Motor device

Abstract

The present invention provides a motor device in which operating noise can be reduced while improving ease of assembly.　A ground terminal (70) through which flows electrical noise generated by the rotation of a rotating shaft (39) is sandwiched between a motor case and a gear case (51). Between the motor case and the gear case (51), first to third fixing portions (FP1-FP3) comprising first to third motor case-side abutting faces and first to third gear case-side abutting faces (GF1-GF3) are provided, said abutting faces being arranged around the rotating shaft (39) and abutted against each other. The ground terminal (70) is located only between the second fixing portion (FP2) and the third fixing portion (FP3) that form the shortest line segment (second motor case-side line segment and second gear case-side line segment GL2) from among line segments (first to third motor case-side line segments and first to third gear case-side line segments GL1 to GL3) connecting adjacent ones of the first to third fixing portions (FP1 to FP3) in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft (39).

Description

Motor device

[0001] The present invention relates to a motor device including a rotating shaft and a gear rotated by the rotating shaft.

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes an electric motor including an armature shaft, a worm rotated by the armature shaft, and a worm wheel rotated by the worm. The armature shaft is housed in a yoke, and the worm and worm wheel are housed in a casing. An annular contact plate is sandwiched between the yoke and the casing, and the contact plate functions to dissipate electrical noise transmitted to the armature shaft to ground.

[0003] Patent No. 6051129

[0004] However, with the technology described in Patent Document 1, if there is variation in the molding precision of the contact plate or in the tightening torque of the screws that secure the yoke and casing to each other, the axis of the armature shaft and the axis of the worm will become misaligned, resulting in a problem of increased operating noise.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a motor device that can reduce operating noise while improving assembly efficiency.

[0006] In one aspect of the present invention, a motor device is provided that includes a rotating shaft and a gear that is rotated by the rotating shaft, a motor case that houses the rotating shaft, a gear case that houses the gear, and a conductive member that is sandwiched between the motor case and the gear case and through which electrical noise generated by rotation of the rotating shaft flows, and at least three fixed parts are provided between the motor case and the gear case, and are arranged around the rotating shaft and consist of a pair of abutting surfaces that abut against each other, and the conductive member is arranged only between the fixed parts that form the shortest line segment among the line segments connecting adjacent fixed parts in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a motor device that can reduce operating noise while improving assembly efficiency.

[0008] 6 is a schematic diagram of a sunroof device installed on the roof of a vehicle. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the output gear side of a sunroof motor. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the cover member side of a sunroof motor. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a sunroof motor along the axial direction of a rotation shaft. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a motor case seen from the flange side. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a gear case seen from the motor housing side. FIG. 6 is a plan view of a gear case seen from the motor housing side. FIG. 7 is a view taken along arrow A in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a ground terminal alone. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a sunroof motor (internal structure omitted). FIG. 10 is a view explaining assembly procedure (1) of a sunroof motor. FIG. 11 is a view explaining assembly procedure (2) of a sunroof motor. FIG. 12 is a view explaining assembly procedure (3) of a sunroof motor. FIG. 13 is a view corresponding to FIG. 11 showing a second embodiment.

[0009] First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a sunroof device installed on the roof of a vehicle, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the output gear side of a sunroof motor, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the cover member side of the sunroof motor, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the sunroof motor along the axial direction of the rotating shaft, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the motor case from the flange side, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the gear case from the motor housing side, FIG. 7 is a plan view of the gear case from the motor housing side, FIG. 8 is a view seen from the arrow A in FIG. 6, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the ground terminal alone.

[0011] [Overview of Sunroof Device] As shown in Fig. 1, a sunroof device 10 includes a roof panel 11. The roof panel 11 opens and closes a roof opening 14 formed in a roof 13 of a vehicle 12. A pair of shoes 15a, 15b are fixed to both sides of the roof panel 11 in the vehicle width direction (top and bottom sides in Fig. 1).

[0012] Furthermore, guide rails 16 extending in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 12 (left-to-right direction in FIG. 1 ) are fixed to both sides of the roof opening 14 in the vehicle width direction of the roof 13. A pair of shoes 15 a, 15 b are guided by the pair of guide rails 16, respectively, and the roof panel 11 moves in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 12.

[0013] Furthermore, one end of geared drive cables 17a, 17b is connected to a pair of shoes 15b arranged on the rear side (right side in FIG. 1) of the vehicle 12. Meanwhile, the other ends of the pair of drive cables 17a, 17b are routed forward of the roof opening 14 of the vehicle 12 (left side in FIG. 1).

[0014] A sunroof motor 20 is installed inside the roof 13 between the windshield FG and the roof opening 14 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 12. The other ends of the pair of drive cables 17a, 17b are engaged with an output gear 57a provided on the sunroof motor 20.

[0015] As a result, when the sunroof motor 20 is driven, the pair of drive cables 17a, 17b move in opposite directions along their longitudinal directions, so that the roof panel 11 is pushed and pulled by the pair of drive cables 17a, 17b via the pair of shoes 15b, thereby opening and closing the roof opening 14.

[0016] The sunroof motor 20 corresponds to the motor device in the present invention.

[0017] 2 to 4, the sunroof motor 20 is formed in a flat, approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape, which allows it to be installed inside the narrow roof 13 (see FIG. 1). The sunroof motor 20 includes an electric motor unit 30 and a speed reduction mechanism unit 50, which are fixed to each other with a total of three fixing screws FS.

[0018] In this embodiment, a brushless motor is used as the electric motor unit 30. However, an electric motor with brushes may also be used as the electric motor unit 30.

[0019] 2 to 5, the electric motor unit 30 includes a motor case 31 that forms the outer shell of the electric motor unit 30. The motor case 31 is made of metal and is formed into a cylindrical shape with a bottom by deep drawing a steel plate.

[0020] The axial base end side (right side in FIG. 4 ) of the rotary shaft 39 is rotatably housed inside the motor case 31. The motor case 31 has a side wall portion 31a whose cross section along a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotary shaft 39 is formed into a substantially regular hexagon. A stepped bottom wall portion 31b is integrally provided on one axial side (right side in FIG. 4 ) of the side wall portion 31a.

[0021] Furthermore, a motor case side opening 31c is provided on the other axial side (left side in FIG. 4) of the side wall 31a. A flange 31d is integrally provided on the other axial side of the side wall 31a so as to surround the motor case side opening 31c.

[0022] 5, flange portion 31d extends in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of rotating shaft 39 and is disposed around motor case side opening 31c. Specifically, flange portion 31d is formed in a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the axial direction of rotating shaft 39. The four corners that form flange portion 31d are provided with a first motor case side corner 32, a second motor case side corner 33, a third motor case side corner 34, and a motor case side abutment 35, respectively.

[0023] The first motor case side corner 32 has a first motor case side abutment surface MF1 (see the shaded area in FIG. 5 ) on the side opposite to the bottom wall 31b side (the gear case 51 side) in the axial direction of the motor case 31. The first motor case side abutment surface MF1 is the portion that abuts against the first gear case side abutment surface GF1 (see FIGS. 6 and 7 ) of the gear case 51 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39. The first motor case side corner 32 is provided with a first screw insertion hole 32a through which a fixing screw FS is inserted.

[0024] The second motor case side corner 33 has a second motor case side abutment surface MF2 (see the shaded area in FIG. 5 ) on the side opposite to the bottom wall 31b in the axial direction of the motor case 31 (the side facing the gear case 51). The second motor case side abutment surface MF2 is the portion that abuts against the second gear case side abutment surface GF2 (see FIGS. 6 and 7 ) of the gear case 51 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39. The second motor case side corner 33 is provided with a second screw insertion hole 33a through which a fixing screw FS is inserted.

