Rotary machine

Abstract

The present invention provides a rotary machine in which abnormal noise is hardly generated.　A rotary machine (1) is provided with: a housing (10) having a first bearing (111), a second bearing (102), and a stopper (160) formed on an inner surface (11A); a first gear (21); a second gear (22) that meshes with the first gear (21); and a motor (30) that transmits rotational force to the second gear (22). An output shaft (211) of the first gear (21) is supported by the first bearing (111), a rotation shaft (223) of the second gear (22) is supported by the second bearing (102), the first gear (21) has a protrusion (215) that contacts the stopper (160) in the circumferential direction of the first gear (21), the first bearing (111), the second bearing (102), and the stopper (160) are aligned in the radial direction of the first gear (21), and the stopper (160) is present between the first bearing (111) and the second bearing (102) in the radial direction of the first gear (21).

Description

Rotating Equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to rotating equipment.

[0002] A rotating device (actuator) is known that includes a motor, a gear, an output shaft, and a case that houses these components, and transmits the rotational force of the motor to various devices (e.g., in-vehicle devices) via the gear and the output shaft (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In order to allow the various devices to perform predetermined operations, the rotating devices described in Patent Document 1 and elsewhere are provided with a rotation restricting means for restricting the rotation range of the gear. The rotation restricting means described in Patent Document 1 includes a stopper formed on the case. The rotation range of the gear is restricted by a rubber attached to an upright wall of the gear coming into contact with the stopper.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-285871

[0005] In a rotating device such as that described in Patent Document 1, a convex portion such as an upright wall is formed on the gear to form the rotation restricting means. Therefore, during the process of forming the convex portion on the gear, sink marks may occur in the gear at or near the convex portion, reducing the precision of the gear. In this case, the portion of the gear with the sink mark may mesh with another gear, generating abnormal noise.

[0006] Therefore, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a rotating device that is less likely to generate abnormal noise.

[0007] (1): The rotating device of the present invention comprises a housing having a first bearing, a second bearing, and a stopper formed on the inner surface, a first gear, a second gear that meshes with the first gear, and a motor that transmits rotational force to the second gear directly or via another member, wherein the rotating shaft of the first gear is supported by the first bearing, the rotating shaft of the second gear is supported by the second bearing, the first gear has a convex portion that contacts the stopper in the circumferential direction of the first gear, the first bearing, the second bearing, and the stopper are aligned in the radial direction of the first gear, and the stopper is located between the first bearing and the second bearing in the radial direction of the first gear.

[0008] (2): In the rotating device of (1), the first gear may have an outer peripheral surface having a plurality of teeth, an inner peripheral surface, and the convex portion located between the inner peripheral surface and the rotation axis of the first gear.

[0009] (3) In the rotating device of (1) or (2), the first gear may be an output gear.

[0010] (4) In the rotating device according to any one of (1) to (3), the first gear may be molded from resin.

[0011] (5): In any of the rotating devices (1) to (4), the outer peripheral surface of the first gear may have an engagement region that can mesh with the second gear and a non-engagement region, and the non-engagement region may be adjacent to the convex portion in the radial direction of the first gear.

[0012] 4 is a perspective view of a rotating device according to an embodiment of the present invention, as seen from one side in the longitudinal direction of the rotation shaft of the first gear. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the rotating device shown in FIG. 1, as seen from the other side in the longitudinal direction of the rotation shaft of the first gear. FIG. 6 is a side view of the rotating device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the rotating device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a view of the first part of the housing shown in FIG. 4, as seen from the other side in the longitudinal direction of the rotation shaft of the first gear. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the rotating device shown in FIG. 1 with the second part of the housing removed. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the first gear shown in FIG. 4, as seen from one side in the longitudinal direction of the rotation shaft of the first gear. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 3.

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of a rotating device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments exemplified below are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified or improved from the following embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In addition, in the accompanying drawings, the dimensions of each component may be exaggerated or reduced, and hatching may be omitted, in order to facilitate understanding.

[0014] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a rotating device according to an embodiment, seen from one side in the longitudinal direction of a rotation shaft of a first gear (described later), Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the rotating device according to an embodiment, seen from the other side in the longitudinal direction, and Fig. 3 is a side view of the rotating device according to an embodiment.

