Gear lubrication structure and actuator device

Abstract

To provide a gear lubrication structure capable of efficiently maintaining lubricant for a gear, with a relatively simple configuration.SOLUTION: A gear lubrication structure of a gear mechanism is provided in an actuator device, where on a side surface of a gear of the gear mechanism or an inner surface of a cover covering the gear, a member for recovering a lubricant applied to the gear is provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gear lubrication structure and an actuator device including the gear lubrication structure. [Background technology]

[0002] In a mechanism or device (gear mechanism) having multiple gears, a configuration for supplying a lubricant to the tooth surfaces of the gears is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a grease supply structure that supplies grease to the meshing tooth surfaces of an internal gear and an external gear to lubricate them, thereby removing wear powder generated on the meshing tooth surfaces. In the grease supply structure of Patent Document 1, a grease reservoir is formed, and grease is supplied from the grease reservoir to the meshing parts of the two gears through multiple grease passages.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a structure for preventing overflow of lubricating grease pushed out by the rotation of the large gear in a gear mechanism having a large gear and a small gear (pinion gear) arranged adjacent to each other on the same axis. In the grease overflow prevention structure of Patent Document 2, a washer is provided on the small gear to hold the lubricating grease pushed out by the rotation of the large gear. Gear wear is reduced by returning the grease held by the washer to the small gear side. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-53707 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 6-21360 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the grease supply structure of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to form a grease reservoir and provide a grease passage for supplying grease to the meshing portion of the two gears. Therefore, the mechanism of Patent Document 1 requires many parts and has a complex configuration. In addition, in the grease overflow prevention structure of Patent Document 2, the grease that overflows in the axial direction of the large gear is retained by a grease retaining washer of the small gear located on the same axis, so it is not possible to recover the grease that escapes in the circumferential direction of the large gear. In order to solve the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a gear lubrication structure that can efficiently maintain lubricant for gears with a relatively simple configuration, and to provide an actuator equipped with such a gear lubrication structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a gear lubrication structure according to one embodiment of the present invention is a gear lubrication structure for a gear mechanism provided in an actuator device, and a member for recovering lubricant applied to the gear is provided on the side of the gear of the gear mechanism or on the inner surface of a cover covering the gear.

[0007] Preferably, the member collects the lubricant in response to rotation of the gear. Preferably, the member is provided on one or both of two sides of the gear. The material of the member may be the same as that of the gear, or the material of the member may be a flexible material. Preferably, the inner surface of the cover is adjacent to and faces a side surface of the gear. The member may be detachably provided on the gear, or the member may be integrally formed with the gear.

[0008] Preferably, the member is provided on a side surface of the gear, and an uneven portion is formed on the inner surface of the cover. Preferably, said member is provided for each of all the gears of said gear mechanism. Preferably, a cover is provided for each of all the gears of the gear mechanism. Preferably, the cover forms a closed space, and a lower part of the closed space may function as a lubricant reservoir for storing the lubricant. The center of the cover may be offset from the center of the gear. Also, a gap between a tip of a tooth of the gear and the cover facing the tip of the tooth may be narrower on a non-meshing side when viewed from a meshing gear of the gear mechanism.

[0009] An actuator device according to another aspect of the present invention has a motor, a gear mechanism connected to the motor, the above-mentioned gear lubrication structure, and a driven part that is driven by receiving rotational driving force from the motor via the gear mechanism. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, the lubricant for the gears can be efficiently maintained with a relatively simple configuration. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an actuator device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a gear lubrication structure of the reducer of the actuator device of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a view showing an inner cover provided in the reducer of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing fins provided on a gear of the reducer of FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the gear and fin of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a first modified example of the gear lubrication structure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a second modified example of the gear lubrication structure. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a third modified example of the gear lubrication structure. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a modified example of the gear lubrication structure of FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a gear lubrication structure according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a gear lubrication structure according to the third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a modified example of the gear lubrication structure of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. However, in order to avoid the following description becoming unnecessarily redundant and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art, more detailed description than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed description of already well-known matters and duplicated description of substantially the same configuration may be omitted. In addition, elements described in the figures described above may be appropriately referenced in the description of the figures that follow. Note that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention.

[0013] First embodiment An actuator device 10 equipped with a gear lubrication structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an actuator device 10. The actuator device 10 of this embodiment has a motor 20, a housing 30 to which the motor 20 is attached, a reducer 40 provided in the housing 30, and a linear actuator 50 attached to an output shaft 46 of the reducer 40. The housing 30 supports the reducer 40. In the following description, the linear actuator 50 is referred to as the actuator 50. In addition, the height direction of the actuator device 10 may be referred to as the Z direction, the axial direction of the motor 20 may be referred to as the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1 may be referred to as the Y direction. The X direction may be referred to as the width direction. The reducer 40 of this embodiment is a reduction mechanism using multiple gears, so it may be referred to as a gear reduction mechanism. In addition, the reducer 40 may simply be referred to as a gear mechanism.

[0014] The reducer 40 of this embodiment is composed of four gears (a first gear 41, a second gear 42, a third gear 43, and a fourth gear 44). The output shaft 20a of the motor 20 is connected to the fourth gear 44. The fourth gear 44 meshes with the third gear. The diameter of the fourth gear 44 is smaller than that of the third gear 43. The third gear 43 and the second gear 42 are provided on the same axis. The diameter of the third gear 43 is larger than that of the second gear. The second gear 42 meshes with the first gear 41. The diameter of the second gear 42 is smaller than that of the first gear 41. The output shaft of the first gear 41 is the output shaft 46 of the reducer 40, and the output shaft 46 is the input shaft of the actuator 50. The first gear 41 is located above the second gear 42 and the third gear 43, and the fourth gear 44 is located below the second gear 42 and the third gear 43. The first gear 41 to the fourth gear 44 may be referred to as gears 41 to 44 or as toothed wheels 41 to 44. In Fig. 1, a gear train consisting of the four gears 41 to 44 is arranged and aligned in the height direction (vertical direction) of the reducer 40. The reducer 40 in Fig. 1 may be expressed as being arranged vertically.

