Actuator arrangement and charging plug locking device

Abstract

An actuator arrangement (A) for moving an operating element (1) in a longitudinal direction along a longitudinal axis (L), comprising an electric motor (2) which has a motor shaft which is oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis (L), and comprising a gear stage (3, 4a) which connects the electric motor (2) and a rotatable drive element (4) with a first transmission ratio, wherein the drive element (4) is oriented coaxially to the longitudinal axis (L), and wherein the drive element (4) is coupled to the operating element (1) via a rotation-translation converter (R).

Description

Actuator arrangement and charging plug locking device

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an actuator assembly for displacing an actuating element in a longitudinal direction along a longitudinal axis. Furthermore, the present disclosure relates to a device for locking a charging plug inserted into a charging socket.

[0002] In electric and hybrid vehicles, vehicle batteries are charged via an externally connected charging cable. The electrical power and voltages transferred in this process can sometimes be very high. Furthermore, it is important to ensure that charging processes, once initiated, are not interrupted accidentally or improperly. Therefore, it is common practice to lock a charging plug inserted into a charging socket of an electric vehicle (or hybrid vehicle) in the charging socket.

[0003] However, the actuator arrangements used for this purpose are sometimes relatively large and can also be prone to failure. Emergency release is not possible or only possible with considerable effort.

[0004] From the document WO 2022 / 096053 A1 an actuator for automotive applications is known, with an electric motor arranged in a drive housing and a possibly downstream gear, furthermore with a spindle which can be acted upon by the electric motor and the optional gear, as well as with a spindle nut which interacts with the spindle for driving an actuating element, and with a return spring which is assigned to the spindle and arranged in a spring housing.

[0005] Against this background, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved actuator arrangement and an improved device for locking a charging plug inserted into a charging socket.

[0006] The above object is achieved, on the one hand, by an actuator assembly according to claim 1, wherein the actuator assembly comprises an electric motor including a motor shaft oriented transversely, in particular skewed, to the longitudinal axis along which the actuating element is displaceably mounted. A gear stage connects the electric motor and a rotatable drive member with a first gear ratio, wherein the drive member is oriented coaxially to the longitudinal axis. The drive member is coupled to the actuating element via a rotation-translation converter.

[0007] Furthermore, the above object is achieved by an actuator arrangement according to claim 14, in which an emergency unlocking is possible.

[0008] Furthermore, the above object is achieved, on the one hand, by a device for directly locking a charging plug inserted into a charging socket, which device has such an actuator arrangement. In this case, the actuating element, which is displaceable in the longitudinal direction, serves directly for locking.

[0009] According to an alternative solution, the above object is achieved by a device for indirectly locking a charging plug inserted into a charging socket, which device comprises such an actuator arrangement. The actuating element actuates a locking mechanism that locks the charging plug in the charging socket.

[0010] Finally, the above object is achieved by the use of an actuator arrangement of the type according to the invention for locking and unlocking a charging plug inserted into a charging socket.

[0011] The connection of the electric motor to the actuating element is preferably implemented in such a way that the actuating element can be actively moved in one direction in the longitudinal direction, as well as actively moved in the other direction by reversing the direction of rotation of the electric motor. Consequently, it is preferably not necessary to equip the actuator assembly with a return spring or the like.

[0012] The electric motor is preferably a DC motor, in particular a brushless DC motor.

[0013] Although the actuator arrangement is preferably used for locking a charging plug in a charging socket, it is understood that the actuator arrangement can also be used for other applications, in particular automotive applications, for example for locking a fuel tank cap, for locking a longitudinal column, to name a few examples.

[0014] The actuator arrangement can also be used to move motor vehicle parts, such as for example to move motor vehicle locks or the like.

[0015] The actuating element is preferably designed as an elongated actuating pin with a diameter in a range of 5 mm to 30 mm. The actuating element is preferably made of a metal such as stainless steel, particularly in an actuating portion thereof. The drive member is preferably rotatable in a The housing is mounted, in particular, axially. The axial bearing of the drive element is preferably located between a housing base and a housing cover.

[0016] The drive member is preferably made of POM, but can also be made of a high-strength plastic or metal.

[0017] When the actuator arrangement is designed with an emergency release device, it is possible to move the actuating element from a locking position to an unlocking position without assistance from the drive motor, in particular manually from outside the housing of the actuator arrangement.

[0018] The task is solved completely.

[0019] According to a preferred embodiment, the gear stage comprises a worm gear, which preferably comprises a worm fixedly connected to the motor shaft and a spur gear fixedly connected to the drive member.

[0020] The worm gear is preferably designed to be self-locking.

[0021] The worm gear makes it possible to align the electric motor shaft transversely or skewwise to the longitudinal axis. Furthermore, this type of gear drive can have a relatively high load capacity, which is advantageous for actuators in harsh environments.

[0022] However, instead of a worm gear, an angular gear with a bevel gear can also be used to implement the gear stage.

[0023] Furthermore, the rotation-translation converter can be designed, for example, as a ball screw drive.

[0024] However, it is particularly advantageous if the rotation-translation converter has a screw gear, which preferably has a internal thread and an external thread formed on the actuating element which interacts directly with the internal thread.

[0025] This allows the rotation-translation converter to be constructed cost-effectively and compactly.