[0015] The rotating device 1 shown in Figures 1 to 3 may be, for example, an actuator constituting an in-vehicle HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning). The rotating device 1 has a rotating shaft 211 that rotates due to rotation of a first gear 21, which will be described later, and the rotational force of the rotating device 1 is output to the outside via this rotating shaft 211. Hereinafter, the rotating shaft 211 will be referred to as the "output shaft 211," and the longitudinal direction of the output shaft 211 will be referred to as the "axial direction X." Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rotating device 1 as seen from one side in the axial direction X, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of the rotating device 1 as seen from the other side in the axial direction X.

[0016] A transmission member (not shown), such as a lever, that transmits driving force to various doors (not shown), including a door for switching between inside and outside air introduced into the vehicle by the HVAC, may be attached to the output shaft 211 of the rotating device 1. The various doors may then operate depending on the rotation direction and rotation angle of the output shaft 211 to switch between inside and outside air, switch the operating mode of the air conditioner, adjust the temperature, and so on.

[0017] Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the rotating device 1. As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the rotating device 1 mainly includes a housing 10, a gear mechanism 20, a motor 30, a substrate 40, a connector 50, and a rotation angle sensor 70.

[0018] The housing 10 is a hollow rectangular parallelepiped member perpendicular to the axial direction X. The housing 10 extends in both a first direction Y and a second direction Z perpendicular to the first direction Y, and has a thickness in the axial direction X that is shorter than the length in the first direction Y and the length in the second direction Z. The housing 10 includes a first portion 11 on one side in the axial direction X and a second portion 12 on the other side in the axial direction X. The housing 10 is formed by connecting the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 in the axial direction X. For example, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4 , each of the four side surfaces forming the outer edge of the first portion 11 is provided with an elastic protrusion 119 (one of the engaging portion and the engaged portion) that protrudes toward the other side in the axial direction X (the second portion 12 side). Meanwhile, each of the four side surfaces forming the outer edge of the second portion 12 is provided with a protrusion 129 (the other of the engaging portion and the engaged portion). The first part 11 and the second part 12 may be coupled together by one-to-one engagement between the four protrusions 119 and the four projections 129. By coupling the first part 11 and the second part 12 together, a space surrounded by the first part 11 and the second part 12 is formed inside the housing 10. The gear mechanism 20, the motor 30, the circuit board 40, the rotation angle sensor 70, etc. are housed in this space inside the housing 10.

[0019] The housing 10 has a motor accommodating portion 130 that protrudes to both one side and the other side in the axial direction X in an area on one side of the housing 10 in the first direction Y and one side of the housing 10 in the second direction Z. The portion of the motor accommodating portion 130 that protrudes to one side in the axial direction X is provided in the first portion 11, and the portion that protrudes to the other side in the axial direction X is provided in the second portion 12. The motor 30 is accommodated inside the motor accommodating portion 130. The housing 10 also has a connector accommodating portion 150 that protrudes toward one side in the first direction Y in an area on one side of the housing 10 in the first direction Y and the other side of the second direction Z. A plurality of connection terminals 51 are arranged inside the connector accommodating portion 150, and a connector 50 of an external device that is electrically connected to the plurality of connection terminals 51 is accommodated inside the connector accommodating portion 150.

[0020] 5 is a diagram showing the first portion 11 of the housing 10, and is a diagram of the first portion 11 viewed from the other side toward one side in the axial direction X. That is, from FIG. 5, the inner surface 11A of the first portion 11 (the surface that forms the internal space of the housing 10) can be seen.

[0021] 5, an annular groove 110, a first bearing 111, a bearing 112, a bearing 113, a stopper 160, and the like are formed on the inner surface 11A of the first portion 11 of the housing 10. The groove 110 is formed on the other side in the second direction Z with the motor accommodating portion 130 as the reference. The first bearing 111 protrudes from the inner edge of the groove 110 toward the other side in the axial direction X, is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the inside of the first bearing 111 is open. The first bearing 111 has a cylindrical inner circumferential surface 111A and a cylindrical outer circumferential surface 111B.

[0022] The bearing 112 is provided in a region on the other side of the groove 110 in the first direction Y and slightly to one side of the center in the second direction Z. The bearing 112 protrudes toward the other side in the axial direction X and is formed in a cylindrical shape. The bearing 112 has a cylindrical inner circumferential surface 112A. In FIG. 5, a single straight line L1 extending from the center C1 of the first bearing 111 in the radial direction of the first bearing 111 is shown by a dashed line. The bearing 112 and the first bearing 111 are located on the straight line L1. In other words, the bearing 112 and the first bearing 111 are aligned in the radial direction of the first bearing 111.