[0015] A ball screw 51 is provided on the output shaft 46 of the reduction gear 40. A rod 52 is fitted around the ball screw 51. The rod 52 is the output shaft of the actuator device 10, and when the motor 20 rotates as indicated by the arrow A, the rod 52 can move linearly in the direction of the arrow B (left and right direction). For example, when the motor 20 rotates forward (clockwise), the rod 52 moves to the right. Reference numeral 49 indicates an actuator housing. The rotation of the output shaft 20a of the motor 20 is reduced in speed through the four gears 41 to 44 of the reduction gear 40 and is transmitted to the ball screw 51 and the rod 52. The rod 52 is a driven part that receives the rotational driving force of the motor 20 via the reduction gear 40 and is driven.

[0016] In this embodiment, the housing 30 is composed of two parts (a housing main body 31 and an outer cover 32). The part that comes into contact with the motor 20 is referred to as the housing main body 31, and the part that is attached to the housing main body 31 is referred to as the outer cover 32. The gears 41 to 44 are spur gears.

[0017] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the reducer 40 of the actuator device 10. More specifically, Fig. 2(A) is a diagram (left side view) of the reducer 40 as seen in the X direction of Fig. 1, Fig. 2(B) is a diagram of the reducer 40 as seen in the Y direction of Fig. 1, and Fig. 2(C) is a right side view of the reducer 40.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2(C), 18 first fins 61 are provided on the right surface 41a of the first gear 41 of the reducer 40. The 18 first fins 61 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the first gear 41. The tip of the first fin 61 (the tip in the radial direction of the first gear 41) is approximately coincident with the tooth tip circle of the first gear 41. Each of the first fins 61 is a rectangular parallelepiped member (a plate-shaped member having a predetermined thickness), and the longitudinal direction of the rectangular parallelepiped faces the center of the first gear 41. The longitudinal dimension of the first fin 61 is approximately twice the total tooth depth of the first gear 41. The width dimension of the first fin 61 shown in FIG. 2(C) is a dimension that hides one tooth 41b of the first gear 41. In this embodiment, the first fin 61 is formed integrally with the first gear 41. As can be seen from FIG. 2(B), the first fin 61 protrudes from the right side surface of the first gear 41. Eight second fins 62 are provided on the right side 42a of the second gear 42. The eight second fins 62 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the second gear 42. The tip of the second fin 62 (the tip in the radial direction of the second gear 42) is approximately aligned with the tooth tip circle of the second gear 42. Each of the second fins 62 is a rectangular parallelepiped protrusion, and the longitudinal direction of the rectangular parallelepiped faces the center of the second gear 42. The longitudinal dimension of the second fin 62 is approximately twice the total tooth depth of the second gear 42. The widthwise dimension of the second fin 62 is such that one tooth 42b of the second gear 42 is hidden. The second fin 62 is formed integrally with the second gear 42. As can be seen from FIG. 2(B), the second fin 62 protrudes from the right side of the second gear 42.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2(A), eight third fins 63 are provided on the left surface 43a of the third gear 43 of the reducer 40. The eight third fins 63 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the third gear 43. The tip of the third fin 63 (the tip in the radial direction of the third gear 43) is approximately aligned with the tooth tip circle of the third gear 43. Each of the third fins 63 is a rectangular parallelepiped protrusion, and the longitudinal direction of the rectangular parallelepiped faces the center of the third gear 43. The longitudinal dimension of the third fin 63 is approximately twice the total tooth depth of the third gear 43. The widthwise dimension of the third fin 63 is such that one tooth 43b of the third gear 43 is hidden. The third fin 63 is formed integrally with the third gear 43. As can be seen from FIG. 2(B), the third fin 63 protrudes from the left side surface of the third gear 43. Four fourth fins 64 are provided on the left surface 44a of the fourth gear 44. The four fourth fins 64 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the fourth gear 44. The tip of the fourth fin 64 (the tip in the radial direction of the fourth gear 44) is approximately aligned with the tooth tip circle of the fourth gear 44. Each of the fourth fins 61 is a rectangular parallelepiped protrusion, and the longitudinal direction of the rectangular parallelepiped faces the center of the fourth gear 44. The longitudinal dimension of the fourth fin 64 is approximately twice the total tooth depth of the fourth gear 44. The widthwise dimension of the fourth fin 64 is such that one tooth 44b of the fourth gear 44 is hidden. The fourth fin 64 is formed integrally with the fourth gear 44. As can be seen from FIG. 2(B), the fourth fin 64 protrudes from the left side surface of the fourth gear 41.

[0020] The first fin 61 to the fourth fin 64 are members for grease lubrication. Grease is applied in advance to the outer circumferential surfaces (tooth surfaces, tooth bases) of the gears 41, 42, 43, and 44. When the first gear 41 and the second gear 42 mesh (rotate), the grease applied to the outer circumferential surfaces of the first gear 41 and the second gear 42 escapes around the first gear 41 and the second gear 42, but in this embodiment, the grease is collected (stirred) according to the rotation of the first gear 41 and the second gear 42, and appropriate grease lubrication is performed. Similarly, when the third gear 43 and the fourth gear 44 mesh (rotate), the grease applied to the outer circumferential surfaces of the third gear 43 and the fourth gear 44 escapes around the third gear 43 and the fourth gear 44, but in this embodiment, the grease is collected (stirred) according to the rotation of the third gear 43 and the fourth gear 44, and appropriate grease lubrication is performed. Grease lubrication will be described later with reference to FIG. 4. Grease is a lubricant for each of the gears 41, 42, 43, and 44. When the first fin 61 to the fourth fin 64 are formed integrally with the first gear 41 to the fourth gear 44, the material of the first fin 61 to the fourth fin 64 is the same as that of the first gear 41 to the fourth gear 44. Therefore, the material of the first fin 61 to the fourth fin 64 is, for example, carbon steel, carbon alloy, cast iron, stainless steel, or the like.

