Actuator and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The invention relates to an actuator and a manufacturing method thereof. An actuator may include an engine generating a rotational force, a gear assembly transmitting the rotational force of the engine, and a housing accommodating the gear assembly therein. The gear assembly includes a driving gear provided on a driving shaft of the engine, a first gear unit connected to the driving gear, and a second gear unit connected to the first gear unit to transmit the rotational force transmitted from the first gear unit to a power conversion unit, the first gear unit includes a gear shaft, a first driven gear disposed on one side of the gear shaft and engaged with the driving gear, and a second driven gear disposed on the other side of the gear shaft. The second driven gear is arranged on the other side part of the gear shaft and is meshed with the second gear unit; and the bearing is arranged on the gear shaft between the first driven gear and the second driven gear.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Some embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to an actuator and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to an actuator for a brake system whose shape and structure are simplified to improve applicability and assemblability to a vehicle and a method of manufacturing the same. Background Art

[0002] A brake system must be installed in a vehicle to perform braking, and various types of brake systems have been developed for the safety of a driver and passengers.

[0003] Conventional braking systems use a mechanically connected booster to supply the wheel cylinders with the hydraulic pressure necessary for braking when the driver steps on the brake pedal. However, for the convenience of the driver, the electromechanical braking system uses an electrical signal to receive the driver's braking intention and operates a power transmission device such as an engine based on the electrical signal to brake the vehicle.

[0004] Such an electromechanical brake system receives power from an actuator including an engine and a retarder to provide clamping pressure of a brake disc, and performs service braking or parking braking of a vehicle.

[0005] In addition, an actuator that provides power for braking may be mounted to a caliper housing provided on the side of each wheel. Typically, the actuator includes a plurality of gear elements, and in many cases, the internal structure and the external shape are asymmetrical shapes. Accordingly, when the actuator is mounted on each wheel, since the mounting directions of the left wheel and the right wheel are different, there may be a problem that the actuator interferes with its surrounding components and the mountability and applicability to the vehicle are deteriorated.

[0006] When the actuator of the left wheel and the actuator of the right wheel are designed or manufactured differently or separately in order to solve these problems, there are problems of reduced production efficiency and increased manufacturing cost of the product. In addition, since the conventional actuator has an asymmetric shape, the direction of the thrust applied to the gear element may change, and the wear portion may change depending on the position of the actuator installed on the wheel, so that the durability of the product may be deteriorated. Summary of the invention

[0007] Therefore, an aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an actuator having improved mountability and applicability to a vehicle and a method of manufacturing the same.

[0008] Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an actuator that improves space utilization of a vehicle body and a method of manufacturing the same.

[0009] Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an actuator and a method of manufacturing the same that improves durability and performance of a product.

[0010] Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an actuator that stably generates and provides braking power regardless of the position at which a wheel is mounted to a vehicle, and a method of manufacturing the same.

[0011] Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an actuator and a method of manufacturing the same which simplifies the structure and shape of a product to improve assemblability and productivity.

[0012] Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an actuator having a simplified design and reduced manufacturing cost, and a method of manufacturing the same.

[0013] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an actuator includes: an engine, which is configured to provide a driving force; a gear assembly, which is configured to transmit the driving force of the engine; and a housing, in which the gear assembly is accommodated, wherein the gear assembly includes a driving gear arranged on a driving shaft of the engine, a first gear unit connected to the driving gear to transmit a rotational force, and a second gear unit connected to the first gear unit to transmit the rotational force transmitted from the first gear unit to a power conversion unit, and the first gear unit includes a gear shaft, a first driven gear arranged on one side of the gear shaft and meshing with the driving gear, a second driven gear arranged on the other side of the gear shaft and meshing with the second gear unit, and a bearing arranged on the gear shaft between the first driven gear and the second driven gear.

[0014] The housing may include a bearing accommodation portion provided to surround one end portion and the other end portion of the bearing.

[0015] The housing may include at least a pair of mounting portions protruding from an outer surface of the housing and mounted on a supportable structure using a fastening member, and the pair of mounting portions may be symmetrically disposed with respect to a center line of the housing.

[0016] At least one protruding portion protruding outward due to the first gear unit accommodated in the housing may be provided on the housing, and an outer end of the protruding portion may be disposed more inwardly than an outer end of each of the pair of mounting portions relative to a center line of the housing.