[0026] The drive member preferably has a spur gear formed on an outer circumference, which meshes with a worm. Furthermore, the drive member is preferably sleeve-shaped and has an internal thread on its inner circumference.

[0027] The internal thread preferably extends over the entire axial length of the drive member, so that the drive member is axially hollow throughout. The spur gear is preferably provided at one axial end of the drive member and extends over an axial length that is preferably less than half, in particular less than a quarter, of the total axial length of the drive member.

[0028] This makes it possible to provide a compact and functionally effective drive element.

[0029] The drive element is preferably rotatably mounted on a housing and is axially mounted relative to the housing, preferably directly between two housing sections. However, dedicated axial bearings can also be provided for the axial mounting of the drive element.

[0030] The actuating element preferably has the external thread at an axial end opposite the actuating section.

[0031] The external thread can be formed directly on the actuating element, i.e., as a metallic external thread. However, the external thread is preferably formed by a plastic section that is firmly connected to the actuating element, in particular, by being molded onto it.

[0032] According to a further preferred embodiment, the actuator arrangement includes a housing on which the actuating element is displaceably mounted along the longitudinal axis, wherein an actuating portion of the actuating element preferably protrudes from the housing.

[0033] The actuating portion is preferably a metal portion. The actuating element is preferably sealed from the housing. Consequently, the actuating element can be used in relatively harsh vehicle environments to perform actuating tasks, while the interior of the housing is protected from the environment, particularly from moisture.

[0034] The actuating element is mounted in the housing so that it can move axially, but is preferably fixed in the direction of rotation with respect to the housing, so that rotational movements of the drive member are not converted into rotational movements of the actuating element, but into longitudinal movements of the actuating element.

[0035] It is particularly preferred if the actuating element has a bearing section which is mounted on the housing by means of a radial bearing, in particular by means of a plain bearing, wherein the bearing section is preferably arranged adjacent to the actuating section.

[0036] The bearing section is preferably arranged axially between the actuating section and the external thread of the actuating element. Preferably, the radial bearing for the bearing section is arranged axially adjacent to a seal that seals the actuating element from the housing.

[0037] Furthermore, it is advantageous if the housing has a guide section for a section of an external thread of the actuating element.

[0038] The section of the external thread is preferably an outer circumference of the thread profile thereof, so that the actuating element is also mounted radially on the housing in the region of the external thread.

[0039] Since the external thread and the bearing section of the actuating element are axially offset, a radial bearing of the actuating element can be established, which is realized by two axially offset bearings and is therefore very stable.

[0040] In addition, the existing external thread can be used for storage.

[0041] It is understood that the external thread of the actuating element is located predominantly within the drive element in a first actuating position of the actuating element. This is an inactive position.

[0042] In the second actuating position, a predominant portion of the external thread is "unscrewed" from the drive member. Preferably, in this second—active—actuating position, only a portion of the external thread is located within the drive member, which is less than half the length of the drive member. This portion is preferably approximately the same length as the axial length of a spur gear of the drive member.

[0043] The section of the external thread protruding from the drive member rests against the guide section and forms part of the radial bearing for the actuating member.

[0044] According to a further overall preferred embodiment, the drive member has an axially extending section, on the inner circumference of which an internal thread is formed and / or the outer circumference of which is designed as a bearing section for rotary mounting and / or axial mounting on a housing.

[0045] The axially extending portion extends in particular in the axial direction from the spur gear of the drive member. The axially extending portion of the drive member is preferably arranged on a side of the spur gear axially opposite the actuating portion.

[0046] The axially extending section can, in particular, be inserted into a pot-shaped section of a housing base to provide a radial bearing for the drive element and an axial bearing. A second axial bearing can be formed by a further housing section, for example, by a housing cover.

[0047] Furthermore, it is advantageous overall if the actuating element is connected to a first sensor section which cooperates with a second sensor section fixed to a housing in order to detect a longitudinal position of the actuating element.

[0048] The first sensor section is moved along with longitudinal movements of the actuating element and can therefore directly indicate movements of the actuating element.

[0049] The first sensor section can in particular be formed by a sliding contact which is moved over a circuit board fixed to the housing, whereby different positions of the actuating element can be detected and fed back to a controller.

[0050] The sliding contact is drawn over a circuit board or similar device, preferably connecting various conductor tracks depending on their position. If the conductor tracks are made of a resistance-dependent material, this results in a linear potentiometer. Consequently, the position of the actuating element can be precisely detected. Such an assembly or position sensor can also be referred to as a "slider switch."

[0051] However, it is understood that other types of sensors can also be used to detect the longitudinal position of the actuating element, such as Hall sensors or the like.

[0052] The position detection makes it possible, particularly in the case of a device for locking a charging plug, to detect when the plug is insufficiently inserted. and the actuating element (and / or a locking element connected to it) cannot penetrate a designated clearance in the charging socket. In this case, the electric motor moves to a stop, and the travel sensor, formed by the first sensor section and the second sensor section, detects that the end position has not been reached. The electric motor is then preferably reversed in its direction of rotation, so that the actuating element moves back. Charging the vehicle's battery is therefore not possible in this state.