[0021] FIG. 3 shows four inner covers (first inner cover 71, second inner cover 72, third inner cover 73, fourth inner cover 74) provided inside the housing 30. The first inner cover 71 is a cover that surrounds the first gear 41 in a state where the first fin 61 is provided. The second inner cover 72 is a cover that surrounds the second gear 42 in a state where the second fin 62 is provided. The third inner cover 73 is a cover that surrounds the third gear 43 in a state where the third fin 63 is provided. The fourth inner cover 74 is a cover that surrounds the fourth gear 44 in a state where the fourth fin 64 is provided. Each of the inner covers 71 to 74 is a cover that matches the shape of the gears 41 to 44 equipped with the fins 61 to 71, and has approximately the same shape as the outer shape of each of the gears 41 to 44. The inner surface of each of the inner covers 71 to 74 faces the side surface of each of the gears 41 to 44 in the vicinity of the side surface of the gears 41 to 44. Each of the inner covers 71-74 is for retaining the grease applied to each of the gears 41-44 in each of the inner covers 71-74. Each of the inner covers 71-74 can retain the grease in the vicinity (around) of each of the gears 41-44. Since each of the inner covers 71-74 has a shape almost the same as the outer shape of each of the gears 41-44, the grease can be retained in a smaller space than when the gears 41-44 are surrounded by only the housing 30. Each of the inner covers 71-74 forms a closed space inside. In the fourth inner cover 74 located at the bottom, a grease reservoir 56 (FIG. 7) is formed by the grease descending from the third gear 43 located above the fourth gear 44 and the grease descending from the fourth gear 44. In other words, the lower part of the fourth inner cover 74 functions as a lubricant reservoir for retaining the lubricant. In addition, a grease pool is formed in the second inner cover 72 by the grease descending from the first gear 41 located above the second gear 42 and the grease descending from the second gear 42. Each of the inner covers 71 to 74 may be referred to as a gear cover.

[0022] The first inner cover 71 and the second inner cover 72 are connected at a portion where the first gear 41 and the second gear 42 mesh with each other. The third inner cover 73 and the fourth inner cover 74 are connected at a portion where the third gear 43 and the fourth gear 44 mesh with each other. In addition, the left side of the second inner cover 72 and the right side of the third inner cover 73 are also connected. Each of the inner covers 71 to 74 has, for example, a two-part structure. In Fig. 3, the first inner cover 71 and the second inner cover 72 have a structure that can be separated into left and right at the position of the arrow M.

[0023] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining grease lubrication performed by the rotation of the first gear 41 and the second gear 42. As described above, in this embodiment, when the first gear 41 and the second gear 42 are assembled into the first inner cover 71 and the second inner cover 72, grease is applied to the entire circumference of the first gear 41 and the second gear 42. FIG. 4(A), FIG. 4(C), and FIG. 4(E) are diagrams corresponding to FIG. 2(C). In FIG. 2(C), the first inner cover 71 to the fourth inner cover 74 are omitted. FIG. 4(B), FIG. 4(D), and FIG. 4(F) are diagrams corresponding to FIG. 2(B). In FIG. 2(B), the first inner cover 71 to the fourth inner cover 74 are also omitted. FIG. 4(A) and FIG. 4(B) show the same state. FIG. 4(C) and FIG. 4(D) show the same state. FIG. 4(E) and FIG. 4(F) show the same state. Reference symbol J1 indicates the center of the first gear 41, and reference symbol J2 indicates the center of the second gear .

[0024] In Fig. 4(A), when the second gear 42 rotates in the direction of arrow D1 and the first gear 41 rotates in the direction of arrow C1, the rod 52 moves to the right in Fig. 1 (protruding direction). When the second gear 42 rotates in the direction of arrow D2 and the first gear 41 rotates in the direction of arrow C2, the rod 52 moves to the left in Fig. 1 (retracting direction). As the rod 52 of the actuator device 10 moves leftward and rightward in Fig. 1 (arrow B direction), the motor 20 rotates forward and reverse. Fig. 4(A) shows rotations in the directions of arrows C1 and D1 (when the motor 20 rotates forward) and rotations in the directions of arrows C2 and D2 (when the motor 20 rotates reverse).

[0025] As shown in Fig. 4(A), when the first gear 41 rotates in the direction of the arrow C1, the grease applied to the peripheral surfaces of the first gear 41 and the second gear 42 is pushed out of the meshing portion (meshing portion) of the first gear 41 and the second gear 42 as indicated by symbols G11 and G12 in association with the rotation of the first gear 41 and the second gear 42. When the first gear 41 rotates in the direction of the arrow C2, the grease is pushed out of the meshing portion (meshing portion) of the first gear 41 and the second gear 42 as indicated by symbols G21 and G22 in association with the rotation of the first gear 41 and the second gear 42. Fig. 4(B) shows the movement of the grease G21 and G22.

[0026] 4(C) and 4(D) show a state in which the first gear 41 further rotates in the direction of the arrow C1 and the second gear 42 further rotates in the direction of the arrow D1 from the state shown in FIG. 4(A) and FIG. 4(B). As shown in FIG. 4(C), the grease G11 pushed out of the meshing portion between the first gear 41 and the second gear 42 moves (moves upward) into the gap between the first gear 41 and the first inner cover 71 as the first gear 41 rotates. Also, the grease G12 pushed out of the meshing portion between the first gear 41 and the second gear 42 moves (moves downward) into the gap between the second gear 42 and the second inner cover 72 as the second gear 42 rotates. FIG. 4(D) shows the movement of the grease G21 and G22.

[0027] 4(E) and 4(F) show a state in which the first gear 41 has further rotated in the direction of arrow C1 and the second gear 42 has further rotated in the direction of arrow D1 from the state shown in FIG. 4(C) and FIG. 4(D). When the first gear 41 and the second gear 42 return to approximately their original positions as shown in FIG. 4(E), the grease G11 of the first gear 41 is supplied to the meshing portion of the first gear 41 and the second gear 42 by the first fin 61, and the grease G12 of the second gear 42 is supplied to the meshing portion of the first gear 41 and the second gear 42 by the second fin 62. In this way, the grease pushed out from the meshing portion of the first gear 41 and the second gear 42 is efficiently circulated and used without scattering outside the reducer 40 due to the rotation of the first gear 41 and the second gear 42, the inner covers 71 and 72 surrounding the gears 41 and 42, and the fins 61 and 62 provided on the gears, and can lubricate the tooth surfaces of the meshing portions of the gears 41 and 42. The grease pushed out from the meshing portion of the third gear 43 and the fourth gear 44 is efficiently circulated and used due to the rotation of the third gear 43 and the fourth gear 44, and the inner covers 73 and 74 surrounding the gears 43 and 44, and the fins 63 and 64 provided on the gears 43 and 44, and can lubricate the tooth surfaces of the meshing members of the gears 43 and 44. Grease lubrication is performed while the reduction gear 40 is in operation. Moreover, grease lubrication is performed by forward and reverse rotation of the gears 41 to 44 of the reduction gear 40.

