Device

Abstract

This device 1 comprises: a base 10; a first flat surface 13a that is provided to the base 10; a second flat surface 11a that is provided to the base 10 and that is away from the first flat surface 13a in a direction orthogonal to the first flat surface 13a; a first substrate 40 that is installed on the first flat surface 13a in an installation direction D1 orthogonal to the first flat surface 13a; a second substrate 50 that is installed on the second flat surface 11a in the installation direction D1; a connecting member 60 that electrically and mechanically connects the first substrate 40 and the second substrate 50; and a fixing member 80 that fixes the second substrate 50 to the base 10 by fixing the first substrate 40 to the base 10.

Description

Apparatus

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus. This application claims the benefit of priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-055792 filed on March 28, 2025, the content of which is incorporated into this application by reference.

[0002] In various types of apparatus, a substrate is mounted to control the operation of the device. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate mounted on an actuator that can linearly move a shaft in the axial direction.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2014-051257

[0004] Incidentally, in an apparatus, there are cases where two substrates are respectively disposed on planes spaced apart from each other rather than on the same plane. In such a case, compared to the case where two substrates are disposed on the same plane, the necessity of individually fixing each substrate is more likely to arise, which may reduce the workability of assembling the apparatus.

[0005] Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus capable of improving the workability of assembling the apparatus.

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the apparatus of the present invention includes: a base; a first flat surface provided on the base; a second flat surface provided on the base and spaced apart from the first flat surface in a direction orthogonal to the first flat surface; a first substrate installed on the first flat surface in an installation direction orthogonal to the first flat surface; a second substrate installed on the second flat surface in the installation direction; a connection member that electrically and mechanically connects the first substrate and the second substrate; and a fixing member that fixes the second substrate relative to the base by fixing the first substrate relative to the base.

[0007] The base may be provided with a positioning member that positions the second substrate on a plane orthogonal to the installation direction.

[0008] The fixing member may be attached to the base by a restoring force of the fixing member.

[0009] The base may be provided with a groove extending in the installation direction, and the fixing member may be provided with a projection extending in the installation direction that fits into the groove.

[0010] The first and second boards may be provided with a connector that is shared by both.

[0011] The base is a housing, the device comprises a motor, a shaft, and a sensor attached to the housing, the shaft is arranged coaxially with the motor and moves linearly in the axial direction when driven by the motor, the sensor detects when the shaft is in a reference position, the first substrate is a substrate electrically connected to the motor, and the second substrate may be a substrate electrically connected to the sensor.

[0012] The sensor may be positioned at a distance from the shaft in the radial direction of the shaft and may detect, in a non-contact manner, that the shaft is located at the reference position.

[0013] According to the present invention, the workability of assembling equipment can be improved.

[0014] Figure 1 is a first perspective view showing an actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a second perspective view showing an actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a front view showing an actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 is a rear view showing an actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 is a top view showing an actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is a bottom view showing an actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 is a side view showing an actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 is an enlarged perspective view showing an actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 10 is an enlarged perspective view showing an actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 11 is an enlarged perspective view showing an actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 12 is an enlarged perspective view showing an actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a first example of the arrangement of permanent magnets in an actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 14 is a diagram for explaining the second displacement in the first example of Figure 13. Figure 15 is a diagram for explaining a different example of the second displacement in the first example of Figure 13 from Figure 14. Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view showing a second example of the arrangement of permanent magnets in an actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 17 is a diagram for explaining the second displacement in the second example of Figure 16. Figure 18 is a diagram illustrating a different example of the second displacement in the second example of Figure 16 compared to Figure 17.

[0015] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values ​​shown in these embodiments are merely examples to facilitate understanding of the invention and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanations, and elements not directly related to the present invention are omitted from the illustrations.

[0016] Figures 1 to 7 are the first perspective view, second perspective view, front view, rear view, top view, bottom view, and side view, respectively, of the actuator 1 according to this embodiment. Specifically, Figure 7 is the right side view of the actuator 1 according to this embodiment. Since the shape of the actuator 1 is symmetrical, the left side view is omitted.

[0017] The following describes the general outline of the actuator 1 with reference to Figures 1 to 7. However, details of the internal structure of the actuator 1 will be described later.

[0018] In Figures 1 to 7, the vertical, horizontal, and lateral directions of actuator 1 are indicated by arrows. The vertical, horizontal, and lateral directions of actuator 1 are orthogonal to each other. Hereafter, the vertical, horizontal, and lateral directions of actuator 1 will also be referred to simply as the vertical, horizontal, and lateral directions. Note that when actuator 1 is mounted on a device, the vertical direction of actuator 1 does not necessarily coincide with the vertical direction.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1 to 7, the actuator 1 comprises a housing 10, a motor 20, a shaft 30, a first substrate 40, a second substrate 50, a header pin 60, a connector 70, and a fixing member 80.

[0020] The housing 10 corresponds to the base on which each component of the actuator 1 is attached. The housing 10 has a cylindrical portion 11, a flange portion 12, and a cover portion 13. The housing 10 is formed of, for example, resin.

[0021] The cylindrical portion 11 forms the front of the housing 10. The cylindrical portion 11 extends in the front-rear direction of the actuator 1 and has a cylindrical shape. The flange portion 12 protrudes radially outward from the rear end of the cylindrical portion 11. The flange portion 12 extends on a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction. The actuator 1 is attached to the device by the flange portion 12 being attached to the device. The cover portion 13 is connected to the upper rear part of the cylindrical portion 11. The cover portion 13 is located above the cylindrical portion 11 and extends rearward from the upper rear part of the cylindrical portion 11. The general shape of the cover portion 13 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped with sides in the vertical, front-rear, and left-right directions. The cover portion 13 covers the top of the motor 20.

[0022] The motor 20 drives the shaft 30. The motor 20 is positioned coaxially with the cylindrical portion 11 and rearward relative to the cylindrical portion 11. The shaft 30 moves linearly in the axial direction when driven by the motor 20. The shaft 30 is positioned coaxially with the cylindrical portion 11 and the motor 20 and is inserted into the cylindrical portion 11. In other words, the axial direction of the shaft 30 coincides with the axial direction of the cylindrical portion 11 and corresponds to the front-rear direction of the actuator 1. The shaft 30 is made of a metal such as stainless steel. A head 31 is attached to the front end of the shaft 30. The head 31 has a spherical shape.

[0023] As the shaft 30 moves linearly, the head 31 moves linearly in conjunction with the shaft 30. By moving the head 31 linearly, the head 31 can be pressed against a component of a device to which the actuator 1 is attached, thereby moving the component. For example, the actuator 1 can be used as a leveling device for vehicle lights. However, the application of the actuator 1 is not particularly limited.

[0024] The first circuit board 40 is a circuit board that is electrically connected to the motor 20. The first circuit board 40 is provided to control the operation of the motor 20. Specifically, the operation of the motor 20 is controlled by controlling the current applied to the motor 20 via the first circuit board 40.

[0025] The second substrate 50 is a substrate that is electrically connected to a Hall sensor (see Hall sensor 51 in Figure 8), which will be described later. The second substrate 50 is provided to process and output the signal detected by the Hall sensor 51.

[0026] The header pin 60 is an example of a connecting member that electrically and mechanically connects the first substrate 40 and the second substrate 50. The header pin 60 is conductive and is formed of, for example, a metallic material. The header pin 60 is formed in a rod shape and has, for example, a cylindrical shape.

[0027] The connector 70 is attached to the first board 40 and electrically connected to the first board 40. As described above, the first board 40 and the second board 50 are electrically connected via the header pins 60. Therefore, the connector 70 is electrically connected to the first board 40 and the second board 50, respectively. A cable is attached to the connector 70. The first board 40 and the second board 50 can input and output signals to and from external devices of the actuator 1 via the connector 70 and the cable.