[0025] The third motor case side corner 34 has a third motor case side abutment surface MF3 (see the shaded area in FIG. 5 ) on the side opposite to the bottom wall 31b side (the gear case 51 side) in the axial direction of the motor case 31. The third motor case side abutment surface MF3 is the portion that abuts against the third gear case side abutment surface GF3 (see FIGS. 6 and 7 ) of the gear case 51 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39. The third motor case side corner 34 is provided with a third screw insertion hole 34a through which a fixing screw FS is inserted.

[0026] In addition, the first, second, and third motor case side abutment surfaces MF1, MF2, and MF3, which are provided on the flange portion 31d of the motor case 31, are provided between the motor case 31 and the gear case 51, and each corresponds to the abutment surface in the present invention.

[0027] The motor case side abutment portion 35 is a portion that abuts against the gear case side abutment portion 65 (see FIGS. 6 and 7) of the gear case 51 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39. The motor case side abutment portion 35 is disposed at a position facing the second motor case side corner portion 33, with the motor case side opening 31c as its center.

[0028] Here, the flange portion 31d expands with high precision without distortion in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the motor case 31 (the left-right direction in FIG. 4 ). Specifically, after the motor case 31 is formed by deep drawing, the flange portion 31d is again press-formed (secondary processing) to increase the flatness of the flange portion 31d. This allows the first, second, and third motor case abutment surfaces MF1, MF2, and MF3 and the motor case abutment portion 35 to abut against the gear case 51 without rattle. This allows the motor case 31 and the gear case 51 to be arranged coaxially and straight.

[0029] As shown in Figure 5, the first motor case side line segment ML1 connecting the first motor case side abutment surface MF1, which has the first screw insertion hole 32a located in its center, and the second motor case side abutment surface MF2, which has the second screw insertion hole 33a located in its center, extends in the width direction of the sunroof motor 20 (the up and down direction in Figure 4).

[0030] In addition, the second motor case side line segment ML2 connecting the second motor case side abutment surface MF2, in whose center the second screw insertion hole 33a is located, and the third motor case side abutment surface MF3, in whose center the third screw insertion hole 34a is located, extends in the thickness direction of the sunroof motor 20 (the depth direction in Figure 4).

[0031] Furthermore, the third motor case side line segment ML3 connecting the first motor case side abutment surface MF1, in whose center the first screw insertion hole 32a is located, and the third motor case side abutment surface MF3, in whose center the third screw insertion hole 34a is located, extends so as to cross approximately the axial center of the motor case 31, i.e., approximately the center of the motor case side opening 31c.

[0032] In this way, the first, second, and third motor case side abutment surfaces MF1, MF2, and MF3 and the motor case side abutment portion 35 are arranged around the rotation shaft 39 with the motor case side opening 31c as the center.

[0033] The first, second, and third motor case side line segments ML1, ML2, and ML3 each form an isosceles triangle, and the length dimensions L1, L2, and L3 of the first, second, and third motor case side line segments ML1, ML2, and ML3 satisfy the relationship L3 > L1 > L2.

[0034] Furthermore, a pressing portion 36 that presses a ground terminal 70 (see FIG. 9 ) toward the gear case 51 is provided between the second motor case side corner 33 and the third motor case side corner 34 of the flange portion 31d. In other words, the ground terminal 70 is disposed only between the second motor case side abutment surface MF2 and the third motor case side abutment surface MF3 that form the shortest second motor case side line segment ML2 among the first, second, and third motor case side line segments ML1, ML2, and ML3 that connect the first, second, and third motor case side abutment surfaces MF1, MF2, and MF3 that are adjacent in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 39.

[0035] The ground terminal 70 is rod-shaped and extends in the axial direction of the rotary shaft 39, and is disposed only between the second motor case side abutment surface MF2 and the third motor case side abutment surface MF3.

[0036] As a result, the pressing portion 36 is disposed only on the shortest second motor case side line segment ML2 when the sunroof motor 20 is viewed in the axial direction of the rotary shaft 39. Therefore, the pressing portion 36 is not deformed when the motor case 31 is fixed to the gear case 51 with the fixing screws FS, and can reliably press the ground terminal 70. Therefore, when the sunroof motor 20 is viewed in the axial direction of the rotary shaft 39, the ground terminal 70 is disposed between the second motor case side abutment surface MF2 and the third motor case side abutment surface MF3, and overlaps with the pressing portion 36.

[0037] The ground terminal 70 is electrically connected to the motor case 31 by being pressed by the pressing portion 36. The first, second, and third motor case side line segments ML1, ML2, and ML3 correspond to the line segments in the present invention.

[0038] [Stator] As shown in Fig. 4, a stator 37 is housed inside the side wall 31a that forms the motor case 31. The stator 37 has a stator core 37a formed by laminating multiple thin steel plates. The stator core 37a is fixed to the inside of the side wall 31a and has a total of six teeth 37b (not shown in detail). Three-phase coils CL consisting of U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase are wound around these teeth 37b via insulators 37c.

[0039] [Rotor] As shown in Fig. 4, the rotor 38 is rotatably mounted radially inside the stator 37 via an air gap AG. The rotor 38 has a rotor core 38a formed in a generally cylindrical shape. The rotor core 38a is formed by laminating multiple thin steel plates, and a total of four magnets MG are attached to the outer periphery of the rotor core 38a. Specifically, the magnets MG are arranged at equal intervals (90-degree intervals) around the circumferential direction of the rotor core 38a.

[0040] The outer periphery of each magnet MG attached to the rotor core 38a is covered with a magnet holder 38b formed into a generally cylindrical shape using a thin stainless steel plate or the like. The magnet holder 38b serves to secure the magnet MG to the rotor core 38a. This prevents the magnet MG from falling off the rotor core 38a due to centrifugal force even when the rotor 38 rotates at high speed.

[0041] [Rotating Shaft] A rotating shaft 39 is fixed by press fitting to the center of rotation of the rotor core 38a. That is, the sunroof motor 20 includes the rotating shaft 39. The rotating shaft 39 is made of a round steel bar to ensure sufficient strength.

[0042] The axial base end side (right side in FIG. 4) of the rotating shaft 39 is housed inside the motor case 31 and rotatably supported by a first radial bearing B1 provided in the bottom wall portion 31b of the motor case 31. On the other hand, the axial tip end side (left side in FIG. 4) of the rotating shaft 39 is housed inside the gear case 51 that forms the reduction mechanism 50 and rotatably supported by a second radial bearing B2 provided in the worm housing portion 59 of the gear case 51.

[0043] In this manner, in this embodiment, the rotating shaft 39 is rotatably housed in both the motor case 31 and the gear case 51. Therefore, in order to rotate the rotating shaft 39 smoothly, it is important to precisely position the motor case 31 and the gear case 51 coaxially.

[0044] Furthermore, the worm 40 that forms the reduction gear mechanism SD is integrally provided on the axial tip side of the rotary shaft 39 by rolling or the like. That is, the worm 40 is also made of a round steel bar. This increases the rigidity of the worm 40, preventing it from bending. Therefore, the worm 40 is reliably engaged with the worm wheel 56.