[0028] FIG. 5(A) is a left perspective view of the reducer 40, and shows that the third fin 63 is provided on the left side surface of the third gear 43, and the fourth fin 64 is provided on the left side surface of the fourth gear 44. FIG. 5(B) is a right perspective view of the reducer 40, showing that the first fin 61 is provided on the right side surface of the first gear 41, and the second fin 62 is provided on the right side surface of the second gear . 5, each fin is provided on only one of the two sides of each gear, but the fins may be provided on both sides of the gear (for example, the fourth fin 64 may be provided on the right and left sides of the fourth gear 44). In this case, the positions of the fins provided on each gear are adjusted so that they do not collide with each other.

[0029] In conventional gear lubrication structures, grease is applied to the tooth tips and tooth bases of gears when they are assembled, but when the gears rotate and mesh, the grease escapes outward from the meshing parts. In this embodiment, by providing fins for collecting grease on the gears, it is possible to return the escaped grease to the gears and supply grease to the tooth surfaces (grease lubrication). Note that the first fin 61 to the fourth fin 64 collect the escaped grease, and therefore may be referred to as grease collecting members (lubricant collecting members).

[0030] In this embodiment, the inner covers 71 to 74 are provided and serve to retain the grease, so that the housing 30 does not need to retain the grease to be supplied to the gears 41 to 44 of the reducer 40. Therefore, the shape of the housing 30 can be simplified. In the above embodiment, grease is used as the lubricant for the gears 41 to 44, but a lubricant other than grease (for example, oil) may be used.

[0031] According to this embodiment, the gears 41-44 are provided with fins 61-64 for lubricating (collecting) grease, and the grease retaining covers (inner covers) 71-74 are provided to surround the gears 41-44, so that a grease pushing effect can be obtained and efficient grease lubrication is possible. This prevents a decrease in the life of the reducer 40 due to poor grease lubrication, and achieves a long life of the reducer 40. In the above embodiment, the fins 61-64 and the inner covers 71-74 form a gear lubrication structure. The gear lubrication structure is a gear lubrication structure for a gear mechanism provided in the actuator device 10.

[0032] The first embodiment is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration. Modifications that can be applied to the first embodiment will be described below. First Modification 2 are formed integrally with the gears 41 to 44, the fins may be prepared separately from the gears 41 to 44 and attached later to the gears 41 to 44. This configuration will be described as a first modified example with reference to FIG.

[0033] FIG. 6 shows a reducer 140 having fins 161-164 that are attached to the gears 41-44. 6, the first fin 161 is composed of a disk-shaped main body 161a and a protrusion 161b protruding radially outward from the outer periphery of the main body 161a. The main body 161a has a hole 161c for inserting the shaft 46 of the first gear 41. The first fin 161 is attached to the right side surface of the first gear 41. The shape of the protrusion 161b is approximately the same as that of the first fin 61 in FIG. The second fin 162 is composed of a disk-shaped main body 162a and a protrusion 162b protruding radially outward from the outer periphery of the main body 162a. The main body 162a has a hole 162c for inserting the shaft 47 of the second gear 42. The second fin 162 is attached to the right side surface of the second gear 42.

[0034] The third fin 163 is composed of a disk-shaped main body 163a and a protrusion 163b protruding radially outward from the outer periphery of the main body 163a. ​​The main body 163a has a hole 163c for inserting the shaft 47 of the third gear 43. The third fin 163 is attached to the left side surface of the third gear 43. The fourth fin 164 is composed of a disk-shaped main body 164a and a protrusion 164b protruding radially outward from the outer periphery of the main body 164a. The main body 164a has a hole 164c for inserting the shaft 47 of the fourth gear 44. The fourth fin 164 is attached to the left side surface of the fourth gear 44. The first fin 161 to the fourth fin 164 are detachably attached to the first gear 41 to the fourth gear 44, respectively.

[0035] The gear lubrication structure of the reducer 140 shown in Fig. 6 can achieve the same effects as those of the reducer 40 shown in Fig. 2. Furthermore, since the fins are separate, the gears can have their original shape and structure (shape and structure without fins), which reduces the manufacturing costs of the gears.

[0036] Second Variation Fig. 7 shows a second modified example (reference numeral 240) of the reducer 40. In the reducer 240 of Fig. 7, eight first fins 261 are provided on the first gear 41, four second fins (not shown) are provided on the second gear 42, four third fins (not shown) are provided on the third gear 43, and four fourth fins 264 are provided on the fourth gear 44. The fourth fin 264 is shown as seen from the left side. The fins 261 to 264 are integrally formed with the gears 41 to 44. The first fins 261 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the first gear 41. The first fins 261 have a larger radial dimension than the first fin 61 in FIG.

[0037] The second fins 262 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the second gear 42. The second fins 262 have a larger radial dimension than the second fin 62 in FIG. 5(B), and extend to the vicinity of the shaft 47 of the second gear 42. The third fins are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the third gear 43. The third fins have a larger radial dimension than the third fin 63 in FIG. The fourth fins 264 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the fourth gear 44. The fourth fins 264 have a larger radial dimension than the fourth fin 64 in FIG. 5(A), and extend to the vicinity of the shaft 48 of the fourth gear 44. The gear lubrication structure of the reducer 240 shown in Fig. 7 can achieve the same effects as the reducer 40 shown in Fig. 2. Furthermore, it is possible to push out to the outside the grease that has migrated inward.

[0038] Third Modification 8 shows a third modified example (reference numeral 340) of the reducer 40. In the third modified example of the reducer 340, uneven portions 76 are formed on the inner surfaces of the first inner cover 71 to the fourth inner cover 74. In the third modified example, the uneven portions 76 strengthen and improve the lubricating effect of the first fin 61 to the fourth fin 64. Fig. 8(A) is an exploded perspective view of the reducer 340, showing the reducer 340 as viewed from the left side. Fig. 8(B) is an exploded perspective view of the reducer 340 as viewed from the right side. The uneven portion 76 of the third modified example is composed of a plurality of protrusions 71b, 71d, 72b, 73d, and 74d, which will be described later, and flat portions around the protrusions.

