Actuator assembly, actuator, electronic rearview mirror and vehicle

Abstract

An actuator assembly (1), an actuator, an electronic rearview mirror and a vehicle. The actuator assembly (1) comprises a gear (13), a sliding ring (14) and an elastic member (15), at least a part of the sliding ring (14) and elastic member (15) being located inside the gear (13); end surfaces of the gear (13) and the sliding ring (14) facing each other are respectively provided with a plurality of first bosses (135) arranged at intervals and a plurality of second bosses (142) arranged at intervals. In response to different rotation torque applied to the actuator assembly (1), and on the basis of different mating manners of the first bosses (135) and the second bosses (142), the gear (13) and the sliding ring (14) switch between first and second mating states. By means of periodically switching the gear (13) and the sliding ring (14) between the first and second mating states, external torque can be released, thereby achieving overload protection.

Description

An actuator assembly, actuator, electronic rearview mirror, and vehicle

[0001] Related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese Utility Model Patent Application No. 202423318326.7, filed on December 30, 2024, and incorporates the entire contents of the aforementioned patent application as part of this application. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to the field of automotive technology, and more specifically, to an actuator assembly, an actuator, an electronic rearview mirror, and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0004] With the development of modern automotive design, electronic rearview mirrors have been widely adopted due to their flexibility and safety. Electronic rearview mirrors not only provide a wide and adjustable field of view while driving, but also, due to their small size, reduce the likelihood of collisions with other vehicles and minimize the perceived width of the vehicle when parking or operating in confined spaces. However, in certain special circumstances, such as when the vehicle is improperly parked or when pedestrians or other objects accidentally come into contact with it, the rearview mirror may experience external forces exceeding its design tolerance in the outward direction. If this overload is not properly handled, it may lead to damage to the rearview mirror structure, motor failure, or even the failure of the entire system, thereby affecting driving safety and user experience. Existing overload protection devices are bulky and prone to wear, which is not conducive to the increasingly miniaturized development requirements of electronic rearview mirrors. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above-mentioned problems existing in the prior art, the embodiments of this disclosure provide at least one actuator assembly, actuator, electronic rearview mirror and vehicle for overload protection.

[0006] A first aspect of the embodiments of this disclosure provides an actuator assembly including a gear, a sliding ring, and an elastic element, at least a portion of the sliding ring and the elastic element being located inside the gear.

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the gear and the sliding ring have a plurality of first bosses and a plurality of second bosses spaced apart on their respective end faces facing each other; the gear and the sliding ring switch between first and second engagement states in response to different rotational torques applied to the actuator assembly by means of different engagement methods of the first bosses and the second bosses.

[0008] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, in a first engagement state, a plurality of first bosses and a plurality of second bosses are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction and mesh with each other to restrict the rotation of the gear relative to the sliding ring in the circumferential direction; and / or in a second engagement state, the plurality of first bosses and a plurality of second bosses disengage and form a surface contact in the axial direction to allow the gear to rotate relative to the sliding ring in the circumferential direction.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, each first boss has a first contact surface and a second contact surface, and each second boss has a third contact surface for forming a surface contact with the first contact surface and a fourth contact surface for abutting against the second contact surface, wherein the second contact surface and the fourth contact surface are used to guide the first boss and the second boss to disengage.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the gear includes a gear portion and a ratchet portion, the ratchet portion including a plurality of ratchet teeth spaced apart.

[0011] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the actuator assembly further includes: a main shaft defining a central axis and having at least one limiting member projecting radially outward therefrom, the limiting member being used to limit the sequentially fitted gear, sliding ring and elastic member.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the spindle has a first limiting member and a second limiting member spaced apart, the height of the gear is less than the distance between the first limiting member and the second limiting member, and the second limiting member is spaced apart from the gear.

[0013] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the first limiting member is a retaining ring fixedly sleeved on the outside of the spindle, and the second limiting member is a limiting boss integrally formed with the spindle.

