Actuator

Abstract

To provide an actuator which is excellent in maintainability and permits operation of a driving target when a failure occurs.SOLUTION: An actuator 1 is used to rotate a panel support body as a driving target, with driving force from an electric motor M as a driving source. The actuator includes: a first assembly 10 which includes the electric motor M and an output member 18 rotationally driven by the electric motor M; and a second assembly 20 which includes a rotary member 25 that is coupled to a supported member 116 of the panel support body and is detachably coupled in an axial direction to the output member 18 in a manner rotating integrally with the output member 18, and to which the first assembly 10 is detachably fixed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an actuator that operates a driven object by a driving force from a drive source.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a lifting device for a walking beam used in a steel mill or the like, there is known one including a travel beam, an eccentric tire for lifting the travel beam, a split-type drive gear coaxially attached to the rotation axis of the eccentric tire, and a spur gear attached to a drive shaft so as to mesh with the split-type drive gear (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The split-side drive gear of this lifting device includes a boss locked to the rotation axis of the eccentric tire, a flange portion extending outward from the outer periphery of the boss, and a large-diameter annular gear detachably attached to the flange portion via a connecting member such as a bolt. Thereby, by removing the connecting member and shifting the annular gear in a direction that does not interfere with the bearings of the rotation axis and the drive shaft and extracting it from the rotation axis, it becomes possible to replace the worn annular gear without removing peripheral devices such as the bearings.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in an actuator that operates a driven object by a driving force from a drive source, it is required to improve maintainability and to be able to move the driven object even when the actuator fails. Therefore, it is conceivable to adopt a split structure as described in Patent Document 1 for the actuator as well, but Patent Document 1 does not disclose or suggest a suitable split structure for the actuator.

[0005] Therefore, the primary objective of this disclosure is to provide an actuator that offers excellent maintainability and allows the operation of the driven object to continue in the event of a failure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The actuator of this disclosure is an actuator that operates a drive object by a driving force from a drive source, and includes a first assembly including the drive source and an output member that is rotationally driven by the drive source, and a second assembly that includes a rotating member that is connected to the drive object and is detachably connected in the axial direction to the output member so as to rotate integrally with the output member, and to which the first assembly is detachably fixed.

[0007] The actuator of this disclosure includes a first assembly and a second assembly to which the first assembly is detachably fixed. The first assembly includes a drive source and an output member that is rotationally driven by the drive source, and the second assembly includes a rotating member that is connected to a drive object and is detachably connected in the axial direction to the output member of the first assembly so as to rotate integrally with the output member of the first assembly. As a result, the first assembly can be removed from the second assembly, which is connected to the drive object via the rotating member, by releasing the fixing of the first and second assemblies to each other and separating the first and second assemblies in the axial direction of the output member and the rotating member. Furthermore, the first assembly can be easily attached to the second assembly by bringing the first and second assemblies closer together in the axial direction so that the output member is connected to the rotating member and fixing them together.Therefore, for example, in the event of a failure of the drive source, the first assembly can be easily and quickly replaced.In addition, even if the drive object cannot be operated by power from the drive source due to a failure or the like, the drive object can be moved manually because the rotation of the rotating member is allowed by removing the first assembly from the second assembly. As a result, the actuator of this disclosure improves maintainability and allows the operation of the driven object to continue even when the actuator fails. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the actuator in use according to this disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the actuator of this disclosure. [Figure 3] This is a partial cross-sectional view showing an actuator in this disclosure. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view along the line IV-IV in Figure 3. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing an output member included in the actuator of this disclosure. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view along the line VI-VI in Figure 3. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view showing a rotating member included in the actuator of this disclosure. [Figure 8] This is a perspective view showing the first assembly and the second assembly of the actuator of this disclosure separated. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Next, with reference to the drawings, embodiments for carrying out the invention of this disclosure will be described.

[0010] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the actuator 1 of the present disclosure in use, Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the actuator 1, and Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the actuator 1. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the actuator 1 is used to rotate a panel support 100, which is a driven object supporting a panel P used in a vehicle V, such as a solar panel or an awning installed on a camper van, relative to the vehicle body B of the vehicle V. The panel support 100 includes a metal frame 110 to which the panel P is fixed, and the frame 110 includes a first side portion 111, a second side portion 112, a third side portion 113 and a fourth side portion 114 that form a rectangular outer frame, and a beam 115.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the first and second sides 111 and 112 have the same longitudinal length and extend parallel to each other at intervals. The third side 113 has a shorter longitudinal length than the first and second sides 111 and 112 and extends perpendicularly to both sides between the ends of the first and second sides 111 and 112. The fourth side 114 has the same longitudinal length as the third side 113 and extends perpendicularly to both sides between the other ends of the first and second sides 111 and 112. The beam 115 is erected between the longitudinal center of the first side 111 and the longitudinal center of the second side 112 and extends parallel to the third and fourth sides 113 and 114. Such a frame 110 may be formed integrally by machining or the like, or it may be formed by joining multiple rods by welding or fastening them together with multiple bolts. Furthermore, the upper surfaces of the first to fourth sides 111-114 and the beam 115 in Figure 1 are formed to be flat (flush), and the panel P is fixed to these upper surfaces of the first to fourth sides 111-114 and the beam 115 via bolts or the like (not shown).

