Rotary device

Abstract

The present invention provides a rotary device capable of improving the linearity of a potentiometer.　A rotary device (1) comprises: a motor (30); a first gear (21); a position sensor (7) capable of detecting the rotation angle of the first gear (21); a housing (10) having a pillar (111) that engages with a hole (72h1), which is a part of the position sensor (7), and a connector (50) that is electrically connected to the outside; and a substrate (40) having a conductor (41) that electrically connects a connection part (74) of the position sensor (7) and a connection terminal (501) of the connector (50). The longitudinal direction SL of the position sensor (7) engaged with the pillar (111) is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the connection terminal (501) of the connector (50).

Description

Rotating Equipment

[0001] The present invention relates to rotating equipment.

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Rotating devices equipped with a potentiometer (position sensor) that detects the rotational position of an output shaft are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-503196

[0004] In a rotating device such as that described in Patent Document 1, the operations of various devices connected to the rotating device are generally controlled based on the rotation angle or rotation speed of the output shaft detected by a potentiometer. Therefore, in a rotating device such as that described in Patent Document 1, there is a demand for improving the accuracy of the potentiometer that detects the rotation angle or rotation speed of the output shaft.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a rotating device in which the accuracy of a potentiometer for detecting the rotation angle or rotation speed of an output shaft is improved.

[0006] (1): The rotating device of the present invention comprises a housing having a motor, a gear, a position sensor capable of detecting the rotation angle of the gear, a pillar engaging with a part of the position sensor, and a connector electrically connecting to the outside, and an elastic member having a conductor electrically connecting the connection part of the position sensor to a connection terminal of the connector, wherein the longitudinal direction of the position sensor engaged with the pillar is inclined relative to the longitudinal direction of the connection terminal of the connector.

[0007] (2) In the rotating device of (1), the point where the longitudinal direction of the position sensor and the longitudinal direction of the connection terminal of the connector intersect may be within the area of ​​the elastic member.

[0008] (3): In the rotating device of (1) or (2), the pillar may be formed of resin, and the position sensor may include a brush, the connection portion, a substrate having a conductor connected to the connection portion, and a housing, and the housing may include a hole that accommodates a portion of the pillar.

[0009] (4): In any of the rotating devices of (1) to (3), the elastic member has a plurality of conductors, the connector has a plurality of connection terminals including the connection terminal, the plurality of conductors of the elastic member are electrically connected to the plurality of connection terminals of the connector, and the lengths of the plurality of conductors of the elastic member may be different from each other in the longitudinal direction of the position sensor.

[0010] (5): In any of the rotating devices of (1) to (4), the housing may include a first pillar and a second pillar, the position sensor may include a first portion that engages with the first pillar and a second portion that engages with the second pillar, the first portion being a first hole surrounding the first pillar, and the second portion being a second hole surrounding the second pillar, and the gap between the first pillar and the first hole may be smaller than the gap between the second pillar and the second hole.

[0011] 7 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 a first gear. FIG. 1 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. 2 is a front view of the rotating device, with a second part of the housing shown in FIG. 1 removed, as seen from the other side in the longitudinal direction of the first rotation shaft. FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the rotating device shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of the vicinity of a position sensor of the rotating device shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the position sensor shown in FIG. 3, as seen from the other side in the longitudinal direction of the first rotation shaft. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the position sensor shown in FIG. 3, as seen from one side in the longitudinal direction of the first rotation shaft. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the structure in the thickness direction of the position sensor shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 8 is an enlarged front view of the vicinity of the position sensor of the rotating device shown in FIG. 3, showing a gap between the position sensor and a wall of the housing. FIG. 9 is an enlarged front view of the vicinity of the position sensor of the rotating device shown in FIG. 3, showing the rotation device shown in FIG. 1.

[0012] 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.

[0013] 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. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the rotating device 1 includes a housing 10 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and an output shaft 211, which is the rotation shaft of a first gear (described later).

[0014] The application of the rotating device 1 is not particularly limited, and for example, the rotating device 1 may be an actuator that constitutes an in-vehicle HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning). The rotational force of the rotating device 1 is output to the outside via an output shaft 211. Hereinafter, the longitudinal direction of the output shaft (rotation shaft of the first gear) 211 will be referred to as the "axial direction X."

[0015] The housing 10 is a hollow rectangular parallelepiped member that 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 smaller than its length in the first direction Y and its length in the second direction Z. There are no particular limitations on the material that can be used to form the housing 10, but in this embodiment, the housing 10 is made of resin.