[0014] A second aspect of this disclosure also provides an actuator for an electronic rearview mirror, comprising: an actuator assembly according to embodiments of this disclosure; a transmission assembly gear-driven connected to the actuator assembly; and a motor connected to the transmission assembly to drive the gear to rotate via the transmission assembly.

[0015] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the actuator further includes a housing, an actuator assembly located within the housing, the housing and the actuator assembly being rotatably connected relative to each other, and a gear spaced apart from the housing.

[0016] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the actuator assembly includes a spindle, and a housing is rotatably connected to the spindle about the spindle.

[0017] According to an embodiment of this disclosure, the housing is connected to the spindle via at least one bushing, the bushing being made of a self-lubricating material.

[0018] The actuator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure further includes a housing, a transmission assembly, and a motor disposed within the housing; the transmission assembly includes a first-stage worm, a worm wheel, and a second-stage worm, the first-stage worm being coaxially connected to the motor, the worm wheel meshing with the first-stage worm, the worm wheel being coaxially connected with the second-stage worm, and the second-stage worm meshing with a gear; the inner wall of the housing is provided with a receiving groove, the worm wheel being disposed within the receiving groove and having a clearance fit with the receiving groove in the axial direction of the worm wheel; the inner wall of the housing is also provided with two positioning grooves spaced apart along the axial direction of the second-stage worm, and the shaft of the second-stage worm is embedded in the two positioning grooves.

[0019] The actuator according to an embodiment of the present disclosure further includes a housing with a pawl; the gear of the actuator assembly has a ratchet portion, and the pawl engages with the ratchet portion, including: the pawl and a plurality of ratchet teeth spaced apart on the ratchet portion are locked in one direction.

[0020] A third aspect of this disclosure provides an electronic rearview mirror, including an actuator according to embodiments of this disclosure.

[0021] A fourth aspect of this disclosure provides a vehicle including an electronic rearview mirror according to embodiments of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The above and other objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become clearer from the following description of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any creative effort. In the drawings:

[0023] Figure 1(a) schematically illustrates an assembly diagram of actuator assembly 1 in an exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 1(b) schematically shows an exploded view of actuator assembly 1 in an exemplary embodiment according to the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 2 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of an actuator assembly assembled into a housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 3(a) schematically shows a first mating state of the actuator assembly after it has been assembled into a housing.

[0027] Figure 3(b) schematically illustrates the second mating state of the actuator assembly after it has been assembled into a housing.

[0028] Figure 4(a) schematically shows an exploded view of the assembly structure of an actuator according to an example of this disclosure.

[0029] Figure 4(b) schematically shows an assembly diagram of an actuator according to an example of this disclosure after the upper housing has been removed.

[0030] Figures 5(a)-(e) schematically illustrate the operation of an actuator according to an example of this disclosure under overload conditions. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the above-disclosed objects, features, and advantages more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are exemplary only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a comprehensive understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure for ease of explanation. However, it will be apparent that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and techniques are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concepts of the present disclosure.

[0032] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit this disclosure. The terms “comprising,” “including,” etc., as used herein indicate the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, or components.

[0033] All terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art, unless otherwise defined. It should be noted that the terms used herein are to be interpreted in a manner consistent with the context of this specification, and not in an idealized or overly rigid way.

[0034] When using expressions such as "at least one of A, B, and C," it should generally be interpreted in accordance with the meaning commonly understood by those skilled in the art (e.g., "having at least one of A, B, and C" should include, but is not limited to, having A alone, having B alone, having C alone, having A and B, having A and C, having B and C, and / or having A, B, and C, etc.). The terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, features defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features.

[0035] In one exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, an actuator assembly is provided.