[0012] Furthermore, the panel support 100 includes two supported members 116, each connected to a corresponding actuator 1. Each supported member 116 is formed in a rod shape, for example from metal, and has a cylindrical portion 116t at one end to serve as a supported part. As shown in Figure 1, one of the two supported members 116 is fixed to the lower surface of the first and second sides 111 and 112 in the figure by welding or bolting, such that the cylindrical portion 116t protrudes from the first side 111 towards the vehicle body B between the third side 113 and the beam 115 in the extending direction of the first and second sides 111 and 112. Furthermore, the other of the two supported members 116 is fixed to the lower surface of the first and second sides 111 and 112 in the diagram by welding or bolts, such that the cylindrical portion 116t protrudes from the first side 111 toward the vehicle body B between the fourth side 114 and the beam 115 in the extending direction of the first and second sides 111 and 112. In addition, the portions of each supported member 116 other than the cylindrical portion 116t extend parallel to the third and fourth sides 113 and 114 from the base of the corresponding cylindrical portion 116t to the second side 112, and function as beams of the frame 110.

[0013] Furthermore, the portion of the supported member 116 that functions as a beam, i.e., the portion other than the cylindrical portion 116t, may be formed integrally with the frame 110. In this case, the cylindrical portion 116t may be formed integrally with the first side portion 111 so as to protrude toward the vehicle body B side in the vicinity of the beam. Alternatively, only the cylindrical portion 116t may be formed integrally with the first side portion 111, and a beam manufactured separately from the frame 110 may be installed between the vicinity of the cylindrical portion 116t on the first side portion 111 and the second side portion 112.

[0014] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the actuator 1 includes a first assembly 10 which includes an electric motor (e.g., a DC motor) M as a drive source that generates a driving force (rotational torque) to rotate the panel support 100 (frame 110) as the object to be driven, and a second assembly 20 which is detachably fixed to the first assembly 10 and connected to one of the two supported members 116 of the panel support 100. Also, as shown in Figure 3, the first assembly 10 includes a first housing 11 and a reduction mechanism 15, and the second assembly 20 includes a second housing 22 and a rotating member 25.

[0015] The first housing 11 of the first assembly 10 includes a housing body 12 and a cover 13. The housing body 12 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, for example, from metal, and includes a motor support portion 121 to which an electric motor M is fixed, a thin-walled cylindrical body portion 123 extending from the motor support portion 121 on the side opposite to the electric motor M, and an annular flange portion 125 extending radially outward from the end of the body portion 123 (right end in Figure 3). Multiple bolt holes are formed in the flange portion 125 at intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0016] The cover 13 is made of, for example, metal and includes a cylindrical portion 131 that is smaller in diameter and shorter in length than the body portion 123 of the housing body 12, and an annular flange portion 135 that extends radially outward from the end of the cylindrical portion 131 (the right end in Figure 3). The flange portion 135 has the same outer diameter as the flange portion 125 of the housing body 12, and a plurality of bolt holes are formed in the flange portion 135 at intervals in the circumferential direction. The cylindrical portion 131 of the cover 13 is inserted into the body portion 123 such that the flange portion 135 abuts against the flange portion 125 of the housing body 12, and the cover 13 is locked to the housing body 12 via positioning pins or the like (not shown). The flange portion 125 of the housing body 12 and the flange portion 135 of the cover 13 are detachably fixed (fastened) to the second housing 22 of the second assembly 20 via a plurality of bolts 14.