[0016] 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 configured by coupling the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 in the axial direction X. For example, in this embodiment, each of the four side surfaces forming the outer edge of the first portion 11 is provided with an elastic protrusion 119 (one of an engaging portion and an 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 four protrusions 119 may be engaged with the four protrusions 129 in a one-to-one correspondence, thereby coupling the first portion 11 and the second portion 12. By coupling the first portion 11 and the second portion 12, a space enclosed by the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 is formed inside the housing 10.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1 , one portion 211A of the output shaft 211 (hereinafter referred to as the “one-side portion 211A”) protrudes from the first portion 11 of the housing 10 toward one side in the axial direction X. In this embodiment, a hole 211h having, for example, a polygonal cross-sectional shape is formed in the center of the one-side portion 211A. When the rotating device 1 is attached to an HVAC, a transmission member (not shown) such as a louver may be attached to the hole 211h of the output shaft 211. That is, when the rotating device 1 is attached to an HVAC, the transmission member attached to the hole 211h may operate in response to rotation of the output shaft 211, thereby causing various doors of the HVAC to perform predetermined operations, thereby switching the operating mode of the air conditioner, adjusting the temperature, etc.

[0018] Fig. 3 is a front view of the rotating device 1 with the second portion 12 of the housing 10 removed, viewed from the other side in the axial direction X. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the rotating device 1 shown in Fig. 3. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the housing 10 accommodates a gear mechanism 20, a motor 30, a circuit board 40, a position sensor 7, and the like. That is, the rotating device 1 further includes the gear mechanism 20, the motor 30, the circuit board 40, and the position sensor 7.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the housing 10 has a motor housing 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 in the second direction Z. The portion of the motor housing 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. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , a motor 30 is housed inside the motor housing portion 130. The motor 30 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a DC brush motor. The motor 30 has a rotation shaft 31 that extends toward the other side in the first direction Y. The rotation shaft 31 rotates when the motor 30 is driven.

[0020] 3 and 4 , the gear mechanism 20 includes a plurality of gears. In this embodiment, the gear mechanism 20 includes a first gear 21, a second gear 22, a third gear 23, and a fourth gear 24. These gears that make up the gear mechanism 20 each have an axis Ax and are rotatably supported in recesses (bearings) provided in the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 of the housing 10. 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 this embodiment, they are configured as follows.

[0021] The fourth gear 24 is attached to the rotary shaft 31 of the motor 30 and is configured as a worm extending in the longitudinal direction (i.e., the first direction Y) of the rotary shaft 31. When the motor 30 is driven, the fourth gear 24 rotates together with the rotary shaft 31.

[0022] The third gear 23 has a worm wheel 231 as a gear that meshes with the fourth gear 24, and a gear 232 that is smaller in size than the worm wheel 231 (in this embodiment, has a smaller diameter).

[0023] The second gear 22 has a gear 221 that meshes with the 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).

[0024] The first gear 21 (output gear) includes a gear portion 212 as a cylindrical gear and an output shaft 211 (the rotation shaft of the first gear 21). External teeth 212A are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the gear portion 212. The external teeth 212A mesh with a gear 222 of the second gear 22. The output shaft 211 is located on the center side of the first gear 21 and extends in the axial direction X toward a recess (bearing) Bs (see FIG. 2) in the housing 10. The output shaft 211 has the above-mentioned one-side portion 211A (see FIG. 1) located on one side of the gear portion 212 in the axial direction X, and a portion 211B (hereinafter referred to as the "other-side portion 211B") located on the other side of the gear portion 212. The first gear 21 is attached to the housing 10 so as to be rotatable relative to the housing 10. Therefore, when the motor 30 is driven, the rotational force of the motor 30 is transmitted to the first gear 21 via the fourth gear 24, the third gear 23, and the second gear 22, causing the first gear 21 (i.e., the output shaft 211) to rotate.

