the second return spring is compressed. When the output end moves to the position, after the drive assembly stops moving, the second return spring will drive the sleeve to drive the output shaft back to its original position.

[0031] Furthermore, the edge of the disc 5240 protrudes outward to form a guide block 5242. The inner wall of the housing is provided with a rotating groove 13 and a straight groove 14. The guide block 5242 moves in the rotating groove and the straight groove. The guide block here has two functions. On the one hand, it controls the movement direction of the output shaft. When the guide block is engaged in the rotating groove, the output shaft can only rotate. When the guide block is engaged in the straight groove, the output shaft can only move linearly in the axial direction, thereby achieving electric rotation and linear movement. On the other hand, when the guide block is engaged with the rotating groove, it plays a locking role.

[0032] Furthermore, the drive component 3 of the present invention is a micro motor, and the transmission component 4 is a multi-stage gear set. The last stage gear is provided with a threaded sleeve, and the two are integrally formed. Specifically, the transmission component is a three-stage transmission gear set. The inner wall of the housing 1 is provided with a gear set mounting area 15. The wall surface of the housing in the gear set mounting area is provided with a retaining groove 150 for holding the shafts at both ends of the gear. It also includes a wire harness cover plate 16. The wire harness cover plate is provided with retaining ribs that cooperate with the retaining grooves. The retaining ribs press against the shafts at both ends of the gear, so that the transmission component can be stably fixed in the housing, ensuring the reliability and stability of the actuator transmission and reducing abnormal noise generated during the transmission process.

[0033] The housing 1 and the cover 2 of the present invention can be connected by laser welding, hot melt welding, screwing, etc., to achieve good dustproof and waterproof performance. Together with the aforementioned terminal sealing ring and output shaft sealing ring, the dustproof and waterproof capability of the entire actuator can be guaranteed.

[0034] Furthermore, the upper end of the output terminal 600 is provided with an elongated oval connector 6001. The automotive component is designed with a corresponding structure, and the side wall of the corresponding structure is provided with a slot to accommodate the rotated connector. When the output terminal rotates, the elongated oval structure of the connector is inserted into the slot of the automotive component, forming an integral whole with the automotive component. In conjunction with the aforementioned guide block and rotating slot, the automotive component can be locked. The shape of the connector can also be other than circular; for example, a fan-shaped connector, a triangular connector, etc. That is, any structure that forms an embedded fit between the rotating connector and the slot of the automotive component can be used in this invention.

[0035] Working principle of the invention: 1. When the user needs to open the automotive parts, the user presses the output terminal, which pushes the switch push rod to trigger the switch assembly. The drive assembly starts to work, and the drive assembly drives the transmission mechanism to move. The transmission mechanism drives the screw sleeve to rotate. Due to the restriction of the guide block on the output shaft disc and the rotating groove on the housing, the lead screw rotates first, which realizes the rotation of the output terminal. The connector of the output terminal rotates a certain angle in the corresponding groove of the automotive parts, thereby unlocking the output terminal from the automotive parts. At this time, the connector of the output terminal is in a separable state from the automotive parts, which also makes it easier for the automotive parts to be disengaged from the output terminal later. 2. The drive assembly continues to drive the transmission structure. The guide block on the output shaft disc moves into the linear groove on the housing. The axial restriction of the output shaft by the rotating groove is released, and the lead screw moves linearly along the linear groove, realizing the rise of the output terminal. The rise of the output terminal pushes the automotive parts open at a small angle or a certain height, making it convenient for the user to continue opening the automotive parts. While the lead screw is moving linearly, the second return spring on the outer wall of the sleeve is compressed. When the lead screw rises to the correct position, the drive assembly is de-energized, and the second return spring drives the lead screw to retract. The guide block on the output shaft disc retracts from the upper end of the linear groove to the lower end of the linear groove. At this time, the connector of the output terminal has not rotated and can still mate with the corresponding structure on the automotive parts. 3. After the user finishes using the vehicle parts, the user resets the vehicle parts. At this time, the connector of the output terminal is exactly in the corresponding structure on the vehicle parts. When the user applies force, the output terminal presses down and pushes the switch push rod to trigger the switch assembly. The drive assembly rotates in the opposite direction, causing the guide block of the screw and output shaft to rotate into the spiral groove. It moves at a certain angle in the spiral groove, so that the connector of the output terminal is locked into the groove of the corresponding structure of the vehicle parts. The spiral groove locks the screw, thus locking the vehicle parts.

[0036] The actuator of the present invention can be used in automotive components that require opening and closing functions and need to be locked, such as electric charging ports, electric fuel filler ports, glove boxes, armrest boxes, mini-fridges, and combination locks.

[0037] In summary, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: The actuator-triggered switch assembly of the present invention does not require an additional independent button switch or virtual switch. Users can directly operate automotive parts through the actuator, which has better integration and is more in line with user habits, resulting in a better user experience.

[0038] Based on the described embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electric rotary and linear motion actuator, comprising a box body and a box cover connected with the box body, a driving assembly, a transmission assembly and an output assembly are arranged in the box body, the driving assembly drives the output assembly to move through the transmission assembly, characterized in that: The output component has a through hole along its axis, which passes through the transmission component to the bottom of the housing. A switch push rod is installed inside the through hole. A switch component is fixed on the bottom surface of the housing corresponding to the through hole. The switch push rod is used to trigger the switch component. The output component includes a threaded sleeve connected to the transmission component and a lead screw that cooperates with the threaded sleeve. The through hole is set along the axis of the lead screw. The upper end of the lead screw is provided with a cylindrical output shaft. The housing is provided with a first groove to accommodate the output shaft. The cover is provided with a second groove that cooperates with the first groove to hold the output shaft. The upper end of the switch push rod is fixedly connected to an output terminal. The upper end of the output shaft is provided with a mounting cavity to accommodate the output terminal. A first return spring is provided between the output terminal and the bottom surface of the mounting cavity. A fixing copper sleeve is fixed to the lower part of the switch push rod. The fixing copper sleeve abuts against the lower end of the output assembly. There is a gap between the lower end of the switch push rod and the switch assembly.

2. An electric rotary and linear motion actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting cavity is equipped with a terminal sealing ring, which is located between the output terminal and the inner wall of the mounting cavity. The mounting cavity is also equipped with a sealing ring retainer.

3. An electric rotary and linear motion actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that; The housing and cover located above the first and second grooves are respectively provided with sealing mounting grooves, and the output shaft sealing ring is fitted on the output shaft and installed in the sealing mounting groove.

4. An electric rotary and linear motion actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting cavity has at least one guide rib on its wall surface, and the output terminal has at least one guide groove on its upper surface that cooperates with the guide rib.

5. An electric rotary and linear motion actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end of the output shaft extends to form a sleeve, and an assembly space is formed between the sleeve and the lead screw, with the screw sleeve fitting within the assembly space.

6. An electric rotary and linear motion actuator according to claim 5, characterized in that: The lower end of the sleeve extends outward to form a disc, and also includes a second return spring. The second return spring is sleeved on the sleeve, with its lower end abutting against the disc and its upper end abutting against the box next to the second groove.

7. An electric rotary and linear motion actuator according to claim 6, characterized in that: The edge of the disc protrudes outward to form a guide block, and the inner wall of the box is provided with a rotating groove and a straight groove, and the guide block moves in the rotating groove and the straight groove.

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