[0017] The reduction mechanism 15 is a cycloidal reduction mechanism (internal planetary gear mechanism) that reduces the rotation of a rotor (not shown) of an electric motor M and amplifies the rotational torque from the electric motor M, and includes an eccentric shaft 16, an input gear (driving member) 17, an output member (driven member) 18, and an Oldham coupling member 19. The eccentric shaft 16 of the reduction mechanism 15 is fixed to a rotor (not shown) of the electric motor M and is rotationally driven by the electric motor M around the axis A0 (see Figure 3) of the rotor. In this embodiment, the eccentric shaft 16 is made of metal, for example, and includes a short cylindrical first supported portion 161 that extends coaxially with the axis A0 of the electric motor M (rotor), a short cylindrical second supported portion 162 that extends coaxially with the axis A0 of the electric motor M on the side opposite to the electric motor M of the first supported portion 161, and an eccentric portion 163 formed between the first and second supported portions 161 and 162 in the axial direction.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 3, the first supported portion 161 of the eccentric shaft 16 is rotatably supported by the motor support portion 121 of the housing body 12 via a bearing Br1 such as a ball bearing. Further, the second supported portion 162 of the eccentric shaft 16 is rotatably supported by the cylindrical portion 131 of the cover 13 via a bearing Br2 or the like such as a ball bearing. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the eccentric portion 163 of the eccentric shaft 16 is formed in a columnar shape having a larger diameter than the first and second supported portions 161 and 162, and the axis A3 of the eccentric portion 163 is separated from the common axis A0 of the electric motor M, the first and second supported portions 161 and 162 by a predetermined distance (eccentric amount) a in the radial direction.

[0019] The input gear 17 of the speed reduction mechanism 15 is, for example, an external gear gear made of metal including a plurality of external teeth 17t having, for example, a trochoidal curve tooth profile. Further, the input gear 17 has an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the eccentric portion 163 of the eccentric shaft 16 and has a central hole 173 (see FIG. 4) centered on the axis of the input gear 17 (a plurality of external teeth 17t), and the eccentric portion 163 of the eccentric shaft 16 is fitted into the central hole 173. Thereby, the input gear 17 is supported so as to be eccentric with respect to the axis A0 of the electric motor M and the first and second supported portions 161 and 162 by the eccentric shaft 16 (eccentric portion 163). Further, from one end in the axial direction of the input gear 17 (the left end in FIG. 3), an annular flange portion 175 (see FIG. 3) having a larger diameter than the tooth tip circle of the plurality of external teeth 17t extends outward in the radial direction.

[0020] The output member 18 of the speed reduction mechanism 15 is formed of, for example, metal and includes an internal gear portion 181, an intermediate portion 183, and a connecting end portion 185 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. The internal gear portion 181 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and a larger number of internal teeth 18t than the plurality of external teeth 17t of the input gear 17 are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the internal gear portion 181. Each of the plurality of internal teeth 18t has, for example, a trochoidal curve tooth profile and meshes with a part of the plurality of external teeth 17t of the input gear 17. The intermediate portion 183 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape having a smaller diameter than the internal gear portion 181 and extends coaxially with the internal gear portion 181 so as to open from an annular wall portion 182 formed at an end portion (the right end in FIG. 3) of the internal gear portion 181 toward the plurality of internal teeth 18t. The connecting end portion 185 extends coaxially with the internal gear portion 181 and the intermediate portion 183 from a closed end portion 184 of the intermediate portion 183, and serrations (a plurality of serration teeth) 185s, which are a kind of spline, are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the connecting end portion 185 so as to extend in the axial direction of the output member 18. In the present embodiment, the serrations 185s of the connecting end portion 185 are involute serrations that allow torque transmission in the rotational direction of the connecting end portion 185 and allow relative movement, that is, attachment and detachment, between the connecting end portion 185 and the mating part in the axial direction of the output member 18.

[0021] Also, as shown in FIG. 3, a bearing Br2 that supports the second supported portion 162 of the eccentric shaft 16 is disposed inside the intermediate portion 183 of the output member 18. Further, the intermediate portion 183 is rotatably supported by a cylindrical portion 131 of the cover 13 via a bearing Br3 such as a ball bearing around the axis A0 of the electric motor M and the first and second supported portions 161, 162. That is, the bearing Br2 and the bearing Br3 are disposed in the first housing 11 so as to overlap in the axial direction when viewed from the radial direction. Thereby, it is possible to support the second supported portion 162 of the eccentric shaft 16 and the intermediate portion 183 of the output member 18 coaxially and rotatably by the first housing 11 while suppressing an increase in the axial length of the first assembly 10 and thus the actuator 1.

[0022] The Oldham coupling member 19 of the reduction gear mechanism 15 is made of metal, for example, and as shown in Figure 6, includes a body 191, a central hole 193 formed in the body 191, a pair of keys 19k protruding from the outer circumference of the body 191, and a pair of guide grooves 19g formed in the body 191. The central hole 193 of the Oldham coupling member 19 is a circular hole having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the eccentric portion 163 of the eccentric shaft 16, and the eccentric portion 163 is loosely fitted into the central hole 193. The pair of keys 19k are formed symmetrically with respect to the central hole 193 (the center of the Oldham coupling member 19) so as to protrude in opposite directions from the body 191 along a predetermined first direction d1 (up and down direction in Figures 3 and 6). A pair of guide grooves 19g are formed in the main body 191 symmetrically with respect to the central hole 193 (center of the Oldham joint member 19) so as to extend along a second direction d2 (left-right direction in Figure 6) that is perpendicular to the first direction d1.