[0036] Figure 1(a) schematically illustrates an assembly diagram of actuator assembly 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 1(b) schematically illustrates an exploded view of actuator assembly 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Actuator assembly 1 includes a main shaft 11 defining a central axis. It should be understood that the main shaft 11 is stationary in the reference frame of the embodiments of the present disclosure; for example, when actuator assembly 1 is mounted on the actuator of a car rearview mirror, the main shaft 11 of actuator assembly 1 is fixed with respect to the car itself. After assembly, at least a portion of the sliding ring and the elastic element are located inside the gear. By integrating at least a portion of the sliding ring and the elastic element inside the gear, the influence of external disturbances on the actuator assembly can be reduced, which helps protect actuator assembly 1 and improves the direct force transmission efficiency when actuator assembly 1 is operating. In embodiments of the present disclosure, the main shaft 11 may have at least one limiting member projecting radially outward therefrom, the limiting member being used to limit the sequentially fitted gear, sliding ring, and elastic element. For example, the main shaft 11 may include a limiting member. Gears, sliding rings, and elastic elements can be sequentially fitted onto the spindle and limited by the limiting member (e.g., to prevent the gears, sliding rings, and elastic elements from slipping off one end or moving in the radial direction). The spindle 11 has a first limiting member 12 and a second limiting member 1121 that protrude radially outward and are spaced apart along the central axis. A gear 13, a sliding ring 14, and an elastic element 15 are fitted between the first limiting member 12 and the second limiting member 1121, and are sequentially abutted against the spindle 11 along the central axis. The radial movement of the fitted gear 13, sliding ring 14, and elastic element 15 on the spindle 11 can be limited by the first limiting member 12 and the second limiting member 112. Optionally, as shown in FIG1, the first limiting member 12 has a plurality of radial contact portions 121 in the radially inward direction. The plurality of radial contact portions 121 make the first limiting member 12 easy to assemble and disassemble on the spindle.

[0037] Figure 2 schematically shows a cross-sectional view of an actuator assembly assembled into a housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Referring to Figures 1(a) and 2, at least a portion of the sliding ring 14 and the elastic member 15 are assembled inside the gear 13. The housing may include an upper housing 19 and a lower housing 27. Optionally, in a direction parallel to the central axis, the first limiting member 12 is spaced apart from the connecting end of the main shaft 11 for connecting to the housing (e.g., the upper housing 19) to separate the gear 13 from the housing. The first limiting member 12 may be a retaining ring fixedly sleeved on the outside of the main shaft 11. The first limiting member 12 can press against the top surface of the gear 13, counteract the elastic force of the elastic member 15, and lock the components of the actuator assembly 1 to prevent disassembly. The second limiting member 1121 is a limiting boss integrally formed with the main shaft 11. Continuing to refer to Figures 1(a) and 2, the height of the gear 13 is less than the distance between the first limiting member 12 and the second limiting member 1121, and the second limiting member 1121 is spaced apart from the gear 13. The second limiting member 1121 can be located at the bottom of the main shaft 11. The radial dimension of the second limiting member 1121 can be larger than the radial dimension of the elastic member 15. Specifically, in the first engagement state, part of the elastic member 15 is located inside the gear 13, and the other part is located outside the gear 13; that is, the elastic member 15 can space the gear 13 from the second limiting member 1121. It should be understood that in the embodiments of this disclosure, the gear 13 and the housing are spaced apart in the radial direction. Thus, the gear 13 and the housing are spaced apart in the axial direction without contact, and the gear 13 is spaced apart from the second limiting member 1121 of the main shaft 11 without contact, thereby avoiding friction between the gear 13 and the housing and the main shaft 11 when the gear 13 rotates, and extending its service life.