[0028] The fixing member 80 is a member for fixing the first substrate 40 and the second substrate 50 to the housing 10. Specifically, the fixing member 80 fixes the second substrate 50 to the housing 10 by fixing the first substrate 40 to the housing 10. In this embodiment, as will be described later, the fixing of the first substrate 40 and the second substrate 50 to the housing 10 by the fixing member 80 improves the workability of assembling the actuator 1. Details of the installation of each substrate to the housing 10 by the fixing member 80 will be described later.

[0029] The internal structure and other details of the actuator 1 will be described below with reference to Figure 8. Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the actuator 1 according to this embodiment. Specifically, Figure 8 shows a cross-section perpendicular to the left-right direction of the actuator 1 and passing through the central axis of the shaft 30.

[0030] As shown in Figure 8, the motor 20 includes a stator 21, a rotor 22, a nut 23, and a case 24. For example, the motor 20 is a stepping motor. However, the motor 20 may be a motor other than a stepping motor.

[0031] The stator 21 and rotor 22 are arranged coaxially and have a substantially cylindrical shape. The stator 21 is located radially outward from the rotor 22 of the motor 20. The inner circumferential surface of the stator 21 faces the outer circumferential surface of the rotor 22 in the radial direction of the motor 20. The central axes of the stator 21 and rotor 22 correspond to the central axis of the motor 20. In other words, the central axes of the stator 21 and rotor 22 are arranged coaxially with the cylindrical portion 11 of the housing 10 and the shaft 30.

[0032] The stator 21 is fixed to the housing 10. On the other hand, the rotor 22 is rotatably mounted relative to the housing 10. Specifically, the rotor 22 is rotatably supported by bearings B1. In the example of Figure 8, bearings B1 are provided in front of and behind the motor 20. The bearing B1 in front of the motor 20 is positioned between the inner circumferential surface of the rear end of the cylindrical portion 11 and the outer circumferential surface of the rotor 22. The bearing B1 behind the motor 20 is positioned between the inner circumferential surface of the case 24, which is attached to the rear of the stator 21 of the motor 20, and the outer circumferential surface of the rotor 22. The case 24 is positioned coaxially with the stator 21 and the rotor 22 and has a substantially cylindrical shape with a closed rear end.

[0033] The stator 21 is an electromagnet having multiple magnetic poles. The type of stator 21 is not particularly limited; for example, it may be a type with an iron core or a type without an iron core. Permanent magnets are embedded on the outer circumference of the rotor 22. The windings of the coil of the stator 21 are electrically connected to the first substrate 40 via terminal T1. By controlling the current applied from the first substrate 40 to the coil of the stator 21 via terminal T1, the direction of the magnetic flux generated by the stator 21 is regularly switched. As a result, the magnetic force between the stator 21 and the rotor 22 is regularly switched, causing the rotor 22 to rotate.

[0034] The cover 21a, which covers components such as coils within the stator 21 and forms the outer surface of the stator 21, is electrically connected to the first substrate 40 via a coil spring C1. This connects the first substrate 40 to ground.

[0035] The nut 23 is fixed to the inner circumference of the rotor 22. A female thread is formed on the inner surface of the nut 23. The nut 23 is positioned coaxially with the rotor 22. The nut 23 rotates integrally with the rotor 22.

[0036] As shown in Figure 8, the shaft 30 is provided with a threaded portion 32. The threaded portion 32 is the part of the shaft 30 on which a male thread is formed on the outer surface. The threaded portion 32 is located at the rear of the shaft 30. The threaded portion 32 is inserted through the rotor 22 of the motor 20. The nut 23 of the motor 20 is then screwed onto the threaded portion 32.

[0037] As described above, the shaft 30 is inserted through the cylindrical portion 11 of the housing 10. As shown in Figure 8, the holder 33 is attached to the shaft 30 inside the cylindrical portion 11 and in front of the threaded portion 32. The holder 33 has a substantially cylindrical shape. The inner circumferential surface of the holder 33 is fitted into the outer circumferential surface of the shaft 30. A permanent magnet 34 is provided on the upper part of the holder 33. The permanent magnet 34 is provided to detect when the shaft 30 is in a reference position, as will be described later.

[0038] The holder 33 is fixed to the shaft 30. In the example shown in Figure 8, a fixing pin 35 is inserted through the holder 33 and the shaft 30 in the radial direction of the shaft 30. The holder 33 is then fixed to the shaft 30 by the fixing pin 35. Therefore, the holder 33 cannot rotate relative to the shaft 30. However, the holder 33 may be fixed to the shaft 30 by a method other than using the fixing pin 35 (for example, welding).

[0039] Furthermore, the outer circumferential surface of the holder 33 is slidably mounted relative to the inner circumferential surface 14 of the cylindrical portion 11. Therefore, the shaft 30 is guided axially by the outer circumferential surface of the holder 33 and the inner circumferential surface 14 of the cylindrical portion 11. In addition, the end of the fixing pin 35 is fitted into a keyway (not shown) formed on the inner circumferential surface 14 of the cylindrical portion 11. This suppresses the rotation of the shaft 30.

[0040] When the motor 20 is driven and the rotor 22 rotates, the nut 23 rotates integrally with the rotor 22. As the nut 23 rotates, the shaft 30, which is screwed to the nut 23 by the threaded portion 32, moves linearly in the front-rear direction (i.e., in the axial direction of the shaft 30). The amount of movement of the shaft 30 can be controlled by controlling the amount of rotation of the rotor 22. Also, the direction of movement of the shaft 30 can be controlled by controlling the direction of rotation of the rotor 22.

[0041] The first substrate 40 has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape. The first substrate 40 is installed on the upper part of the cover portion 13 of the housing 10 and extends on a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction of the actuator 1. The short side of the first substrate 40 extends in the left-right direction of the actuator 1, and the long side of the first substrate 40 extends in the front-rear direction of the actuator 1. However, the shape of the first substrate 40 is not limited to this example. Details of the installation position of the first substrate 40 will be described later.

[0042] The second substrate 50 has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape. The second substrate 50 is disposed on an upper portion of the cylindrical portion 11 of the housing 10, and extends on a plane orthogonal to the vertical direction of the actuator 1. The short sides of the second substrate 50 extend in the left-right direction of the actuator 1, and the long sides of the second substrate 50 extend in the front-rear direction of the actuator 1. However, the shape of the second substrate 50 is not limited to this example. Details of the installation position of the second substrate 50 will be described later.

[0043] The second substrate 50 extends on a plane parallel to the first substrate 40. The second substrate 50 is located lower than the first substrate 40. In other words, the first substrate 40 and the second substrate 50 are respectively disposed on planes that are not coplanar and are spaced apart from each other. A front end of the second substrate 50 is located forward of a front end of the first substrate 40, and a rear end of the second substrate 50 is located forward of a rear end of the first substrate 40. Here, the rear end of the second substrate 50 is located rearward of the front end of the first substrate 40. That is, when viewed from above, a front portion of the first substrate 40 and a rear portion of the second substrate 50 overlap each other. Header pins 60 penetrate the front portion of the first substrate 40 and the rear portion of the second substrate 50 in the vertical direction. In this way, the header pins 60 extend in the vertical direction of the actuator 1, and electrically and mechanically connect the front portion of the first substrate 40 and the rear portion of the second substrate 50.

[0044] A Hall sensor 51 is attached to a lower surface of the second substrate 50. The Hall sensor 51 is capable of detecting a magnetic field. The Hall sensor 51 is spaced apart from the shaft 30 in a radial direction of the shaft 30. As shown in FIG. 8, when the permanent magnet 34 provided on the shaft 30 is located at a position facing the Hall sensor 51 in the radial direction of the shaft 30, the Hall sensor 51 can detect the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 34. Here, the position of the shaft 30 (for example, the position in FIG. 8) at which the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 34 is detected by the Hall sensor 51 is referred to as a reference position. The Hall sensor 51 can detect in a non-contact manner that the shaft 30 is positioned at the reference position.