[0053] However, if the plug is correctly positioned in the charging socket, the actuating element or the locking element coupled to it can pass through this clearance. In this case, the travel sensor for the end position can indicate the locking state. The vehicle's battery can then be charged, in particular, by applying high voltage.

[0054] Furthermore, this ensures that the plug cannot be removed during the charging process.

[0055] According to a further preferred embodiment, the actuating element has a first section made of a first material, which forms an actuating section, and a second section made of a second material, which forms an anti-rotation section for engagement in a longitudinal recess of a housing and / or an external thread and / or a sensor section carrier.

[0056] As mentioned above, the first material is preferably a metal material. The second material is preferably a plastic material that is molded onto the first material or bonded thereto in some other way.

[0057] It is particularly advantageous if the second material fulfils the function of securing the actuating element against rotation with respect to the housing, as well as forming an external thread which interacts with an internal thread of the drive member, and also forms a sensor section carrier which is particularly suitable for is designed to support a first sensor portion and is consequently connected to the actuating element.

[0058] According to a further preferred embodiment, the actuator arrangement has a housing.

[0059] The housing preferably has a first housing section on which a bearing section of the actuating element is radially mounted and which serves as an interface to an application environment centered radially on the longitudinal axis.

[0060] The first housing section can be formed as a dome section on a housing cover. The actuating element preferably penetrates this first housing section, wherein the actuating element is preferably also sealed from the housing in the region of the first housing section.

[0061] Centering makes it possible to designate the longitudinal axis of the actuating element as the zero point for the application environment. This interface is preferably designed as a dynamic interface and is formed with an O-ring to the application environment. The O-ring preferably surrounds the first housing section concentrically. When subjected to radial compression, the O-ring exerts very high forces on the bore. This allows the system to center itself by striving for a balance of forces within the bore. This achieves a very high degree of precision between the actuating element and the housing and the application environment. Centering ribs are also provided to assist positioning.

[0062] The housing preferably has a second housing section on which an electrical contact interface is formed, which is designed to be displaceable in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis. The second housing section is preferably formed on the housing cover.

[0063] This ensures that the centering of the zero point of the actuating element is not compromised despite the contact at the electrical contact interface.

[0064] In other words, it is possible to compensate for tolerances between the interfaces and still maintain the zero point of the system.

[0065] The electrical contact interface can preferably have a lamella seal that is movable in the joining direction and thus exerts a significantly lower force on the interface. To ensure tightness, several lamellas can be connected in series. This measure reduces the individual pressure per lamella to a partial pressure when pressurized.

[0066] According to a further preferred embodiment, the housing has a third housing section which serves as a mechanical interface to an application environment and includes sliding bushings for realizing tolerance compensation.

[0067] The compensation unit thus realized for positioning the assembly in relation to an application environment makes it possible to mount the actuator arrangement in relation to the application environment in such a way that a zero point of the longitudinal axis of the actuating element is not endangered or always remains exact.

[0068] The aforementioned first housing section preferably has a dome configured with ribs to accommodate tolerances and thermal expansion. To prevent the dome from being subjected to mechanical stress by further fastening to the application environment, sliding bushings are installed between the housing and a connector assembly of the application environment. These allow the actuator assembly to be moved without compromising the connection.

[0069] Technically, the actuator arrangement can realize an extension time of less than 500 ms, in particular less than 200 ms, based on an actuation travel in the range of 20 mm to 5 mm, in particular in a range of 12 mm to 8 mm.

[0070] According to a further preferred embodiment, the housing has a fourth housing section which forms an axial stop for the motor shaft of the electric motor.

[0071] Such a design is particularly useful when the electric motor is elastically mounted in the housing. In this case, it is advantageous to catch the motor shaft in the event of extreme loads (e.g., the plug is not fully inserted into the charging socket and the actuating element hits a block). This can be achieved in a special way using an axial stop or a guide between a housing base and a housing cover. Only when the maximum load occurs can this axial stop then catch the motor shaft and preferably support transverse forces. Over-determined mounting of the electric motor is thus avoided.

[0072] According to a further preferred embodiment, the first housing section supports a seal surrounding the actuating element, which seal is preferably covered by a retaining disc having notches for relieving ice pressure and / or for breaking up an ice ring.

[0073] The actuator is exposed to particular challenges in its movement and environment. The actuator assembly must function even at subzero temperatures.

[0074] A special design of the seal surrounding the actuating element, in particular by providing a lip / lamella facing the actuating section, allows the seal to yield under ice pressure, thus maintaining functionality. Furthermore, when the actuating element is moved, ice particles can be pushed out of the seal area by means of the notches. If the actuating element is retracted and an ice ring has formed along the actuating element, this ring can also be broken up via the retaining disc or its notches. Notches can be provided on both the inner and outer circumferences of the retaining disc. However, the outer circumference is only exposed to static ice pressure.

[0075] Furthermore, it is advantageous overall if the housing has a housing base for receiving the electric motor, the gear stage and the drive element as well as a housing cover closing the housing base.

[0076] The housing cover, in particular, has the above-described dome for centering an interface to an application environment. Furthermore, a sleeve section is formed coaxially with the dome, preferably on the inside of the housing cover, on the inner circumference of which the external thread of the actuating element can be supported to establish a radial bearing point. Furthermore, the sleeve section of the housing cover can serve to axially support the drive element, the other axial side of which is axially supported by the housing base.