[0045] [Ball Bearing] A ball bearing 41 is attached to the axial center of the rotating shaft 39. That is, the ball bearing 41 is provided between the first radial bearing B1 and the second radial bearing B2 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39, and rotatably supports the axial center of the rotating shaft 39. Specifically, the rotor core 38a to which the magnet MG is fixed is disposed between the ball bearing 41 and the first radial bearing B1, and the worm 40 is disposed between the ball bearing 41 and the second radial bearing B2.

[0046] Like the first radial bearing B1 and the second radial bearing B2, the ball bearing 41 rotatably supports the rotating shaft 39 and includes an inner race 41 a and an outer race 41 b. A plurality of balls 41 c are provided between the inner race 41 a and the outer race 41 b.

[0047] The inner race 41a is fixed to the rotary shaft 39 by press-fitting. That is, the inner race 41a rotates together with the rotary shaft 39.

[0048] [Sensor Magnet Unit] A sensor magnet unit 42 is provided between the worm 40 and the ball bearing 41 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39. The sensor magnet unit 42 has a cylindrical bracket member 42a that is fixed to the rotating shaft 39 by press-fitting, and a sensor magnet 42b that is held by the bracket member 42a. Here, the sensor magnet 42b is used to detect the rotational state of the rotating shaft 39 (rotor 38), specifically, the rotation direction, rotation speed, etc.

[0049] The sensor magnet unit 42 also rotates together with the rotary shaft 39 in the same manner as the inner race 41 a of the ball bearing 41 .

[0050] [Holder Member] The electric motor unit 30 also has a holder member 43. The holder member 43 is made of a resin material such as plastic, and includes a support body 43a formed in a substantially flat plate shape, and a wall portion 43b that fits into the gear case 51. In other words, the holder member 43 is a component that is attached to the gear case 51.

[0051] An annular support portion 43c is integrally formed on the support body 43a of the holder member 43. The annular support portion 43c supports the outer race 41b of the ball bearing 41 from one axial side (the right side in FIG. 4). The other axial side (the left side in FIG. 4) of the outer race 41b is supported by a bearing mounting portion 60 provided on the gear case 51.

[0052] In this way, the outer race 41b of the ball bearing 41 is sandwiched between the gear case 51 and the holder member 43 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39. The holder member 43 is fixed to the inside of the gear case 51 without rattle by fixing the motor case 31 to the gear case 51 with a total of three fixing screws FS.

[0053] Three conductors 44 (see FIG. 3) are attached to the support body 43a in correspondence with the three-phase coils CL. The conductors 44 are formed into a generally rod-like shape from brass or other material with excellent conductivity and extend in the axial direction of the rotor 38. One longitudinal side of each conductor 44 (the right side in FIG. 4) is electrically connected to the three-phase coils CL, and the other longitudinal side of each conductor 44 (the left side in FIG. 4) is supported by a conductor support portion 59a of the gear case 51.

[0054] The other longitudinal side of the conductor 44 is electrically connected to a motor board MB (not shown in detail), and the motor board MB is electrically connected to a connection terminal of an external connector (not shown) provided on the vehicle 12 (see FIG. 1). Thus, a drive current is supplied from an on-board controller or the like to the three-phase coil CL of the sunroof motor 20, causing the rotating shaft 39 to rotate forward and reverse.

[0055] Here, the motor board MB is actually attached to the side of the gear case 51 where the cover member 58 is provided (see FIG. 3). That is, the motor board MB is provided so as to overlap the cover member 58 in the axial direction of the output shaft 57 (see FIG. 2). The cover member 58 is electrically connected to both the motor board MB and the ground terminal 70. Furthermore, the motor board MB is connected (grounded) to the body of the vehicle 12, which serves as the reference potential, as indicated by the symbol G in FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0056] As a result, electrical noise generated when the rotating shaft 39 rotates flows from the motor case 31 through the ground terminal 70 and is then released to the body of the vehicle 12 via the cover member 58 and the motor board MB. This prevents electrical noise from being emitted around the sunroof motor 20, and ultimately prevents it from adversely affecting other in-vehicle devices (such as car audio).

[0057] 2 to 4 and 6 to 8, the speed reduction mechanism 50 includes a gear case 51 that houses the speed reduction mechanism SD. The gear case 51 is made of a resin material such as plastic and has a flat, generally rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is abutted against the motor case 31 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39. Specifically, the resin gear case 51 has a first wall portion 52, a second wall portion 53, and a third wall portion 54.

[0058] 4 , a worm wheel accommodating portion 55 is provided inside the gear case 51. The worm wheel accommodating portion 55 is aligned with the third wall portion 54 in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 39. A worm wheel 56 that forms the speed reduction mechanism SD is rotatably accommodated inside the worm wheel accommodating portion 55. Here, the worm wheel 56 is provided with a tooth portion 56a, and the tooth portion 56a is meshed with the worm 40 inside the gear case 51.

[0059] In this way, the reduction mechanism SD is a worm reducer that can obtain a relatively large reduction ratio. In this embodiment, the reduction ratio of the reduction mechanism SD is "1 / 67." In other words, the reduction ratio is such that the worm wheel 56 completes one rotation after the worm 40 has rotated 67 times. Of course, other reduction ratios can also be set.

[0060] The base end of an output shaft 57 made of a round steel rod is fixed to the center of rotation of the worm wheel 56. On the other hand, an output gear 57a (see FIG. 2) is integrally provided on the tip end of the output shaft 57 in the axial direction, and is engaged with a pair of drive cables 17a, 17b (see FIG. 1).

[0061] As a result, the high-speed rotation of the rotary shaft 39 is slowed down by the speed reduction mechanism SD, and the reduced rotational force, which has been made high torque, is transmitted to the pair of drive cables 17a, 17b via the output shaft 57 and the output gear 57a. Here, the speed reduction mechanism SD is formed by the worm 40 and the worm wheel 56.

[0062] The worm 40 and the worm wheel 56 are rotatably housed inside the gear case 51 and rotated by the rotary shaft 39, and each corresponds to the gear in the present invention.

[0063] The worm wheel accommodating portion 55 is open on the side opposite to the side where the first wall portion 52 is provided in the axial direction of the output shaft 57 (the front side in FIG. 4 ). As shown in FIG. 3 , the opening of the worm wheel accommodating portion 55 is closed by a cover member 58 formed into a substantially circular plate shape by pressing a steel plate or the like. In other words, the cover member 58 closes a first opening OP1 (see FIGS. 6 and 10 ) provided in the gear case 51.

[0064] The first opening OP1 corresponds to the opening in the present invention.

[0065] 4, a worm accommodating portion 59 is provided inside the gear case 51. The worm accommodating portion 59 is disposed near the second wall portion 53. The worm accommodating portion 59 is aligned with the worm wheel accommodating portion 55 in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotation shaft 39, and the interior of the worm accommodating portion 59 and the interior of the worm wheel accommodating portion 55 communicate with each other. This allows the worm 40 and the tooth portion 56a to mesh with each other.

[0066] The worm accommodating portion 59 extends in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39, and the other axial side (left side in Figure 4) of the worm accommodating portion 59 accommodates a second radial bearing B2 that rotatably supports the axial tip side of the rotating shaft 39.

[0067] Furthermore, a conductor support portion 59a is provided between the worm housing portion 59 and the second wall portion 53. The conductor support portion 59a supports the other longitudinal side (the left side in FIG. 4 ) of each of the three conductors 44 held by the holder member 43 to prevent rattle. This allows the motor board MB to be easily connected to each of the conductors 44.

[0068] A bearing mounting portion 60 is provided inside the gear case 51. The bearing mounting portion 60 is disposed on one axial side (the right side in FIG. 4 ) of the worm housing portion 59, and opens toward the motor case 31. The ball bearing 41 is housed inside the bearing mounting portion 60.