[0045] In a device equipped with actuator 1, an operation is performed to return the position of shaft 30 to a reference position in order to establish the origin of the shaft 30's position. For example, by moving shaft 30 backward from a state where it is moving forward relative to the reference position, and stopping the movement of shaft 30 at the moment when the magnetic field generated by permanent magnet 34 is detected by Hall sensor 51, the position of shaft 30 can be returned to the reference position. As described above, the permanent magnet 34 and Hall sensor 51 are provided for the operation of returning the position of shaft 30 to a reference position. It is preferable that the distance between the permanent magnet 34 and Hall sensor 51 in the radial direction of shaft 30 be as short as possible. By shortening the distance between the permanent magnet 34 and Hall sensor 51, for example, if the distance increases due to thermal expansion of the components constituting actuator 1, a decrease in the detection accuracy of Hall sensor 51 can be suppressed.

[0046] As described above, in the actuator 1, the two substrates, the first substrate 40 and the second substrate 50, are installed on planes that are spaced apart from each other, rather than on the same plane. When the two substrates are installed on planes that are spaced apart from each other, the need to individually fix each substrate becomes more likely compared to when the two substrates are installed on the same plane, which can reduce the workability of assembling the device. Therefore, in this embodiment, improvements are made to the workability of assembling the actuator 1 by implementing improvements to the installation of each substrate in the housing 10. The improvements to the installation of each substrate in the housing 10 in this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 9 to 12.

[0047] Figures 9 to 12 are enlarged perspective views showing the actuator 1 according to this embodiment. In the assembly of the actuator 1, the first circuit board 40, the second circuit board 50, the header pins 60 and the connector 70 are attached to the housing 10, and then the fixing member 80 is attached. Figures 9 to 12 show the process at each stage of this assembly work in chronological order.

[0048] Specifically, FIG. 9 shows a state in which the first substrate 40, the second substrate 50, the header pin 60, the connector 70, and the fixing member 80 are removed from the housing 10. FIG. 10 shows a state in which the first substrate 40, the second substrate 50, the header pin 60, and the connector 70 are attached to the housing 10 from the state of FIG. 9. FIG. 11 shows a state in which the fixing member 80 is attached to the housing 10 from the state of FIG. 10. FIG. 12 shows the actuator 1 in the state of FIG. 11 as viewed obliquely from the rear.

[0049] Also, in FIGS. 9 to 12, an installation direction D1, which is the direction for installing the first substrate 40 and the second substrate 50 with respect to the housing 10, is shown. The installation direction D1 is the downward direction of the actuator 1. In other words, the installation direction D1 is orthogonal to the plane on which the first substrate 40 is installed (specifically, a first plane 13a described later) and the plane on which the second substrate 50 is installed (specifically, a second plane 11a described later).

[0050] As shown in FIG. 9, the upper surface of the cylindrical portion 11 of the housing 10 is provided with the second plane 11a, two positioning pins 11b, and a through hole 11c.

[0051] The second plane 11a is a surface on which the second substrate 50 is installed. The second plane 11a is formed on the upper surface of the cylindrical portion 11 so as to be recessed downward relative to the periphery. The second plane 11a is orthogonal to the vertical direction and faces upward. As described above, the second plane 11a is orthogonal to the installation direction D1 of the second substrate 50. Therefore, the second substrate 50 can be installed on the second plane 11a in the installation direction D1 from above.

[0052] Note that the length of the second plane 11a in the left-right direction is longer than the length of the second substrate 50 in the left-right direction. Also, the length of the second plane 11a in the front-rear direction is longer than the length of the second substrate 50 in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the second substrate 50 can be accommodated on the second plane 11a.

[0053] As will be described later, the positioning pins 11b are positioning members for positioning the second substrate 50 on a plane perpendicular to the installation direction D1. The positioning pins 11b protrude upward from the second plane 11a. The positioning pins 11b have a cylindrical shape. The two positioning pins 11b are spaced apart in the left-right direction. The front-rear positions of the two positioning pins 11b coincide with each other. In the example of Figure 9, the two positioning pins 11b are provided in symmetrical positions.

[0054] However, the positional relationship between the two positioning pins 11b is not limited to this example. For example, the front-to-back positions of the two positioning pins 11b may be different from each other. Also, for example, the left-to-right positions of the two positioning pins 11b may coincide.

[0055] The through-hole 11c is formed in the second plane 11a and penetrates the cylindrical portion 11 in the vertical direction. With the second substrate 50 installed on the second plane 11a, the Hall sensor 51 is inserted through the through-hole 11c. This allows the Hall sensor 51 to face the inside of the housing 10.

[0056] As shown in Figure 9, the upper surface of the cover portion 13 of the housing 10 is provided with a first flat surface 13a, four protrusions 13b, and a through hole 13c.

[0057] The first plane 13a is the surface on which the first substrate 40 is installed. The first plane 13a forms the general shape of the upper surface of the cover portion 13. The first plane 13a is perpendicular to the vertical direction and faces upward. Thus, the first plane 13a is perpendicular to the installation direction D1 of the first substrate 40. Therefore, the first substrate 40 can be installed from above in the installation direction D1 relative to the first plane 13a.

[0058] The first plane 13a on which the first substrate 40 is installed is located above the second plane 11a on which the second substrate 50 is installed. Thus, the second plane 11a is separated from the first plane 13a in a direction perpendicular to the first plane 13a. Therefore, the first substrate 40 and the second substrate 50 are installed on planes that are separated from each other, rather than on the same plane. The first plane 13a is parallel to the second plane 11a. However, the first plane 13a does not have to be strictly parallel to the second plane 11a.

[0059] The protrusions 13b are provided to restrict the lateral movement of the first substrate 40, as will be described later. The protrusions 13b project upward from the first plane 13a. The protrusions 13b are provided at the left-right ends of the first plane 13a and extend in the front-rear direction. In the example of Figure 9, a pair of left and right protrusions 13b are provided at the front of the first plane 13a, and a pair of left and right protrusions 13b are also provided at the rear of the first plane 13a. The lateral distance between the left protrusion 13b and the right protrusion 13b is approximately equal to the lateral length of the first substrate 40, but is longer than the lateral length of the first substrate 40. Therefore, when the first substrate 40 is installed on the first plane 13a, the lateral movement of the first substrate 40 is restricted by the left protrusion 13b and the right protrusion 13b.

[0060] The through-hole 13c is formed in the first plane 13a and penetrates the cover portion 13 in the vertical direction. When the first substrate 40 is installed on the first plane 13a, the coil spring C1 contacts the lower surface of the first substrate 40 through the through-hole 13c.

[0061] As shown in Figure 9, protrusions 13d are provided on the left and right outer surfaces of the cover portion 13. The left protrusion 13d protrudes to the left from the upper part of the left side of the cover portion 13. The right protrusion 13d protrudes to the right from the upper part of the right side of the cover portion 13.

[0062] As shown in Figure 9, a groove 13e is provided on the front surface of the cover portion 13. The groove 13e is located in the center of the front surface of the cover portion 13 in the left-right direction and extends in the vertical direction. The groove 13e is recessed to the rear relative to its surroundings on the front surface of the cover portion 13. Thus, the groove 13e extends in the installation direction D1. The groove 13e has a pair of left and right side surfaces 13e1. The pair of left and right side surfaces 13e1 face each other in the left-right direction.