[0017] The inner ring of the bearing may include a coupling hole formed to pass through the bearing in the axial direction of the gear shaft, and an inner peripheral surface of the coupling hole may be configured to be press-fitted onto an outer peripheral surface of the gear shaft.

[0018] The first gear unit may further include a clamping member coupled to an outer circumferential surface of the gear shaft to support the bearing on the gear shaft.

[0019] The first driven gear may be provided as a helical gear, and the helical gear may be provided on the gear shaft by injection molding.

[0020] The first gear unit may further include a support ring injection-molded between the other end portion of the helical gear and one end portion of the bearing on the outer circumferential surface of the worm shaft to support the bearing.

[0021] The other end portion of the bearing may be supported by a latch step formed on an outer peripheral surface of the worm shaft.

[0022] The first driven gear may be provided as a helical gear, and the helical gear may be provided on one side of the gear shaft by riveting.

[0023] The second driven gear may be provided as a worm gear, and the worm gear may be provided integrally with the gear shaft.

[0024] The second gear unit may include a worm wheel meshing with the worm gear.

[0025] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, an actuator includes: an engine configured to provide a driving force; a gear assembly configured to transmit the driving force of the engine; and a housing in which the gear assembly is accommodated, wherein the housing includes at least a pair of mounting portions formed to protrude from an outer surface of the housing and mounted on a supportable structure such as a vehicle body using a fastening member, and at least one protruding portion protruding outward due to the gear assembly accommodated in the housing, and an outer end portion of the protruding portion is arranged more inwardly relative to a center line of the housing than an outer end portion of each of the pair of mounting portions.

[0026] The pair of mounting portions may be disposed symmetrically with respect to a center line of the housing.

[0027] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing an actuator includes the following steps: providing an engine configured to provide a driving force; and providing a gear assembly configured to transmit the driving force of the engine to a housing, wherein the provision of the gear assembly includes providing a driving gear on a driving shaft of the engine, providing a helical gear meshing with the driving gear on one side of a worm shaft, providing a worm gear on the other side of the worm shaft, and providing a bearing on the worm shaft, and the provision of the bearing includes press-fitting the bearing onto the outer peripheral surface of a middle portion between the helical gear and the worm gear on the worm shaft.

[0028] The providing of the helical gear may include injection molding the helical gear on one side of the worm shaft after the bearing is press-fitted onto the worm shaft.

[0029] The provision of the bearing may further include providing a clamping member on one side of the bearing on the worm shaft after the bearing is press-fitted onto the worm shaft.

[0030] When the helical gear is injection-molded, the helical gear may be injection-molded together with a support ring between the other end portion of the helical gear and one end portion of the bearing on the outer peripheral surface of the worm shaft.

[0031] The provision of the helical gear may include fixedly riveting a separately manufactured helical gear to one side portion of the worm shaft after the bearing is press-fitted onto the worm shaft.

[0032] The provision of the worm gear may include integrally providing the worm shaft and the worm gear. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] These and / or other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent and more easily understood from the following description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0034] Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating an actuator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] Figure 2 is a plan view illustrating an actuator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 3 is a partially exploded perspective view illustrating an actuator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] Figures 4 to 7 is a perspective view for sequentially illustrating a method of manufacturing an actuator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figures 8 to 10 is a perspective view for sequentially illustrating a method of manufacturing an actuator according to another embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0039] Figures 11 to 13 is a perspective view for sequentially illustrating a method of manufacturing an actuator according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are examples that provide the spirit of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments and may also be implemented in different forms. In the accompanying drawings, in order to clarify the present disclosure, parts that are not related to the description may be omitted, and in order to help understand the present disclosure, the size of the components may be slightly exaggerated.

[0041] Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating an actuator 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 2 is a plan view illustrating an actuator 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 is a partially exploded perspective view illustrating an actuator 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] Reference Figures 1 to 3 , the actuator 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes an engine 200, a gear assembly and a housing 100. The engine 200 provides power for vehicle braking. The gear assembly transmits the driving force of the engine 200 to the power conversion unit 500. The housing 100 accommodates and supports the engine 200 and the gear assembly.

[0043] The engine 200 may receive power from a power source such as a battery of a vehicle to operate and generate and provide power or force for braking the vehicle. The engine 200 may be accommodated in and supported by a housing portion of the housing 100 for the engine 200, which may be formed to be recessed into one side of the housing 100, and the engine 200 may be operated according to an electrical signal transmitted from an electronic control unit (ECU). The drive gear 310, which will be described below, may be coupled to a drive shaft of the engine 200, and this will be described in detail below.