[0023] The bearing 113 is located in a generally central region of the inner surface 11A of the first portion 11 on one side of the bearing 112 in the second direction Z, and is aligned generally in a straight line with the bearing 112. The bearing 113 protrudes toward the other side in the axial direction X and is formed in a cylindrical shape. The bearing 113 has a cylindrical inner circumferential surface 113A.

[0024] The stopper 160 is provided in the groove 110 and protrudes toward the other side in the axial direction X. In this embodiment, the stopper 160 is connected to the outer peripheral surface 111B of the first bearing 111. However, the stopper 160 may be provided at a position a predetermined distance away from the outer peripheral surface 111B in the radial direction of the first bearing 111. The stopper 160 is on a straight line L1 and is located between the first bearing 111 and the bearing 112. That is, in the radial direction of the first bearing 111, the stopper 160, the first bearing 111, and the bearing 112 are aligned, and the stopper 160 is located between the first bearing 111 and the bearing 112. The straight line L1 passes through approximately the center of the stopper 160, and in this embodiment, the stopper 160 has a shape that is approximately symmetrical with respect to the straight line L1.

[0025] In this embodiment, the stopper 160 includes a first portion 161 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape and a second portion 162 connected to one end of the first portion 161 in the axial direction X and wider than the first portion 161. The first portion 161 includes a surface 161A on the other side in the axial direction X (i.e., the surface on the other side of the stopper 160 in the axial direction X) and a pair of side surfaces 161S, 161S extending from both ends of the surface 161A in the circumferential direction of the first bearing 111 to one side in the axial direction X. The second portion 162 protrudes from each of the side surfaces 161S, 161S along the circumferential direction of the first bearing 111. Note that the shape of the stopper 160 is not limited to the above-described shape. For example, the stopper 160 may be formed only from the first portion 161. However, in this embodiment, the base of the stopper 160 is formed as a wide second portion 162, so that the strength of the base portion of the stopper 160 is increased.

[0026] The first bearing 111 , the bearing 112 , the bearing 113 , and the stopper 160 may be integrally molded when the first portion 11 is formed.

[0027] One end of the rotating shaft 223 is fitted into the space surrounded by the inner circumferential surface 112A of the bearing 112 (see FIG. 4). As shown in FIG. 4, a bearing 122 is provided on the surface (inner surface) on the other side (first part 11 side) in the axial direction X of the second part 12 of the housing 10 at a position corresponding to the bearing 112, into which the other end of the rotating shaft 223 can be fitted. That is, the rotating shaft 223 is supported by the bearing 112 and the bearing 122. In this manner, the second bearing 102 having the bearing 112 and the bearing 122 is configured. That is, the second bearing 102 and the first bearing 111 are aligned in the radial direction of the first bearing 111.

[0028] The other end of the rotating shaft 233 is fitted into the space surrounded by the inner circumferential surface 113A of the bearing 113 (see FIG. 4). As shown in FIG. 4, a bearing 123, into which the other end of the rotating shaft 233 can be fitted, is provided at a position corresponding to the bearing 113 on the surface (inner surface) on the other side (first part 11 side) in the axial direction X of the second part 12 of the housing 10. That is, the rotating shaft 233 is supported by the bearing 113 and the bearing 123. In this way, the third bearing 103 having the bearing 113 and the bearing 123 is configured.

[0029] As described above and shown in FIG. 4 , the motor 30 is housed in the motor housing 130 of the housing 10. The motor 30 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, it is configured as an inner rotor type DC motor. When the motor 30 is driven, the shaft 31 of the motor 30 rotates. The shaft 31 of the motor 30 extends in the first direction Y. More specifically, the shaft 31 protrudes from the motor housing 130 to the other side in the first direction Y and is located on one side in the second direction Z with respect to the rotation shaft 233 supported by the third bearing 103.

[0030] Next, a description will be given of the gear mechanism 20. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the rotating device 1 with the second part 12 of the housing 10 removed.

[0031] 4 and 6 , the gear mechanism 20 includes a plurality of gears. In the present embodiment, the gear mechanism 20 includes a first gear 21, a second gear 22, a third gear 23, and a fourth gear 24. One or more of the first gear 21, the second gear 22, the third gear 23, and the fourth gear 24 may be molded from resin; for example, the first gear 21 may be molded from resin. The plurality of gears that make up the gear mechanism 20 are held between the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 of the housing 10 and positioned in the axial direction X by the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 being coupled together. The configurations of the first gear 21, the second gear 22, the third gear 23, and the fourth gear 24 are not particularly limited, but in the present embodiment, they are configured as follows.