[0025] As will be described later, the position sensor 7 can detect the rotation angle or rotation speed of the first gear 21 (i.e., the output shaft 211), which is the output gear. The position sensor 7, which is electrically connected to an external power supply, outputs a voltage value corresponding to the rotation angle or rotation speed of the first gear (output shaft). Fig. 5 is an enlarged front view showing the vicinity of the position sensor 7 of the rotating device 1 shown in Fig. 3.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 , the position sensor 7 has a generally rectangular shape extending in the longitudinal direction SL as viewed in the axial direction X. However, the other portion of the position sensor 7 in the first direction Y is semicircular as viewed in the axial direction X. The other portion 211B of the output shaft 211 penetrates a portion of the position sensor 7 that straddles the semicircular and rectangular portions. Two pillars 111 and 112 protrude toward the other side in the axial direction X from the inner surface 11A of the first portion 11 of the housing 10 (the surface facing the second portion 12 in the axial direction X). If the first portion 11 of the housing 10 is made of resin, the pillars 111 and 112 may be integrally molded as part of the first portion 11. In this embodiment, the pillars 111 and 112 are formed of resin as part of the first portion 11. In the second direction Z, of the two pillars 111, 112, the pillar 111 is on one side (the motor 30 side), and the pillar 112 is on the other side (the side wall of the first portion 11 of the housing 10 opposite the motor 30 side). A hole 72h1 is formed on one side in the second direction Z of one end of the position sensor 7 in the first direction Y, and a hole 72h2 is formed on the other side in the second direction Z. The hole 72h1 of the position sensor 7 surrounds (accommodates) a portion of the pillar 111 and engages with it. On the other hand, the hole 72h2 of the position sensor 7 surrounds (accommodates) a portion of the pillar 112 and engages with it. In other words, the pillars 111, 112 of the housing 10 engage with portions of the position sensor 7.

[0027] 5 , by engaging with the posts 111 and 112 as described above, the position sensor 7 is attached to the other-side portion 211B of the output shaft 211 so that the longitudinal direction SL of the position sensor 7 is inclined clockwise with respect to the first direction Y when viewed from the other side in the axial direction X. The angle θ at which the longitudinal direction SL of the position sensor 7 is inclined with respect to the first direction Y may be in the range of 0°<θ≦90°. Furthermore, the angle θ at which the longitudinal direction SL of the position sensor 7 is inclined with respect to the first direction Y may be in the range of 0°<θ≦45°, or 5°≦θ≦30°.

[0028] In this embodiment, the gap between the post 111 and the hole 72h1 is smaller than the gap between the post 112 and the hole 72h2. Specifically, the hole 72h1 is in contact with the post 111, and a predetermined gap is formed between the post 112 and the hole 72h2. Note that a predetermined gap may be formed between the post 111 and the hole 72h1, and the post 112 may be in contact with the hole 72h2. Alternatively, the hole 72h1 may be in contact with the post 111, and the hole 72h2 may be in contact with the post 112. Therefore, in this embodiment, the engagement between the post 111 and the hole 72h1 suppresses rattle of the position sensor 7 relative to the housing 10 and positions the position sensor 7 relative to the housing 10. In other words, the post 111 functions as a first post for positioning the position sensor 7, and the hole 72h1 is a first portion (first hole) that engages with the first post. Therefore, the pillar 111 as the first pillar is provided at a position where the position sensor 7 is positioned with the longitudinal direction SL of the position sensor 7 tilted with respect to the first direction Y. Specifically, the pillar 111 is provided at a position shifted to one side in the second direction Z and to the other side in the first direction Y with respect to the position of the pillar 111 when the position sensor 7 is positioned so that the longitudinal direction SL of the position sensor 7 is parallel to the first direction Y.

[0029] On the other hand, a certain degree of wobble is tolerated at the portion where post 112 engages with hole 72h2 compared to the portion where post 111 (first post) engages with hole 72h1 (first hole, first portion). In other words, post 112 functions as a second post that, together with the first post, contributes to the positioning of position sensor 7, and hole 72h2 is a second portion (second hole) that engages with the second post. This configuration prevents position sensor 7 from being firmly fixed to housing 10, thereby preventing excessive load from being applied to the portion where position sensor 7 engages with housing 10.

[0030] The configuration of the position sensor 7 will be explained again later.

[0031] 3 to 5 , the housing 10 has a connector 50, which is formed by a first portion 11 and a second portion 12 that constitute the housing 10. The connector 50 has a plurality of connection terminals 501 (five in this embodiment) and a support portion (plate) 502 that supports the plurality of connection terminals 501. In this embodiment, the connection terminals 501 and the support portion 502 of the connector 50 are attached near an edge portion on one side of the housing 10 in the first direction Y and near an edge portion on the other side (opposite the motor 30 side) in the second direction Z. In addition, in the first direction Y, the support portion 502 of the connector 50 is disposed to face an end portion on one side of the position sensor 7.