[0023] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the motor support portion 121 of the housing body 12 has a recess 121r and a pair of guide grooves 121g formed therein for supporting the Oldham coupling member 19. The recess 121r is formed so as to be able to movably accommodate the body 191 of the Oldham coupling member 19. The pair of guide grooves 121g are formed in the housing body 12 symmetrically with respect to the axis A0 of the electric motor M (rotor), and each extends along the first direction d1 and is continuous with the recess 121r. In addition, the flange portion 175 of the input gear 17 has a pair of keys 17k formed symmetrically with respect to the central hole 173 (center of the input gear 17). Each key 17k protrudes from the outer circumference of the flange portion 175 to the side opposite to the multiple external teeth 17t (left side in Figure 3, back side in Figure 6).

[0024] The main body 191 of the Oldham coupling member 19 is positioned within the recess 121r of the motor support portion 121, and each key 19k is slidably positioned within the corresponding guide groove 121g of the motor support portion 121. As a result, the Oldham coupling member 19 is slidably supported by the housing body 12, i.e., the first housing 11, along the first direction d1. Furthermore, each key 19k is supported from both sides in the second direction d2 by the motor support portion 121, thereby restricting the relative movement between the Oldham coupling member 19 and the housing body 12 (first housing 11) in the second direction d2. In addition, each key 17k of the input gear 17 is slidably positioned within the corresponding guide groove 19g of the Oldham coupling member 19.

[0025] As a result, the input gear 17 becomes slidable along the second direction d2 relative to the Oldham coupling member 19 and the housing body 12 (first housing 11). Furthermore, each key 17k is supported from both sides in the first direction d1 by the body 191 of the Oldham coupling member 19, thereby restricting the relative movement between the input gear 17 and the Oldham coupling member 19 in the first direction d1. Consequently, the input gear 17 becomes slidable along the first direction d1 as an integral part of the Oldham coupling member 19. In other words, the input gear 17 is supported by the housing body 12 (first housing 11) via the Oldham coupling member 19 so as to be movable in both the first direction d1 and the second direction d2.

[0026] In this reduction mechanism 15, when the eccentric shaft 16 is rotationally driven by the electric motor M and rotates around the axis A0, the inner surface of the central hole 173 of the input gear 17 is pressed by the eccentric portion 163 of the eccentric shaft 16. As a result, the input gear 17 revolves around the axis A0, which is the axis of rotation of the eccentric shaft 16, with some of its multiple external teeth 17t meshing with some of its multiple internal teeth 18t, and the output member 18 rotates on its own at an extremely low speed. Consequently, the rotational torque transmitted from the electric motor M to the eccentric shaft 16 is amplified by the reduction mechanism 15 and transmitted to the output member 18. Here, if the number of teeth of the external teeth 17t of the input gear 17 is Zi and the number of teeth of the internal teeth 18t of the output member 18 is Zo, then the reduction ratio γ of the reduction mechanism 15 can be expressed as γ = Zi / (Zo - Zi). Therefore, in the reduction mechanism 15, the reduction ratio γ can be increased by increasing the number of teeth on the external teeth 17t of the input gear 17 (preferably to Zo-Zi=1).

[0027] On the other hand, the second housing 22 of the second assembly 20 is formed of, for example, metal, and as shown in Figures 2 and 3, includes a bottom portion 220 and a first wall portion 221 and a second wall portion 222 extending from the bottom portion 220, respectively. In this embodiment, the bottom portion 220 is formed in the shape of a flat plate and is fixed to, for example, the roof portion of the vehicle body B of the vehicle V via bolts (not shown). The first wall portion 221 extends from the bottom portion 220 perpendicular to the bottom portion 220 and has a plurality of screw holes 223 into which the aforementioned bolts 14 are screwed. The second wall portion 222 extends from the bottom portion 220 perpendicular to the bottom portion 220 and faces the first wall portion 221 at a predetermined distance.