[0039] As shown in Fig. 8(A), a protrusion 71b extending in the radial direction of the first inner cover 71 is provided on the right inner surface 71a of the first inner cover 71. In Fig. 8(A), eight protrusions 71b are provided at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of the right inner surface 71a of the first inner cover 71. The protrusions 71b protrude in the -X direction from the right inner surface 71a of the first inner cover 71. The right inner surface 71a of the first inner cover 71 is connected to the right inner surface 72a of the second inner cover 72. A protrusion 72b extending in the radial direction of the second inner cover 72 is provided on the right inner surface 72a of the second inner cover 72. In Fig. 8(A) , four protrusions 72b are provided at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of the second inner cover 72. The protrusions 72b protrude from the right inner surface 72a of the second inner cover 72 in the -X direction.

[0040] 8(B), the left inner surface 71c of the first inner cover 71 is provided with protrusions 71d extending in the radial direction of the left inner surface 71c of the first inner cover 71. In FIG. 8(B), eight protrusions 71d are provided at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of the left inner surface 71c of the first inner cover 71. The protrusions 71d protrude from the left inner surface 71c of the first inner cover 71 in the X direction. The left inner surface 71c of the first inner cover 71 is not connected to the left inner surface 73c of the third inner cover 73, and when viewed in the X direction, the lower part of the left inner surface 71c of the first inner cover 71 is cut out so that it does not overlap with the upper part of the left inner surface 73c of the third inner cover 73.

[0041] The left inner surface 73c of the third inner cover 73 is provided with protrusions 73d extending in the radial direction of the left inner surface 73c of the third inner cover 73. In the example of Fig. 8(B) , eight protrusions 73d are provided at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of the left inner surface 73c of the third inner cover 73. The protrusions 73d protrude in the X direction from the left inner surface 73c of the third inner cover 73. The left inner surface 73c of the third inner cover 73 is connected to the left inner surface 74c of the fourth inner cover 74.

[0042] A protrusion 74d extending in the radial direction of the fourth inner cover 74 is provided on the left inner surface 74c of the fourth inner cover 74. In Fig. 8(B) , four protrusions 74d are provided at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of the left inner surface 74c of the fourth inner cover 74. The protrusions 74d protrude from the left inner surface 74c of the fourth inner cover 74 in the X direction. 8 is composed of fins 61-64, inner covers 71-74, and uneven portion 76. Since the gear lubrication structure of reducer 340 shown in FIG. 8 has uneven portion 76 in inner covers 71-74, it can perform grease collection and lubrication more effectively than reducer 40 shown in FIG. 2.

[0043] The location where the uneven portion 76 is provided is not limited to the location shown in Fig. 8. For example, as shown in Fig. 9, the uneven portion 76 does not have to be provided on the left inner surface 71c of the first inner cover 71 of the reducer 340. In Fig. 9, the uneven portion 76 is provided on the right inner surface 71a of the first inner cover 71, the right inner surface 72a of the second inner cover 72, the left inner surface 73c of the third inner cover 73, and the left inner surface 74c of the fourth inner cover 74. Fig. 9(A) is a left side view of the reducer 340A. Fig. 9(B) is a front view of the reducer 340A and corresponds to Fig. 4(B). Fig. 9(C) is a left side view of the reducer 340A and corresponds to Fig. 4(A).

[0044] Other variations 2, fins 61-64 are provided on all of gears 11-44, but which gears are provided with fins may be determined based on the structure and function of reducer 40. For example, when providing grease lubrication between third gear 43 and fourth gear 44, if providing fourth fin 64 on fourth gear 44 alone can provide sufficient grease lubrication, third gear 43 does not need to be provided with third fin 63. The number of fins provided on each of the gears 41 to 44 may be set according to the number of teeth and size of each gear. Instead of providing the fins on the side surfaces of the gears 41-44, the fins may be provided on the inner surfaces of the inner covers 71-74. Depending on the shape of the housing 30, the inner covers 71 to 74 may not be provided.

[0045] Second embodiment A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 10. In the following description, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described. The same configurations and members as those in the first embodiment will be given the same reference symbols, and descriptions thereof may be omitted. In the second embodiment, the reducer 340A is disposed horizontally. More specifically, the center of the first gear 41, the center of the second gear 42, the center of the third gear 43, and the center of the fourth gear 44 are at the same height. When the reducer 40 is disposed horizontally, the first grease reservoir 53 is formed at the bottom of the first inner cover 71, the second grease reservoir 54 is formed at the bottom of the second inner cover 72, the third grease reservoir 54 is formed at the bottom of the third inner cover 73, and the fourth grease reservoir 56 is formed at the bottom of the fourth inner cover 74. Note that the first fin 61 to the fourth fin 64 are not shown in FIG. 10.

[0046] In the reduction gear 340A of this embodiment, when the first gear 41 rotates, the lower part of the first gear 41 rotates while being immersed in the first grease reservoir 53 formed in the lower part of the first inner cover 71, so that the first gear 41 is sufficiently lubricated with grease. When the second gear 42 rotates, the lower part of the second gear 42 rotates while being immersed in the second grease reservoir 54 formed in the lower part of the second inner cover 72, so that the second gear 42 is sufficiently lubricated with grease. When the third gear 43 rotates, the lower part of the third gear 43 rotates while being immersed in the third grease reservoir 55 formed in the lower part of the third inner cover 73, so that the third gear 43 is sufficiently lubricated with grease. When the fourth gear 44 rotates, the lower part of the fourth gear 44 rotates while being immersed in the fourth grease reservoir 56 formed in the lower part of the fourth inner cover 74, so that the fourth gear 44 is sufficiently lubricated with grease.

[0047] According to the reduction gear 340A of the second embodiment, the first inner cover 71 to the fourth inner cover 74 can hold the grease, as in the first embodiment. In addition, the gears 41 to 44 are provided with fins 61 to 64 for grease lubrication (recovery), and the grease holding covers (inner covers) 71 to 74 are provided to surround the gears 41 to 44, so that a grease extrusion effect can be obtained and efficient grease lubrication is possible. Furthermore, in the reduction gear 340A of the second embodiment, the grease reservoirs 53 to 56 are formed at the lower parts of the inner covers 71 to 74, so that the grease lubrication of the first gear 41 to the fourth gear 44 can be performed more satisfactorily. Therefore, the reduction in the life of the reduction gear 40 due to poor grease lubrication can be prevented, and the life of the reduction gear 340A can be extended. In the above embodiment, the fins 61 to 64, the inner covers 71 to 74, and the grease reservoirs 53 to 56 constitute a gear lubrication structure.