[0039] Figures 3(a) and 3(b) schematically illustrate the first and second engagement states of the actuator assembly 1 after it is assembled into a housing. As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), the gear 13 and the sliding ring 14 have a plurality of first bosses 135 and a plurality of second bosses 142 spaced apart around a central axis on their respective end faces facing each other. The engagement of the first bosses 135 and the second bosses 142 allows the gear 13 and the sliding ring 14 to switch between the first and second engagement states in response to different rotational torques applied to the gear 13. In the first engagement state, the plurality of first bosses 135 and the plurality of second bosses 142 are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction and mesh with each other to restrict the rotation of the gear 13 relative to the sliding ring 14 in the circumferential direction. In the second engagement state, the plurality of first bosses 135 and the plurality of second bosses 142 disengage and form a surface contact in the axial direction to allow the gear 13 to rotate relative to the sliding ring 14 in the circumferential direction. In one example, gear 13 has three equally spaced first bosses 135, and sliding ring 14 has three equally spaced second bosses 142. In a first engaged state, the first first boss 135 and the first second boss 142 are engaged; the second first boss 135 and the second second boss 142 are engaged; and the third first boss 135 and the third second boss 142 are engaged. It should be understood that the first, second, and third bosses are used here for ease of description only, and the embodiments of this disclosure do not assign numbers to the first bosses 135 and the second bosses 142.

[0040] It should be understood that in this example, the number of the first boss 135 and the second boss 142 is merely illustrative and the number of the first boss 135 and the second boss 142 is not limited thereto.

[0041] Referring again to Figures 3(a) and 3(b), in Figure 3(a), the gear 13 includes a plurality of first bosses 135, and the sliding ring 14 includes a plurality of second bosses 142. In the first engaged state, the plurality of first bosses 135 and the plurality of second bosses 142 are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction and mesh with each other to limit the rotation of the gear 13 relative to the sliding ring 14 in the circumferential direction. When the actuator assembly 1 is subjected to an external torque, the first bosses 135 and the second bosses 142 can disengage under the action of the torque, and the second bosses 142 press down on the elastic member 15 under the action of the torque until they contact the axial surface of the first bosses 135. The first bosses 135 have a first contact surface and a second contact surface, and each second boss 142 has a third contact surface for forming surface contact with the first contact surface and a fourth contact surface for abutting against the second contact surface. The second contact surface and the fourth contact surface are used to guide the first bosses 135 and the second bosses 142 to disengage. Specifically, the first boss 135 may have a first end face 1351 and a first side face 1352, and each second boss 142 may have a second end face 1421 for forming a surface contact with the first end face 1351 and a second side face 1422 for abutting against the first side face 1352. At least one of the first side face 1351 and the second side face 1421 is an inclined surface for guiding the first boss 135 and the second boss 142 to disengage. For example, under the action of an external torque, the first boss 135 may slide along the second side face 1422 to disengage from the second boss 142; or the second boss 142 may slide along the first side face 1352 to disengage from the first boss 135.

[0042] The first end face 1351 and the second end face 1421 can be perpendicular to the central axis of the main shaft 11. The first side face 1352 and the second side face 1422 are inclined relative to the central axis, with the same inclination. Therefore, when the first boss 135 and the second boss 142 move relative to each other in the axial direction, the first side face 1352 and the second side face 1422 can move relative to each other under the action of torque. For example, the second side face 1422 moves relative to the first side face 1352 towards the second limiting member 112 until the first end face 1351 and the second end face 1421 abut against each other to form surface contact. During the sliding along the inclined surface, the release of torque can be facilitated. Specifically, under the action of external torque, the sliding ring 14 compresses the elastic element 15, overcomes the elastic force and moves downward. The second side 1422 can slide along the first boss 135, and the two disengage until the second boss 142 moves down to the point where its second end face 1422 contacts the first end face 1351 of the first boss 135, and stops under the action of static friction, thus achieving the second engagement state. It should be understood that under the action of external torque, after the first boss 135 and the second boss 142 have reached the second engagement state, the second end face 1422 can continue to slide relative to each other along the first end face 1351 until the second boss 142 engages with the first boss 135 again, the elastic element 15 returns to the initial state, and balance is achieved again, thus realizing the switch from the second engagement state to the first engagement state.