[0032] The support portion 502 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and includes a pair of rectangular main surfaces 502MF, 502MF whose short sides are in the axial direction X and whose long sides are in the second direction Z. The pair of main surfaces 502MF, 502MF face each other in the first direction Y. The length of the support portion 502 in the first direction Y is smaller than the length of the support portion 502 in the axial direction X and the length of the support portion 502 in the second direction Z. The support portion 502 has a plurality of holes (five in this embodiment) formed therein that penetrate the support portion 502 from one of the pair of main surfaces 502MF, 502MF to the other.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , a frame-shaped wall portion 113 protrudes from the inner surface 11A of the first portion 11 of the housing 10 toward the other side in the axial direction X. This wall portion 113 is shaped to accommodate a portion of the support portion 502. Specifically, a space is formed inside this wall portion 113 into which one side of the support portion 502 in the axial direction X can fit. Therefore, the one side of the support portion 502 in the axial direction X fitted into the space inside the wall portion 113 and the first portion 11 and second portion 12 of the housing 10 form a connector 50, which defines an internal space capable of accommodating a connection terminal of an external device. The first gear 21 and the position sensor 7 are disposed on the other side of the wall portion 113 in the first direction Y, and the motor 30 is disposed on one side of the wall portion 113 in the second direction Z. The wall portion 113 has a surface 113A facing the first gear 21 and the position sensor 7 in the first direction Y. The surface 113A is the surface of the wall portion 113 on the other side in the first direction Y. Hereinafter, the surface 113A may be referred to as the "other side surface 113A." The other side surface 113A extends in the second direction Z.

[0034] 3 to 5 , the multiple connection terminals 501 extend parallel to one another at predetermined intervals, and in this embodiment, extend in the first direction Y. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5 , when viewed from the axial direction X, the longitudinal direction SL of the position sensor 7 engaged with the posts 111, 112 is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the connection terminals 501 of the connector 50. The other end of each of the multiple connection terminals 501 in the first direction Y and its vicinity are inserted into the above-mentioned hole of the support portion 502, thereby supporting each of the multiple connection terminals 501 by the support portion 502. The multiple connection terminals 501 are electrically connected to an external device 51 (only the reference numeral "51" is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 for convenience) such as a power supply external to the rotating device 1, thereby supplying power to the rotating device 1.

[0035] 3 to 5, in this embodiment, the substrate 40 is formed of an elastic material having elasticity. That is, the substrate 40 is an elastic material. The substrate 40 is bent at predetermined locations and accommodated in a space surrounded by the wall portion 113, the first gear 21, and the motor 30. As a result, the substrate 40 electrically connects the connector 50 and the position sensor 7, and also electrically connects the connector 50 and the motor 30. The substrate 40 may be an FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit).

[0036] In this embodiment, the substrate 40 has a configuration in which a conductor 41 (wiring pattern) is formed on a thin insulating film. The conductor 41 includes a first conductor 47, a second conductor 42, a third conductor 43, a fourth conductor 44, a fifth conductor 45, and a sixth conductor 46.

[0037] The first conductor 47 is disposed on the other of the pair of main surfaces 502MF, 502MF of the support portion 502 of the connector 50 in the first direction Y. Ends of the plurality of connection terminals 501 inserted into holes in the support portion 502 are electrically connected to the first conductor 47.

[0038] The fifth conductor 45 is electrically connected to the first conductor 47 and extends while bending between the wall portion 113 and the motor 30. The fifth conductor 45 is electrically connected to a pair of terminals 33, 33 of the motor 30 provided on an end face 30A of the motor 30 on one side in the first direction Y.

[0039] The sixth conductor 46 is disposed on the other surface of the position sensor 7 in the axial direction X, and is electrically connected to the position sensor 7 .

[0040] The second conductor 42, the third conductor 43, and the fourth conductor 44 each have a strip-like shape extending in the first direction Y when viewed from the axial direction X, and are spaced a predetermined distance from one another in the second direction Z. The second conductor 42, the third conductor 43, and the fourth conductor 44 are electrically connected to the first conductor 47 and the sixth conductor 46. Therefore, the second conductor 42, the third conductor 43, and the fourth conductor 44 of the conductor 41 electrically connect the position sensor 7 and the multiple connection terminals 501 of the connector 50.

[0041] 5 , the second conductor 42, the third conductor 43, and the fourth conductor 44 are arranged in this order from the other side to one side in the second direction Z. The second conductor 42 is connected to the connection terminal 501A, which is the most distant from the other side in the second direction Z, among the five connection terminals 501. The third conductor 43 is connected to the connection terminal 501B, which is the most distant from the connection terminal 501A in the second direction Z, among the five connection terminals 501. The fourth conductor 44 is connected to the connection terminal 501C, which is the most distant from the connection terminal 501A in the second direction Z, among the five connection terminals 501. Therefore, the connection terminals 501A, 501B, and 501C are a plurality of connection terminals connected to the position sensor 7. On the other hand, of the five connection terminals 501, the connection terminal 501D located on one side of the connection terminal 501C in the second direction Z and the connection terminal 501E located on the other side of the connection terminal 501D in the second direction Z are connected to the fifth conductor 45. Therefore, the connection terminals 501D and 501E are connection terminals connected to the motor 30.