[0028] The rotating member 25 of the second assembly 20 is formed of, for example, metal and includes a first end 251, a second end 252, and an intermediate portion 253, as shown in Figures 3 and 7. The first end 251 is formed in a relatively short, bottomed cylindrical shape and has a connecting hole 255 into which the connecting end 185 of the output member 18 of the first assembly 10 is detachably serrated. That is, serrations (multiple serrated grooves) 255s that engage with the serrations 185s of the connecting end 185 are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the first end 251 that defines the connecting hole 255, extending in the axial direction of the rotating member 25. The serrations 255s of the connecting hole 255 are also involute serrations that allow torque transmission in the rotational direction of the connecting end 185 and allow relative movement, i.e., attachment and detachment, between the first end 251 (connecting hole 255) and the mating connecting end 185 in the axial direction of the rotating member 25. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the first end portion 251 is rotatably supported by the second housing 22 via a bearing Br4, such as a ball bearing, which is placed in a bearing hole 224 formed in the first wall portion 221.

[0029] The second end 252 of the rotating member 25 is formed in a relatively short cylindrical shape with an outer diameter smaller than that of the first end 251, and extends coaxially with the first end 251 on the opposite side of the first end 251. As shown in Figure 3, the second end 252 is supported by the second housing 22 so as to be coaxial and rotatable with the first end 251 via a bearing Br5 such as a ball bearing, which is placed in a bearing hole 225 formed in the second wall 222. The intermediate portion 253 of the rotating member 25 has an axial length corresponding to the distance between the first and second wall portions 221, 222 of the second housing 22, and extends coaxially with the first and second ends 251, 252. As shown in Figure 7, the intermediate portion 253 is formed to have a smaller diameter than the first end portion 251 and a larger diameter than the second end portion 252, and serrations (multiple serrated teeth) 253s are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate portion 253 so as to extend in the axial direction of the rotating member 25. In this embodiment, the serrations 253s of the intermediate portion 253 are also involute serrations as described above.

[0030] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the cylindrical portion 116t of the supported member 116 of the panel support 100, which is the object to be driven, is connected (fixed) to the intermediate portion 253 of the rotating member 25 so as to rotate together. When connecting the supported member 116 to the rotating member 25, the cylindrical portion 116t of the supported member 116 is inserted into the second housing 22 through an opening 227 defined between the first and second wall portions 221 and 222. Furthermore, the rotating member 25 is assembled to the second housing 22 so as to penetrate the cylindrical portion 116t from the first wall portion 221 side. This makes it possible to easily assemble the rotating member 25, i.e., the second assembly 20, to the cylindrical portion 116t, i.e., the panel support 100, via the serrations 253s.

[0031] The second housing 22 of the second assembly 20 is fixed to the vehicle body B (roof, etc.) of the vehicle V as described above, and together with the rotating member 25 and the corresponding supported members 116 of the panel support 100, it forms a hinge mechanism. As a result, in the vehicle V shown in Figure 1, by operating the electric motor M of each actuator 1 to rotate the eccentric shaft 16, the rotational torque from the electric motor M is amplified by the reduction mechanism 15 and transmitted from the output member 18 to the rotating member 25, making it possible to rotate the supported members 116, i.e., the frame 110 and the panel P fixed to the frame 110, to any angle relative to the vehicle body B. In addition, in this embodiment, the second housing 22 and the cylindrical portion 116t (hinge mechanism) are formed so that the supported members 116 (frame 110) can be rotated by 180° relative to the second housing 22 (vehicle body B). Therefore, in vehicle V, the two actuators 1 can rotate the frame 110 and panel P toward the vehicle body B and store them on the vehicle body B (roof section), and also rotate the frame 110 and panel P so that they extend horizontally from the vehicle body B.

[0032] As described above, the actuator 1 includes a first assembly 10 and a second assembly 20 to which the first assembly 10 is detachably fixed via a plurality of bolts 14. The first assembly 10 also includes an electric motor M as a drive source and an output member 18 that is rotationally driven by the electric motor M. Furthermore, the second assembly 20 includes a rotating member 25 that is connected to a supported member 116 of the panel support 100 as the object to be driven, and is detachably connected in the axial direction to the output member 18 of the first assembly 10 so as to rotate integrally with the output member 18.

[0033] This allows the first assembly 10 to be removed from the second assembly 20, which is connected to the supported member 116 of the panel support 100 via the rotating member 25, by loosening the multiple bolts 14 to release the fixing of the first and second assemblies 10 and 20 to each other, and by separating the first and second assemblies 20 in the axial direction (extending direction of the axis A0) of the output member 18 and the rotating member 25, as shown in Figure 8. Furthermore, by bringing the first and second assemblies 20 closer together in the axial direction so that the output member 18 is connected to the rotating member 25 and fixing them to each other with multiple bolts 14, the first assembly 10 can be easily attached to the second assembly 20. Therefore, for example, in the event of a failure of the electric motor M or the reduction mechanism 15, the first assembly 10 can be easily and quickly replaced. Furthermore, even if the panel support 100 cannot be rotated relative to the vehicle body B by the driving force from the electric motor M due to a failure of the electric motor M or the reduction mechanism 15, the rotation (free spinning) of the rotating member 25 is permitted by removing the first assembly 10 from the second assembly 20, so the panel support 100 can be rotated manually. As a result, the actuator 1 improves maintainability and allows the operation of the panel support 100 as the target of the drive in the event of a failure of the actuator 1.