[0032] The fourth gear 24 is attached to the shaft 31 of the motor 30 and is configured as a worm extending in the longitudinal direction of the shaft 31 (i.e., the first direction Y). The fourth gear 24 rotates together with the shaft 31 when the motor 30 is driven.

[0033] The third gear 23 has a configuration in which a worm wheel 231 that meshes with the fourth gear 24 and a gear 232 that is smaller in size than the worm wheel 231 (in this embodiment, its diameter is smaller) are integrally molded. The gear 232 and the worm wheel 231 are formed concentrically. The gear 232 protrudes from the worm wheel 231 to the other side in the axial direction X (the side toward the second portion 12 of the housing 10). A hole 23h is formed in the center of the third gear 23, into which the rotation shaft 233 can be inserted along the axial direction X. The rotation shaft 233 supported by the third bearing 103 is inserted through this hole 23h. In this way, the third gear 23 is attached to the housing 10 rotatably around the rotation shaft 233, with the worm wheel 231 on one side and the gear 232 on the other side in the axial direction X.

[0034] The second gear 22 has a configuration in which a gear 221 that meshes with a gear 232 of the third gear 23 and a gear 222 that is smaller in size than the gear 221 (in this embodiment, has a smaller diameter) are integrally molded. The gears 221 and 222 are formed concentrically. The gear 222 protrudes from the gear 221 to one side in the axial direction X (toward the first portion 11 of the housing 10). A hole 22h is formed in the center of the second gear 22, into which the rotation shaft 223 can be inserted along the axial direction X. The rotation shaft 223 supported by the second bearing 102 is inserted through the hole 22h. In this way, the second gear 22 is attached to the housing 10 rotatably around the rotation shaft 223, with the gear 222 on one side and the gear 221 on the other side in the axial direction X.

[0035] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the first gear 21 as viewed from one side in the axial direction X. In contrast, Figs. 4 and 6 show the first gear 21 as viewed from the other side in the axial direction X. As shown in Figs. 4, 6, and 7, the first gear 21 includes a cylindrical gear portion 212 that meshes with another gear, an output shaft 211 (the rotation shaft of the first gear 21), a connecting portion 214, and a protrusion 215. The gear portion 212, the output shaft 211, and the connecting portion 214 are formed concentrically with the center C2 of the first gear 21.

[0036] The gear portion 212 includes cylindrical external teeth 212A, which are the outer peripheral surface of the first gear 21, and a cylindrical inner peripheral surface 212B. That is, the first gear 21 has an outer peripheral surface (external teeth 212A) with multiple teeth, an inner peripheral surface 212B, and a protrusion 215. In the radial direction of the first gear 21, the protrusion 215 is located between the inner peripheral surface 212B and the output shaft 211 (the rotation axis of the first gear 21). In this embodiment, the protrusion 215 is connected to the inner peripheral surface 212B in the radial direction of the first gear 21. However, the protrusion 215 may be spaced a predetermined distance from the inner peripheral surface 212B in the radial direction of the first gear 21. The external teeth 212A mesh with a toothed wheel 222 of the second gear 22 (see FIG. 6 ). The output shaft 211 is located toward the center of the first gear 21 and extends in the axial direction X. The connecting portion 214 is formed in a ring shape and a plate shape, and connects the gear portion 212 and the output shaft 211. More specifically, the connecting portion 214 is connected to a substantially central portion of the gear portion 212 in the axial direction X and a substantially central portion of the output shaft 211 in the axial direction X.