[0069] In this way, the rotating shaft 39 is supported at three points by the first radial bearing B1, the second radial bearing B2, and the ball bearing 41. As a result, when the sunroof motor 20 is operating, the worm 40 does not separate from the teeth 56a of the worm wheel 56 (they do not disengage from each other), ensuring reliable power transmission between them.

[0070] Here, an inner race 41a is fixed to the rotating shaft 39, and an outer race 41b is sandwiched between the bearing mounting portion 60 and the holder member 43. Therefore, the rotating shaft 39 does not move in the axial direction. This eliminates the need to provide thrust bearings on both axial sides of the rotating shaft 39, thereby reducing the number of parts.

[0071] 4 and 6 to 8, a motor accommodating portion 61 formed in a generally box shape is integrally provided with the gear case 51. The motor accommodating portion 61 is disposed on the side where the motor case 31 is provided in the axial direction of the rotary shaft 39 (the right side in FIG. 4). The motor accommodating portion 61 has a second opening OP2 on the side where the motor case 31 is provided, and a portion of the electric motor unit 30 is accommodated in the motor accommodating portion 61. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the wall portion 43b of the holder member 43 that forms the electric motor unit 30 fits into the motor accommodating portion 61.

[0072] 6 and 7, the motor accommodating portion 61 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape when viewed in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39. A first gear case side corner 62, a second gear case side corner 63, a third gear case side corner 64, and a gear case side abutment portion 65 are provided at four corners on the side of the motor accommodating portion 61 where the motor case 31 is provided.

[0073] The first gear case side corner 62 has a first gear case side abutment surface GF1 (see the shaded area in FIGS. 6 and 7 ) on the opposite side of the motor housing 61 from the worm housing 59 side (the motor case 31 side) in the axial direction. The first gear case side abutment surface GF1 is a portion that abuts against the first motor case side abutment surface MF1 (see FIG. 5 ) of the motor case 31 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39. The first gear case side corner 62 is provided with a first female thread portion 62a to which the fixing screw FS is threadedly coupled.

[0074] The second gear case side corner 63 has a second gear case side abutment surface GF2 (see the shaded area in FIGS. 6 and 7 ) on the side opposite the worm housing portion 59 side (the motor case 31 side) in the axial direction of the motor housing portion 61. The second gear case side abutment surface GF2 is a portion that abuts against the second motor case side abutment surface MF2 (see FIG. 5 ) of the motor case 31 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39. The second gear case side corner 63 is provided with a second female thread portion 63a to which the fixing screw FS is threadedly coupled.

[0075] The third gear case side corner 64 has a third gear case side abutment surface GF3 (see the shaded area in FIGS. 6 and 7 ) on the side opposite to the worm housing portion 59 side (the motor case 31 side) in the axial direction of the motor housing portion 61. The third gear case side abutment surface GF3 is a portion that abuts against the third motor case side abutment surface MF3 (see FIG. 5 ) of the motor case 31 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39. The third gear case side corner 64 is provided with a third female thread portion 64a to which the fixing screw FS is threadedly coupled.

[0076] In addition, the three first, second and third gear case side abutment surfaces GF1, GF2 and GF3 provided in the motor accommodating section 61 of the gear case 51 are provided between the motor case 31 and the gear case 51, and each corresponds to the abutment surface in the present invention.

[0077] The gear case side abutment portion 65 is a portion that abuts against the motor case side abutment portion 35 (see FIG. 5) of the motor case 31 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39. The gear case side abutment portion 65 is disposed at a position facing the second gear case side corner portion 63 with the second opening OP2 as the center.

[0078] The first, second, and third gear case side corners 62, 63, and 64 and the gear case side abutment portion 65 are precisely positioned at the same position relative to the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39 by a mold (not shown) used when molding the gear case 51. Furthermore, the first, second, and third gear case side corners 62, 63, and 64 and the gear case side abutment portion 65 spread with precision without distortion in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the motor accommodating portion 61 (the left-right direction in FIG. 4 ). Therefore, the first, second, and third gear case side corners 62, 63, and 64 and the gear case side abutment portion 65 abut against the motor case 31 without rattle. This allows the gear case 51 and the motor case 31 to be positioned coaxially and straight.

[0079] Furthermore, the first, second, and third gear case side corners 62, 63, and 64 and the gear case side abutment portion 65 protrude by a height dimension T1 (see FIG. 8 ) from an edge E provided on the second opening OP2 side of the motor accommodating portion 61. Specifically, the first, second, and third gear case side corners 62, 63, and 64 and the gear case side abutment portion 65 protrude by a height dimension T1 from the edge E to one axial side of the rotating shaft 39 (upper side in FIG. 8 ).

[0080] This reduces the area (contact area) of the abutting portion between the gear case 51 and the motor case 31 (see the shaded areas in Figures 5 to 7), making it possible to easily abut the gear case 51 and the motor case 31 without rattle between them. This allows the gear case 51 and the motor case 31 to be precisely positioned so that they are coaxially aligned in a straight line.

[0081] Here, the first gear case side abutment surface GF1 and the first motor case side abutment surface MF1 are abutted against each other to form a pair, forming a first fixed portion FP1. The second gear case side abutment surface GF2 and the second motor case side abutment surface MF2 are abutted against each other to form a pair, forming a second fixed portion FP2. Furthermore, the third gear case side abutment surface GF3 and the third motor case side abutment surface MF3 are abutted against each other to form a pair, forming a third fixed portion FP3.

[0082] The three first, second and third fixing portions FP1, FP2 and FP3 correspond to the fixing portions in the present invention.

[0083] As shown in Figure 7, the first gear case side line segment GL1 connecting the first gear case side abutment surface GF1, which has the first female thread portion 62a located in the center, and the second gear case side abutment surface GF2, which has the second female thread portion 63a located in the center, extends in the width direction of the sunroof motor 20 (the up and down direction in Figure 4).

[0084] In addition, the second gear case side line segment GL2 connecting the second gear case side abutment surface GF2, in whose center the second female thread portion 63a is located, and the third gear case side abutment surface GF3, in whose center the third female thread portion 64a is located, extends in the thickness direction of the sunroof motor 20 (the depth direction in Figure 4).

[0085] Furthermore, the third gear case side line segment GL3 connecting the first gear case side abutment surface GF1, in whose center the first female thread portion 62a is located, and the third gear case side abutment surface GF3, in whose center the third female thread portion 64a is located, extends so as to cross the approximate axial center of the motor accommodating portion 61, i.e., the approximate center of the second opening OP2.

[0086] In this way, the first, second, and third gear case side abutment surfaces GF1, GF2, and GF3 and the gear case side abutment portion 65 are arranged around the rotation shaft 39 with the second opening OP2 as the center.

[0087] The first, second and third gear case side line segments GL1, GL2 and GL3 each form an isosceles triangle, and the relationship of the length dimensions L1, L2 and L3 of the first, second and third gear case side line segments GL1, GL2 and GL3 is L3 > L1 > L2.

[0088] When the sunroof motor 20 is assembled, the clamping portion 73 (see FIG. 9 ) of the ground terminal 70 is disposed between the second gear case side corner 63 and the third gear case side corner 64 of the motor housing portion 61. In other words, the ground terminal 70 is disposed only between the second gear case side abutment surface GF2 and the third gear case side abutment surface GF3 that form the shortest second gear case side line segment GL2 among the first, second, and third gear case side line segments GL1, GL2, and GL3 that connect the first, second, and third gear case side abutment surfaces GF1, GF2, and GF3 that are adjacent in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 39.