[0063] As described above, when the first substrate 40, the second substrate 50, the header pins 60, and the connector 70 are attached to the housing 10 from the state shown in Figure 9, the actuator 1 will be in the state shown in Figure 10. When the first substrate 40, the second substrate 50, the header pins 60, and the connector 70 are attached to the housing 10, the connector 70 is pre-fixed to the first substrate 40, and the header pins 60 are pre-fixed to the second substrate 50. However, at this time, although the header pins 60 are inserted through the first substrate 40, they are not fixed to the first substrate 40. As will be described later, the fixing of the header pins 60 to the first substrate 40 is performed when the fixing member 80 is attached to the housing 10.

[0064] As shown in Figure 10, the first substrate 40 is installed in the installation direction D1 with respect to the first plane 13a. Specifically, the first substrate 40 is installed in the area of ​​the first plane 13a demarcated by the left and right protrusions 13b. The left end surface of the first substrate 40 faces the two left protrusions 13b in the left-right direction. The right end surface of the first substrate 40 faces the two right protrusions 13b in the left-right direction. As a result, the left-right movement of the first substrate 40 is restricted by each protrusion 13b. In the front-rear direction, the position of the front end of the first substrate 40 and the position of the front end of the front protrusion 13b are approximately coincident, and the position of the rear end of the first substrate 40 and the position of the rear end of the rear protrusion 13b are approximately coincident.

[0065] A connector 70 is pre-attached to the center of the first circuit board 40 in the front-to-back direction. The connector 70 is soldered to the first circuit board 40 while it is placed on the upper surface of the first circuit board 40.

[0066] Multiple through holes 41 are provided on the first circuit board 40 behind the connector 70. The through holes 41 penetrate the first circuit board 40 in the vertical direction. After the first circuit board 40 is installed in the housing 10, the upper end of terminal T1, which is connected to the winding of the stator 21 coil, is inserted through the through holes 41. Then, with terminal T1 inserted through the through holes 41, it is soldered to the first circuit board 40. The number of through holes 41 corresponds to the number of terminals T1.

[0067] Multiple through-holes 42 are provided in the first circuit board 40 in front of the connector 70. The through-holes 42 penetrate the first circuit board 40 in the vertical direction. With the first circuit board 40 and the second circuit board 50 installed in the housing 10, the upper ends of the header pins 60 are inserted through the through-holes 42. In this state, although the header pins 60 are inserted through the through-holes 42, they are not fixed to the first circuit board 40 and are movable relative to the first circuit board 40. The number of through-holes 42 corresponds to the number of header pins 60.

[0068] In the example shown in Figure 10, there are three header pins 60. However, the number of header pins 60 may be other than three. Also, in the example shown in Figure 10, multiple header pins 60 are arranged at equal intervals in the left-right direction. However, the positional relationship between multiple header pins 60 is not limited to the example shown in Figure 10.

[0069] As shown in Figure 10, the second substrate 50 is installed in the installation direction D1 with respect to the second plane 11a. Specifically, the second substrate 50 is housed in the recess of the cylindrical portion 11 that forms the second plane 11a. The upper surface of the second substrate 50 substantially coincides with the upper surface of the portion of the cylindrical portion 11 that protrudes upward relative to the second plane 11a around the second plane 11a.

[0070] Multiple through-holes 52 are provided in the rear of the second substrate 50. The through-holes 52 penetrate the second substrate 50 in the vertical direction. The lower ends of the header pins 60 are pre-inserted through the through-holes 52. The header pins 60 are pre-soldered to the second substrate 50 while inserted through the through-holes 52. The number of through-holes 52 corresponds to the number of header pins 60.

[0071] Multiple through holes 53 are provided in the front of the second substrate 50. The through holes 53 penetrate the second substrate 50 in the vertical direction. When the second substrate 50 is installed in the housing 10, positioning pins 11b are inserted through the through holes 53. The number of through holes 53 corresponds to the number of positioning pins 11b. In other words, in the example of Figure 10, positioning pins 11b are inserted through two through holes 53. Here, the dimensional relationship between the inner diameter of the through hole 53 and the outer diameter of the positioning pin 11b is set to a predetermined fit. Therefore, by inserting the positioning pins 11b through each through hole 53, the second substrate 50 is positioned on a plane perpendicular to the installation direction D1.

[0072] As described above, when the fixing member 80 is attached to the housing 10 from the state shown in Figure 10, the actuator 1 will be in the state shown in Figures 11 and 12.

[0073] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the fixing member 80 is formed in a hollow box shape having a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape. This fixing member 80 is then installed in the installation direction D1 relative to the housing 10. As a result, the first substrate 40 and the second substrate 50 are fixed to the housing 10, as will be described later.

[0074] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the fixing member 80 has an upper surface 81, a front surface 82, a rear surface 83, a left surface 84, and a right surface 85. The upper surface 81, front surface 82, rear surface 83, left surface 84, and right surface 85 are surfaces facing upwards, forwards, left, and right, respectively.

[0075] The upper surface 81 of the fixing member 80 has a substantially rectangular shape. The short side of the upper surface 81 extends in the left-right direction of the actuator 1, and the long side of the upper surface 81 extends in the front-rear direction of the actuator 1. The front surface 82 extends downward from the front side of the upper surface 81. The rear surface 83 extends downward from the rear side of the upper surface 81. The left surface 84 extends downward from the left side of the upper surface 81. The right surface 85 extends downward from the right side of the upper surface 81. The left and right ends of the front surface 82 are continuous with the front end of the left surface 84 and the front end of the right surface 85, respectively. The left and right ends of the rear surface 83 are continuous with the rear end of the left surface 84 and the rear end of the right surface 85, respectively.

[0076] An opening 81a is formed in the upper surface 81 of the fixing member 80. The opening 81a penetrates the upper surface 81 in the vertical direction. The opening 81a has a substantially rectangular shape. The upper surface 81 covers the upper surface of the cover portion 13 of the housing 10. The length of the upper surface 81 in the left-right direction is substantially the same as the length of the upper surface of the cover portion 13 in the left-right direction. Also, the length of the upper surface 81 in the front-rear direction is substantially the same as the length of the upper surface of the cover portion 13 in the front-rear direction. The through hole 41 of the first substrate 40, the through hole 42 of the first substrate 40, and the connector 70 are arranged within the opening 81a.

[0077] Here, the outer edge of the upper surface 81 of the fixing member 80 (i.e., the portion where the opening 81a is not formed) is positioned above the outer edge of the first substrate 40. The outer edge of the upper surface 81 then presses the outer edge of the first substrate 40 in the installation direction D1. As a result, the first substrate 40 is fixed to the housing 10.

[0078] As described above, with the fixing member 80 attached to the housing 10, the header pins 60 are fixed to the first substrate 40. Specifically, after the fixing member 80 is attached to the housing 10, the upper ends of the header pins 60, which are inserted through the through holes 42, are soldered to the first substrate 40. As a result, the first substrate 40 and the second substrate 50 are mechanically connected via the header pins 60. Therefore, by fixing the first substrate 40 to the housing 10 with the fixing member 80, the second substrate 50 is also fixed to the housing 10. In this way, in this embodiment, the first substrate 40 and the second substrate 50, which are installed on planes that are spaced apart from each other rather than on the same plane, can be fixed together by the fixing member 80, which is the same component, without having to fix each substrate individually. This improves the workability of assembling the actuator 1. Furthermore, compared to the case where each substrate is fixed with separate components, the number of parts can be reduced and costs can be reduced.

