Actuator

Abstract

The present application discloses an actuator comprising: a first housing; the second shell is combined with the first shell to form an accommodating space; the motor is accommodated in the accommodating space; the actuating rod is partially contained in the containing space, and the actuating rod can be driven by the motor to move between an extending position and a retracting position; wherein at least one of the first shell and the second shell is provided with a flange, the other of the first shell and the second shell is provided with a groove, and the flange is inserted into the groove to form a seal between the first shell and the second shell.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to an actuator, and more particularly, to an actuator with a sealing structure. Background Art

[0002] An actuator is a commonly used electromechanical device consisting of a drive unit and transmission system that converts an electrical signal or power input into a mechanical output. In some applications, actuators are expected to exhibit good sealing properties to maintain performance in the presence of liquids or contaminants. Furthermore, they are expected to exhibit good stability, specifically ensuring that the actuator's internal structure remains unaffected by external impacts to the actuating components. Utility Model Content

[0003] According to an actuator of the present application, it includes: a first shell; a second shell, which is combined with the first shell to form an accommodating space; a motor, which is accommodated in the accommodating space; and an actuating rod, which is partially accommodated in the accommodating space, and the actuating rod can be driven by the motor to move between an extended position and a retracted position; wherein, at least one of the first shell and the second shell has a flange, and the other has a groove, and the flange is inserted into the groove to form a seal between the first shell and the second shell.

[0004] In one embodiment, the first shell and the second shell are both substantially rectangular, and the flange and the groove extend over the entire periphery of the corresponding first shell and second shell.

[0005] In one embodiment, the flange and the groove both have a trapezoidal cross-section, and the cross-sectional area of the flange is larger than the cross-sectional area of the groove.

[0006] In one embodiment, the second housing includes a sealed power connection portion, and the actuator includes a plurality of electrodes extending from inside the accommodating space through the power connection portion to outside the accommodating space to connect an external power source to the motor.

[0007] In one embodiment, the power connection portion is cylindrical and parallel to the transmission shaft of the motor, and the electrode is located at the bottom of the power connection portion.

[0008] In one embodiment, the actuator includes a gear accommodated in the accommodation space, the gear rotates around an axis extending in a thickness direction of the actuator, and the motor transmits power to the actuating rod through the gear.

[0009] In one embodiment, one of the first shell and the second shell is provided with a gear shaft, the gear shaft extends along the thickness direction of the first shell or the second shell, and the gear rotates around the gear shaft; the other of the first shell and the second shell is provided with a stop portion, the stop portion is engaged to the engagement end of the gear shaft to hold the gear shaft in a direction perpendicular to the gear shaft.

[0010] In one embodiment, the stop portion is recessed along the direction of the gear shaft, and the engaging end of the gear shaft is inserted into the stop portion; or the stop portion protrudes along the direction of the gear shaft and is inserted into the engaging end of the gear shaft.

[0011] In one embodiment, the gear shaft is provided with an expansion portion at an end portion close to the second housing, and the expansion portion is formed as a plurality of plate-shaped portions extending in the radial direction and arranged in the circumferential direction.

[0012] In one embodiment, the actuator includes a worm gear connected to the output shaft of the motor; the actuating rod includes a rack portion located in the accommodating space; the gear includes a first tooth portion and a second tooth portion, the first tooth portion has a larger diameter and is engaged to the worm gear, and the second tooth portion has a smaller diameter and is engaged to the rack portion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present application will be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0014] Figures 1A to 1E They are respectively a front view, a top view, a bottom view, a left view, and a right view of the actuator according to the present application;

[0015] Figure 1F and Figure 1G They are three-dimensional images of the actuator at different angles;

[0016] Figure 2 and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the actuator with the first housing removed to show the interior of the actuator, wherein Figure 2 The actuator is shown in a retracted state, Figure 3 The actuator is shown in an extended state;

[0017] Figure 4 shows an exploded perspective view of the actuator;

[0018] Figure 5 A perspective exploded view showing another angle of the actuator;

[0019] Figure 6 Shown along Figure 1AA partial cross-sectional view taken at line AA in FIG;

[0020] Figure 7 and Figure 8 A partial cross-sectional view of the gear shaft is shown, and different embodiments of the engagement end of the gear shaft and the stopper of the first housing are respectively shown.

[0021] Reference Signs List

[0022] 100 actuators

[0023] 110 first shell

[0024] 111 flange

[0025] 112 stopper

[0026] 120 Second shell

[0027] 121 Groove

[0028] 122 Power connection

[0029] 123 gear shaft

[0030] 123a Joint end

[0031] 123b Extension

[0032] 130 Actuating rod

[0033] 131 Rod

[0034] 132 rack

[0035] 133 Head

[0036] 140 Gear

[0037] 141 First tooth

[0038] 142 Second tooth

[0039] 143 Hollow

[0040] 150 motor

[0041] 151 Drive Shaft

[0042] 160 worm gear

[0043] 170 End retainer

[0044] 180 electrodes DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] While the present invention has been illustrated and described herein with reference to specific embodiments, the invention should not be limited to the details shown, but rather various modifications may be made to the details within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims and without departing from the invention.