[0044] The gear assembly may be configured to reduce the rotational power or force provided from the engine 200 and transmit the rotational power or force to the power conversion unit 500. The gear assembly may include a driving gear 310, a first gear unit 300, and a second gear unit 400. The driving gear 310 may be disposed on a driving shaft of the engine 200 or fixedly mounted to the driving shaft of the engine 200. The first gear unit 300 may be rotatably connected to the driving gear 310 to transmit the rotational force received from the driving gear 310 to the second gear unit 400. The second gear unit 400 is rotatably connected to the first gear unit 300 to transmit the rotational force received from the first gear unit 300 to the power conversion unit 500.

[0045] The driving gear 310 may be fixedly coupled to the driving shaft of the engine 200, and when the engine 200 is operated or driven, may rotate together with the driving shaft of the engine 200. The driving gear 310 may include, for example but not limited to, a helical gear, so that the rotational power or force provided by the engine 200 may be mainly reduced and then transmitted to the first gear unit 300, which will be described below.

[0046] The first gear unit 300 receives the rotational power or force transmitted from the driving gear 310 and transmits the rotational power or force to the second gear unit 400, which will be described below. The first gear unit 300 may include, for example but not limited to, a gear shaft 320, a first driven gear 330, a second driven gear 340, and a bearing 350. The first driven gear 330 may be disposed on one side of the gear shaft 320 or fixedly mounted to one side of the gear shaft 320, and rotatably meshed with the driving gear 310. The second driven gear 340 may be disposed on the other side of the gear shaft 320 or fixedly mounted to the other side of the gear shaft 320, and rotatably meshed with the second gear unit 400. The bearing 350 may be disposed between the first driven gear 330 and the second driven gear 340 on the gear shaft 320 to rotatably support the gear shaft 320.

[0047] The gear shaft 320 may be formed to extend in the axial direction, the first driven gear 330 may be provided at one side of the gear shaft 320 or fixedly coupled to one side of the gear shaft 320, and the second driven gear 340 may be integrally provided at the other side of the gear shaft 320. The rotating shaft portion of the gear shaft 320 may be provided perpendicular to the drive shaft of the engine 200 and accommodated in the housing 100. The first driven gear 330 may be provided as, for example but not limited to, a helical gear rotatably engaged or meshed with the drive gear 310 which may be implemented as a helical gear. For example, the first driven gear 330 may be provided on one end portion of the gear shaft 320 by injection molding, or may be manufactured as a separate member and then fixed to the gear shaft 320 by riveting. The first driven gear 330 may be rotatably engaged or meshed with the drive gear 310 to mainly reduce the power or force provided from the engine 200.

[0048] The second driven gear 340 may be provided on the other side portion of the gear shaft 320, and the second driven gear 340 may be provided as, for example, but not limited to, a worm gear provided integrally with the gear shaft 320. That is, a portion of the gear shaft 320 may be formed or provided as a worm shaft, and the worm gear 340 as an example of the second driven gear 340 may be integrally formed with or formed on the outer peripheral surface of the other side portion of the worm shaft 320. The worm gear 340 may rotate together with the worm shaft 320 to transmit the rotational power or force to the second gear unit 400.

[0049] The second gear unit 400 is rotatably connected to the first gear unit 300, and is configured to receive the rotational force transmitted from the first gear unit 300 and transmit the rotational force to the power conversion unit 500. For example, if the second driven gear 340 is provided as a worm gear, the second gear unit 400 may include a worm wheel rotatably meshed with the worm gear 340 of the first gear unit 300. Additionally or alternatively, the second driven gear 340 may include a planetary gear that reduces the rotational force of the worm wheel 400. The rotation axis of the worm wheel of the second gear unit 400 may be disposed perpendicularly to the rotation axis of the worm shaft 320 of the first gear unit 300, and may be disposed parallel to the driving shaft of the engine 200.

[0050] In addition, since the direction of the thrust applied to the worm shaft by the worm gear when the actuator is mounted on the caliper brake provided on the left wheel of the vehicle is opposite to the direction of the thrust applied to the worm shaft by the worm gear when the actuator is mounted on the caliper brake provided on the right wheel of the vehicle, some parts around it including the worm shaft to which a load is applied or which may be highly worn are different. Accordingly, it is necessary to design the actuator independently or differently according to the position where the actuator is mounted on the wheel, or to consider the actuator independently or differently according to the position where the load absorbing component is mounted on the wheel, in order to cope with the above-mentioned difference. In this case, the production efficiency of the product may be reduced, the manufacturing cost may be increased, and thus the competitiveness of the product may be reduced.