[0079] As described above, the header pins 60 are fixed to the first substrate 40 with the fixing member 80 attached to the housing 10. Here, if the header pins 60 are fixed to the first substrate 40 and the fixing member 80 is attached to the housing 10, then the first substrate 40 and the second substrate 50 are attached to the housing 10 with the vertical positional relationship between the first substrate 40 and the second substrate 50 determined. In this case, for example, if the vertical distance between the first substrate 40 and the second substrate 50 is shorter than the vertical distance between the first plane 13a and the second plane 11a, then the first substrate 40 will be in contact with the first plane 13a, but the second substrate 50 will be floating above the second plane 11a. On the other hand, if the vertical distance between the first substrate 40 and the second substrate 50 is greater than the vertical distance between the first plane 13a and the second plane 11a, the second substrate 50 will be in contact with the second plane 11a, but the first substrate 40 will be floating above the first plane 13a. Therefore, by fixing the header pins 60 to the first substrate 40 after attaching the fixing member 80 to the housing 10, it is possible to achieve a state in which the first substrate 40 is in contact with the first plane 13a and the second substrate 50 is in contact with the second plane 11a.

[0080] In the above description, the header pins 60, which are pre-soldered to the second substrate 50, are inserted through the through-holes 42 of the first substrate 40, the fixing member 80 is attached to the housing 10, and then the header pins 60 are soldered to the first substrate 40. However, the header pins 60, which are pre-soldered to the first substrate 40, may be inserted through the through-holes 52 of the second substrate 50, the fixing member 80 may be attached to the housing 10, and then the header pins 60 may be soldered to the second substrate 50.

[0081] Furthermore, the first board 40 and the second board 50 are electrically connected via header pins 60. Therefore, the connector 70 attached to the first board 40 is electrically connected to the second board 50 via header pins 60. In this way, the connector 70 is shared by both the first board 40 and the second board 50. This reduces the number of components, lowers costs, and simplifies wiring compared to the case where each board is individually equipped with a connector.

[0082] As shown in Figure 12, the pins 71 of the connector 70 extend to the rear. Therefore, a cable can be connected to the connector 70 by inserting the cable from the rear towards the front. However, the position and orientation of the pins 71 on the connector 70 are not limited to this example.

[0083] The left side 84 and right side 85 of the fixing member 80 are each provided with locking portions 86 for attaching the fixing member 80 to the housing 10. In Figures 11 and 12, only the locking portion 86 on the right side 85 is shown. However, a locking portion 86 is also provided on the left side 84. The pair of left and right locking portions 86 are symmetrical.

[0084] The locking portion 86 extends downward from the front sides of the left surface 84 and the right surface 85. The locking portion 86 has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape that extends on a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction. The locking portion 86 is opposed to the protruding portion 13d of the cover portion 13 of the housing 10 in the left-right direction. A claw 86a is provided at the lower end of the locking portion 86. The claw 86a protrudes inward in the left-right direction from the lower end of the locking portion 86. That is, the claw 86a of the left locking portion 86 protrudes to the right from the lower end of the locking portion 86, and the claw 86a of the right locking portion 86 protrudes to the left from the lower end of the locking portion 86. The claw 86a engages with the lower surface of the protruding portion 13d of the cover portion 13 of the housing 10.

[0085] In the assembly of the fixing member 80, the fixing member 80 is elastically deformed so that the distance between the pair of left and right claws 86a increases (that is, the claw 86a of the left locking portion 86 moves to the left, and the claw 86a of the right locking portion 86 moves to the right), and then installed in the housing 10 in the installation direction D1. When the vertical position of the fixing member 80 reaches the positions shown in Figures 11 and 12, the pair of left and right claws 86a return inward in the left-right direction due to the restoring force, and engage with the lower surface of the protruding portion 13d of the cover portion 13 of the housing 10. In this way, the fixing member 80 is attached to the housing 10 by the restoring force of the fixing member 80. This type of attachment is also called a snap fit. Attaching the fixing member 80 to the housing 10 by a snap fit makes the assembly of the fixing member 80 easier. The material of the fixing member 80 can be any elastic material, such as resin. However, the material of the fixing member 80 is not limited to resin, but may be metal or the like.

[0086] Cover portions 87 are provided on the rear of the left side 84 and the right side 85 of the fixing member 80, respectively. In Figures 11 and 12, only the cover portion 87 on the right side 85 is shown. However, a cover portion 87 is also provided on the left side 84. The pair of left and right cover portions 87 are symmetrical.

[0087] The cover portion 87 extends downward from the rear sides of the left surface 84 and the right surface 85. The cover portion 87 has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape that extends on a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction. The cover portion 87 faces the protruding portion 13d of the cover portion 13 of the housing 10 in the left-right direction. As described above, the cover portion 13 of the housing 10 is sandwiched in the left-right direction by a pair of left and right locking portions 86. The cover portion 13 of the housing 10 is also sandwiched in the left-right direction by a pair of left and right cover portions 87. This makes the mounting position of the fixing member 80 to the housing 10 more stable.

[0088] As shown in Figure 12, the rear surface 83 of the fixing member 80 covers a portion of the rear surface of the motor 20. A through hole 88 is provided in the rear surface 83. The through hole 88 penetrates the rear surface 83 in the front-rear direction. A projection 25 is provided on the rear surface of the motor 20. The projection 25 extends rearward from the rear surface of the motor 20 and has a substantially cylindrical shape. The projection 25 fits into the through hole 88 in the rear surface 83.

[0089] In the assembly of the fixing member 80, the fixing member 80 is elastically deformed so that the lower end of the rear surface 83 moves backward, and the fixing member 80 is installed in the housing 10 in the installation direction D1. When the vertical position of the fixing member 80 reaches the positions shown in Figures 11 and 12, the lower end of the rear surface 83 returns to the front due to the restoring force, causing the projection 25 of the motor 20 to engage with the through hole 88 in the rear surface 83. Thus, the attachment of the fixing member 80 to the housing 10 by the restoring force of the fixing member 80 is achieved not only by the claws 86a described above, but also by the rear surface 83.

[0090] As shown in Figure 11, a projection 82a is provided on the front surface 82 of the fixing member 80. The projection 82a has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape. The projection 82a extends downward from the center in the left-right direction of the front surface 82. Thus, the projection 82a extends in the installation direction D1. The projection 82a has a pair of left and right side surfaces 82a1. The projection 82a is fitted into the groove 13e of the cover portion 13 of the housing 10. Specifically, the left side surface 82a1 of the projection 82a is in contact with the left side surface 13e1 of the groove 13e, and the right side surface 82a1 of the projection 82a is in contact with the right side surface 13e1 of the groove 13e. In this way, the projection 82a is sandwiched in the left-right direction by the side surfaces 13e1 of the groove 13e. This prevents the fixing member 80 from rotating relative to the housing 10 around the front-rear axis. Therefore, if an external force is applied to the fixing member 80 after it has been attached to the housing 10, it is possible to suppress the displacement of the fixing member 80.

[0091] As described above, the actuator 1 according to this embodiment comprises a housing 10 corresponding to a base, a first plane 13a provided on the base 10, a second plane 11a provided on the base 10 and spaced apart from the first plane 13a in a direction perpendicular to the first plane 13a, a first substrate 40 installed on the first plane 13a in an installation direction D1 perpendicular to the first plane 13a, a second substrate 50 installed on the second plane 11a in the installation direction D1, a header pin 60 corresponding to a connecting member that electrically and mechanically connects the first substrate 40 and the second substrate 50, and a fixing member 80 that fixes the second substrate 50 to the base 10 by fixing the first substrate 40 to the base 10. As a result, the first substrate 40 and the second substrate 50 can be fixed by the fixing member 80, which is the same member, without having to fix each substrate individually. Thus, the workability of assembling the actuator 1 can be improved. Furthermore, compared to fixing each circuit board with separate components, the number of parts can be reduced, and costs can also be lowered.

[0092] The actuator 1 is an example of a device comprising the base, the first plane 13a, the second plane 11a, the first substrate 40, the second substrate 50, the connecting member, and the fixing member 80. However, such a device is not limited to the actuator 1.