[0042] As described above, the longitudinal direction SL of the position sensor 7 is tilted clockwise with respect to the first direction Y when viewed from the other side in the axial direction X. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5 , due to this tilt of the position sensor 7, the lengths of the second conductor 42, the third conductor 43, and the fourth conductor 44 are different from one another in the longitudinal direction SL and the first direction Y of the position sensor 7. Specifically, the length L3 of the third conductor 43 is longer than the length L2 of the second conductor 42, and the length L4 of the fourth conductor 44 is longer than the length L3 of the third conductor 43. That is, L2<L3<L4.

[0043] 5 , when viewed from the other side in the axial direction X, point P where the longitudinal direction of connection terminal 501A intersects with longitudinal direction SL of position sensor 7 is within the area of ​​second conductor 42, point P where the longitudinal direction of connection terminal 501B intersects with longitudinal direction SL of position sensor 7 is within the area of ​​third conductor 43, and point P where the longitudinal direction of connection terminal 501C intersects with longitudinal direction SL of position sensor 7 is within the area of ​​fourth conductor 44. Thus, in this embodiment, point P where the longitudinal direction SL of position sensor 7 intersects with the longitudinal direction SL of each of connection terminals 501A, 501B, and 501C, of ​​connection terminals 501 of connector 50, which are connected to position sensor 7, is within the area of ​​substrate 40, and more specifically, point P is within the area of ​​the conductors (second conductor 42, third conductor 43, and fourth conductor 44) of conductors 41 of substrate 40 that are connected to position sensor 7.

[0044] Next, the configuration of the position sensor 7 will be described again. Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the position sensor 7 as viewed from the other side in the axial direction X. Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing the position sensor 7 as viewed from one side in the axial direction X. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the structure of the position sensor 7 shown in Figs. 6 and 7 in the thickness direction (axial direction X). Note that the position sensor 7 shown in Figs. 6 to 8 is a view for understanding the configuration of the position sensor 7, and when focusing on the details, there are some differences in the structure of the position sensor 7 shown in Figs. 3 to 5.

[0045] As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 , the position sensor 7 includes a housing 72 and a sensor portion 70 having a substrate 73 and a rotating portion 79 .

[0046] 5 to 7 , the housing 72 has a generally rectangular shape extending in the longitudinal direction SL (see FIG. 5 ) as a whole when viewed in the axial direction X. However, the portion on the other side of the position sensor 7 in the first direction Y is formed in a semicircular shape. That is, the housing 72 has a first region A that is generally semicircular when viewed in the axial direction X and a second region B that is rectangular when viewed in the axial direction X. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , a sidewall 722 protrudes from the outer edge of the first region A toward one side in the axial direction X. A first hole 723 having a circular shape is formed in the center of the boundary between the first region A and the second region B of the housing 72.

[0047] A sidewall 725 protrudes from the outer edge of the second region B of the housing 72 toward one side in the axial direction X. Furthermore, a plurality of (three in this embodiment) rectangular holes 721 are formed in the second region B, and a connection portion 74 is disposed in each of these holes 721. As shown in FIG. 5 , the position sensor 7 is electrically connected to the sixth conductor 46 of the conductor 41 of the substrate 40 via the connection portion 74. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , each of the plurality of connection portions 74 has one first protrusion 741 (see FIG. 6 ) protruding toward the other side in the axial direction X and two second protrusions 742, 742 (see FIG. 7 ) protruding toward one side in the axial direction, and the first protrusion 741 is electrically connected to the sixth conductor 46.

[0048] The second region B has two corners 727, 727 at an edge opposite the first region A. One corner 727A of the two corners 727, 727 has a hole 72h1 formed therein as the first hole described above. The other corner 727B of the two corners 727, 727 has a hole 72h2 formed therein as the second hole described above. As described above and as shown in FIG. 5 , the hole 72h1 (first hole) that is a part of the position sensor 7 engages with the pillar 111 (first pillar) of the housing 10, thereby mounting (positioning) the position sensor 7 relative to the housing 10 so that the longitudinal direction SL of the position sensor 7 is inclined at an angle θ with respect to the longitudinal direction (first direction Y) of the connection terminal 501 of the connector 50.

[0049] 6 and 7, the substrate 73 of the sensor unit 70 is a plate-like member having a shape corresponding to the housing 72 when viewed from the axial direction X. The substrate 73 is formed of, for example, an epoxy resin having a thickness of about 300 μm to about 1600 μm, and is fixed to the housing 72. The substrate 73 includes a portion 73a formed in an annular shape (hereinafter referred to as the "circular portion") and a portion 73b formed in a square shape (hereinafter referred to as the "square portion").