[0051] Accordingly, in the actuator 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the bearing 350 may be provided between the first driven gear 330 and the second driven gear 340 of the gear shaft 320 to stably absorb the load applied to the worm shaft 320 regardless of the position of the actuator 1 mounted on the wheel or the direction of the thrust. For example, the bearing 350 may be disposed in the middle between the helical gear 330 on one side of the worm shaft 320 and the worm gear 340 on the other side of the worm shaft 320 to absorb the load applied to the worm shaft 320 regardless of the direction of the thrust applied to the worm wheel 400. In addition, at least a portion of the bearing 350 may be inserted or accommodated in a bearing accommodation portion 150 recessed into the housing 100 (to be described below) to stably absorb the load applied to the worm shaft 320, so that one end portion and the other end portion of the bearing 350 may be disposed or arranged to face and be supported by the inner surface of the bearing accommodation portion 150. In addition, for stable rotation of the gear shaft 320, the diameter of the bearing 350 may be larger than the diameter of the gear shaft 320. In this case, since the bearing 350 is disposed in the middle of the gear shaft 320 rather than the side portion of the gear shaft 320, the size and number of the protruding portion 120 protruding outward from the housing 100 described below can be minimized to suppress the size expansion of the housing 100, and interference with its surrounding components can be minimized. Hereinafter, a detailed description thereof will be provided.

[0052] The bearing 350 may include an outer ring 355, an inner ring 351, and a plurality of balls rotatably disposed between the outer ring 355 and the inner ring 351, and a coupling hole 352 formed in the inner ring 351 and at the center of the bearing 350 to pass through the bearing 350 in the axial direction of the shaft 320, so that the worm shaft 320 may be inserted into the coupling hole 352. The inner circumferential surface of the coupling hole 352 may be press-fitted onto the outer circumferential surface of the worm shaft 320, so that the bearing 350 is fixedly coupled to the worm shaft 320 (see Figure 4 ). Hereinafter, a detailed description thereof will be provided.

[0053] In addition, a clamping member 360 may be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the worm shaft 320 to stably support the bearing 350, so that the clamping member 360 can limit the movement of the bearing 350 and prevent the bearing 350 from falling off the worm shaft 320. The clamping member 360 may be substantially annular or substantially partially annular to be elastically deformable and coupled to the outer peripheral surface of the worm shaft 320, thereby supporting one end portion of the bearing 350 on the worm shaft 320. The other end portion of the bearing 350 may be supported by a latching step or stepped portion 322 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the worm shaft 320. To this end, the worm shaft 320 may include an expansion portion or a protruding portion 321 formed at the other side of the portion in contact with the bearing 350. The diameter of the expansion portion 321 may be larger than the inner diameter of the coupling hole 352 of the bearing 350 or the diameter of the portion in contact with the coupling hole 352 of the bearing 350, so that the latching step 322 may be formed on one end portion of the expansion portion 321 (see Figure 4 and Figure 5 ).

[0054] Alternatively, a support ring 370 may also be provided on the outer peripheral surface of the worm shaft 320 to stably support the bearing 350. The support ring 370 may have an annular or cylindrical shape, and may be injection molded between the other end portion of the helical gear 330 and one end portion of the bearing 350 to support one end portion of the bearing 350 on the worm shaft 320. The support ring 370 may be integrally formed as a single piece by, for example, but not limited to, injection molding together with the helical gear 330, so that the manufacturing process and structure of the product may be simplified. The other end portion of the bearing 350 may be supported by a latch step 322 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the worm shaft 320, and the latch step 322 may be formed on one end portion of the expansion portion 321 provided on the worm shaft 320 to be larger than the inner diameter of the expansion portion 321 or the diameter of the portion in contact with the coupling hole 352 (see Fig.10 ).