[0037] The output shaft 211 includes a cylindrical first portion 211A (see FIGS. 4 and 6 ) located on the other side of the connecting portion 214 in the axial direction X, and a cylindrical second portion 211B located on one side of the connecting portion 214 in the axial direction X. In the present embodiment, the size of the second portion 211B (in the present embodiment, the outer diameter of the second portion 211B) is larger than the size of the first portion 211A (in the present embodiment, the outer diameter of the first portion 211A). However, the size of the second portion 211B may be the same as the size of the first portion 211A. A polygonal prism-shaped (regular octagonal prism-shaped in the example of FIG. 7 ) hole 211Bh extending in the axial direction X is formed in the center of the second portion 211B.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 7 , the protrusion 215 protrudes from a surface 214A on one side of the connecting portion 214 in the axial direction X to one side in the axial direction X. More specifically, the protrusion 215 is provided in a ring-shaped groove 213 formed by the surface 214A of the connecting portion 214, the outer peripheral surface 211Ba of the second portion 211B of the output shaft 211, and the inner peripheral surface 212B of the gear portion 212. In this embodiment, the protrusion 215 has a shape that is approximately line-symmetrical with respect to a line L2 that passes through the center C2 of the first gear 21 and extends along the radial direction of the first gear 21. The protrusion 215 also has a first portion 216 having a rectangular parallelepiped shape and a second portion 217 that is connected to the other end of the first portion 216 in the axial direction X and is wider than the first portion 216. The first portion 216 includes a surface 216A on one side in the axial direction X (i.e., a surface on one side in the axial direction X of the protrusion 215) and a pair of side surfaces 216S, 216S extending from both ends of the surface 216A in the circumferential direction of the first gear 21 to the other side in the axial direction X. The second portion 217 protrudes from each of the side surfaces 216S, 216S along the circumferential direction of the first gear 21. Note that the shape of the protrusion 215 is not limited to the above-described shape. For example, the protrusion 215 may be formed only from the first portion 216. However, in this embodiment, the base of the protrusion 215 is formed as the wide second portion 217, thereby strengthening the strength of the base portion of the protrusion 215.

[0039] In the present embodiment, as described above, the convex portion 215 is connected to the inner circumferential surface 212B of the gear portion 212 (i.e., the inner circumferential surface of the first gear 21) in the radial direction of the first gear 21, and is formed integrally with the gear portion 212. A surface 216A on one side of the convex portion 215 in the axial direction X is formed flush with a surface 212C on one side of the gear portion 212 in the axial direction X.

[0040] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 8, the first gear 21 is mounted on the first part 11 so as to be rotatable about the second part 211B as a rotation axis, by fitting the second part 211B of the output shaft 211 shown in FIG. 7 into a hole 111h surrounded by the inner circumferential surface 111A of the first bearing 111 shown in FIG. 5. As a result, as shown in FIG. 8, the external teeth 212A of the first gear 21 mesh with the toothed wheel 222 of the second gear, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, one end of the second part 211B in the axial direction X and a portion nearby protrude from the first part 11 of the housing 10. As described above, a polygonal columnar hole 211Bh is formed in the second part 211B. A transmission member (not shown), such as the lever described above, may be fitted into this hole 211Bh.

[0041] 8 , in the first gear 21 attached to the first part 11 of the housing 10, one side portions of the convex portion 215 and the external teeth 212A in the axial direction X are housed in the groove 110 of the first part 11 of the housing 10. Furthermore, in the first gear 21 attached to the first part 11, the center C2 of the first gear 21 coincides with the center C1 of the first bearing 111. That is, the radial direction of the first gear 21 coincides with the radial direction of the first bearing 111. Therefore, in the rotating device 1, the first bearing 111, the second bearing 102, and the stopper 160 are aligned in the radial direction of the first gear 21, and the stopper 160 is located between the first bearing 111 and the second bearing 102 in the radial direction of the first gear 21.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 , in the first gear 21 mounted on the first bearing 111, the first portion 211A of the output shaft 211 is located within the housing 10 and protrudes toward the other side in the axial direction X (the second portion 12 side of the housing 10). A rotation angle sensor 70 is disposed to surround the first portion 211A of the output shaft 211. The rotation angle sensor 70 may be a potentiometer having a brush that rotates around the first portion 211A of the output shaft 211. The rotation angle sensor 70 detects the rotation angle or rotation position (phase) of the first gear 21. The substrate 40 may be flexible and may be, for example, a flexible substrate having multiple conductors (wiring) or a flexible printed circuit board (FPC) on which electronic components are mounted. A control circuit for controlling the motor 30 may be mounted on the substrate 40. The substrate 40 is connected to the connector 50, the motor 30, the rotation angle sensor 70, and the like. Therefore, power is supplied to the motor 30, the rotation angle sensor 70, the control circuit mounted on the board 40, and the like via the connector 50 and the board 40.