[0089] The ground terminal 70 is rod-shaped and extends in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39, and is disposed only between the second gear case side abutment surface GF2 and the third gear case side abutment surface GF3. The first, second, and third gear case side line segments GL1, GL2, and GL3 correspond to the line segments in the present invention.

[0090] 6 to 8 , the motor accommodating portion 61 is provided with a terminal mounting portion 66. Specifically, when the motor accommodating portion 61 is viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39, the terminal mounting portion 66 is disposed between the second gear case side corner 63 and the third gear case side corner 64. In other words, when the motor accommodating portion 61 is viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39, the terminal mounting portion 66 is disposed on the second gear case side line segment GL2.

[0091] The terminal mounting portion 66 has a function of supporting the ground terminal 70. As shown in Fig. 6, the terminal mounting portion 66 has a first terminal insertion hole 66a, a second terminal insertion hole 66b, and a terminal abutment portion 67. The first and second terminal insertion holes 66a, 66b each have a substantially rectangular cross section in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39.

[0092] 7, the first terminal insertion hole 66a is located on the opposite side of the motor accommodating portion 61 from the second opening OP2 (lower side in FIG. 7) when the rotating shaft 39 is viewed axially. On the other hand, the second terminal insertion hole 66b is located on the second opening OP2 side of the motor accommodating portion 61 (upper side in FIG. 7) when the rotating shaft 39 is viewed axially. In this way, the first and second terminal insertion holes 66a, 66b are located at different positions in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39.

[0093] 6 , the first terminal insertion hole 66a is disposed on the second opening OP2 side of the motor accommodating portion 61, and the second terminal insertion hole 66b is disposed on the bearing mounting portion 60 side of the motor accommodating portion 61, in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39. In this manner, the first and second terminal insertion holes 66a, 66b are disposed at different positions in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39. In other words, the first terminal insertion hole 66a is disposed on the outer side of the gear case 51 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39, and the second terminal insertion hole 66b is disposed on the inner side of the gear case 51 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39.

[0094] This allows the short portion 71 (see Figure 9) of the ground terminal 70 to be inserted into the first terminal insertion hole 66a, and the long portion 72 (see Figure 9) of the ground terminal 70 to be inserted into the second terminal insertion hole 66b.

[0095] 6 and 7, the terminal abutment portion 67 is disposed between the first terminal insertion hole 66a and the second terminal insertion hole 66b in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39. As shown in Fig. 6 and 8, the terminal abutment portion 67 includes a pair of insertion guides 67a and a pair of triangular protrusions 67b.

[0096] The pair of insertion guides 67a have the function of guiding the attachment of the ground terminal 70 to the terminal attachment portion 66, i.e., the insertion of the ground terminal 70 into the first and second terminal insertion holes 66a, 66b. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 8, the tip sides (upper side in Fig. 8) of the pair of triangular protrusions 67b have a tapered shape, and are the portions that are crushed by the clamping portion 73 (see Fig. 9) of the ground terminal 70 when the gear case 51 and the motor case 31 are butted together and fixed to each other.

[0097] The pair of triangular protrusions 67b are made of resin and therefore have some elasticity, so they have the function of pushing back the clamping portion 73 of the ground terminal 70 toward the motor case 31.

[0098] Here, the pair of triangular protrusions 67b provided on the gear case 51 correspond to the protrusions of the present invention.

[0099] As shown in Figure 8, in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39 (the vertical direction in Figure 8), with the position of the edge E of the motor housing portion 61 as a reference, if the height dimension of the first, second, and third gear case side corner portions 62, 63, and 64 and the gear case side abutment portion 65 is T1, the depth dimension to the top of the insertion guide 67a is D1, the depth dimension to the top of the triangular protrusion 67b is D2, and the thickness dimension of the ground terminal 70 (clamping portion 73) is T2, then the following formula (1) is established: (D2 + T1) < T2 < (D1 + T1) ... formula (1)

[0100] That is, when the lower surface BS of the clamping portion 73 is placed on the pair of triangular protrusions 67b and the pair of triangular protrusions 67b are not crushed, the upper surface US1 of the clamping portion 73 protrudes toward one axial side of the rotating shaft 39 (the upper side in FIG. 8 ) beyond the first, second, and third gear case side abutment surfaces GF1, GF2, and GF3 and the upper surface US2 of the gear case side abutment portion 65. This state in which the upper surface US1 protrudes toward one axial side of the rotating shaft 39 beyond the first, second, and third gear case side abutment surfaces GF1, GF2, and GF3 and the upper surface US2 (see FIG. 7 ) is referred to as the "clamping portion placed state."

[0101] In the "clamping portion placed state," when the motor case 31 is abutted against the gear case 51 and a total of three fixing screws FS (see FIG. 10) are tightened with a specified tightening torque, the clamping portion 73 is pressed by the pressing portion 36 (see FIG. 5) of the motor case 31. As a result, the tip sides of the pair of triangular protrusions 67b are crushed against the other axial side (the lower side in FIG. 8) of the rotation shaft 39. Therefore, the upper surface US1 of the clamping portion 73 is "flush" with the first, second, and third gear case-side abutment surfaces GF1, GF2, and GF3 and the upper surface US2 (see FIG. 7), respectively.

[0102] In this "flush state," the bottom surface BS of the clamping portion 73 and the tops of the pair of insertion guides 67a are not in contact with each other. In other words, if the crushing allowance of the pair of triangular protrusions 67b is Δt, the following formula (2) is satisfied: Δt=(D1+T1)-T2...formula (2)

[0103] Furthermore, since the thickness dimension T2 of the clamping portion 73 is smaller than the sum of the depth dimension D1 to the top of the insertion guide 67a and the height dimension T1 of the first, second, and third gear case side corner portions 62, 63, and 64 and the gear case side abutment portion 65 (see formula (1) above), the clamping portion 73 only needs to crush a portion of the tip side of the pair of triangular protrusions 67b.

[0104] This fixes the ground terminal 70 in a specified position relative to the terminal mounting portion 66 without rattle. This also prevents the tightening torque of the three fixing screws FS from becoming excessive, thereby minimizing damage to the first, second, and third female thread portions 62 a, 63 a, and 64 a (made of resin). Furthermore, the clamping portion 73 of the ground terminal 70 is pushed back toward the pressing portion 36 by the pair of triangular protrusions 67 b, ensuring a reliable electrical connection to the motor case 31.

[0105] 9, the ground terminal 70 to be attached to the terminal attachment portion 66 is formed into a substantially J-shape by punching out a highly conductive brass plate or the like into a rod shape and then bending the rod, etc. Specifically, the ground terminal 70 includes a short portion 71, a long portion 72, and a clamping portion 73.

[0106] The width of the short portion 71 is smaller than the width of the long portion 72, and the length of the short portion 71 is approximately 1 / 5 of the length of the long portion 72. The clamping portion 73 is a portion that is clamped between the motor case 31 and the gear case 51, and has a bottom surface BS and a top surface US1.

[0107] In this way, by forming the ground terminal 70 into a roughly J-shape, the short portion 71 can be inserted into the first terminal insertion hole 66a, and the long portion 72 can be inserted into the second terminal insertion hole 66b.

[0108] The short portion 71 has a short main body 71a, and a clamping portion 73 is integrally provided at the base end of the short main body 71a. The short main body 71a and the clamping portion 73 are bent at a right angle (90 degrees) to each other.