[0055] The housing 100 is provided for the engine 200 so that the engine 200 can be installed in or supported by the housing 100, and the gear assembly can be accommodated in the housing 100. The housing 100 is formed so that the interior of the housing 100 is an empty space so that the engine 200 and a plurality of gears in the gear assembly can be accommodated in and supported by the housing 100. Figure 1 and Figure 3In the embodiment, the upper surface of the housing 100 is formed to be open so that during assembly of the actuator, the engine 200 and the plurality of gears can be inserted into the installation space of the housing 100, a cover can be connected to the upper surface or the open side of the housing 100 or installed on the upper surface or the open side of the housing 100 to seal the installation space relative to the outside of the housing 100, and a connector 180 electrically connected to a power source or an electronic control unit can be set on a side portion of the housing 100 or on the cover of the housing 100.

[0056] The bearing receiving portion 150 in which at least a portion of the bearing 350 is inserted and received may be formed in the housing 100, and the bearing receiving portion 150 may be formed to face and support one end portion and the other end portion of the bearing 350 to surround the one end portion and the other end portion of the bearing 350. Since both end portions of the bearing 350 are supportably received in the bearing receiving portion 150 formed in the housing 100, the bearing 350 may stably absorb loads applied to the worm shaft 320 in both directions.

[0057] In addition, in the housing of the conventional actuator, since a plurality of gear elements are asymmetrically arranged, the outer shape of the housing is asymmetrical, and even when the housing is mounted on or to a supportable structure such as a caliper brake or a vehicle body, the housing is asymmetrically mounted. Accordingly, when the housing of the conventional actuator is mounted on each of the left and right wheels, the mounting direction is different, so interference occurs between its surrounding parts, etc., and the mountability and applicability to the vehicle are deteriorated. When the housing of the actuator is designed and manufactured independently or differently according to the position of the housing of the actuator on the wheel in order to overcome this deterioration, the production efficiency of the product may be reduced and the manufacturing cost may be increased.

[0058] Accordingly, the housing 100 of the actuator 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one pair of mounting portions 110, which are formed to protrude from the outer surface of the housing 100 so as to be mounted to or on a supporting structure or fixture of a vehicle such as a caliper brake or a vehicle body using a fastening member such as a bolt or a screw, and the pair of mounting portions 110 are symmetrically arranged on the outer surface of the housing 100.

[0059] Specifically, the mounting portion 110 may be formed to protrude outward from the outer surface of the housing 100, and a fastening hole 111 through which a fastening member such as a bolt or a screw passes may be formed to pass through the mounting portion 110. At least one pair of mounting portions 110 is provided on the outer surface of the housing 100, and the at least one pair of mounting portions 110 may be symmetrically provided with respect to the center line C of the housing 100.

[0060] The center line C of the housing 100 may be defined as a center extension line of a short side of the housing 100 (eg, Figure 1 and Figure 3 A line in the vertical direction of the housing 100) or a center extension line of a long side of the housing 100 (for example, Figure 1 and Figure 3 Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described based on the center line C of the short side of the housing 100, however, the center line of the long side of the housing 100 may also be understood in the same manner.

[0061] As described above, by symmetrically providing or arranging at least one pair of mounting portions 110 with respect to the center line C of the housing 100, the actuator 1 can be mounted to and on the vehicle body in the same direction regardless of the position of the mounting actuator 1 on the wheel. Accordingly, regardless of the position of the mounting actuator 1 on the wheel, the mountability and applicability of the product to the vehicle can be improved, and the design of the components around the housing 100 of the actuator 1 can be performed more easily.

[0062] One or more protrusions 120 that protrude outward due to the arrangement of a gear assembly such as a worm shaft 320 accommodated inside the housing 100 may be provided on the housing 100. Since the housing 100 accommodates a plurality of gears and the size expansion of the housing 100 is suppressed, the protrusions 120 are formed on the housing 100, and thus the protrusions 120 of the housing 100 may interfere with components around it and reduce the applicability of the product and the space utilization of the vehicle body. Accordingly, in the housing 100 of the actuator 1 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, the outer end 120a of the protrusion 120 formed to protrude outward may be disposed more inwardly toward the housing 100 than the outer end 110a of the pair of mounting portions 110, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 . Specifically, the outer end 120a of the protruding portion 120 of the housing 100 may be positioned closer to the center line C than the outer end 110a of the mounting portion 110. Since the mounting portion 110 is a necessary structure required to mount the actuator 1 to the vehicle and support the actuator 1, the outer end 120a of the protruding portion 120 protruding due to one or more components such as the worm shaft 320 disposed inside the housing protrudes less than the outer end 110a of the mounting portion 110 and is disposed more inwardly toward the housing 100 to minimize interference with components surrounding the housing 100. In addition, as described above, since the bearing 350 is disposed in the middle portion or the middle of the worm shaft 320, the size and number of the protruding portion 120 of the housing 100 can be reduced or minimized, and thus interference with components surrounding the housing 100 can be more effectively reduced or prevented.