[0048] Third embodiment A reducer 440 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 11. In the following description, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described. The same configurations and members as those in the first embodiment will be given the same reference symbols and descriptions thereof may be omitted. In the third embodiment, fins are provided on the side of the gear, similarly to the first embodiment. Fig. 11 corresponds to Fig. 4(A) and shows only the first gear 41, the first inner cover 71, the second gear 42, and the second inner cover 72. Note that the first fin 61 and the second fin 62 are not shown in Fig. 11.

[0049] In this embodiment, the relative positional relationship between the gears 41 to 44 and the inner covers 71 to 74 surrounding the gears 41 to 44 is changed. In the first embodiment, as can be seen from FIG. 4(A), the center J1 of the first gear 41 and the center of the first inner cover 71 coincide with each other. In addition, the center J2 of the second gear 42 and the center of the second inner cover 72 also coincide with each other, the center J3 of the third gear 43 and the center of the third inner cover 73 also coincide with each other, and the center J4 of the fourth gear 44 and the center of the fourth inner cover 74 also coincide with each other. In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the center J1 of the first gear 41 and the center J11 of the first inner cover 71 do not coincide with each other. More specifically, the center J11 is offset (shifted) downward from the center J1 by a predetermined distance. In addition, the center J22 of the second inner cover 72 is offset upward from the center J2 of the second gear 42 by a predetermined distance. Although not shown, the center of the third inner cover 73 is offset downward a predetermined distance from the center J3 of the third gear 43, and the center of the fourth inner cover 74 is offset upward a predetermined distance from the center J4 of the fourth gear 44.

[0050] That is, in this embodiment, the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the inner cover (gear cover) and the tooth tip circle of the gear is narrowed on the anti-meshing side. By narrowing the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the inner cover and the tooth tip circle of the gear on the anti-meshing side, the grease that has escaped to the outer periphery of the gear is returned to the gear side, and the grease is circulated on the tooth surface, making it possible to efficiently lubricate the tooth surface with grease.

[0051] According to the reduction gear 440 of the third embodiment, in addition to the effects unique to the third embodiment described above, the first inner cover 71 to the fourth inner cover 74 can hold the grease, as in the first embodiment. Also, since the gears 41 to 44 are provided with fins 61 to 64 for lubricating (collecting) grease, and the grease holding covers (inner covers) 71 to 74 are provided to surround the gears 41 to 44, a grease pushing effect can be obtained, enabling efficient grease lubrication. Therefore, a decrease in the life of the reduction gear 440 due to poor grease lubrication can be prevented, and the life of the reduction gear 440 can be extended.

[0052] The third embodiment is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration. Modifications that can be applied to the third embodiment will be described below.

[0053] First Modification In the above-described configuration, the fins are provided on the side surfaces of the gears 41 to 44, but the fins may be provided on the inner surface of the inner cover. The inner surface of the inner cover faces the side surfaces of each gear. This configuration will be described as a first modified example of the third embodiment with reference to FIG. 12. 12(A) shows a first gear 41, a first inner cover 171 surrounding the first gear 41, a second gear 42, and a second inner cover 172 surrounding the second gear 42. First fins 361 and 362 are provided on the inner surface of the first inner cover 171, and second fins 363 and 364 are provided on the inner surface of the second inner cover 172. The right side of the structure in FIG. 12(A) is the same as FIG. 11.

[0054] As shown in Fig. 12(A), the first inner cover 171 is made up of an upper part 171a, a left side part 171b, and a right side part 171c. The gap between the inner surface of the upper part 171a and the first gear 41 is narrow, as in Fig. 11. The left first fin 361 is provided on the inner surface of the left side part 171b of the first inner cover 171. The right first fin 362 is provided on the inner surface of the right side part 171c of the first inner cover 171. The second inner cover 172 is made up of a lower portion 172a, a left side surface portion 172b, and a right side surface portion 172c. The gap between the inner surface of the lower portion 172a and the second gear 42 is narrow, as in FIG. 11. The left second fin 363 is provided on the inner surface of the left side surface portion 172b of the second inner cover 172. The right second fin 364 is provided on the inner surface of the right side surface portion 172c of the second inner cover 172.

[0055] 12(A), the left side surface portion 171b and the right side surface portion 171c of the first inner cover 171 are formed so as to spread downward from the upper portion 171a of the first inner cover 171. More specifically, the left side surface portion 171b is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the left side surface of the first gear 41 so as to move away from the left side surface of the first gear 41. In addition, the right side surface portion 171c is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the right side surface of the first gear 41 so as to move away from the right side surface of the first gear 41. The left side surface portion 172b and the right side surface portion 172c of the second inner cover 172 are formed so as to spread upward from the lower portion 172a of the second inner cover 172. More specifically, the left side surface portion 172b is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the left side surface of the second gear 42 so as to move away from the left side surface of the second gear 42. In addition, the right side surface portion 172c is inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the right side surface of the second gear 41 so as to move away from the right side surface of the second gear 42.

[0056] Therefore, in FIG. 12(A), the gap between the first gear 41 and the inner surface of the first inner cover 171 and the gap between the second gear 42 and the inner surface of the second inner cover 172 are structured so that they are widest around the periphery of the portion where the first gear 41 and the second gear 42 mesh and narrowest on the anti-meshing side. The right side view of the structure in Figure 12(A) is the same as Figure 11, so in this first modified example, whether viewed from the front or from the side, the gap between each gear 41, 42 and the inner surface of the inner cover 171, 172 is widest around the periphery of the part where the first gear 41 and the second gear 42 mesh, and is narrowest on the anti-meshing side.