[0050] The circular portion 73a is disposed within an area surrounded by a side wall 722 of the housing 72, and the square portion 73b is disposed within an area surrounded by a side wall 725 of the housing 72. A plurality of (six in this embodiment) holes 735 are formed in the square portion 73b. That is, three pairs of holes 735, 735 each consisting of two adjacent holes 735, 735 are formed in the square portion 73b. Two second protrusions 742, 742 of the connecting portion 74 are inserted into each of the three pairs of holes 735, 735 from the other side to one side in the axial direction X. A circular second hole 733 is formed in the center of the circular portion 73a and penetrates the substrate 73 in the axial direction X. When the substrate 73 is accommodated and fixed in the housing 72, the second hole 733 communicates with the first hole 723 of the housing 72.

[0051] 7 , a conductive portion 730 (conductor) is formed along the outer periphery of the second hole portion 733 on one surface 736 of the substrate 73 in the axial direction X. This conductive portion 730 may be formed by a known method such as printing. The conductive portion 730 has an output portion 731 and a resistor portion 732. The output portion 731 is formed of a conductive material with low electrical resistance and is formed on the second hole portion 733 side in the radial direction of the second hole portion 733. The resistor portion 732 is formed of a conductive material with higher electrical resistance than the output portion 731 and is formed outward from the output portion 731 in the radial direction of the second hole portion 733.

[0052] The output portion 731 includes an annular portion 734a1 and a lead-out portion 734a2. The annular portion 734a1 is formed along the outer periphery of the second hole portion 733 to surround the second hole portion 733. The lead-out portion 734a2 is drawn out from the annular portion 734a1 toward the end of the square portion 73b. Two second protrusions 742, 742 of the central connection portion 74 of the three connection portions 74 are electrically connected to the lead-out portion 734a2.

[0053] The resistor portion 732 includes an arc-shaped portion 734d formed in an arc shape along the outer periphery of the annular portion 734a1 of the output portion 731, a first lead-out portion 734b extending from one end of the arc-shaped portion 734d toward the end of the square portion 73b, and a second lead-out portion 734c extending from the other end of the arc-shaped portion 734d toward the end of the square portion 73b. Two second protrusions 742, 742 of a connecting portion 74 located on one side of the central connecting portion 74 among the three connecting portions 74 are electrically connected to the first lead-out portion 734b. Two second protrusions 742, 742 of a connecting portion 74 located on the other side of the central connecting portion 74 among the three connecting portions 74 are electrically connected to the second lead-out portion 734c.

[0054] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the rotating unit 79 of the sensor unit 70 includes a rotating plate 71, which is a circular plate-shaped member, a boss (protrusion) 711 provided at the center of the rotating plate 71, and a brush 75. The boss 711 penetrates the rotating plate 71 in the axial direction X. In this embodiment, the length of a portion of the boss 711 on the other side of the rotating plate 71 in the axial direction X is longer than the length of a portion of the boss 711 on one side of the rotating plate 71 in the axial direction X. The boss 711 is formed with a third hole 712 penetrating the boss 711 in the axial direction X. As shown in FIG. 5 , the other side portion 211B of the output shaft 211 is fitted into the third hole 712. Therefore, the rotating unit 79 (brush 75) rotates integrally with the output shaft 211 relative to the casing 10, the housing 72 attached to the casing 10, and the substrate 73 fixed to the housing 72.

[0055] As shown in Fig. 6 , the brush 75 has two contacts 751 and 752 as one end and the other end 753 connected to the two contacts 751 and 752. The other end 753 is fixed to a surface 713 of the rotating plate 71 facing the substrate 73. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 8 , the contacts 751 and 752 come into contact with a conductive portion 730 formed on one surface 736 of the substrate 73. Specifically, of the two contacts 751 and 752, one contact 752 comes into contact with the annular portion 734a1 (output portion 731) of the conductive portion 730, and the other contact 751 comes into contact with the arc-shaped portion 734d (resistance portion 732) of the conductive portion 730.