[0043] Therefore, in this embodiment, the gear 11 and the sliding ring 14 each have a plurality of first bosses 135 and a plurality of second bosses 142 spaced apart around a central axis on their respective end faces facing each other. Through the mutual engagement of the first bosses 135 and the second bosses 142, the gear 13 and the sliding ring 14 can periodically switch between first and second engagement states in response to different rotational torques applied to the gear 13. This releases external torque and achieves overload protection.

[0044] Optionally, the gear 13 includes a radial extension extending perpendicular to the central axis and an axial extension extending parallel to the central axis. A plurality of first bosses 135 are provided in the radial extension, and the axial extension surrounds the sliding ring 14 and the elastic member 15. The axial and radial extensions define a receiving space in which at least a portion of the sliding ring 14 and the elastic member 15 are located. This receiving space may have a through opening in the axial direction of the main shaft 11, allowing the main shaft 11 to be disposed through the receiving space, and the sliding ring 14 and the elastic member 15 may be fitted onto the main shaft 11 with the axial extension surrounding them. The plurality of first bosses 135 may be provided in the radial extension, wherein the plurality of first bosses 135 may be provided on the side of the radial extension closer to the main shaft 11. Since at least a portion of the sliding ring 14 and the elastic member 15 are located within the receiving space of the gear 13, the actuator assembly 1 can be pre-assembled. Furthermore, since the sliding ring 14 and the elastic element 15 are tightly integrated inside the gear 13, the influence of external interference on the actuator assembly 1 is reduced, the service life is extended, and it helps the actuator assembly 1 to directly transmit force when it is working, reducing the loss in the force transmission process and improving the force transmission efficiency.

[0045] [Correction 01.04.2025 based on Rule 91] As shown in Figures 1(a) to 3(b), a ring of teeth is provided on the outer surface of the axial extension to form a gear portion 134, and a ring of ratchet teeth is also provided on the outer surface of the axial extension to form a ratchet portion 133. The ratchet portion 133 includes a plurality of ratchet teeth spaced apart. The radial dimensions of the circumferences of the ratchet portion 133 and the gear portion 134 may be the same or different. Optionally, the radial dimension of the circumference of the ratchet portion 133 is smaller than the radial dimension of the circumference of the gear portion 134 to facilitate the assembly of the actuator assembly 1.

[0046] According to embodiments of this disclosure, a plurality of sliding guide protrusions 111 are provided on the outer surface of the spindle, each sliding guide protrusion 111 extending along the central axis, and the plurality of sliding guide protrusions 111 are spaced apart around the central axis; a plurality of sliding guide grooves 141 are provided on the inner surface of the sliding ring 14 to cooperate with the plurality of sliding guide protrusions 111. It should be understood that the number of sliding guide protrusions 111 is the same as the number of sliding guide grooves 141 of the sliding ring 14, so as to facilitate the positioning and fixing of the sliding ring 14 on the spindle.

[0047] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide an actuator.

[0048] Figure 4(a) schematically shows an exploded view of the assembly structure of an actuator according to an example of the present disclosure. Figure 4(b) schematically shows an assembly view of the actuator according to an example of the present disclosure after the upper housing has been removed. As shown in Figures 4(a)-4(b), the actuator 2 includes a housing, specifically including an upper housing 19 and a lower housing 27. The lower housing 27 and the upper housing 19 can be fastened together by screws 28. The connecting end of the main shaft 11 is connected to the upper housing 19 through a first bushing 18; the lower housing 27 is connected to the connecting end of the lower part of the main shaft 11 through a second bushing 26. The actuator 2 also includes an actuator assembly 1 and a transmission assembly that is drively connected to the gear 13 of the actuator assembly 1. A shim 17 is provided between the first bushing 18 and the first limiting member 12 to provide axial support for the actuator assembly 1 and reduce wear. The actuator 2 also includes a motor 21 and a circuit board 20. The motor 21 is connected to the transmission assembly to drive the gear 13 to rotate via the transmission assembly. In embodiments of this disclosure, actuator assembly 1 is located within a housing, which is rotatably connected to the main shaft 11 about the main shaft 11, and the entire gear 13 is spaced apart from the housing. In examples of this disclosure, the housing is connected to the connection end of the main shaft 11 via a first bushing 18, and the housing is also connected to the connection end of the main shaft 11 via a second bushing 26 to provide structural guidance. The first and second bushings are made of self-lubricating material to reduce wear between the main shaft and the housing during rotation.