[0077] The housing base preferably has a cup-shaped recess for accommodating a bearing portion of the drive element, the bottom of which can be partially elastic. The partially elastic bottom of the housing base can preferably absorb forces when the actuating element hits the stop during retraction of the actuating element.

[0078] The housing cover also preferably serves as a stop for movements of the actuating element in the extension direction.

[0079] As mentioned above, the electric motor is preferably elastically mounted in the housing. For this purpose, the electric motor can be elastically mounted on its outer circumference relative to the housing via a damping element and / or can be elastically mounted in the region of its axial ends via bearing points with O-rings.

[0080] A circuit board can be mounted in the housing, on which electrical contacts are formed, forming part of an electrical contact interface. However, a lead frame can also be provided instead of the circuit board.

[0081] In both cases, it may be advantageous to shield the electric motor with electronic circuitry, as well as shielding plates or shielding fabric. Such a shielding plate should preferably be connected to the motor housing and the circuitry. The electronic circuitry can be positioned on the circuit board (or lead frame).

[0082] The above-mentioned lead frame can preferably be designed in such a way that it also directly implements the second sensor section of a "slider switch" or generally supports a second sensor section of a longitudinal position sensor of the actuating element.

[0083] In a particular embodiment, a connecting board and a board for the second sensor section can be manufactured using a flexible board, which are then positioned at 90° to each other in the housing. By using a flexible board, the shielding can also be provided by this board. The flexible board is advantageously manufactured using a printed circuit board. Such a shield in the form of a cage can be arranged around a peripheral section of the motor, so that EMC radiation cannot escape from the actuator assembly, or only to a limited extent.

[0084] The second section of the actuating element, which is formed from the second material (in particular plastic), can have a dedicated anti-rotation section for engaging in a longitudinal recess of a housing, as well as a sensor section carrier. Preferably, the sensor section carrier is formed directly on the anti-rotation section, which can be formed, for example, as a guide pin. In other words, the guide pin preferably extends through a longitudinal recess of the housing (in particular the above-mentioned sleeve section of the housing cover) and is connected to the sensor section carrier at its free end.

[0085] The second material was defined such that this guide pin, the external thread, and the sensor section carrier are combined into a single section. In particular, the coupling between the anti-rotation section and the sensor section carrier is preferably selected so that tolerance compensation is possible, but there is no play in the longitudinal direction to avoid compensating for the function of the longitudinal position sensor.

[0086] Due to the robust design of the actuating element, its radial bearing by a plain bearing and an external thread, with suitable dimensioning of the gear components for load absorption in the axial direction (e.g. up to 1100 N), a generateable axial force (of e.g. over 170 N) and the self-locking worm gear, it is possible to use the actuator arrangement both for a direct locking function of the loading device transverse to the plug-in direction and for an indirect locking function by actuating another locking mechanism transverse or parallel to the plug-in direction.

[0087] The use of a worm gear allows for a self-locking system. By integrating the worm gear within the drive element and mounting the drive element directly in the housing base, an axial force acting on the actuating element is transmitted to the housing. This allows the actuating element to be subjected to high axial force without the actuating element moving. For this reason, the actuator assembly can also be used for applications where the actuator application must withstand abusive axial forces.

[0088] The actuator arrangement according to claim 14 can be combined as desired with the actuator arrangements described above. Preferred embodiments are defined in subclaims 15 to 18.

[0089] It is understood that the features mentioned above and those to be explained below can be used not only in the combination specified in each case, but also in other combinations or on their own, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0090] Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and explained in more detail in the following description. They show: Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a device for locking a charging plug inserted into a charging socket; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an actuator arrangement for the device of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side view of the actuator assembly of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along a line IV-IV in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along a line VV in Fig. 3; Fig. 5a is a view illustrating an axial stop for a motor shaft; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the actuator assembly without housing from a first direction; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the actuator assembly without housing from a second direction; Fig. 8 is a partial view of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 a partial view of the housing cover; Fig. 10 is a partial view of a dome of the housing cover; Fig. 11 is a schematic sectional view of a dome of the housing cover; Fig. 12 is a side view showing a sensor arrangement; Fig. 13 is a diagram of a sensor arrangement of the actuator arrangement; Fig. 14 shows an alternative embodiment of an actuator arrangement with a lead frame; Fig. 15 is a schematic side view of the electric motor with elastic bearing devices; Fig. 16 is a schematic representation of a housing base with a sliding bushing; Fig. 17 is a sectional view of the illustration in Fig. 16 Fig. 18 is a perspective view of an actuator arrangement according to another embodiment with integrated emergency release, in a locking position; Fig. 19 shows the actuator arrangement of Figure 18 in an unlocking position; Fig. 20 is a sectional view through the actuator arrangement of Fig. 18 in a first sectional view through the longitudinal axis in the locking position; Fig. 21 is a sectional view through the actuator arrangement of Fig. 18 in a second first sectional view through the longitudinal axis in the locking position; Fig. 22 is a sectional view through the actuator arrangement of Fig. 18 in the first sectional view through the longitudinal axis in the unlocking position; Fig. 23 is a sectional view through the actuator arrangement of Fig. 18 in a second first sectional view through the longitudinal axis in the unlocking position; and Fig. 24 shows the components of an emergency release device that have been added to the embodiment of Figs. 18 to 23 compared to the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 17.