[0056] The brush 75 and the conductive portion 730 constitute a variable resistance portion of the position sensor 7. That is, when the contact position of the brush 75 at which the contact points 751, 752 are in contact is displaced along the annular portion 734a1 and the arc-shaped portion 734d (i.e., along the circumferential direction), the resistance value of the path from the first lead-out portion 734b to the lead-out portion 734a2 changes (see FIG. 7 ). Therefore, when a voltage is applied between the first lead-out portion 734b and the second lead-out portion 734c, when the contact position of the brush 75 is displaced along the annular portion 734a1 and the arc-shaped portion 734d (i.e., along the circumferential direction), the voltage between the first lead-out portion 734b and the lead-out portion 734a2 changes, and the rotation angle or the rotation speed of the first gear 21 (output shaft 211) can be detected based on the change in voltage. More specifically, contacts 751, 752 of brush 75 come into contact with output portion 731 and resistor portion 732 of conductive portion 730, and as output shaft 211 rotates, contacts 751, 752 move on output portion 731 and resistor portion 732, and the resulting difference between the voltage value at output portion 731 and the voltage value at resistor portion 732 is detected by position sensor 7. In this way, position sensor 7 detects the rotation angle or number of rotations of output shaft 211 as a difference in voltage values.

[0057] As described above, in this embodiment, the position sensor 7 includes the brush 75 , the connection portion 74 , the substrate 73 having the conductive portion 730 (conductor) connected to the connection portion 74 , and the housing 72 .

[0058] The rotating device 1 comprises a motor 30, a first gear 21 (gear), a position sensor 7 capable of detecting the rotation angle of the first gear 21, a housing 10 having a pillar 111 that engages with a hole 72h1 that is part of the position sensor 7 and a connector 50 that electrically connects to the outside, and a substrate 40 (elastic member) having a conductor 41 that electrically connects the connection portion 74 of the position sensor 7 and the connection terminal 501 of the connector 50, and in this rotating device 1, the longitudinal direction SL of the position sensor 7 engaged with the pillar 111 is inclined relative to the longitudinal direction (first direction Y) of the connection terminal 501 of the connector 50.

[0059] In such a rotating device 1, the longitudinal direction SL of the position sensor 7 engaged with the pillar 111 is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction (first direction Y) of the connection terminal 501, and therefore, as shown in Fig. 5 , a gap G is formed between the position sensor 7 (housing 72) in which the hole 72h1 serving as the first hole is formed and the wall portion 113 of the casing 10. The gap G includes a gap having a maximum length D1 in the first direction Y between the corner portion 727A and the other side surface 113A of the wall portion 113.

[0060] 9 , the gap G is formed to widen from the other side toward the one side in the second direction Z. Here, a line extending through the center of the position sensor 7 in the longitudinal direction SL is denoted as CL, a line passing through an end face 72E on one side of the housing 72 of the position sensor 7 in the first direction Y and extending parallel to the end face 72E is denoted as LL, a line extending parallel to the line LL is denoted as HL, a line passing through the other side face 113A of the wall portion 113 and extending parallel to the other side face 113A is denoted as EL, the intersection of the line CL and the line LL is denoted as CP1, and the intersection of the line CL, the line HL, and the line EL is denoted as CP2. In the gap G, the relationship between the length D2 in the longitudinal direction SL from the straight line LL to the straight line EL near the corner 727B of the housing 72, the length D3 in the longitudinal direction SL from the intersection point CP1 to the intersection point CP2, and the length D4 in the longitudinal direction SL from the straight line LL to the straight line EL near the corner 727A of the housing 72 is D2 < D3 < D4.

[0061] Incidentally, there is a tolerance between a post 111 (first post) provided on the housing 10 for positioning the position sensor 7 and a hole 72h1 (first hole, first portion) formed at a corner 727A of the position sensor 7 that engages with the post 111. Due to this tolerance, as shown in FIG. 10 , the position sensor 7 wobbles along the circumferential direction of a circle whose center is the center C of the output shaft 211 and whose radius is R extending from the center C to the center of the post 111. This wobble of the position sensor 7 is thought to affect the so-called linearity of the position sensor 7. Specifically, the voltage value at the output unit 731 and the voltage value at the resistor unit 732 detected by the position sensor 7 are affected by the wobble of the position sensor 7. As a result, the difference between the voltage value at the output unit 731 and the voltage value at the resistor unit 732 is not substantially proportional (linear) to the rotation angle or rotation speed of the output shaft 211 but becomes nonlinear, which is thought to impair the linearity of the position sensor 7.