[0049] The transmission assembly includes a first-stage worm 23, a worm wheel 25, and a second-stage worm 24. The motor 21 is connected to the transmission assembly to drive the gear 13 to rotate. Specifically, the first-stage worm 23 is coaxially connected to the motor 21, the worm wheel 25 meshes with the first-stage worm 23, the worm wheel 25 is coaxially connected with the second-stage worm 24, and the second-stage worm 24 meshes with the gear 13. The inner wall of the lower housing 27 has a receiving groove, in which the worm wheel 25 is disposed and clearance-fitted with the receiving groove in the axial direction. The inner wall of the lower housing 27 also has two positioning grooves 191 spaced apart along the axial direction of the second-stage worm 24, in which the shaft of the second-stage worm 23 is embedded. Optionally, the second-stage worm 24 includes an integrally formed head and a shaft portion perpendicular to each other. The widths of the two positioning grooves 191 can be equal. The length of the shaft portion of the second-stage worm 24 can be slightly longer than the distance between the two positioning slots, and the radial width of the shaft portion of the second-stage worm 24 is slightly smaller than the width of the positioning slot 191, so that the shaft portion of the second-stage worm 24 can be interposed in the two positioning slots 191. The head of the second-stage worm 24 can be located on the other side of the positioning slot 191 away from the end of the shaft portion, to achieve fixation of the second-stage worm. The positioning slot 191 reduces the use of the fixing bushing, which is beneficial for miniaturization of the actuator 2.

[0050] Furthermore, the material of the second-stage worm gear 24 can be high-strength, including but not limited to stainless steel, high-carbon steel, medium-carbon steel, and hardened free-cutting steel. The material of the housing (i.e., the upper housing 19 and the lower housing 27) can be self-lubricating, for example, it can be a nylon-glass fiber composite material, which has high strength and rigidity, while also having excellent wear resistance and self-lubricating properties to reduce wear and extend the service life of the actuator 2.

[0051] Referring again to Figures 4(a)-4(b), the pawl 22 can be mounted on the housing (e.g., the lower housing 27), and the ratchet portion 133 of the gear 13 can engage with the pawl 22. During actuator operation, the housing and actuator assembly 1 can move relative to each other, and the actuator assembly 1 can rotate unidirectionally relative to the housing. The pawl 22 includes an elastic arm 222 and a pawl head 221, which is connected to the housing via the elastic arm 222. When the pawl 22 and the ratchet portion 133 abut, during rotation in one direction (clockwise in Figure 4(b)), the ratchet portion 133 will self-lock with the pawl 22; while during rotation in the other direction, the pawl 22 will bend outwards. The elastic arm 222 of the pawl 22 ensures that the pawl head 221 remains in contact with the ratchet circumference, thereby limiting the rotation direction of the gear 13. That is, the pawl 22 can be locked in one direction with a plurality of ratchet teeth spaced apart on the ratchet part 133.

[0052] When assembling the actuator according to the embodiments of this disclosure, the other components of the actuator assembly can be sequentially fitted onto the spindle, and then the housing can be assembled to form the actuator. Alternatively, the actuator assembly of this disclosure can be pre-assembled, in which case the pre-assembled actuator assembly is fitted onto the spindle during actuator assembly, and then the housing is assembled. Because the actuator assembly is pre-assembled, it can be configured individually and is easy to replace.

[0053] Embodiments of this disclosure also provide an electronic rearview mirror that includes the actuators of embodiments of this disclosure.