[0043] When power is supplied to the motor 30, the motor 30 is driven in a predetermined manner based on data from the rotation angle sensor 70, control by the control circuit described above, and the like, causing the shaft 31 of the motor 30 and the fourth gear 24 to rotate. The rotation of the fourth gear 24 then rotates the worm wheel 231 of the third gear 23, which is meshed with the fourth gear 24, causing the third gear 23 to rotate. The rotation of the third gear 23 then rotates the gear 221 of the second gear 22, which is meshed with the gear 232 of the third gear, causing the second gear 22 to rotate. That is, in this embodiment, the motor 30 transmits rotational force to the second gear 22 via the fourth gear 24 and the third gear 23. Furthermore, the rotation of the second gear 22 then rotates the first gear 21, which is meshed with the gear 222 of the second gear 22. As a result, the output shaft 211 of the first gear 21 rotates, and a transmission member such as a lever attached to the hole 211Bh of the second portion 211B of the output shaft 211 operates in accordance with a predetermined drive of the motor 30. In this way, the first gear 21 functions as an output gear that outputs the rotational force of the motor 30 from the rotating device 1. For example, if the rotating device 1 is attached to an HVAC, the transmission member such as a lever operates in accordance with a predetermined drive of the motor 30, causing various doors of the HVAC to perform predetermined operations, and switching of the operating mode of the air conditioner, temperature adjustment, etc., are performed.

[0044] Here, a stopper 160 is provided on the first portion 11 of the housing 10 (see FIG. 5 ), and a protrusion 215 is provided on the first gear 21 (see FIG. 7 ). Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8 , when the first gear 21 rotates, the protrusion 215 of the first gear 21 eventually contacts the stopper 160 in the circumferential direction of the first gear 21. In this embodiment, one of the pair of side surfaces 216S, 216S of the protrusion 215 contacts one of the pair of side surfaces 161S, 161S of the stopper 160. Therefore, the rotating device 1 prevents the first gear 21 from rotating more than necessary. As a result, when the rotating device 1 is attached to, for example, an HVAC, a transmission member such as a lever attached to the output shaft 211 is prevented from operating beyond a predetermined movable range, thereby suppressing damage to the transmission member, a door, or the like.

[0045] Among the regions of the external teeth 212A in the circumferential direction, attention will be focused on a region on a line that passes through the convex portion 215 and extends in the radial direction of the first gear 21 (hereinafter, for convenience, referred to as the “convex portion region 212Aa”). As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , in this embodiment, when the first gear 21 is viewed from one side in the axial direction X, the convex portion region 212Aa of the external teeth 212A is a region between a line L3 that passes through the center C2 of the first gear 21 and one side surface 216S of the convex portion 215 and a line L4 that passes through the center C2 and the other side surface 216S of the convex portion 215 (a region in which the line L3 and the line L4 form an angle θ with respect to the center C2 that is less than 180°). The convex portion region 212Aa is adjacent to the convex portion 215 in the radial direction of the first gear 21. In other words, the convex region 212Aa is spaced apart from the convex portion 215 in the radial direction of the first gear 21 by the thickness of the gear portion 212. In the convex region 212Aa, the convex portion 215 is provided, so that the thickness of the first gear 21 in the radial direction is locally thicker than in other regions 212Ab of the external teeth 212A excluding the convex region 212Aa. For this reason, the gear accuracy in the convex region 212Aa may be worse than the gear accuracy in other regions 212Ab due to reasons such as sink marks occurring in the convex region 212Aa when molding the first gear 21.

[0046] However, according to this embodiment, as described above and as shown in Fig. 8 , the first bearing 111, the second bearing 102, and the stopper 160 are aligned in the radial direction of the first gear 21, and the stopper 160 is located between the first bearing 111 and the second bearing 102 in the radial direction of the first gear 21. With this configuration, the convex portion 215 of the first gear 21 comes into contact with the stopper 160 in the circumferential direction of the first gear 21, thereby preventing further rotation of the first gear 21 and preventing the convex region 212Aa from meshing with the second gear 22. That is, the external teeth 212A on the outer circumferential surface of the first gear 21 include the convex region 212Aa as a non-engagement region that does not mesh with the second gear 22 and another region 212Ab as an engagement region that can mesh with the second gear 22. With this configuration, the convex area 212Aa (non-engagement area), which has poor gear precision, is prevented from meshing with the second gear 22, thereby suppressing the generation of abnormal noise caused by the poor gear precision part meshing with another gear.