[0046] The descriptions of directions such as "front", "back", "up", and "down" involved in this article are only for the convenience of understanding. The present invention is not limited to these directions, but can be adjusted according to actual conditions.

[0047] Reference Figure 1A Of Figure 3 The actuator 100 according to the present application is generally described as follows: The actuator 100 includes a first housing 110 , a second housing 120 , an actuating rod 130 , a gear 140 , a motor 150 , a worm gear 160 , an end holder 170 , and a plurality of electrodes 180 .

[0048] The first housing 110 and the second housing 120 respectively have a bottom wall, a side wall and a top opening, and thus are respectively formed into a box shape with one side open. The first housing 110 and the second housing 120 are combined with each other to form a substantially closed complete housing, thereby defining an accommodation space. The gear 140, the motor 150, the worm gear 160, and the end retainer 170 are accommodated in the accommodation space, and the actuating rod 130 is partially accommodated in the accommodation space and can be moved relative to the first housing 110 and the second housing 120. Figure 2 The contracted position shown is the same as Figure 3 More specifically, the actuating rod 130 can be driven by the motor 150 to move, thereby achieving an actuating function according to the driving of the motor 150.

[0049] In this embodiment, the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 are both rectangular to effectively utilize the storage space. In other embodiments, the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 may have different shapes to suit different application environments. Furthermore, the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 may have different shapes as long as they can be combined to form a storage space.

[0050] More specifically, the actuating rod 130 moves in the longitudinal direction and extends in the longitudinal direction in the accommodation space. Figure 4 and Figure 5The actuator rod includes a rod portion 131, a rack portion 132, and a head portion 133 located at each end of the rod portion 131. The rod portion 131 extends longitudinally and has a cylindrical shape, such as a cylinder or prism. The rod portion 131 is sealed to the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 to maintain the seal of the actuator 100 during movement. The rack portion 132 is located in the accommodating space and is connected to the gear 140. The head portion 133 is located outside the accommodating space and is connected to other mechanical devices (not shown) to perform the actuation function. The motor 150 is arranged longitudinally and parallel to the actuator rod 130. One longitudinal side of the motor 150 is connected to the worm gear 160, which drives the worm gear 160 to rotate about the longitudinal axis. The gear 140 is arranged between the worm gear 160 and the actuator rod 130 and rotates about an axis along the thickness direction. It includes a first tooth portion 141 and a second tooth portion 142 arranged concentrically. The worm gear 160 is engaged with the first tooth portion 141 of the gear 140 to drive the gear 140 to rotate. The second tooth portion 142 of the gear 140 is further engaged with the rack portion 132 of the actuating rod 130 to drive the linear movement of the actuating rod 130. The motor 150 is configured to output a drive in both directions. Therefore, the motor 150 can drive the drive rod to move in both directions between the retracted position and the extended position via the worm gear 160 and the gear 140.

[0051] The second housing 120 includes a sealed power connection portion 122, that is, the power connection portion 122 is configured to seal the housing space of the actuator 100 relative to the outside of the actuator 100. The electrode 180 extends from the inside of the housing space through the power connection portion 122 to the outside of the housing space to connect an external power source (not shown) to the motor 150. In this embodiment, the power connection portion 122 is configured to be cylindrical and extend in the longitudinal direction, and has an outward opening and a closed bottom. The electrode 180 is located at the bottom of the power connection portion 122, and a plurality of electrodes 180 can be arranged side by side at the bottom of the power connection portion 122.

[0052] The end holder 170 is housed in the second housing 120, and the end of the worm gear 160 away from the motor 150 is inserted into the end holder 170 (see FIG. Figure 4 ), so as to facilitate the smooth rotation of the worm gear 160.

[0053] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 The description of the actuator 100 according to the present application continues.

[0054] The first shell 110 and the second shell 120 are combined in the thickness direction. In order to achieve a seal at the combined portion, the first shell 110 is provided with a flange 111 at its periphery, and the second shell 120 is correspondingly provided with a groove 121 at its periphery. When the first shell 110 is combined with the second shell 120, the flange 111 is inserted into the groove 121 to form a mechanism between the first shell 110 and the second shell 120. In other embodiments, the flange 111 and the groove 121 can be interchangeable, that is, the first shell 110 is provided with the groove 121 and the second shell 120 is provided with the flange 111. The flange 111 and the groove 121 can extend over the entire periphery of the first shell 110 and the second shell 120, respectively, to form a complete sealing structure.