[0091] Fig. 1 schematically shows a device V for locking a charging plug LS inserted into a charging socket LB. The charging socket LB is attached to a body K of a vehicle.

[0092] To lock the charging plug LS in the charging socket LB, an actuator assembly A is provided, by means of which an actuating element 1 can be actuated along a longitudinal axis, indicated by an arrow in Fig. 1. In one embodiment not shown, the actuating element 1 can engage directly in a transverse recess of the charging plug to directly lock it. Fig. 1 shows a variant in which the actuating element 1 actuates a locking mechanism, which in turn engages in the transverse socket of the charging plug LS.

[0093] The actuator arrangement A can be designed as shown in Figs. 2 to 17.

[0094] The actuator assembly comprises a housing G with a housing base G1 and a housing cover G2.

[0095] An interface 42 for the centered fixing of the actuator arrangement A to an application environment is formed on the housing cover G2, by means of which interface the position of an actuating element 1, which protrudes from the housing cover G2, can be ensured centered along a longitudinal axis L as a zero position.

[0096] Furthermore, an electrical contact interface 43 is formed on the housing cover G2, through which power can be supplied and data signals can be exchanged. The electrical contact interface 43 is designed to be movable in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis L and has a lamellar seal 44 advantageous for this purpose.

[0097] A dome 26 is formed on the housing cover G2 in the area of ​​the centered interface, which is provided with ribs 27 on its outer circumference. Furthermore, an O-ring is fixed to the outer circumference of the dome 26 for sealing and for centered connection to the application environment.

[0098] In the region of an outlet opening of the dome 26, from which the actuating element 1 emerges, a retaining disc 41 is provided, by means of which the O-ring 16 and / or a seal 17 shown in Fig. 5 and in Fig. 11 is held, which seal surrounds the actuating element 1 and has a lamella / lip 40 which extends in the axial direction towards the retaining disc 41.

[0099] As shown in Fig. 10, inner notches 41a and outer notches 41b can be formed on the inner and outer peripheries of the retaining disc 41, which can serve to break up an ice ring. The above-mentioned lamella 40 can be designed to relieve ice pressure.

[0100] As shown in Fig. 3, the electric motor 2 is mounted in the housing base G1, namely via elastomer elements 19 at bearing points 18 of the housing base G1.

[0101] As shown in Fig. 15, the electric motor may further be elastically mounted with respect to the housing G via a damping element 20 extending on the outer circumference.

[0102] The electric motor 2 has a motor shaft 2a which extends transversely, in particular skewed, to the axis of the actuating element 1.

[0103] A worm gear 3 is fixed to an outer circumference of the motor shaft 2a, which worm gear meshes with a spur gear 4a of a drive member 4. The drive member 4 is arranged coaxially to the longitudinal axis L. A part of the actuating element 1 is arranged within the drive member 4.

[0104] As shown in Fig. 5, a bearing section 7 of the drive member 4 is mounted in the housing base G1, specifically in a bearing section 8 that forms a bearing cup. The drive member 4 includes, as mentioned, the spur gear 4a, which engages with the worm 3, and includes a bearing section 7 extending from the spur gear 4a in the axial direction toward the housing base G1, which is received in the bearing section 8 of the housing base G1. The drive member 4 is designed as a hollow element and has an internal thread 5 on its inner circumference.

[0105] The drive member 4 is axially mounted between the housing base G1, more precisely a partially elastic base 23 of the bearing section 8, and the housing cover G2. More precisely, the housing cover G2 has a sleeve section 22 that extends into the interior of the housing base G1 and bears against an end of the drive member 4 axially opposite the base 23.

[0106] The sleeve section 22 is formed coaxially to the dome 26.

[0107] The actuating element 1 includes a first portion formed from a first material M1 such as a metal, and a second portion formed from a second material M2 such as a plastic.

[0108] The first section includes an actuating section 1a, which extends out of the housing G, and a bearing section 1b, which is mounted radially on the housing by a bearing, in particular a plain bearing 30, in particular on the dome 26 of the housing cover G2.

[0109] Furthermore, the first material M1 includes a pin portion (not further designated) which extends towards the drive member 4. The portion formed from the second material M2 is formed on the outer circumference of the pin portion. More precisely, this portion has an external thread 6 made of the second material M2. An outer circumference of a thread profile of the external thread 6 is designated 32 in Fig. 5. The outer circumference of the external thread 6 is supported in the axial direction on an inner guide portion 31 formed by the sleeve portion 22. Consequently, the Actuating element 1 is supported on the one hand by the plain bearing 30 and on the other hand by the external thread 6 in relation to the housing G.

[0110] The drive member 4 has the aforementioned internal thread, which engages with the external thread 6. In Fig. 5, the actuating element 1 is shown in an extended position, in which a portion of the external thread 6 is arranged inside the drive member 4, which portion is smaller than half the axial length of the drive member 4 and substantially overlaps with the spur gear 4a.