[0047] As described above, the rotating device 1 according to the embodiment includes the housing 10 having the first bearing 111, the second bearing 102, and the stopper 160 formed on the inner surface 11A, the first gear 21, the second gear 22 meshing with the first gear 21, and the motor 30 transmitting rotational force to the second gear 22. In this rotating device 1, the output shaft 211 of the first gear 21 is supported by the first bearing 111, the rotation shaft 223 of the second gear 22 is supported by the second bearing 102, the first gear 21 has a convex portion 215 that contacts the stopper 160 in the circumferential direction of the first gear 21, the first bearing 111, the second bearing 102, and the stopper 160 are aligned in the radial direction of the first gear 21, and the stopper 160 is located between the first bearing 111 and the second bearing 102 in the radial direction of the first gear 21.

[0048] According to such a rotating device 1, as described above, abnormal noise is unlikely to occur.

[0049] Although the present invention has been described above using the above embodiment as an example, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0050] For example, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the rotational force of the motor 30 is transmitted to the second gear 22 via the third gear 23 and the fourth gear 24. However, the rotational force of the motor 30 may be transmitted directly to the second gear 22 (for example, without passing through another gear).

[0051] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the convex portion 215 of the first gear 21 is connected to the inner circumferential surface 212B of the gear portion 212 (the inner circumferential surface of the first gear 21) in the radial direction of the first gear 21. However, as described above, the convex portion 215 may be spaced apart from the inner circumferential surface 212B of the first gear 21 in the radial direction of the first gear 21. Even when the convex portion 215 is spaced apart from the inner circumferential surface 212B of the first gear 21, the provision of the convex portion 215 locally thickens the radial thickness of the first gear 21 in the convex portion region 212Aa (non-engagement region) compared to the other region 212Ab (engagement region). For this reason, the gear precision in the convex portion region 212Aa may be worse than the gear precision in the other region 212Ab due to reasons such as sink marks occurring in the convex portion region 212Aa when molding the first gear 21. Therefore, for the reasons described above, the generation of abnormal noise due to the meshing of parts of the gears with lower precision is suppressed. However, when the convex portion 215 of the first gear 21 is connected to the inner circumferential surface 212B of the gear portion 212 (the inner circumferential surface of the first gear 21) in the radial direction of the first gear 21, the strength of the convex portion 215 is increased by the convex portion 215 and the gear portion 212 being connected (integrated). This further reduces the possibility of the convex portion 215 breaking.

[0052] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example is given in which the rotating device 1 is used for HVAC, but the use of the rotating device 1 is not limited to HVAC, and it can be used for a toilet seat opening / closing device or other actuators.

[0053] Those skilled in the art can appropriately modify the rotating device of the present invention in accordance with conventionally known knowledge. As long as the configuration of the present invention is still maintained even after such modification, it is of course included in the scope of the present invention.

[0054] 1...Rotating device, 10...Housing, 11A...Inner surface, 21...First gear, 22...Second gear, 30...Motor, 102...Second bearing, 111...First bearing, 160...Stopper, 211...Rotating shaft (rotating shaft of first gear), 212A...External teeth (outer surface), 212Aa...Convex region (non-engagement region), 212Ab...Other region (engagement region), 212B...Inner surface, 215...Convex portion, 223...Rotating shaft (rotating shaft of second gear)

Claims

1. A rotating device comprising: a housing having a first bearing, a second bearing, and a stopper formed on its inner surface; a first gear; a second gear that meshes with the first gear; and a motor that transmits rotational force to the second gear directly or via another member; wherein the rotating shaft of the first gear is supported by the first bearing of the housing; the rotating shaft of the second gear is supported by the second bearing of the housing; the first gear has a convex portion that contacts the stopper in the circumferential direction of the first gear; the first bearing, the second bearing, and the stopper are aligned in the radial direction of the first gear; and the stopper is located between the first bearing and the second bearing in the radial direction of the first gear.

2. The rotating device according to claim 1, wherein the first gear comprises an outer peripheral surface having a plurality of teeth, an inner peripheral surface, and the convex portion located between the inner peripheral surface and the rotation axis of the first gear.

3. The rotating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first gear is an output gear.

4. The rotating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first gear is molded from resin.

5. A rotating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the outer peripheral surface of the first gear has an engagement region that can mesh with the second gear and a non-engagement region, and the non-engagement region is adjacent to the protrusion in the radial direction of the first gear.

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