[0055] More specifically, with reference to Figure 6 The flange 111 and the groove 121 both have a trapezoidal cross-section. For example, the flange 111 may be a trapezoid that gradually narrows toward the groove 121, while the groove 121 may be a trapezoid that gradually widens toward the flange 111. Thus, when the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 are coupled together, the flange 111 can easily fit into the groove 121.

[0056] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 The description of the actuator 100 continues. The second housing 120 is provided with a gear shaft 123, which is formed into a columnar shape extending in the thickness direction of the second housing 120. The gear 140 is sleeved on the gear shaft 123 so as to rotate around the thickness direction. More specifically, the bottom of the gear shaft 123 (i.e., the end close to the second housing 120) may have an extension portion 123b, which is formed, for example, as a plurality of sheet portions extending radially and arranged circumferentially. The bottom of the gear 140 is provided with a hollow portion 143, which roughly corresponds to the axial position of the first tooth portion 141. Therefore, the hollow portion 143 is sleeved onto the outside of the extension portion 123b, so that the gear 140 rotates around the gear shaft 123 more stably.

[0057] The top of the gear shaft 123 is an engagement end 123a, which is engaged with the stopper 112 of the first housing 110. Figure 7 In one embodiment, the engaging end 123a is in the shape of a solid column, and the stopper 112 is in the shape of a circular ring with a hollow recess, so that the engaging end 123a is accommodated in the stopper 112. Figure 8 In another embodiment, the engaging end 123 a is formed to have a hollow recess, and the stopper 112 is a columnar protrusion, so that the stopper 112 is accommodated in the engaging end 123 a.

[0058] Due to the structure of the engaging end 123 a and the stopper 112 , the gear 140 is not easily shaken or shifted when receiving an external impact, thereby preventing the entire actuator 100 from malfunctioning due to the displacement of the gear 140 .

[0059] Although preferred embodiments have been shown and described herein, it should be understood that these embodiments are provided by way of example only. Many variations, modifications, and substitutions will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to cover all such variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An actuator, characterized in that: The actuator comprises: a first housing (110); A second shell (120) is combined with the first shell (110) to form a receiving space; a motor (150) accommodated in the accommodation space; and an actuating rod (130) partially accommodated in the accommodation space, wherein the actuating rod (130) can be driven by the motor (150) to move between an extended position and a retracted position; At least one of the first shell (110) and the second shell (120) has a flange (111), and the other has a groove (121), and the flange (111) is inserted into the groove (121) to form a seal between the first shell (110) and the second shell (120).

2. The actuator according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first shell (110) and the second shell (120) are both substantially rectangular, and the flange (111) and the groove (121) extend over the entire periphery of the corresponding first shell (110) and the second shell (120).

3. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein: The flange (111) and the groove (121) both have a trapezoidal cross-section, and the cross-sectional area of the flange (111) is larger than the cross-sectional area of the groove (121).

4. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein: The second housing (120) includes a sealed power connection portion (122), and the actuator includes a plurality of electrodes (180). The electrodes (180) extend from the inside of the accommodating space through the power connection portion (122) to the outside of the accommodating space to connect an external power source to the motor (150).

5. The actuator according to claim 4, characterized in that: The power connection portion (122) is cylindrical and parallel to the transmission shaft (151) of the motor (150), and the electrode (180) is located at the bottom of the power connection portion (122).

6. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein: The actuator includes a gear (140) accommodated in the accommodation space, the gear (140) rotates around an axis extending in a thickness direction of the actuator, and the motor (150) transmits power to the actuating rod (130) through the gear (140).

7. The actuator according to claim 6, characterized in that: One of the first housing (110) and the second housing (120) is provided with a gear shaft (123), the gear shaft (123) extending along a thickness direction of the first housing (110) or the second housing (120), and the gear (140) rotates around the gear shaft (123); One of the first housing (110) and the second housing (120) is provided with a stopper (112), and the stopper (112) is engaged with an engagement end (123a) of the gear shaft (123) to hold the gear shaft (123) in a direction perpendicular to the gear shaft (123).

8. The actuator according to claim 7, characterized in that: The stopper (112) is recessed in the direction of the gear shaft (123), and the engaging end (123a) of the gear shaft (123) is inserted into the stopper (112); or The stopper (112) protrudes in the direction of the gear shaft (123) and is inserted into the engaging end (123a) of the gear shaft (123).

9. The actuator according to claim 7, characterized in that: The gear shaft (123) is provided with an expansion portion (123b) at an end portion close to the second housing (120), and the expansion portion (123b) is formed into a plurality of sheet-like portions extending in the radial direction and arranged in the circumferential direction.

10. The actuator according to claim 6, characterized in that: The actuator includes a worm gear (160) connected to an output shaft of the motor (150); The actuating rod (130) includes a rack portion (132), and the rack portion (132) is located in the accommodating space; The gear (140) includes a first tooth portion (141) having a larger diameter and engaged with the worm wheel (160) and a second tooth portion (142) having a smaller diameter and engaged with the rack portion (132).

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