[0034] Furthermore, the output member 18 includes a connecting end 185 having serrations (a type of spline) 185s formed on its outer circumferential surface so as to extend in the axial direction, and the rotating member 25 includes a connecting hole 255 into which the connecting end 185 of the output member 18 is serrated (spline fitted). This makes it possible to connect the output member 18 and the rotating member 25 so as to rotate together, while allowing them to be easily attached and detached.

[0035] Furthermore, the first assembly 10 includes a first housing 11 that rotatably supports the output member 18, and the second assembly 20 includes a second housing 22 that rotatably supports the rotating member 25 and to which the first housing 11 is detachably fixed. The rotating member 25 also includes a first end 251 having a connecting hole 255 and being rotatably supported on the first assembly 10 side by a first wall portion 221 of the second housing 22 via a bearing B4, a second end 252 being rotatably supported on the opposite side from the first assembly 10 side by a second wall portion 222 of the second housing 22 via a bearing B5, and an intermediate portion 253 that is smaller in diameter than the first end 251 and larger in diameter than the second end 252 and extends axially between the first and second ends 251 and 252. Furthermore, the supported member 116 (cylindrical portion 116t) of the panel support 100, which is the object to be driven, is connected (fixed) to the intermediate portion 253 of the rotating member 25 via an opening 227 between the first and second wall portions 221 and 222. This makes it possible to stably support the rotating member 25 with the second housing 22 and to ensure good assembly of the second assembly 20 to the supported member 116 of the panel support 100.

[0036] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the supported member 116 of the panel support 100 is fixed to or integrated with the frame 110 that supports the panel P used in the vehicle V. In addition, the second housing 22 of the second assembly 20 forms a hinge mechanism together with the supported member 116, whose cylindrical portion 116t at one end is connected (fixed) to the intermediate portion 253 of the rotating member 25. This makes it possible to rotatably support the panel support 100 as the drive target with the second housing 22 while reducing the number of parts. In addition, by fixing the bottom portion 220 of the second housing 22 to the vehicle body B of the vehicle V, the frame 110 can be rotatably attached to the vehicle body B and the actuator 1 can rotate the frame 110 relative to the vehicle body B. However, the drive target of the actuator 1 may be other in-vehicle equipment other than the panel support 100, or it may be an element other than in-vehicle equipment.

[0037] Furthermore, the first assembly 10 includes a reduction mechanism 15 that reduces the rotation of the electric motor M, amplifies the rotational torque from the electric motor M, and transmits it to the output member 18. This makes it possible to output a large torque from the output member 18 to the rotating member 25 while suppressing the need to increase the size of the electric motor M. Note that the drive source of the actuator 1 is not limited to the electric motor M; the actuator 1 may also be a hydraulic actuator that includes, for example, a hydraulic motor (oscillating motor) as a drive source.

[0038] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the reduction mechanism 15 includes an input gear 17 having a plurality of external teeth 17t that mesh with a portion of a plurality of internal teeth 18t formed on the output member 18, an eccentric shaft 16 that supports the input gear 17 eccentrically with respect to the output member 18 and is rotationally driven by an electric motor M, and an Oldham joint member 19 that is supported by the first housing 11 so as to be movable along a first direction d1 and also supports the input gear 17 so as to be movable along a second direction d2 perpendicular to the first direction d1.

[0039] In such a cycloidal reduction mechanism 15, when the eccentric shaft 16 is rotated, the input gear 17 revolves around the axis A0, which is the rotation axis of the eccentric shaft 16, with some of the multiple external teeth 17t meshing with some of the multiple internal teeth 18t, and consequently the output member 18 rotates at an extremely low speed. Therefore, the reduction mechanism 15 makes it possible to increase the reduction ratio γ. In addition, in such a reduction mechanism 15, by adjusting the tooth surfaces of the external teeth 17t of the input gear 17 and the tooth surfaces of the internal teeth 18t of the output member 18, the component force acting on the tooth surfaces of the internal teeth 18t of the output member 18 is directed toward the center (axis A0) of the output member 18, thereby reducing the reverse force acting on the output member 18. Therefore, in the actuator 1, it is possible to provide the reduction mechanism 15 with a so-called self-locking function that restricts the rotation of the output member 18 when the rotation of the electric motor M stops.