[0111] At the transition from the pin section to the bearing section 1b of the actuating element 1, the section made of the second material M2 is formed with a guide pin 10, which is schematically indicated in Fig. 5. The guide pin 10 can also be seen in particular as a positioning pin 21 in Fig. 8. The guide pin 10 serves, on the one hand, as an axial stop with respect to a projection of the housing cover G2. On the other hand, the guide pin 10 penetrates a longitudinal recess 35 in the sleeve section 22 and ensures that the actuating element 1 is held in the direction of rotation. A rotation of the drive member 4 due to a rotation of the worm 3 therefore does not lead to a rotation of the actuating element 1, but rather to an axial displacement of the actuating element 1, so that a rotation-translation converter R is thereby set up.

[0112] The actuating element 1 is connected to a guide pin 10, to which a sensor section carrier 11 is fixed for supporting a first sensor section 12. Preferably, the guide pin 10 and the sensor section carrier 11 are formed integrally, specifically from a second material M2, from which part of an external thread of the actuating element 1, described below, is also formed.

[0113] As shown in Fig. 6 and in Fig. 4, a connection base 14 is formed inside the housing like a circuit board, which is aligned transversely to the longitudinal axis L and to which, for example, contact elements of the electrical contact interface 43 are fixed.

[0114] The circuit board 14 or the lead frame (see also Fig. 14) includes a section that extends parallel to the longitudinal axis and on which a second sensor section 13 is formed. The first sensor section 12 and the second sensor section 13 together form a longitudinal position sensor for longitudinal movements of the actuating element 1. Details of this are shown in Fig. 13.

[0115] Due to the elastic mounting of the electric motor 2 on the housing G, a guide is provided on the housing for extreme loads, which forms an axial stop for the motor shaft 2a. This is shown in Fig. 5a at 45.

[0116] In Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, it can be seen that the guide pin 10 is diametrically opposite a positioning pin 21. Both are formed from the second material M2. The guide pin 10 is integrally connected to the sensor section carrier 11, to which the first sensor section 12 is attached. However, the sensor section carrier 11 can also be connected to the guide pin 10 via a mechanical connection.

[0117] In Fig. 8, in particular, the longitudinal recess 35 can be seen, in which the positioning pin 21 (and opposite the guide pin 10 in a corresponding (not shown) longitudinal recess) engages in order to establish an anti-twist device for the actuating element 1.

[0118] Fig. 9 shows that the dome 26 serves as a centered interface 42, together with the O-ring 16, to achieve centering of the longitudinal axis L with respect to an application environment, which is designated LB in Fig. 9 by way of example. The application environment may also be another part of the application environment, not necessarily the charging socket.

[0119] In Fig. 9 it can also be seen that the contact interface 43 can be designed to be movable in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis L.

[0120] In Fig. 10 the notches 41a, 41b for breaking up ice rings are shown.

[0121] In Fig. 11 the lip 40 is shown, by means of which ice pressure can be relieved.

[0122] Fig. 12 shows a side view of the second sensor section 13 and a circuit board or a lead frame section on which such a sensor section is mounted (e.g. shown in the form of conductor tracks made of a resistance-dependent material for the realization of a linear potentiometer).

[0123] Fig. 14 shows a punched grid 37 in schematic form.

[0124] Furthermore, Figs. 6 and 14 each show a metal shield 15 which at least partially surrounds the electric motor 2 in order to reduce EMC radiation.

[0125] Figs. 16 and 17 show a mounting of the housing base G1 with respect to an application environment, namely by bores 25 which extend transversely to the longitudinal axis L and are inserted into the sliding bushes 25.

[0126] Figures 18 to 24 show a further embodiment of an actuator assembly A', which generally corresponds to the actuator assembly described above in terms of structure and operation. Identical elements are therefore identified by identical reference numerals. The differences are essentially described below.

[0127] The actuator assembly A' includes an emergency release device 50, which serves to move the actuating element 1 from a locking position VR, in which, for example, a charging plug is locked to a charging socket, to an unlocking position E in the event of a power failure or a failure of the electric motor 2. This function makes it possible to remove the charging plug from the charging socket in emergencies, for example, in the event of a power failure or malfunction. For this purpose, a manual actuating force is typically exerted, which acts on the actuator assembly via a coupling, such as a Bowden cable, a chain, a gear, or the like, to establish the unlocking position E.

[0128] To implement the emergency release device 50, the actuator assembly A of Figures 1-17 was modified, particularly in the area around the drive member 4. The emergency release device 50 includes an unlocking sleeve 52, an unlocking lever 54, and a cover 56. These components are each shown in perspective in Figure 24. The unlocking lever 54 can be pivoted in the cover 56 through a predetermined angular range (from 80° to 330°, in particular from 150° to 210°), specifically around the longitudinal axis L. The unlocking lever 54 and the cover 56 are arranged in that area of ​​the housing G' within which the partially elastic base of the sleeve section 23 of the housing section G1 is arranged in the actuator assembly of Figures 1-17. The cover 56 also forms an axial bearing for the unlocking lever 54.

[0129] The cover 56 is rigidly and sealingly connected to the housing section G1, for example, by gluing or ultrasonic welding. The release lever 54 is annular and includes at least one groove follower 74 on its inner circumference.