[0063] Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing the actuator 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0064] Figures 4 to 7 2 is a perspective view for sequentially illustrating a method of manufacturing an actuator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0065] Reference Figures 4 to 7 , the method of manufacturing the actuator 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include providing the engine 200, installing or disposing the engine 200 in the housing 100, and installing a gear assembly configured to transmit the driving force of the engine 200 in the housing 100. The installation operation of the gear assembly includes providing a worm shaft 320, providing a driving gear 310 on the driving shaft of the engine 200, providing a helical gear 330 rotatably meshed with the driving gear 310 on one side of the worm shaft 320, providing a worm gear 340 on the other side of the worm shaft 320, and providing a bearing 350 on the worm shaft 320.

[0066] The worm shaft 320 may be formed to extend in the axial direction, a helical gear 330 to be described below is provided on one side of the worm shaft 320, and a worm gear 340 is provided on the other side of the worm shaft 320. The worm gear 340 may be provided integrally with or formed on the worm shaft 320, and an expansion portion 321 having a larger diameter than a portion of the worm shaft 320 coupled to the bearing 350 may be provided on one side of the worm gear 340 or adjacent to the worm gear 340 to form a latch step or stepped portion 322 supporting the other end portion of the bearing 350, as shown in FIG. Figure 4 as shown in .

[0067] Then, the bearing 350 is press-fitted onto the worm shaft 320. Specifically, the bearing 350 may be fixedly coupled to the worm shaft 320 by, for example but not limited to, press-fitting the inner circumferential surface of the coupling hole 352 onto the outer circumferential surface of the bearing 350, wherein the coupling hole is formed to pass through the inner ring 351 of the bearing 350 in the axial direction of the bearing 350, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 The other end portion of the bearing 350 is supported by the latch step 322 of the worm shaft 320 .

[0068] After the bearing 350 is press-fitted onto the worm shaft 320, the clamping member 360 is installed or disposed on one side of the bearing 350 to stably fix the bearing 350 or support one side of the bearing 350 so that the bearing 350 does not fall off the worm shaft 320. The bearing 350 can be stably coupled to the worm shaft 320 and held or placed in place on the worm shaft 320, and the bearing 350 can be prevented from being separated from the worm shaft 320 by fastening the clamping member 360 having an annular or partially annular shape, which is elastic, to one end portion of the bearing 350 on the worm shaft 320, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 as shown in .

[0069] After the bearing 350 and the clamping member 360 are mounted or disposed on the worm shaft 320, the helical gear 330 is disposed on one side of the worm shaft 320. Figure 7 As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the helical gear 330 may be disposed on one side of the worm shaft 320 by, for example but not limited to, injection molding, particularly secondary molding, so that the manufacturing process of the gear assembly may be simplified and the product may be lighter.

[0070] Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing the actuator 1 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0071] Figures 8 to 10 is a perspective view for sequentially illustrating a method of manufacturing an actuator according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0072] Reference Figures 8 to 10 , a method of manufacturing the actuator 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include providing an engine 200, installing or disposing the engine 200 in a housing 100, and providing a gear assembly configured to transmit a driving force of the engine 200 in the housing 100. The installation operation of the gear assembly includes providing a worm shaft 320, providing a driving gear 310 on a driving shaft of the engine 200, providing a helical gear 330 rotatably meshed with the driving gear 310 on one side of the worm shaft 320, providing a worm gear 340 on the other side of the worm shaft 320, and providing a bearing 350 on the worm shaft 320.

[0073] The worm shaft 320 may be formed to extend in the axial direction, a helical gear 330 to be described below is provided on one side of the worm shaft 320, and a worm gear 340 is provided on the other side of the worm shaft 320. The worm gear 340 may be provided integrally with or formed on the worm shaft 320, and an expansion portion 321 having a larger diameter than a portion of the worm shaft 320 coupled to the bearing 350 may be provided on one side of the worm gear 340 or adjacent to the worm gear 340 to form a latch step or stepped portion 322 supporting the other end portion of the bearing 350, as shown in FIG. Figure 8 as shown in .