[0109] The tip of the short body 71a is provided with a tapered short section 71b that tapers gradually toward the tip. The tapered short section 71b functions to guide the insertion of the short section 71 into the first terminal insertion hole 66a.

[0110] Furthermore, a pair of hooking claws 71c are provided on both widthwise sides of the short main body 71a. Here, the pair of hooking claws 71c are portions that are hooked into the first terminal insertion hole 66a when the short portion 71 is inserted into the first terminal insertion hole 66a. This allows the ground terminal 70 to be temporarily fixed to the terminal mounting portion 66. In other words, the ground terminal 70 is prevented from falling off the terminal mounting portion 66 when the motor case 31 is fixed to the gear case 51.

[0111] The pair of hooking claws 71c that are hooked onto the gear case 51 correspond to the claw portions in this invention.

[0112] The long portion 72 has a long main body 72a, and a clamping portion 73 is integrally formed at the base end of the long main body 72a. The long main body 72a and the clamping portion 73 are bent at a right angle (90 degrees) to each other, so that the short portion 71 and the long portion 72 are parallel to each other with the clamping portion 73 sandwiched between them.

[0113] The distal end of the elongated main body 72a is provided with a tapered portion 72b that tapers gradually toward the distal end. The tapered portion 72b functions to guide the insertion of the elongated portion 72 into the second terminal insertion hole 66b. The distal end of the elongated portion 72 is electrically connected to the fixed leg 58b of the cover member 58 (see FIGS. 4 and 10).

[0114] The long portion 72 extends straight in the axial direction of the rotary shaft 39, and its tip end is disposed inside the gear case 51, and corresponds to the main body in the present invention.

[0115] The clamping portion 73 extends in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39, specifically, in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39, and as shown in Fig. 8, a lower surface BS of the clamping portion 73 abuts against the terminal abutment portion 67 from one axial side of the rotating shaft 39 (the upper side in Fig. 8). Meanwhile, an upper surface US1 of the clamping portion 73 is pressed by the pressing portion 36 (see Fig. 5) from one axial side of the rotating shaft 39, and is electrically connected to the motor case 31.

[0116] In this way, the metal ground terminal 70 has the function of electrically connecting the metal motor case 31 and the metal cover member 58 to each other when the sunroof motor 20 is assembled. In other words, the ground terminal 70 is configured to transmit electrical noise generated when the rotary shaft 39 rotates.

[0117] The ground terminal 70 corresponds to the conductive member in the present invention.

[0118] [Cover Member] As shown in Fig. 3, the cover member 58 includes a cover body 58a formed in a substantially circular plate shape. The cover body 58a closes the opening of the worm wheel accommodating portion 55 (the first opening OP1 of the gear case 51). A total of four fixing legs 58b are integrally formed on the outer periphery of the cover body 58a. These fixing legs 58b each extend in the axial direction of the output shaft 57 (see Fig. 2) relative to the cover body 58a. In other words, the total of four fixing legs 58b are each bent at a right angle (90 degrees) relative to the cover body 58a.

[0119] 10, a pair of cover claws 58c are provided on the tip side of the fixing leg 58b, and these cover claws 58c are inserted into a total of four cover fixing holes 51a (see FIG. 4) provided in the gear case 51, and are prevented from coming out of the cover fixing holes 51a. As shown in FIG. 4, the tip side of the long portion 72 forming the ground terminal 70 is electrically connected to one of the total four fixing legs 58b, specifically, to the fixing leg 58b located at the upper right in FIG.

[0120] In this way, the cover member 58 is electrically connected to both the motor board MB and the ground terminal 70, so that electrical noise generated when the rotating shaft 39 rotates is dissipated from the motor case 31 through the ground terminal 70, the cover member 58, and the motor board MB to the body of the vehicle 12 (see Figure 1).

[0121] The cover member 58 corresponds to the gear cover in this invention.

[0122] [Metal Jacket] In the sunroof motor 20 of this embodiment, other measures against electrical noise are also taken to prevent electrical noise from being emitted to the outside.

[0123] 2 to 4, a metal jacket 80 made of metal and formed by bending a thin steel plate is partially attached to the outside of the gear case 51. The metal jacket 80 partially covers the periphery of the rotating shaft 39 and the conductor 44, through which electrical noise is easily transmitted. This prevents electrical noise from being emitted from the rotating shaft 39 and the conductor 44 to the outside of the sunroof motor 20.

[0124] [Assembly Procedure of Sunroof Motor] Next, the assembly procedure of the sunroof motor 20 formed as above, in particular the procedure for assembling the ground terminal 70, the motor case 31, and the cover member 58 to the gear case 51 will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0125] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the sunroof motor (internal structure omitted), FIG. 11 is a diagram explaining assembly procedure (1) of the sunroof motor, FIG. 12 is a diagram explaining assembly procedure (2) of the sunroof motor, and FIG. 13 is a diagram explaining assembly procedure (3) of the sunroof motor.

[0126] First, as shown in Fig. 10, the gear case 51, ground terminal 70, motor case 31, cover member 58, and a total of three fixing screws FS, each manufactured through a separate manufacturing process, are prepared. Note that Figs. 10 to 13 omit illustrations of the stator 37, rotor 38, and holder member 43 housed inside the motor case 31, as well as the worm wheel 56 housed inside the gear case 51.

[0127] 10 and 11 , the ground terminal 70 faces the terminal mounting portion 66 of the gear case 51 from one axial side (the right side in the drawings) of the rotating shaft 39. Specifically, the tip end side of the short portion 71 faces the first terminal insertion hole 66a, and the tip end side of the long portion 72 faces the second terminal insertion hole 66b.

[0128] Next, the tip of the short portion 71 is inserted into the first terminal insertion hole 66a, and the tip of the long portion 72 is inserted into the second terminal insertion hole 66b. At this time, the ground terminal 70 is guided to a predetermined position in the terminal mounting portion 66 by the pair of insertion guides 67a. Furthermore, the short portion 71 and the long portion 72 are guided by the short-side tapered portion 71b and the long-side tapered portion 72b during insertion into the first terminal insertion hole 66a and the second terminal insertion hole 66b. Therefore, the ground terminal 70 can be easily mounted in the terminal mounting portion 66.

[0129] 12, the lower surface BS of the clamping portion 73 is supported by the tip portions of the pair of triangular protrusions 67b. At this time, the upper surface US1 of the clamping portion 73 protrudes further toward one axial side of the rotating shaft 39 (the right side in the figure) than the first, second, and third gear case side abutment surfaces GF1, GF2, and GF3 and the upper surface US2 of the gear case side abutment portion 65 (see FIGS. 6 and 7), i.e., the clamping portion is placed in a "clamping portion placed state." This completes the temporary fixation of the ground terminal 70 to the terminal mounting portion 66.

[0130] In the "clamping portion placed state," the hooking claw 71c (see FIG. 9) of the short portion 71 is hooked inside the first terminal insertion hole 66a. Therefore, the ground terminal 70 will not fall off from the gear case 51, improving assembly efficiency.

[0131] 10 and 13, the motor case 31 is brought into contact with the motor accommodating portion 61 of the gear case 51 from one axial side (the right side in the drawings) of the rotating shaft 39. Specifically, in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39, the first motor case abutment surface MF1 (see FIG. 5) is brought into opposition to the first gear case abutment surface GF1 (see FIGS. 6 and 7), the second motor case abutment surface MF2 (see FIG. 5) is brought into opposition to the second gear case abutment surface GF2 (see FIGS. 6 and 7), the third motor case abutment surface MF3 (see FIG. 5) is brought into opposition to the third gear case abutment surface GF3 (see FIGS. 6 and 7), and the motor case abutment portion 35 (see FIG. 5) is brought into opposition to the gear case abutment portion 65 (see FIGS. 6 and 7).