[0054] Furthermore, embodiments of this disclosure also provide a vehicle that includes the electronic rearview mirror of embodiments of this disclosure.

[0055] Figures 5(a)-(e) schematically illustrate the operation of an actuator according to an example of this disclosure under overload conditions. The actuator can be mounted on the base of a vehicle rearview mirror, and the base is connected to a lens bracket. The base includes a first limiting block 31, and the lens bracket includes a second limiting block 32. The actuator 2 is disposed on the lens bracket, and the lens bracket is disposed on the base. The first limiting block 31 can restrict the rotation of the actuator housing. Specifically, the first limiting block 31 and the second limiting block 32 can make limiting contact to limit the maximum angle of rotation of the actuator.

[0056] As shown in Figure 5(a), when the car with the actuator installed on the rearview mirror is in the driving state (Drive position), the rearview mirror is in the open state. At this time, the second boss 142 of the sliding ring 14 and the first boss 135 of the gear 13 are in the first engagement state, and the ratchet part 133 of the gear 13 abuts against the pawl 22 of the upper cover.

[0057] When the rearview mirror is driven by an external torque (e.g., manually folding it forward, rotating it 50° clockwise to the stop), it switches from the state shown in Figure 5(a) to the state shown in Figure 5(b). At this time, the first limiting block 31 and the second limiting block 32 are in limiting contact. To balance the external force, the sliding ring 14 overcomes the spring force and moves down until its second end face 1421 contacts and abuts against the first end face 1351 of the gear, and the two reach the second engagement state. At this time, the actuator 2 is in an overload state and needs to perform a reset process.

[0058] The rearview mirror is reset by performing electric folding, switching it from the state shown in Figure 5(b) to that shown in Figure 5(c). During this reset process, the mirror lens rotates around the main shaft to the stop position of the parking position. At this time, another first limit block 31 makes limiting contact with limit block 32. During this process, the motor outputs the first current, and the actuator housing rotates 140° counterclockwise around the main shaft to the stop position of the parking position and then stops rotating. During this process, gear 13 and sliding ring 14 abut against each other under the action of static friction, maintaining the second engagement state, while the pawl 22 of the housing and the ratchet portion 133 of gear 13 separate.

[0059] The motor continues to output a second current, causing the rearview mirror to switch from the state shown in Figure 5(c) to the state shown in Figure 5(d). As shown in Figure 5(d), the gear rotates 70° clockwise under the action of the second current and moves relative to the sliding ring until the two reach the first engagement state again. At this time, the gear 13 and the sliding ring 14 have moved 120° relative to each other.

[0060] In the state shown in Figure 5(d), the pawl 22 of the housing and the ratchet portion 133 of the gear 13 are still separated. The motor rotates in the opposite direction, switching the rearview mirror from the state shown in Figure 5(d) to the state shown in Figure 5(e). In Figure 5(e), the pawl 22 and the ratchet portion 133 abut against each other, the motor stalls and stops rotating, and the rearview mirror returns to the normally open state, completing the overload protection.

[0061] Unless otherwise specified, the numerical parameters in this specification and the appended claims are approximate values ​​and can be changed according to the desired characteristics obtained from the content of this disclosure. Specifically, all figures used in the specification and claims to indicate the content of composition, reaction conditions, etc., should be understood to be modified by the term "about" in all cases. Generally, this means that there may be variations of ±10% in some embodiments, ±5% in some embodiments, ±1% in some embodiments, and ±0.5% in some embodiments.

[0062] Those skilled in the art will understand that the features described in the various embodiments and / or claims of this disclosure can be combined or combined in various ways, even if such combinations or combinations are not explicitly described in this disclosure. In particular, the features described in the various embodiments and / or claims of this disclosure can be combined or combined in various ways without departing from the spirit and teachings of this disclosure. All such combinations and / or combinations fall within the scope of this disclosure.