[0074] Then, the bearing 350 is press-fitted onto the worm shaft 320. Specifically, the bearing 350 may be fixedly coupled to the worm shaft 320 by, for example but not limited to, press-fitting the inner circumferential surface of the coupling hole 352 onto the outer circumferential surface of the bearing 350, wherein the coupling hole is formed to pass through the inner ring 351 of the bearing 350 in the axial direction of the bearing 350, as shown in FIG. Fig. 9 The other end portion of the bearing 350 is supported by the latch step 322 of the worm shaft 320 .

[0075] After the bearing 350 is press-fitted onto the worm shaft 320, the helical gear 330 is disposed or deployed on one side of the worm shaft 320, and at the same time, the support ring 370 is disposed or deployed on one side of the bearing 350 to stably fix the bearing 350 or support one side of the bearing 350 so that the bearing 350 does not fall off the worm shaft 320. The helical gear 330 and the support ring 370 can be simultaneously disposed together on one side of the bearing 350 on the worm shaft 320 by, for example, but not limited to, injection molding, especially secondary molding, so that the manufacturing process of the gear assembly can be simplified and the product can be lighter. In addition, the support ring 370 can be disposed on the worm shaft 320 between one end portion of the bearing 350 and the helical gear 330 to stably connect the bearing 350 to the worm shaft 320 and hold or support the bearing 350 on the worm shaft 320 and prevent the bearing 350 from separating from the worm shaft 320, such as Fig.10 as shown in .

[0076] Hereinafter, a method of manufacturing the actuator 1 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0077] Figures 11 to 13 is a perspective view for sequentially illustrating a method of manufacturing an actuator according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0078] Reference Figures 11 to 13 , a method of manufacturing the actuator 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure may include providing an engine 200, installing or disposing the engine 200 in a housing 100, and providing a gear assembly configured to transmit a driving force of the engine 200 in the housing 100. The provision of the gear assembly may include providing a worm shaft 320, providing a driving gear 310 on a driving shaft of the engine 200, providing a helical gear 330 rotatably meshed with the driving gear 310 on one side of the worm shaft 320, providing a worm gear 340 on the other side of the worm shaft 320, and providing a bearing 350 on the worm shaft 320.

[0079] The worm shaft 320 may be formed to extend in the axial direction, and a helical gear 330 to be described below is provided on one side of the worm shaft 320, and a worm gear 340 is provided on the other side of the worm shaft 320. The worm gear 340 may be provided integrally with or formed on the worm shaft 320, and an expansion portion 321 having a larger diameter than a portion of the worm shaft coupled to the bearing 350 may be formed on one side of the worm gear 340 or adjacent to the worm gear 340 to form a latch step or stepped portion 322 supporting the other end portion of the bearing 350, as shown in FIG. Fig.11 as shown in .

[0080] Then, the bearing 350 is press-fitted onto the worm shaft 320. Specifically, the bearing 350 may be fixedly coupled to the worm shaft 320 by, for example but not limited to, press-fitting the inner circumferential surface of the coupling hole 352 onto the outer circumferential surface of the bearing 350, wherein the coupling hole is formed to pass through the inner ring 351 of the bearing 350 in the axial direction of the bearing 350, as shown in FIG. Fig.12 The other end portion of the bearing 350 is supported by the latch step 322 of the worm shaft 320 .

[0081] After the bearing 350 is press-fitted onto the worm shaft 320, the helical gear 330 is disposed or arranged on one side of the worm shaft 320. The helical gear 330 may be manufactured separately as a component separate from the worm shaft 320 and then coupled to one end portion of the worm shaft 320 using, for example, but not limited to, a rivet 380, so that the helical gear 330 may be stably fixedly coupled to one side of the worm shaft 320, as shown in FIG. Fig.13 For this purpose, a hole for the rivet 380 may be formed on one side of the worm shaft 320 in the axial direction by punching or drilling, and after the helical gear 330 is mounted on one end of the worm shaft 320, the rivet 380 may be inserted into the hole for the rivet 380 and then pressed to fix the helical gear 330.

[0082] According to the actuator and the manufacturing method thereof according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, mountability and applicability may be improved.

[0083] According to the actuator and the manufacturing method thereof according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the space utilization of the vehicle body can be improved.

[0084] According to the actuator and the method of manufacturing the same according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the durability and operational performance of a product may be improved.

[0085] According to the actuator and the manufacturing method thereof according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the actuator can stably generate braking power regardless of the position of the wheel where the actuator is installed.