[0130] In the present embodiment, the bearing section 7 of the drive member 4 is not mounted directly within a bearing section 8 of the housing section G1. Rather, the unlocking sleeve 52 is provided, which is mounted axially displaceably along the longitudinal direction L on a corresponding bearing section of the housing section G1. The unlocking sleeve 52 supports the drive member 4, more precisely its bearing section 7, on its inner circumference. During normal operation, the unlocking sleeve 52 replaces the sleeve section 23, including its partially elastic base. For this purpose, the unlocking sleeve 52 has a sleeve section 62, which corresponds to the bearing section 8, and a base section 60, against which the rear end of the actuating element 1 can abut.

[0131] By driving the electric motor 2, the actuating element 1 can thus either be moved out of the housing G or retracted into the housing G to establish either a locking position VR or an unlocking position E, just as in the embodiment of Figures 1-17. The unlocking sleeve 52 does not move during this process.

[0132] Furthermore, the release sleeve 52 has one or more spiral grooves 64 on its outer circumference. The groove follower(s) 74 of the release lever 54 engages in these spiral grooves 64. Rotation of the release lever 54 about the longitudinal axis L consequently leads to an axial movement of the release sleeve 52. The elements 64, 74 thus form an unlocking rotation-translation converter (similar to a bayonet system). The release lever 54 can be connected via coupling means to an emergency actuation device (not shown), which is arranged, for example, in the interior or trunk of a vehicle.

[0133] The release sleeve 52 includes, at its end opposite the base section 60, a clamping section 66 that engages a gear ring of the spur gear 4a of the drive member 4. During normal operation, the clamping section 66 has no influence on the spur gear 4a. However, if the release sleeve 52 is axially displaced by turning the release lever 54, specifically in the direction away from the spur gear 4a, the spur gear 4a (and consequently the entire drive member 4) is carried along by the release sleeve 52. As a result, the spur gear 4a is disengaged from the worm 3 of the gear stage, so that the electric motor 2 does not need to be dragged along in the deactivated mode when emergency operation is performed.

[0134] By driving the drive member 4, whose internal thread 5 engages with the external thread 6 of the actuating element 1, the actuating element 1 is moved from the locking position VR to the unlocking position E. The stroke of the unlocking sleeve 52 required for this can be set by the pitch of the spiral groove 64 and the pivoting angle range of the unlocking lever 54.

[0135] As shown in Figure 24, the release lever 54 includes a ring 70, on the outer circumference of which a lever portion 72 is formed, and on the inner circumference of which the groove follower(s) 74 is / are formed. Coupling means can engage the lever portion 72 to manually rotate the lever 54.

[0136] The cover 56 includes a ring section 80, within which the ring 70 is mounted rotatably about the longitudinal axis L. On the ring section 80, a A lever slot 82 extending over the said angular range is formed, through which the lever section 72 extends so that it can be actuated from outside the cover 56. List of reference symbols 1 actuating element (e.g. locking pin) 1a Operating section of 1 1b Storage section of 1 2 electric motor 2a Motor shaft 3 Worm of gear stage 4 drive link 4a Spur gear on drive link (part of gear stage) 5 Internal thread of drive element (part of rotation-translation converter) 6 External thread of actuating element (part of rotation-translation converter) 7 Bearing section of drive link 8 bearing section for 7 of housing 9 Interlocking of 4a 10 Guide pin (part of rotation-translation converter) 11 Sensor section carrier (plastic part) 12 first sensor section on 11 (sliding contact) 13 second sensor section on housing (circuit board) 14 Connection base (circuit board or lead frame 37) 15 metal shade 16 Seal housing to application environment 17 Seal 1 to the housing 18 Bearing point of housing for electric motor 19 Elastomer elements for elastic mounting of electric motors (O-rings) 20 Damping element electric motor / housing 21 Position pin of 10 22 Sleeve section of G2 23 Sleeve section of G1 with partially elastic base as stop for 1 24 Hole in housing 25 sliding bushing in bore 24 26 Cathedral of G2 27 ribs of 26 30 radial bearings (plain bearings) for 1b 31 Guide section for outer circumference external thread 6 32 outer circumference thread profile of 6 (nominal diameter) 35 Longitudinal recess in 22 37 punched grids 40 slats / lips of 17 41 Retaining disc 41a internal notches 41b external notches 42 centered interface to application environment with 26, 16 43 electrical contact interface (movable) 44 Lamellar seal 45 Slide of housing for motor shaft 37 punched grids 50 Emergency release device 52 release sleeve 54 Release lever 56 lids 60 floor section 62 sleeve section 64 spiral groove 66 bracket section 70 rings 72 lever section 74 groove followers 80 ring section 82 lever slot A actuator arrangement R Rotation-translation converter (includes 4, 6, 10 and 35) L Longitudinal axis Q transverse axis G Housing G1 housing base G2 housing cover M1 first material of 1 M2 second material of 1 V Charging plug locking device LS charging plug LB charging socket VM locking mechanism F vehicle K Body VR locking position E Unlocking position

Claims

Patent claims 1. Actuator arrangement (A) for displacing an actuating element (1) in a longitudinal direction along a longitudinal axis (L), with an electric motor (2) which has a motor shaft which is aligned transversely to the longitudinal axis (L), a gear stage (3, 4a) which connects the electric motor (2) and a rotatable drive member (4) with a first gear ratio, wherein the drive member (4) is aligned coaxially to the longitudinal axis (L), wherein the drive member (4) is coupled to the actuating element (1) via a rotation-translation converter (R).