[0093] However, in the above example, the above device is an actuator 1 comprising a housing 10 as a base, a motor 20, a shaft 30, and a sensor (Hall sensor 51 in the above example) attached to the housing 10, the shaft 30 is arranged coaxially with the motor 20 and moves linearly in the axial direction when driven by the motor 20, the Hall sensor 51 detects when the shaft 30 is in a reference position, the first substrate 40 is a substrate electrically connected to the motor 20, and the second substrate 50 is a substrate electrically connected to the sensor. Therefore, the workability of assembling such an actuator 1 can be improved. In particular, in the above example, the sensor is spaced radially away from the shaft 30 and detects when the shaft 30 is in a reference position in a non-contact manner. Therefore, the workability of assembling an actuator 1 equipped with such a sensor can be improved. However, the above sensor may be a contact type sensor.

[0094] Furthermore, in the actuator 1 according to this embodiment, the housing 10 is provided with a positioning member (positioning pin 11b in the above example) for positioning the second substrate 50 on a plane perpendicular to the installation direction D1. This allows the second substrate 50 to be easily positioned on a plane perpendicular to the installation direction D1. Consequently, the first substrate 40, which is mechanically connected to the second substrate 50, can also be easily positioned on a plane perpendicular to the installation direction D1. However, the housing 10 does not necessarily have to be provided with a positioning member.

[0095] The positioning member described above is not limited to the positioning pin 11b. For example, the positioning member may be in contact with the outer edge of the second substrate 50 to position the second substrate 50 on a plane perpendicular to the installation direction D1.

[0096] Furthermore, in the actuator 1 according to this embodiment, the fixing member 80 is attached to the housing 10 by the restoring force of the fixing member 80. By attaching the fixing member 80 to the housing 10 in this way by snap-fit, the assembly work of the fixing member 80 can be made easier. However, the fixing member 80 may also be attached to the housing 10 by a method other than snap-fit.

[0097] Furthermore, in the actuator 1 according to this embodiment, the housing 10 is provided with a groove 13e extending in the installation direction D1, and the fixing member 80 is provided with a projection 82a extending in the installation direction D1 and fitted into the groove 13e. This prevents the fixing member 80 from shifting position when an external force is applied to it after it has been attached to the housing 10. However, the groove 13e of the housing 10 and the projection 82a of the fixing member 80 may be omitted.

[0098] Furthermore, the actuator 1 according to this embodiment includes a connector 70 that is shared by the first substrate 40 and the second substrate 50. This reduces the number of components, lowers costs, and simplifies wiring compared to the case where each substrate has its own individual connector. However, each of the first substrate 40 and the second substrate 50 may also have its own individual connector.

[0099] In the above, an example was described in which a header pin 60 is used as a connecting member to electrically and mechanically connect the first substrate 40 and the second substrate 50. However, the shape of the connecting member is not particularly limited and may be a shape other than a pin.

[0100] Furthermore, in the above description, an example was explained in which the fixing member 80 fixes the second substrate 50 to the base 10 by fixing the first substrate 40 to the base 10. In this case, the first substrate 40 corresponds to the first substrate according to the present invention, and the second substrate 50 corresponds to the second substrate according to the present invention. Also in this case, the first plane 13a corresponds to the first plane according to the present invention, and the second plane 11a corresponds to the second plane according to the present invention. However, the fixing member 80 may also fix the first substrate 40 to the base 10 by fixing the second substrate 50 to the base 10. In this case, the second substrate 50 corresponds to the first substrate according to the present invention, and the first substrate 40 corresponds to the second substrate according to the present invention. Also in this case, the second plane 11a corresponds to the first plane according to the present invention, and the first plane 13a corresponds to the second plane according to the present invention.

[0101] As described above, in the actuator 1, the position of the shaft 30 can be returned to the reference position by non-contact detection of the shaft 30 being in the reference position using the Hall sensor 51. Hereinafter, each component constituting the actuator 1 undergoes thermal deformation in response to temperature changes. Therefore, the detection position, which is the position of the permanent magnet 34 when the magnetic field is detected by the Hall sensor 51, may be displaced in the axial direction of the shaft 30 due to the thermal deformation of the housing 10. Such phenomena can be a factor that reduces the accuracy of the detection position of the Hall sensor 51 (i.e., the position of the permanent magnet 34 when the magnetic field is detected by the Hall sensor 51). Therefore, in this embodiment, the accuracy of the detection position of the Hall sensor 51 is improved by making improvements to the arrangement of the permanent magnet 34. The improvements to the arrangement of the permanent magnet 34 in this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 13 to 18.

[0102] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a first example of the arrangement of permanent magnets 34 in the actuator 1 according to this embodiment.

[0103] In the first example shown in Figure 13, the Hall sensor 51 is provided as a Hall sensor 51S-1, which is a unipolar detection sensor that detects the magnetic field generated by the south pole of the permanent magnet 34 without detecting the magnetic field generated by the north pole of the permanent magnet 34. The Hall sensor 51S-1 can detect the magnetic field generated by the south pole of the permanent magnet 34 when the intensity of the magnetic field generated by the south pole at the location of the Hall sensor 51S-1 exceeds a threshold. In the first example shown in Figure 13, the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-1 increases as the temperature decreases. Specifically, in the Hall sensor 51S-1, the threshold decreases as the temperature decreases. As a result, the Hall sensor 51S-1 can detect even weaker magnetic fields at lower temperatures.

[0104] In this specification, the pole that is not detected by the single-pole detection sensor is referred to as the first pole, and the pole that is detected by the single-pole detection sensor is referred to as the second pole. In other words, in the Hall sensor 51S-1, the north pole corresponds to the first pole, and the south pole corresponds to the second pole.

[0105] Furthermore, in the first example shown in Figure 13, a permanent magnet 34-1 is provided as the permanent magnet 34. The permanent magnet 34-1 is positioned so that its north pole and south pole are aligned in the axial direction of the shaft 30. Specifically, as shown in Figure 13, in the permanent magnet 34-1, the south pole is located in front of the north pole. Here, the strength of the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 34 changes depending on the temperature. In the first example shown in Figure 13, the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 34-1 becomes weaker as the temperature increases.

[0106] Furthermore, the alignment of the north and south poles in the axial direction of the shaft 30 can mean not only that the north and south poles are aligned along the axial direction of the shaft 30, but also that they are aligned along a direction inclined with respect to the axial direction of the shaft 30.

[0107] Figure 13 shows the actuator 1 at room temperature. Room temperature corresponds to the reference temperature, which is the boundary between the low temperature range and the high temperature range. Room temperature is, for example, 25°C. Also in Figure 13, the permanent magnet 34-1 is located at detection position P1, which is the position where it is detected by the Hall sensor 51S-1. In other words, detection position P1 is the position of the permanent magnet 34-1 when the magnetic field is detected by the Hall sensor 51S-1. This position is also called the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51.

[0108] In the following, for ease of understanding, we will describe an example in which the permanent magnet 34-1 is detected by the Hall sensor 51S-1 when, at room temperature, the position of the boundary between the north and south poles of the Hall sensor 51S-1 in the axial direction of the shaft 30 coincides with the center position of the Hall sensor 51S-1. However, the permanent magnet 34-1 may also be detected by the Hall sensor 51S-1 when, at room temperature, the position shifted from the boundary between the north and south poles of the Hall sensor 51S-1 in the axial direction of the shaft 30 coincides with the center position of the Hall sensor 51S-1.