[0062] As described above and as shown in FIG. 10 , in the rotating device 1, the longitudinal direction SL of the position sensor 7 engaged with the post 111 is inclined at an angle θ with respect to the longitudinal direction (first direction Y) of the connection terminal 501 of the connector 50. This causes a gap G (see FIG. 5 ) having the maximum length D1 described above to be formed between the corner 727A and the other side surface 113A. As a result, in the rotating device 1, the positioning portion 80a formed by the post 112 and the corner 727B (hole 72h2) is moved toward the other side surface 113A by a length D2. Specifically, the post 111 is provided in a position close to the other side surface 113A, and the housing 72 of the position sensor 7 is rotated by a predetermined angle θ about the center C so that the corner 727A is positioned close to the other side surface 113A. This moves the positioning portion 80a toward the other side surface 113A, and the distance from the other side surface 113A to the positioning portion 80a becomes the length D2. In this way, the positioning portion 80a is moved closer to the other side surface 113A, and as a result, the positioning portion 80b formed by the pillar 111 and the corner portion 727A (hole 72h1) is moved away from the other side surface 113A, and the radius R (the distance from the center C of the output shaft 211 to the center of the pillar 111) becomes longer, thereby reducing the ratio of the play caused by the above-mentioned tolerance to the radius R (in other words, the magnitude of the tangent (Tan θ) of the angle θ).

[0063] Therefore, the rotating device 1 can suppress deviations in the rotation angle or rotation speed of the output shaft (output gear) detected by the position sensor due to rattle of the position sensor 7. Specifically, the rotating device 1 can suppress deviations in the rotation angle of the initial position of the output shaft detected by the position sensor, or deviations in the rotation angle or rotation speed of the output shaft (output gear) detected by the position sensor while the output shaft (output gear) is rotating. Furthermore, the rotating device 1 suppresses the occurrence of a region in which the voltage value (difference in voltage values) output by the position sensor is not proportional to the rotation angle or rotation speed of the output shaft (output gear), or where the voltage value increases proportionally but at a small rate of increase (i.e., has nonlinearity). This makes the graph have a relationship in which the voltage value (difference in voltage values) increases proportionally to the rotation angle or rotation speed of the output shaft (output gear) (i.e., has linearity), allowing the rotation angle or rotation speed of the output shaft (output gear) to be detected with high accuracy. As described above, according to the rotating device 1, the influence of the above-described rattle of the position sensor is suppressed, and as a result, the linearity of the position sensor 7 can be improved.

[0064] Although the present invention has been described above using the above embodiment as an example, the present invention is not limited to this.

[0065] For example, in the above embodiment, the post 111 and the hole 72h1 are respectively the first post and the first portion (first hole), and the post 112 and the hole 72h2 are respectively the second post and the second portion (second hole). However, the post 111 and the hole 72h1 may be respectively the second post and the second portion (second hole), and the post 112 and the hole 72h2 may be respectively the first post and the first portion (first hole). In this case, the position sensor 7 is attached to the other side portion 211B of the output shaft 211 so that the longitudinal direction SL is inclined counterclockwise with respect to the first direction Y when viewed from the other side in the axial direction X.

[0066] 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 provided even after such modification, it is of course included in the scope of the present invention.

[0067] 1...Rotating device, 7...Position sensor, 10...Housing, 30...Motor, 40...Substrate (elastic member), 41...Conductor, 42-44...Multiple conductors, 50...Connector, 72...Housing, 72h1...Hole (first hole, first part), 72h2...Hole (second hole, second part), 73...Substrate, 74...Connection part, 75...Brush, 111...Pillar (first pillar), 112...Second pillar, 501...Connection terminal, 501A-501C...Multiple connection terminals, 730...Conductive part (conductor)

Claims

1. A rotating device comprising: a motor; a gear; a position sensor capable of detecting the rotation angle of the gear; a housing having a pillar that engages with a part of the position sensor and a connector that electrically connects to the outside; and an elastic member having a conductor that electrically connects the connection part of the position sensor to a connection terminal of the connector, wherein the longitudinal direction of the position sensor engaged with the pillar is inclined relative to the longitudinal direction of the connection terminal of the connector.

2. The rotating device according to claim 1, wherein the point where the longitudinal direction of the position sensor intersects with the longitudinal direction of the connection terminal of the connector is within the region of the elastic member.

3. A rotating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pillar is formed of resin, the position sensor comprises a brush, the connection portion, a substrate having a conductor connected to the connection portion, and a housing, the housing having a hole that accommodates a portion of the pillar.

4. A rotating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the elastic member comprises a plurality of conductors, the connector comprises a plurality of connection terminals including the connection terminal, the plurality of conductors of the elastic member are electrically connected to the plurality of connection terminals of the connector, and the lengths of the plurality of conductors of the elastic member are different from one another in the longitudinal direction of the position sensor.

5. A rotating device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the housing has a first pillar and a second pillar, the position sensor has a first part that engages with the first pillar and a second part that engages with the second pillar, the first part is a first hole that surrounds the first pillar, the second part is a second hole that surrounds the second pillar, and the gap between the first pillar and the first hole is smaller than the gap between the second pillar and the second hole.

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