[0086] According to the actuator and the manufacturing method thereof according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the structure and shape of the product may be simplified to improve the assemblability and productivity of the actuator.

[0087] According to the actuator and the manufacturing method thereof according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, the design of the actuator can be simplified and the manufacturing cost of the actuator can be reduced.

Claims

1. An actuator, comprising: an engine configured to generate a rotational force; a gear assembly configured to transmit the rotational force of the engine; as well as a housing, wherein the gear assembly is housed therein, in: The gear assembly includes a driving gear provided on a driving shaft of the engine, a first gear unit rotatably connected to the driving gear, and a second gear unit rotatably connected to the first gear unit to transmit the rotational force transmitted from the first gear unit. The first gear unit includes a gear shaft, a first driven gear provided on one portion of the gear shaft and rotatably coupled to the driving gear provided on the driving shaft of the engine, a second driven gear provided on another portion of the gear shaft and rotatably coupled to the second gear unit, and The actuator further includes a bearing on the gear shaft of the first gear unit between the first driven gear and the second driven gear.

2. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein: The housing includes a bearing receiving portion supporting one end portion and the other end portion of the bearing between the first driven gear and the second driven gear.

3. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein: The housing includes at least a pair of mounting portions projecting from an outer surface of the housing and secured to a structure of a vehicle; and The pair of mounting portions are positioned symmetrically with respect to each other.

4. The actuator according to claim 3, wherein: at least one portion of the first gear unit is accommodated in at least one outwardly protruding portion of the housing; and An outer end portion of at least one of the pair of mounting portions fixed to the structure of the vehicle is positioned further outward than an outer end portion of the protruding portion that accommodates the at least a portion of the first gear unit.

5. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein: The gear shaft of the first gear unit is fixedly inserted into a coupling hole of an inner ring of the bearing. 6 . The actuator according to claim 5 , further comprising a clamping member coupled to an outer circumferential surface of the gear shaft of the first gear unit to support the bearing between the first driven gear and the second driven gear.

7. The actuator according to claim 5, wherein: The first driven gear is a helical gear formed on the gear shaft.

8. The actuator according to claim 7, wherein: The first gear unit further includes a support ring disposed on the worm shaft between the helical gear and the bearing to support the bearing.

9. The actuator according to claim 8, wherein: One end portion of the bearing is supported by the support ring provided on the worm shaft, and the other end portion of the bearing is supported by a latch step formed on the worm shaft.

10. The actuator according to claim 5, wherein: The first driven gear is a helical gear connected to the gear shaft by rivets.

11. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein: The second driven gear is a worm gear integrally formed on the gear shaft.

12. The actuator according to claim 11, wherein: The second gear unit includes a worm wheel rotatably meshed with the worm gear.

13. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein: The housing comprises: at least one pair of mounting portions projecting from an outer surface of the housing and secured to a structure of a vehicle; and at least one protrusion, the at least one protrusion protruding outwardly to accommodate at least a portion of the gear assembly in the at least one protrusion, and wherein an outer end of at least one of the pair of mounting portions fixed to the structure of the vehicle is positioned further outward than an outer end of the at least one protruding portion that accommodates the at least a portion of the first gear unit.

14. The actuator according to claim 13, wherein: The pair of mounting portions are disposed symmetrically with respect to each other.

15. A method of manufacturing an actuator, the method comprising the steps of: providing an engine configured to generate a rotational force; as well as a gear assembly configured to transmit the rotational force of the engine is disposed in a housing, in: The gear assembly is provided by providing a driving gear on a driving shaft of the engine, providing a helical gear rotatably coupled to the driving gear on one portion of a worm shaft, providing a worm gear on another portion of the worm shaft, and providing a bearing on the worm shaft, and The provision of the bearing includes press-fitting the bearing onto the outer peripheral surface of the worm shaft between the helical gear and the worm gear.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The provision of the helical gear includes injection molding the helical gear on the worm shaft after press-fitting the bearing onto the worm shaft.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising providing a clamping member on the worm shaft to support the bearing after press-fitting the bearing onto the worm shaft.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein: The injection molding of the helical gear includes injection molding the helical gear together with a support ring on the worm shaft between the helical gear and the bearing.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The provision of the helical gear includes fixedly riveting the helical gear to the worm shaft after press-fitting the bearing onto the worm shaft.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein: In the arrangement of the worm gear the worm gear is arranged integrally with the worm shaft.

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