2. Actuator arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the gear stage (3,4a) comprises a worm gear, which preferably has a worm (3) fixedly connected to the motor shaft (2a) and a spur gear (4a) fixedly connected to the drive member (4).

3. Actuator arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotation-translation converter (R) has a helical gear (5, 6) which preferably has an internal thread (5) formed on the drive member (4) and an external thread (6) formed on the actuating element (1).

4. Actuator arrangement according to one of claims 1 - 3, with a housing (G) on which the actuating element (1) is mounted displaceably along the longitudinal axis (L), wherein an actuating section (1a) of the actuating element (1) preferably protrudes from the housing (G).

5. Actuator arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the actuating element (1) has a bearing shaft section (1b) which is mounted on the housing (G) by means of a radial bearing (30), in particular by means of a plain bearing, wherein the bearing section (1b) is preferably arranged adjacent to the actuating section (1a).

6. Actuator arrangement according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the housing (G) has a guide section (31) for a section of an external thread (6) of the actuating element (1).

7. Actuator arrangement according to one of claims 1 - 6, wherein the drive member (4) has an axially extending section, on the inner circumference of which an internal thread (5) is formed and / or the outer circumference of which is designed as a bearing section (7) for rotary mounting and / or axial mounting on a housing (g).

8. Actuator arrangement according to one of claims 1 - 7, wherein the actuating element (1) is connected to a first sensor section (12) which cooperates with a second sensor section (13) fixed to a housing (G) in order to detect a longitudinal position of the actuating element (1).

9. Actuator arrangement according to one of claims 1 - 8, wherein the actuating element (1) has a first section made of a first material (M1), which forms an actuating section (1a), and a second section made of a second material (M2), which forms an anti-twist section (10) for engagement in a longitudinal recess (35) of a housing (G) and / or an external thread (6) and / or a sensor section carrier (11).

10. Actuator arrangement according to one of claims 1 - 9, with a housing (G), (i) which has a first housing section (26) on which a bearing section (1b) of the actuating element (1) is radially mounted and which serves as an interface (42) to an application environment, centered radially on the longitudinal axis (L), and / or (ii) which has a second housing section on which an electrical contact interface (43) is formed, which is designed to be displaceable in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis (L), and / or (iii) which has a third housing section (24) which serves as a mechanical interface to an application environment and contains sliding bushings (25) for realising tolerance compensation and / or (iv) which has a fourth housing section (45) which forms an axial stop for the motor shaft (2a) of the electric motor (2).

11. Actuator arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the first housing section (26) supports a seal (17) surrounding the actuating element (1), which seal is preferably covered by a retaining disc (41) having notches (41a, 41b) for relieving ice pressure and / or for breaking up an ice ring.

12. Actuator arrangement according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the housing (G) has a housing base (G1) for receiving the electric motor (2), the gear stage (3,4a) and the drive member (4) and a housing cover (G2) closing the housing base (G1).

13. Actuator arrangement according to one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the electric motor (2) is elastically mounted in the housing (G).

14. Actuator arrangement for displacing an actuating element (1) in a longitudinal direction along a longitudinal axis (L), in particular according to one of claims 1 to 13, with a drive motor (2), in particular in the form of an electric motor (2), a coupling stage (3, 4a) which couples the electric motor (2) and a rotatable drive member (4), in particular in the form of a gear stage (3, 4a) which connects the electric motor (2) and the rotatable drive member (4) with a first gear ratio, wherein the drive member (4) is aligned coaxially with the longitudinal axis (L) and wherein the drive member (4) is coupled to the actuating element (1) via a rotation-translation converter (R), and an emergency unlocking device (50) which is designed to move the actuating element (1) from a locking position (VR) to an unlocking position (E) without assistance from the drive motor (2), 15. Actuator arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the emergency release device (50) has an unlocking member (52) which can be actuated independently of the drive motor (2) and which is displaceably mounted along the longitudinal axis (L).

16. Actuator arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the unlocking member (52) is designed to assist movements of the actuating member (1) by means of the drive motor (2) between the unlocking position (E) and the locking position (VR), and is further designed to carry the actuating member (1) from the locking position (VR) to the unlocking position (E) without assistance from the drive motor (2).

17. Actuator arrangement according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the unlocking member (52) is designed to assist movements of the actuating member (1) by means of the drive motor (2) between the unlocking position (E) and the locking position (VR), and is further designed to separate the coupling stage (3, 4a) during a movement from the locking position (VR) to the unlocking position (E).

18. Actuator arrangement according to one of claims 15 - 17, wherein the emergency unlocking device (50) has an unlocking lever (54) pivotable about the longitudinal axis (L) and coupled to the unlocking member (52) via an unlocking rotation-translation converter (64, 74).

19. Device for directly locking a charging plug (LS) inserted into a charging socket (LB), with an actuator arrangement (A) according to one of claims 1 - 18.

20. Device for indirectly locking a charging plug (LS) inserted into a charging socket (LB), with an actuator arrangement (A) according to one of claims 1 - 18.

21. Use of an actuator arrangement (A) according to one of claims 1 - 18 for locking and unlocking a charging plug (LS) inserted into a charging socket (LB).

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