[0132] As a result, the pressing portion 36 of the flange portion 31 d faces the clamping portion 73 of the ground terminal 70 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39 .

[0133] 10, a total of three fixing screws FS are inserted into the first, second, and third screw insertion holes 32a, 33a, and 34a and screwed into the first, second, and third female thread portions 62a, 63a, and 64a with a specified tightening torque. As a result, the paired first motor case side abutment surface MF1 and first gear case side abutment surface GF1 abut against each other, the paired second motor case side abutment surface MF2 and second gear case side abutment surface GF2 abut against each other, the paired third motor case side abutment surface MF3 and third gear case side abutment surface GF3 abut against each other, and the motor case side abutment portion 35 and gear case side abutment portion 65 abut against each other.

[0134] As a result, the motor case 31 is positioned coaxially and straight relative to the gear case 51 without rattle. At this time, by tightening each of the fixing screws FS with a specified tightening torque, the upper surface US1 of the clamping portion 73 is pressed by the pressing portion 36 with a pressing force F from one axial side (the right side in the figure) of the rotating shaft 39, as shown in FIG. 13 . Therefore, the tip sides of the pair of triangular protrusions 67b are crushed by the lower surface BS of the clamping portion 73 by an amount equal to the crushing allowance Δt (see FIG. 12 ). This completes the assembly of the motor case 31 and the gear case 51.

[0135] Here, the specified tightening torque of the fixing screw FS that generates the pressing force F is a tightening torque of a magnitude that allows the tip sides of the pair of triangular protrusions 67b to be crushed by the crushing allowance Δt with the lower surface BS of the clamping portion 73 without damaging the first, second, and third female thread portions 62a, 63a, and 64a made of resin.

[0136] In this embodiment, the motor case 31 and the gear case 51 are fixed to each other with a total of three fixing screws FS. This is because, for example, if the motor case 31 and the gear case 51 were fixed to each other with a total of two fixing screws, the motor case 31 and the gear case 51 would tilt relative to each other about the line segment connecting the two fixing screws, which could hinder smooth rotation of the rotary shaft 39. On the other hand, if the motor case 31 and the gear case 51 were fixed to each other with a total of four fixing screws, for example, the fixing strength would be excessive in a relatively small sunroof motor 20, and this would increase the number of assembly steps.

[0137] Next, as shown by arrow M4 in Figure 10, the cover member 58 is brought into contact with the opening of the worm wheel accommodating portion 55, i.e., the first opening OP1 of the gear case 51. At this time, the tip ends of the fixing legs 58b are oriented toward the cover fixing holes 51a of the gear case 51. Then, each fixing leg 58b is inserted into its corresponding cover fixing hole 51a. This prevents the cover claws 58c from coming off the cover fixing holes 51a, completing the attachment of the cover member 58 to the gear case 51.

[0138] As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the tip end side of the long portion 72 of the ground terminal 70 is electrically connected to the upper right fixed leg 58b of the total of four fixed leg portions 58b in the drawing.

[0139] As described above in detail, according to this embodiment, a ground terminal 70 is provided that is sandwiched between the motor case 31 and the gear case 51 and through which electrical noise generated by rotation of the rotating shaft 39 flows, and between the motor case 31 and the gear case 51, first to third fixing portions FP1 to FP3 are provided that are arranged around the rotating shaft 39 and that abut against each other and are made up of first to third motor case side abutment surfaces MF1 to MF3 and first to third gear case side abutment surfaces GF1 to GF3.

[0140] The ground terminal 70 is arranged only between the second fixed portion FP2 and the third fixed portion FP3, which form the shortest line segment (the second motor case side line segment ML2 and the second gear case side line segment GL2) among the line segments connecting the first to third fixed portions FP1 to FP3 adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 39 (the first to third motor case side line segments ML1 to ML3 and the first to third gear case side line segments GL1 to GL3).

[0141] As a result, when the motor case 31 is fixed to the gear case 51 using the fixing screws FS, the motor case 31 and the gear case 51 can be butted coaxially and straight against each other, and the ground terminal 70 can be pressed against the terminal mounting portion 66 of the gear case 51 without deforming the flange portion 31d (pressing portion 36) of the motor case 31. This makes it possible to improve the ease of assembly of the sunroof motor 20 and reduce operating noise.

[0142] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the ground terminal 70 includes a long portion 72 that extends in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39 and is disposed inside the gear case 51, and a clamping portion 73 that extends in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39 and is clamped between the motor case 31 and the gear case 51.

[0143] This allows electrical noise transmitted to the motor case 31 to be transmitted via the ground terminal 70 from the motor case 31 side in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 39 to the gear case 51 side (the side where the motor board MB is provided).

[0144] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the elongated portion 72 is electrically connected to the metal cover member 58 that closes the first opening OP1 provided in the gear case 51 made of resin.

[0145] This allows electrical noise generated by the rotation of the rotary shaft 39 to be transmitted from the motor case 31 to the metal cover member 58 via the ground terminal 70.

[0146] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the gear case 51 has a pair of triangular protrusions 67 b that are crushed by the clamping portion 73 .

[0147] As a result, the clamping portion 73 of the ground terminal 70 is pushed back toward the pressing portion 36 of the motor case 31 by the pair of triangular protrusions 67b, thereby ensuring a reliable electrical connection of the ground terminal 70 to the motor case 31.

[0148] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the ground terminal 70 is provided with a pair of hooking claws 71 c that can be hooked onto the gear case 51 .

[0149] This allows the ground terminal 70 to be temporarily fixed to the terminal mounting portion 66. Therefore, when the motor case 31 and the gear case 51 are fixed to each other, the ground terminal 70 is prevented from falling off from the terminal mounting portion 66, thereby further improving the assembly efficiency of the sunroof motor 20.

[0150] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the motor case 31 and the gear case 51 can be assembled with high precision, thereby reducing the amount of manufacturing energy required by eliminating waste such as defective products and reassembly. This makes it possible to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations, particularly Goal 7 (Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all) and Goal 13 (Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts).

[0151] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that parts having the same functions as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0152] FIG. 14 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 11 showing the second embodiment.

[0153] As shown in Figure 14, the sunroof motor 20 of embodiment 2 is different from embodiment 1 (see Figure 11) in the shape of the terminal mounting portion 90 of the motor accommodating portion 61 and the shape of the ground terminal (conductive member) 100 mounted to the terminal mounting portion 90.

[0154] Specifically, compared to the terminal mounting portion 66 (see FIG. 11 ) of the first embodiment, the terminal mounting portion 90 of the second embodiment has a second terminal insertion hole 66 b but does not have a first terminal insertion hole 66 a. Furthermore, the terminal abutting portion 67 of the second embodiment is a simple flat surface that extends in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotation shaft 39, and does not have a pair of insertion guides 67 a and a pair of triangular protrusions 67 b (see FIG. 11 ).

[0155] That is, the terminal mounting portion 90 of the second embodiment has a simpler structure than the terminal mounting portion 66 of the first embodiment.

[0156] Furthermore, compared to the ground terminal 70 of the first embodiment (see FIG. 9 ), the ground terminal 100 of the second embodiment has a long portion 72 but does not have a short portion 71. In other words, the ground terminal 100 of the second embodiment has a simpler structure than the ground terminal 70 of the first embodiment.