[0040] However, the reduction mechanism 15 is not limited to an internal planetary gear mechanism including the Oldham coupling member 19 as described above. That is, the reduction mechanism 15 of the actuator 1 may be a KHV type planetary gear mechanism including a pin-type coupling mechanism, or a 2KH type planetary gear mechanism. Even if these planetary gear mechanisms are used as the reduction mechanism 15, the reduction ratio γ can be made larger, and the reduction mechanism 15 can be given a self-locking mechanism.

[0041] As described above, the actuator of the present disclosure is an actuator (1) that operates a drive object (100) by a driving force from a drive source (M), and includes a first assembly (10) which includes the drive source (M) and an output member (18) which is rotationally driven by the drive source (M), and a second assembly (20) which includes a rotating member (25) which is connected to the drive object (100) and is detachably connected in the axial direction to the output member (18) so as to rotate integrally with the output member (18), and to which the first assembly (10) is detachably fixed.

[0042] The actuator of this disclosure includes a first assembly and a second assembly to which the first assembly is detachably fixed. The first assembly includes a drive source and an output member that is rotationally driven by the drive source, and the second assembly includes a rotating member that is connected to a drive object and is detachably connected in the axial direction to the output member of the first assembly so as to rotate integrally with the output member of the first assembly. As a result, the first assembly can be removed from the second assembly, which is connected to the drive object via the rotating member, by releasing the fixing of the first and second assemblies to each other and separating the first and second assemblies in the axial direction of the output member and the rotating member. Furthermore, the first assembly can be easily attached to the second assembly by bringing the first and second assemblies closer together in the axial direction so that the output member is connected to the rotating member and fixing them together.Therefore, for example, in the event of a failure of the drive source, the first assembly can be easily and quickly replaced.In addition, even if the drive object cannot be operated by power from the drive source due to a failure or the like, the drive object can be moved manually because the rotation of the rotating member is allowed by removing the first assembly from the second assembly. As a result, the actuator of this disclosure improves maintainability and allows the operation of the driven object to continue even when the actuator fails.

[0043] Furthermore, the output member (18) may include a connecting end (185) having a spline (185s) formed on its outer circumferential surface so as to extend in the axial direction, and the rotating member (25) may include a connecting hole (255) into which the connecting end (185) of the output member (18) is spline-fitted.

[0044] This makes it possible to easily attach and detach the output member and the rotating member, while also connecting them so that they rotate as a single unit.

[0045] Furthermore, the first assembly (10) may include a first housing (11, 12, 13) that rotatably supports the output member (18), and the second assembly (20) may include a second housing (22) that rotatably supports the rotating member (25) and to which the first housing (11, 12, 13) is detachably fixed, and the rotating member (25) has a connecting hole (255) and a first end (251) that is rotatably supported by the second housing (22, 221) via a bearing (B4) on the first assembly (10) side. The rotating member (25) may also include a second end (252) that is rotatably supported by the second housing (22, 222) via a bearing (B5) on the side opposite to the first assembly (10), and an intermediate portion (253) that is smaller in diameter than the first end (251) and larger in diameter than the second end (252), and extends in the axial direction between the first and second ends (251, 252), and the driven objects (100, 116, 116t) may be connected to the intermediate portion (253) of the rotating member (25) via an opening (227) formed in the second housing (22).

[0046] This allows the rotating member to be stably supported by the second housing, while also ensuring good assembly of the second assembly to the drive target.

[0047] Furthermore, the second housing (22) may also form a hinge mechanism together with the supported member (116) of the drive target (100), one end (116t) of which is connected to the rotating member (25).

[0048] This makes it possible to reduce the number of parts while allowing the drive target to be rotatably supported by the second housing.

[0049] Furthermore, the supported member (116) may be fixed to or integrated with a frame (110) that supports a panel (P) used in a vehicle (V), and the second housing (22, 210) may be fixed to the vehicle body (B) of the vehicle (V).

[0050] In other words, such an actuator makes it possible to rotatably attach a frame that supports panels used in a vehicle to the vehicle body and to rotate the frame relative to the vehicle body.

[0051] Furthermore, the first assembly (10) may include a reduction mechanism (15) that amplifies the rotational torque from the drive source (M) and transmits it to the output member (18).

[0052] This makes it possible to output a large torque from the output member to the rotating member while suppressing the need to increase the size of the drive source.