[0109] As described above, each component constituting the actuator 1 undergoes thermal deformation in response to temperature changes. Thermal deformation refers to thermal expansion, which is deformation due to rising temperature, and thermal contraction, which is deformation due to falling temperature. Also, as described above, the actuator 1 is attached to the device by attaching the flange portion 12 of the housing 10 to the device. The following describes the case in which the front surface of the flange portion 12 is attached to the device.

[0110] In this case, each component constituting the actuator 1 undergoes thermal deformation in the axial direction of the shaft 30, with the reference position P0 on the front surface of the flange portion 12 as a fixed point. Therefore, when the temperature rises, the housing 10 expands forward in front of the reference position P0. Conversely, when the temperature decreases, the housing 10 contracts backward in front of the reference position P0.

[0111] As described above, the Hall sensor 51S-1 is fixed to the housing 10. Therefore, as the housing 10 undergoes thermal deformation, the Hall sensor 51S-1 moves integrally with the housing 10. Consequently, when the temperature rises, the Hall sensor 51S-1 moves forward as the housing 10 expands due to thermal expansion. As a result, when the temperature rises, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 moves forward as shown by the solid arrow in Figure 13. On the other hand, when the temperature decreases, the Hall sensor 51S-1 moves backward as the housing 10 contracts due to thermal expansion. As a result, when the temperature decreases, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 moves backward as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 13.

[0112] Thus, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 is displaced in the axial direction of the shaft 30 due to thermal deformation of the housing 10. Hereinafter, the displacement due to thermal deformation of the housing 10 as the axial displacement of the shaft 30 due to the temperature of the detection position P1 will be referred to as the first displacement. In addition to the first displacement, there is also a second displacement, which is the displacement due to the temperature characteristics in the detection of the magnetic field by the Hall sensor 51S-1, as the axial displacement of the shaft 30 due to the temperature of the detection position P1. As will be described later, in this embodiment, the accuracy of the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 is improved by effectively canceling out the first displacement with the second displacement.

[0113] Below, as an example of the second displacement in the first example in Figure 13, the examples in Figure 14 and Figure 15 will be explained in order. Figures 14 and 15 show the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 at room temperature T_room, low temperature T_low, and high temperature T_high, respectively. Note that low temperature T_low means a temperature lower than room temperature T_room, and high temperature T_high means a temperature higher than room temperature T_room. The temperature difference between room temperature T_room and low temperature T_low is approximately the same as the temperature difference between room temperature T_room and high temperature T_high.

[0114] Figure 14 is a diagram illustrating the second displacement in the first example of Figure 13.

[0115] Here, the second displacement, which is the displacement of the detection position P1 due to the temperature characteristics in the detection of a magnetic field by the Hall sensor 51S-1, includes the displacement of the detection position P1 due to the temperature characteristics of the magnetic field strength and the displacement of the detection position P1 due to the temperature characteristics of the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-1.

[0116] First, let's explain the displacement of the detection position P1 due to the temperature characteristics of the magnetic field strength. As mentioned above, the strength of the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 34 changes depending on the temperature. When a single-pole detection sensor is used as the Hall sensor 51, the stronger the magnetic field generated by the second pole that can be detected by the single-pole detection sensor, the easier it is for the single-pole detection sensor to detect that magnetic pole, even if the single-pole detection sensor is farther from the second pole. On the other hand, the weaker the magnetic field generated by the second pole that can be detected by the single-pole detection sensor, the more difficult it becomes for the single-pole detection sensor to detect that magnetic pole unless it is brought closer to the second pole relative to the first pole.

[0117] As described above, in the first example of Figure 13, the second detectable pole of the Hall sensor 51S-1 used as the Hall sensor 51 is the south pole. Also, as described above, in the first example of Figure 13, the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 34-1 used as the permanent magnet 34 becomes weaker as the temperature increases. In other words, the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 34-1 becomes stronger as the temperature decreases. Therefore, considering the temperature characteristics of the magnetic field strength, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 14, in the case of low temperature T_low, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 moves forward compared to the case of room temperature T_room. On the other hand, as shown by the solid arrow in Figure 14, in the case of high temperature T_high, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 moves backward compared to the case of room temperature T_room.

[0118] Next, we will explain the displacement of the detection position P1 due to the temperature characteristics of the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-1. When a single-pole detection sensor is used as the Hall sensor 51, the higher the sensitivity of the single-pole detection sensor, the easier it is for the sensor to detect the magnetic pole even when it is farther away from the second pole. On the other hand, the lower the sensitivity of the single-pole detection sensor, the more difficult it becomes for the sensor to detect the magnetic pole unless it is brought closer to the second pole relative to the first pole.

[0119] As described above, in the first example of Figure 13, the second detectable pole of the Hall sensor 51S-1 used as Hall sensor 51 is the S pole. Also, as described above, in the first example of Figure 13, the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-1 used as Hall sensor 51 increases as the temperature decreases. In other words, the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-1 decreases as the temperature increases. Therefore, considering the temperature characteristics of the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-1, similar to considering the temperature characteristics of the magnetic field strength, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 14, in the case of low temperature T_low, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 moves forward compared to the case of room temperature T_room. On the other hand, as shown by the solid arrow in Figure 14, in the case of high temperature T_high, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 moves backward compared to the case of room temperature T_room.

[0120] As described above, in the example of Figure 14, the second displacement, which is the displacement of the detection position P1 due to the temperature characteristics in the detection of the magnetic field by the Hall sensor 51S-1, is determined by considering the displacement due to the temperature characteristics of the magnetic field strength and the displacement due to the temperature characteristics of the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-1. As a result, the second displacement is as shown in Figure 14. Here, in the example of Figure 14, the first displacement, which is the displacement of the detection position P1 due to the thermal deformation of the housing 10, and the second displacement, which is the displacement of the detection position P1 due to the temperature characteristics in the detection of the magnetic field by the Hall sensor 51S-1, cancel each other out in all temperature ranges.

[0121] Specifically, in the case of low temperature T_low, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 moves to the rear compared to the case of room temperature T_room, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 13 during the first displacement. On the other hand, in the case of low temperature T_low, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 moves to the front compared to the case of room temperature T_room, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 14 during the second displacement. Thus, in the temperature range lower than room temperature T_room, the first displacement and the second displacement cancel each other out.

[0122] Furthermore, in the case of high temperature T_high, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 moves forward in the first displacement, as shown by the solid arrow in Figure 13, compared to the case of room temperature T_room. On the other hand, in the case of high temperature T_high, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 moves backward in the second displacement, as shown by the solid arrow in Figure 14, compared to the case of room temperature T_room. Thus, even in a temperature range higher than room temperature T_room, the first displacement and the second displacement cancel each other out.

[0123] Therefore, in the example shown in Figure 14, the axial positional relationship between the north pole and the south pole is set such that the degree to which the first displacement, which is the displacement caused by thermal deformation of the housing 10 as an axial displacement due to the temperature at the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1, and the second displacement, which is the displacement caused by the temperature characteristics in the detection of the magnetic field by the Hall sensor 51S-1, cancel each other out is greater than when the above positional relationship is reversed. As a result, the displacement due to temperature changes at the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 can be suppressed, and the accuracy of the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 can be improved.

[0124] Figure 15 is a diagram illustrating a different example of the second displacement in the first example of Figure 13 compared to Figure 14.

[0125] As described above, in the first example of Figure 13, the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 34-1 used as the permanent magnet 34 becomes weaker as the temperature increases. In other words, the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 34-1 becomes stronger as the temperature decreases. However, the temperature characteristics of the intensity of the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 34-1 may not have the same local correlation as in other temperature regions in some temperature ranges.

[0126] Furthermore, as described above, in the first example of Figure 13, the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-1 used as the Hall sensor 51 increases as the temperature decreases. In other words, the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-1 decreases as the temperature increases. However, the temperature characteristics of the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-1 may not have the same local correlation in some temperature ranges as in other temperature ranges.