[0057] Furthermore, the shapes of first fins 361, 362 and second fins 363, 364 in FIG. 12(A) are different from the shapes of the first fin 61 and second fin 62 in the first embodiment. The first fin 361 on the left side is made up of two types of fins, 361a and 361b. The fins 361a and 361b are provided at predetermined positions with a predetermined distance between them. The fin 361a has a base portion that extends vertically from the inner surface of the left side surface portion 171b of the first inner cover 171, and a tip portion T1 that branches into two from the base portion. The base portion is a rectangular plate-shaped member. The tip portion T1 is made up of two rectangular plate-shaped members. The fin 361b has a base portion extending vertically from the inner surface of the left side surface portion 171b of the first inner cover 171, and a tip portion T2 extending obliquely from the base portion. The tip portion T2 is not branched. The base portion is a rectangular plate-shaped member. The tip portion T2 is also a rectangular plate-shaped member. The first fin 362 on the right side has a structure similar to that of the first fin 361 on the left side.

[0058] The second fin 363 on the left side is made of one type of fin. The second fins 363 are provided at predetermined positions with a predetermined interval between them. The second fin 363 extends from the inner surface of the left side surface portion 172b of the second inner cover 172 at a predetermined inclination angle. The second fin 363 is a rectangular plate-shaped member. The rectangular plate of the second fin 363 may be a flat plate or a curved plate. The second fin 364 on the right side has a structure similar to that of the second fin 363 on the left side.

[0059] The first fin 361 to the fourth fin 364 may be made of a flexible material (for example, a resin material or a rubber material). Tips T1 and T2 of a predetermined number of first fins 361 among the plurality of first fins 361 are provided so as to contact the left side surface of the first gear 41. Tips of a predetermined number of second fins 362 among the plurality of second fins 362 are provided so as to contact the right side surface of the first gear 41. Tips of a predetermined number of third fins 363 among the plurality of third fins 363 are provided so as to contact the left side surface of the second gear 41. Tips of a predetermined number of fourth fins 364 among the plurality of fourth fins 364 are provided so as to contact the right side surface of the second gear 41. Since the tips of the first fin 361 to the fourth fin 364 are made of a flexible material, even if they come into contact with the sides of the first gear 41 to the fourth gear 44, the rotation of the first gear 41 to the fourth gear 44 is not impeded and no damage is caused to the first gear 41 to the fourth gear 44.

[0060] The third gear 43, a third inner cover (not shown) surrounding the third gear 43, the fourth gear 44, and a fourth inner cover (not shown) surrounding the fourth gear 44 also have the same structure. That is, a third fin is provided on the inner surface of the third inner cover, and a fourth fin is provided on the inner surface of the fourth inner cover.

[0061] According to the first modified example (FIG. 12(A)), the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the inner cover (gear cover) and the tooth tip circle of the gear is narrowed on the anti-meshing side, so that grease that has escaped to the outer periphery of the gear can be returned to the gear side and circulated to the tooth surface, thereby sufficiently lubricating the tooth surface.

[0062] Although the first fin 361 on the left side is described as being made up of two types of fins, 361a and 361b, the first fin 361 may be made up of only one type of fin (for example, fin 361a). Furthermore, the first fin 362 on the right side is described as being made up of two types of fins, 362a and 362b, but the first fin 362 may be made up of only one type of fin (for example, fin 362a).

[0063] Second Variation In the first modified example described above, the first fins 361 and 362 are provided on the inner surface of the first inner cover 171, and the second fins 363 and 364 are provided on the inner surface of the second inner cover 172. However, the modified examples applicable to the third embodiment are not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 12(A). For example, a configuration as shown in FIG. 12(B) may also be used. The configuration in FIG. 12(B) will be described as the second modified example. In the following description, differences from the first modified example will be mainly described. The right side view of the structure in FIG. 12(B) is the same as FIG. 11.

[0064] As shown in Fig. 12(B), the first inner cover 171 includes an upper portion 171a, a first left side portion 171b, a second left side portion 171d, a first right side portion 171c, and a second right side portion 171e. The first left side portion 171b is the same as the left side portion 171b in Fig. 12(A), and the first right side portion 171c is the same as the right side portion 171c in Fig. 12(A). The second left side portion 171d is located inside the first left side portion 171b and is a member parallel to the left side surface of the first gear 41. The second right side portion 171e is located inside the first right side portion 171c and is a member parallel to the right side surface of the first gear 41.

[0065] In Fig. 12(B), the first fin 361 on the left side is not provided on the first left side surface portion 171b, but is provided on the second left side surface portion 171d. Also, the first fin 362 on the right side is not provided on the first right side surface portion 171c, but is provided on the second left side surface portion 171e. The first fin 361 and the second fin 362 in Fig. 12(B) are the same as the first fin 361 and the second fin 362 in Fig. 12(A).

[0066] The gap between the inner surface of the upper portion 171a and the first gear 41 is narrow, similar to the configuration shown in FIG. According to the second modified example (FIG. 12(B)), the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the inner cover (gear cover) and the tooth tip circle of the gear is narrowed on the non-meshing side, so that the grease that has escaped to the outer periphery of the gear is returned to the gear side, and the grease can be efficiently circulated to lubricate the tooth surface. In addition, the first fins 361, 362 are provided on the second left side member 171d and the second right side member 171e located near the side surface of the first gear 41 and facing the side surface, so that the first fins 361, 362 can efficiently collect the grease of the first gear 41. The second fins 363, 364 are provided on the second left side member 172d and the second right side member 172e located near the side surface of the second gear 41 and facing the side surface, so that the second fins 363, 364 can efficiently collect the grease of the second gear 42.

[0067] Third Modification A third modified example will be described with reference to Fig. 12(C) In the configuration of Fig. 12(C), second fins 363 and 364 are removed from the configuration of Fig. 12(B). Depending on the structure of the reducer and the rotational speed of the gears, it may be possible to reduce the number of fins for grease lubrication compared to those shown in Figs. 12(A) and 12(B). In the third modified example (Figure 12(C)), the gap between the inner surface of the inner cover (gear cover) and the tooth tip circle of the gear is narrowed on the anti-meshing side, so that grease that has escaped to the outer periphery of the gear can be returned to the gear side and circulated to the tooth surface to lubricate the tooth surface.