[0063] The embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. However, these embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Although various embodiments have been described above, this does not mean that the measures in the various embodiments cannot be used advantageously in combination. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. Various substitutions and modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of this disclosure, and all such substitutions and modifications should fall within the scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. An actuator assembly comprising a gear, a sliding ring, and an elastic element, wherein at least a portion of the sliding ring and the elastic element are located inside the gear.

2. The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein, The gear and the sliding ring each have a plurality of first bosses and a plurality of second bosses spaced apart on their end faces facing each other; The gear and the sliding ring switch between first and second engagement states in response to different rotational torques applied to the actuator assembly, relying on different engagement methods of the first boss and the second boss.

3. The actuator assembly of claim 2, wherein, In the first engagement state, a plurality of first bosses and a plurality of second bosses are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction and mesh with each other to restrict the rotation of the gear relative to the sliding ring in the circumferential direction; and / or In the second engagement state, the plurality of first bosses and the plurality of second bosses disengage and form a surface contact in the axial direction to allow the gear to rotate circumferentially relative to the sliding ring.

4. An actuator assembly according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, Each of the first bosses has a first contact surface and a second contact surface, and each of the second bosses has a third contact surface for forming a surface contact with the first contact surface and a fourth contact surface for abutting against the second contact surface. The second contact surface and the fourth contact surface are used to guide the first boss and the second boss to disengage.

5. The actuator assembly of claim 1, wherein, The gear includes a gear portion and a ratchet portion, and the ratchet portion includes a plurality of ratchet teeth spaced apart.

6. The actuator assembly of any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The actuator assembly further includes: a main shaft defining a central axis and having at least one limiting member protruding radially outward therefrom, the limiting member being used to limit the sequentially fitted gear, sliding ring and elastic member.

7. The actuator assembly of claim 6, wherein, The main shaft has a first limiting member and a second limiting member spaced apart. The height of the gear is less than the distance between the first limiting member and the second limiting member, and the second limiting member is spaced apart from the gear.

8. The actuator assembly of claim 7, wherein, The first limiting member is a retaining ring fixedly sleeved on the outside of the main shaft, and the second limiting member is a limiting boss integrally formed with the main shaft.

9. An actuator, wherein, include: The actuator assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8; A transmission assembly is connected to the actuator assembly via a gear transmission; A motor is connected to the transmission assembly to drive the gear to rotate via the transmission assembly.

10. The actuator of claim 9, wherein, The actuator also includes a housing, the actuator assembly is located within the housing, the housing and the actuator assembly are rotatably connected relative to each other, and the gear is spaced apart from the housing.

11. The actuator of claim 10, wherein, The actuator assembly includes a main shaft, and the housing is rotatably connected to the main shaft about the main shaft.

12. The actuator of claim 11, wherein, The housing is connected to the spindle via at least one bushing made of a self-lubricating material.

13. The actuator of claim 9, wherein, It also includes a housing, within which the transmission assembly and the motor are housed; The transmission assembly includes a first-stage worm, a worm wheel, and a second-stage worm. The first-stage worm is coaxially connected to the motor, the worm wheel meshes with the first-stage worm, the worm wheel is coaxially connected with the second-stage worm, and the second-stage worm meshes with the gear. The inner wall of the outer casing is provided with a receiving groove, the worm gear is disposed in the receiving groove, and the worm gear is in clearance fit with the receiving groove in the axial direction; The inner wall of the shell is further provided with two positioning grooves arranged along the axial direction of the second-stage worm, and the shaft of the second-stage worm is embedded in the two positioning grooves.

14. The actuator of claim 9, wherein, The shell is further provided with a pawl; The gear of the actuator assembly is provided with a ratchet part, and the pawl cooperates with the ratchet part, comprising: The pawl and the ratchet part are provided with a plurality of ratchet teeth arranged at intervals.

15. An electronic rearview mirror comprising the actuator according to any one of claims 9-14.

16. A vehicle comprising the electronic rearview mirror according to claim 15.

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