[0053] Furthermore, the reduction mechanism (15) may include an input gear (17) having a plurality of external teeth (17t) that mesh with a portion of a plurality of internal teeth (18t) formed on the output member (18), an eccentric shaft (16) that supports the input gear (17) eccentrically with respect to the output member (18) and is rotationally driven by the drive source (M), and an Oldham joint member (19) that is supported by the first housing (11, 12, 121) of the first assembly (10) so as to be movable along a first direction (d1), and supports the input gear (17) so as to be movable along a second direction (d2) perpendicular to the first direction (d1).

[0054] In such a cycloidal reduction gear mechanism (internal planetary gear mechanism), when the eccentric shaft is rotated, the input gear revolves around the axis of rotation of the eccentric shaft with some of its external teeth meshing with some of its internal teeth, and the output member rotates at an extremely low speed as a result, making it possible to increase the reduction ratio. In addition, in such a reduction gear mechanism, by adjusting the tooth surfaces of the external teeth of the input gear and the tooth surfaces of the internal teeth of the output member, the force component acting on the tooth surfaces of the internal teeth of the output member can be directed toward the center of the output member, thereby reducing the reverse force acting on the output member. Consequently, it becomes possible to give the reduction gear mechanism a so-called self-locking function that restricts the rotation of the output member when the rotation of the drive source stops.

[0055] Furthermore, the invention disclosed herein is not limited in any way to the embodiments described above, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made within the scope of this disclosure. Moreover, the embodiments described above are merely one specific form of the invention described in the summary of the invention, and do not limit the elements of the invention described in the summary of the invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0056] The invention disclosed herein can be used in industries such as the manufacturing of actuators. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 1 Actuator, 10 First assembly, 11 First housing, 12 Housing body, 121g Guide groove, 14 Bolt, 15 Reduction mechanism, 16 Eccentric shaft, 163 Eccentric part, 17 Input gear, 17t External teeth, 17k Key, 18 Output member, 18t Internal teeth, 181 Internal gear section, 183 Intermediate section, 185 Connecting end, 185s Serration (spline), 19 Oldham joint member, 19g Guide groove, 19k Key, 20 Second assembly, 22 Second housing, 221 First wall section, 222 Second wall section, 223 Screw hole, 227 Opening, 25 Rotating member, 251 First end, 252 Second end, 253 Intermediate section, 253s Serration (spline), 255 Connecting hole, 255s Serration (spline), 100 Panel support, 100 frame, 116 supported member, 116t cylindrical part (one end), A0, A3 axis, B body, Br1, Br2, Br3, Br4, Br5 bearings, d1 first direction, d2 second direction, M electric motor (drive source), P panel, V vehicle.

Claims

1. An actuator that moves an object to be driven by a driving force from a drive source, A first assembly including the drive source and an output member that is rotationally driven by the drive source, The first assembly includes a rotating member which is connected to the drive target and is detachably connected to the output member in the axial direction so as to rotate integrally with the output member, and a second assembly which the first assembly is detachably fixed to, An actuator equipped with the following features.

2. In the actuator according to claim 1, The output member includes a connecting end having a spline formed on its outer circumferential surface so as to extend in the axial direction, The rotating member is an actuator that includes a connecting hole into which the connecting end of the output member is spline-fitted.

3. In the actuator according to claim 2, The first assembly includes a first housing that rotatably supports the output member, The second assembly includes a second housing that rotatably supports the rotating member and to which the first housing is detachably fixed. The rotating member includes a first end having the connecting hole and being rotatably supported by the second housing via a bearing on the first assembly side, a second end being rotatably supported by the second housing via a bearing on the opposite side from the first assembly side, and an intermediate portion that is smaller in diameter than the first end and larger in diameter than the second end and extends in the axial direction between the first and second ends. The object to be driven is an actuator connected to the intermediate portion of the rotating member through an opening formed in the second housing.

4. In the actuator according to claim 3, The second housing is an actuator that forms a hinge mechanism together with the supported member to be driven, one end of which is connected to the rotating member.

5. In the actuator according to claim 4, The supported member is fixed to or integrated with a frame that supports a panel used in a vehicle, and the second housing is an actuator fixed to the vehicle body.

6. In the actuator according to claim 1, The first assembly is an actuator that includes a reduction mechanism for amplifying the rotational torque from the drive source and transmitting it to the output member.

7. In the actuator according to claim 6, The reduction mechanism includes an input gear having a plurality of external teeth fewer than the plurality of internal teeth formed on the output member, an eccentric shaft that supports the input gear eccentrically with respect to the output member and is rotationally driven by the drive source, and an Oldham joint member that is supported by the first housing of the first assembly so as to be movable along a first direction and supports the input gear so as to be movable along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

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