[0157] Furthermore, the clamping portion 73 integrally formed at the base end of the elongated main body 72a is bent at an angle of α degrees (approximately 120 degrees) relative to the elongated main body 72a. That is, the clamping portion 73 forming the ground terminal 100 of the second embodiment is inclined both in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 39 and in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotation shaft 39.

[0158] As a result, when the motor case 31 (see FIG. 5) is abutted against the gear case 51 and the fixing screw FS (see FIG. 3) is tightened with a specified tightening torque, the clamping portion 73 is pressed by the pressing portion 36 (see FIG. 5) with a pressing force F. Therefore, the clamping portion 73 is in elastic contact with the motor case 31 (pressing portion 36) so as to press back, and the ground terminal 100 and the motor case 31 are reliably electrically connected.

[0159] Here, as shown by the dashed circle in Figure 14, when the ground terminal 100 is attached to the terminal attachment portion 90 and the motor case 31 is not abutted against the gear case 51, the tip side (lower right side in the figure) of the clamping portion 73 protrudes to one axial side of the rotating shaft 39 (right side in Figure 14) beyond the first, second, and third gear case side abutment surfaces GF1, GF2, GF3 and the upper surface US2 of the gear case side abutment portion 65 (see Figure 7).

[0160] The second embodiment formed as described above can also achieve substantially the same effects as the first embodiment, except for the function of temporarily fixing the short portion 71 to the first terminal insertion hole 66a (see FIG. 12) in the first embodiment. In addition, the second embodiment can simplify the structure of the terminal mounting portion 90 and the structure of the ground terminal 100, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0161] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-described first embodiment, a pair of insertion guides 67a (see FIG. 6) is provided on the terminal abutment portion 67 of the terminal mounting portion 66. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the pair of insertion guides 67a may be omitted. Furthermore, only one of the pair of triangular protrusions 67b may be provided, or the protrusion may have an upwardly protruding arc shape. In short, the number and shape of the protrusions are arbitrary, as long as the strength of the protrusions is such that they can be crushed by the pressing force F (see FIG. 13).

[0162] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the present invention is applied to the sunroof motor 20 used in the sunroof device 10 of the vehicle 12, but the present invention is not limited to this and can also be applied to, for example, an in-vehicle motor device used in a sliding door device, a power window device, a wiper device, etc., mounted on the vehicle.

[0163] Furthermore, the material, shape, size, number, installation location, etc. of each component in each of the above embodiments are arbitrary as long as they can achieve the present invention, and are not limited to the above embodiments.

[0164] 10: Sunroof device, 11: Roof panel, 12: Vehicle, 13: Roof, 14: Roof opening, 15a, 15b: Shoes, 16: Guide rails, 17a, 17b: Drive cables, 20: Sunroof motor (motor device), 30: Electric motor section, 31: Motor case, 31a: Side wall section, 31b: Bottom wall section, 31c: Motor case side opening, 31d: Flange section, 32: First motor case side corner section, 32a: First screw insertion hole, 33: Second motor case side corner section, 33a: Second screw insertion hole, 34: Third motor case side corner section, 34a: Third screw insertion hole, 35: Motor case a sensor side abutment portion, 36: pressing portion, 37: stator, 37a: stator core, 37b: teeth, 37c: insulator, 38: rotor, 38a: rotor core, 38b: magnet holder, 39: rotating shaft, 40: worm (gear), 41: ball bearing, 41a: inner race, 41b: outer race, 41c: ball, 42: sensor magnet unit, 42a: bracket member, 42b: sensor magnet, 43: holder member, 43a: support body, 43b: wall portion, 43c: annular support portion, 44: conductor, 50: reduction mechanism portion, 51: gear case, 51 a: Cover fixing hole, 52: First wall portion, 53: Second wall portion, 54: Third wall portion, 55: Worm wheel accommodating portion, 56: Worm wheel (gear), 56a: Tooth portion, 57: Output shaft, 57a: Output gear, 58: Cover member (gear cover), 58a: Cover main body, 58b: Fixing leg portion, 58c: Cover claw, 59: Worm accommodating portion, 59a: Conductor support portion, 60: Bearing mounting portion, 61: Motor accommodating portion, 62: First gear case side corner portion, 62a: First female thread portion, 63: Second gear case side corner portion, 63a: Second female thread portion, 64: Third gear case side corner portion, 64a: Third female thread portion , 65: gear case side abutment portion, 66: terminal mounting portion, 66a: first terminal insertion hole, 66b: second terminal insertion hole, 67: terminal abutment portion, 67a: insertion guide, 67b: triangular convex portion (convex portion), 70: ground terminal (conductive member), 71: short portion, 71a: short main body, 71b: short side tapered portion, 71c: hook claw (claw portion), 72: long portion (main body portion), 72a: long main body, 72b: long side tapered portion, 73: clamping portion, 80: metal jacket, 90: terminal mounting portion, 100: ground terminal (conductive member), AG: air gap, B1: first radial bearing, B2: second radial bearing,BS: bottom surface, CL: coil, D1: depth dimension to the top of the insertion guide 67a, D2: depth dimension to the top of the triangular convex portion 67b, E: edge, F: pressing force, FG: windshield, FP1: first fixing portion (fixing portion), FP2: second fixing portion (fixing portion), FP3: third fixing portion (fixing portion), FS: fixing screw, GF1: first gear case side abutment surface (abutment surface), GF2: second gear case side abutment surface (abutment surface), GF3: third gear case side abutment surface (abutment surface), GL1: first gear case side line segment (line segment), GL2: second gear case side line segment (line segment), GL3: third gear case side line segment (line segment), L1, L2, L3: first, second, third Length dimension of the gear case side line segment, MB: motor board, MF1: first motor case side abutment surface (abutment surface), M1, M2, M3, M4: arrow, MF2: second motor case side abutment surface (abutment surface), MF3: third motor case side abutment surface (abutment surface), MG: magnet, ML1: first motor case side line segment (line segment), ML2: second motor case side line segment (line segment), ML3: third motor case side line segment (line segment), OP1: first opening (opening), OP2: second opening, SD: reduction mechanism, T1: height dimension of the gear case side abutment portion 65, T2: thickness dimension of the ground terminal 70 (clamping portion 73), US1, US2: upper surface, Δt: crushing allowance,

Claims

1. A motor device comprising: a rotating shaft; and a gear rotated by the rotating shaft; a motor case that houses the rotating shaft; a gear case that houses the gear; and a conductive member that is sandwiched between the motor case and the gear case and through which electrical noise generated by rotation of the rotating shaft flows; wherein at least three fixed parts each consisting of a pair of abutting surfaces that are arranged around the rotating shaft and abut against each other are provided between the motor case and the gear case; and the conductive member is only arranged between the fixed parts that form the shortest line segment among the line segments connecting adjacent fixed parts in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft.

2. A motor device as described in claim 1, wherein the conductive member comprises: a main body portion extending in the axial direction of the rotating shaft and disposed inside the gear case; and a clamping portion extending in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the rotating shaft and clamped between the motor case and the gear case.

3. The motor device according to claim 2, wherein the main body is electrically connected to a metal gear cover that closes an opening provided in the resin gear case.

4. A motor device according to claim 2, wherein the gear case has a protrusion that is crushed by the clamping portion.

5. A motor device according to claim 2, wherein the conductive member has a claw portion that can be hooked onto the gear case.

6. A motor device according to claim 2, wherein the clamping portion is inclined with respect to both the axial direction of the rotating shaft and a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotating shaft.

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