[0068] As described above, in the first to third embodiments (including the modified examples of each embodiment), fins (members) 61 to 64 for collecting the grease (lubricant) applied to the gears 41 to 44 are provided on the side surfaces of the gears 41 to 44 of the speed reducer (gear mechanism) 40 or on the inner surfaces of the inner covers 71 to 74 that cover the gears 41 to 44. When fins for grease lubrication are provided on the side surfaces of the gears 41 to 44, the grease is collected (stirred) by the rotation of the gears 41 to 44, so that the gears 41 to 44 can be efficiently lubricated with grease. Further, by providing the grease lubrication fins 61 to 64 and the grease holding covers 71 to 74 on the gears 41 to 44, an extrusion effect can be obtained and efficient grease lubrication is possible. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the life due to poor grease lubrication of the gear reduction mechanism and achieve a long life. The fins 61 to 64 for grease lubrication can collect (stir) the grease by the rotation of the gears 41 to 44 and perform grease lubrication on the gears 41 to 44. In addition, since the inner covers 71 to 74 adapted to the gear shape are provided inside the housing 30 of the actuator device, the inner covers 71 to 74 can hold the grease and a grease reservoir can also be configured. By providing the inner covers 71 to 74, the shapes of the housing body 31 and the outer cover 32 can be simplified. If the uneven portions 76 are provided on the inner surfaces of the inner covers 71 to 74, the grease collecting effect of the fins 61 to 64 can be improved.

[0069] Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modified examples. In the above-described embodiment, the speed reducer 40 is composed of four gears 41 to 44, but the number of gears (that is, the number of reduction stages) is not limited to that shown in the figure. Further, the gears 41 to 44 are not limited to spur gears. In the above-described embodiment, the first gear 41 and the second gear 42 are arranged in one plane, and the third gear 43 and the fourth gear 44 are arranged in another plane. However, depending on the number of gears of the speed reducer 40, a plurality of gears may be arranged in one plane or may be arranged in three or more planes.

[0070] The number and positions of the grease lubrication fins 61-64 are not limited to those described in the above embodiment. In other words, the number of grease lubrication fins 61-64 provided on the gears 41-44 may be changed or adjusted depending on the number of teeth of the gears 41-44 and the size of the gears 41-44. The number of grease lubrication fins 61 to 64 may be increased or decreased depending on the number of grease lubrication fins of the mating gear that meshes with the gear. The shape of the grease lubrication fins may be changed or adjusted depending on the conditions of use.

[0071] Since the role of the grease lubrication fins 61-64 is to collect grease (lubricant) and lubricate the gear tooth surfaces with the grease, the grease lubrication fins 61-64 can be said to be members for collecting lubricant. In other words, since the grease lubrication fins 61-64 collect the grease that comes off the tooth surfaces of the gears 41-44 and return it to the gear tooth surfaces, they may also be called grease collecting members. The above-described gear lubrication structure is applied to the speed reducers (gear mechanisms for reducing speed) 40, 140, 240, and 340, but the gear lubrication structure of the present invention can also be applied to gear mechanisms for increasing speed. Furthermore, the gear lubrication structure of the present invention can also be applied to devices (devices equipped with gear mechanisms) other than speed reducers and speed increasers. The first to third embodiments and their modified examples may be appropriately combined within a range that does not contradict each other. For example, the material of the fins in the first embodiment may be the material (flexible material) employed in the third embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 10...Actuator device 20…Motor 30…Housing 40...Reduction gear (gear reduction mechanism) 41…1st gear 42…Second gear 43…Third gear 44…4th gear 50...Linear actuator 53…First grease reservoir 54…Second grease reservoir 55…Third grease reservoir 56…Fourth grease reservoir 61…First fin 62…Second fin 63…Third fin 64…Fourth fin 71…First inner cover (gear cover) 71b…Convex part 72…Second inner cover (gear cover) 72b…Convex part 73…Third inner cover (gear cover) 73b…Convex part 74…4th inner cover (gear cover) 74b…Convex part 76…Uneven part 140...Reduction gear (gear reduction mechanism) 161…First Fin 162…Second fin 163…Third fin 164…Fourth fin 171…First inner cover (gear cover) 172…Second inner cover (gear cover) 240...Reduction gear (gear reduction mechanism) 261…First Fin 262…Second fin 264…Fourth Fin 340, 340A...Reduction gear (gear reduction mechanism) 361…First fin on the left 362…First fin on the right 363…Second fin on the left 364…Second fin on the right 440...Reduction gear (gear reduction mechanism) G1…Grease G2…Grease

Claims

1. A gear lubrication structure for a gear mechanism provided in an actuator device, the gear lubrication structure comprising a member for recovering lubricant applied to the gear on a side of the gear of the gear mechanism or on an inner surface of a cover covering the gear.

2. The gear lubrication structure according to claim 1 , wherein the member collects the lubricant in response to rotation of the gear.

3. The gear lubrication structure according to claim 1 , wherein the member is provided on one or both of two side surfaces of the gear.

4. 2. The gear lubrication structure according to claim 1, wherein the material of said member is the same as that of said gear.

5. 2. The gear lubrication structure according to claim 1, wherein the material of the member is a flexible material.

6. 2. The gear lubrication structure of claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the cover is adjacent to and faces a side surface of the gear.

7. The gear lubrication structure according to claim 1 , wherein the member is detachably attached to the gear.

8. 2. The gear lubrication structure of claim 1, wherein said member is integrally formed with said gear.

9. 7. The gear lubrication structure according to claim 6, wherein the member is provided on a side surface of the gear, and an inner surface of the cover has an uneven portion.

10. 2. The gear lubrication structure according to claim 1, wherein the member is provided for each of all the gears of the gear mechanism.

11. 2. The gear lubrication structure according to claim 1, wherein the cover is provided for each of all the gears in the gear mechanism.

12. The gear lubrication structure according to claim 1 , wherein the cover defines a closed space, and a lower portion of the closed space functions as a lubricant reservoir for retaining the lubricant.

13. 2. The gear lubrication structure according to claim 1, wherein a center of the cover is offset from a center of the gear, and a gap between a tooth tip of the gear and the cover facing the tooth tip is narrower on a non-meshing side when viewed from the meshing gear of the gear mechanism.

14. A motor; a gear mechanism coupled to the motor; A gear lubrication structure according to any one of claims 1 to 13, a driven part that is driven by receiving a rotational driving force from the motor via the gear mechanism; An actuator device having

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