[0127] The example in Figure 15 corresponds to a case where the temperature characteristics of the magnetic field strength generated by the permanent magnet 34-1, or the temperature characteristics of the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-1, do not locally correlate in some temperature ranges as they do in other temperature ranges. In the second displacement in the example in Figure 15, similar to the second displacement in the example in Figure 14 described above, in the case of low temperature T_low, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 moves forward compared to the case of room temperature T_room. However, in the second displacement in the example in Figure 15, unlike the second displacement in the example in Figure 14 described above, in the case of high temperature T_high, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 moves forward compared to the case of room temperature T_room.

[0128] In the example shown in Figure 15, the change in the second displacement with respect to temperature in the temperature region lower than room temperature T_room is greater than the change in the second displacement with respect to temperature in the temperature region higher than room temperature T_room. Therefore, the difference in detection position P1 between room temperature T_room and low temperature T_low is greater than the difference in detection position P1 between room temperature T_room and high temperature T_high.

[0129] As described above, in the example of Figure 15, the first displacement, which is the displacement of the detection position P1 due to thermal deformation of the housing 10, and the second displacement, which is the displacement of the detection position P1 due to the temperature characteristics in the detection of the magnetic field by the Hall sensor 51S-1, cancel each other out in the temperature region lower than room temperature T_room, and multiply each other in the temperature region higher than room temperature T_room. However, the amount of change in the second displacement with respect to temperature change in the temperature region lower than room temperature T_room is larger than the amount of change in the second displacement with respect to temperature change in the temperature region higher than room temperature T_room.

[0130] Specifically, in the case of low temperature T_low, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 moves to the rear compared to the case of room temperature T_room, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 13 during the first displacement. On the other hand, in the case of low temperature T_low, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 moves to the front compared to the case of room temperature T_room, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 15 during the second displacement. Thus, in the temperature range lower than room temperature T_room, the first displacement and the second displacement cancel each other out.

[0131] Furthermore, in the case of high temperature T_high, in the first displacement, as shown by the solid arrow in Figure 13, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 moves forward compared to the case of room temperature T_room. Here, in the case of high temperature T_high, in the second displacement, as shown by the solid arrow in Figure 15, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 moves forward compared to the case of room temperature T_room. Thus, in the temperature range higher than room temperature T_room, the first displacement and the second displacement are multiplied together. However, the degree to which the first displacement and the second displacement are multiplied together in the temperature range higher than room temperature T_room is smaller than the degree to which the first displacement and the second displacement cancel each other out in the temperature range lower than room temperature T_room.

[0132] Therefore, in the example of Figure 15, similar to the example of Figure 14, the axial positional relationship between the N pole and the S pole is set such that the degree to which the first displacement, which is the displacement due to thermal deformation of the housing 10 as an axial displacement caused by the temperature of the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1, and the second displacement, which is the displacement due to the temperature characteristics in the detection of the magnetic field by the Hall sensor 51S-1, cancel each other out is greater than when the above positional relationship is reversed. As a result, the displacement due to temperature changes at the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 can be suppressed, and the accuracy of the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 can be improved.

[0133] Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view showing a second example of the arrangement of permanent magnets 34 in the actuator 1 according to this embodiment.

[0134] In the second example of Figure 16, a Hall sensor 51S-2 is provided as the Hall sensor 51. Similar to the Hall sensor 51S-1 described above, the Hall sensor 51S-2 is a unipolar detection sensor that detects the magnetic field generated by the south pole of the permanent magnet 34, rather than detecting the magnetic field generated by the north pole of the permanent magnet 34. However, unlike the Hall sensor 51S-1 described above, the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-2 increases with increasing temperature.

[0135] Furthermore, in the second example of Figure 16, a permanent magnet 34-2 is provided as the permanent magnet 34. As shown in Figure 16, in the permanent magnet 34-2, the north pole is positioned in front of the south pole. Here, in the second example of Figure 16, the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 34-2 differs from that of the permanent magnet 34-1 described above in that the lower the temperature, the weaker the magnetic field becomes.

[0136] In the second example in Figure 16, the first displacement, which is the displacement of the detection position P1 due to thermal deformation of the housing 10, is the same as in the first example in Figure 13 described above. That is, when the temperature rises, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 moves forward, as shown by the solid arrow in Figure 16. On the other hand, when the temperature decreases, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 moves backward, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 16.

[0137] Below, as examples of the second displacement in the second example of Figure 16, the examples in Figure 17 and Figure 18 will be described in order. In Figures 17 and 18, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 is shown at room temperature T_room, low temperature T_low, and high temperature T_high, respectively, similar to Figures 14 and 15 described above.

[0138] Figure 17 is a diagram illustrating the second displacement in the second example of Figure 16.

[0139] As described above, in the second example of Figure 16, the second detectable pole of the Hall sensor 51S-2, used as the Hall sensor 51, is the south pole. Also, as described above, in the second example of Figure 16, the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 34-2, used as the permanent magnet 34, becomes weaker as the temperature decreases. In other words, the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 34-2 becomes stronger as the temperature increases. Therefore, considering the temperature characteristics of the magnetic field strength, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 17, in the case of low temperature T_low, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 moves forward compared to the case of room temperature T_room. On the other hand, as shown by the solid arrow in Figure 17, in the case of high temperature T_high, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 moves backward compared to the case of room temperature T_room.

[0140] Furthermore, as described above, in the second example of Figure 16, the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-2 used as Hall sensor 51 increases with increasing temperature. In other words, the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-2 decreases with decreasing temperature. Therefore, considering the temperature characteristics of the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-2, similar to the case where the temperature characteristics of the magnetic field strength are considered, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 17, in the case of low temperature T_low, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 moves forward compared to the case of room temperature T_room. On the other hand, as shown by the solid arrow in Figure 17, in the case of high temperature T_high, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 moves backward compared to the case of room temperature T_room.

[0141] As described above, in the example of Figure 17, the second displacement, which is the displacement of the detection position P1 due to the temperature characteristics in the detection of the magnetic field by the Hall sensor 51S-2, is determined by considering the displacement due to the temperature characteristics of the magnetic field strength and the displacement due to the temperature characteristics of the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-2. As a result, the second displacement is as shown in Figure 17. Here, in the example of Figure 17, the first displacement, which is the displacement of the detection position P1 due to the thermal deformation of the housing 10, and the second displacement, which is the displacement of the detection position P1 due to the temperature characteristics in the detection of the magnetic field by the Hall sensor 51S-2, cancel each other out in all temperature ranges.

[0142] Specifically, in the case of low temperature T_low, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 moves to the rear compared to the case of room temperature T_room, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 16 during the first displacement. On the other hand, in the case of low temperature T_low, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 moves to the front compared to the case of room temperature T_room, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 17 during the second displacement. Thus, in the temperature range lower than room temperature T_room, the first displacement and the second displacement cancel each other out.

[0143] Furthermore, in the case of high temperature T_high, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 moves forward in the first displacement, as shown by the solid arrow in Figure 16, compared to the case of room temperature T_room. On the other hand, in the case of high temperature T_high, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 moves backward in the second displacement, as shown by the solid arrow in Figure 17, compared to the case of room temperature T_room. Thus, even in a temperature range higher than room temperature T_room, the first displacement and the second displacement cancel each other out.

[0144] Therefore, in the example shown in Figure 17, the axial positional relationship between the north pole and the south pole is set such that the degree to which the first displacement, which is the displacement caused by thermal deformation of the housing 10 as an axial displacement due to the temperature at the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2, and the second displacement, which is the displacement caused by the temperature characteristics in the detection of the magnetic field by the Hall sensor 51S-2, cancel each other out is greater than when the above positional relationship is reversed. As a result, the displacement due to temperature changes at the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 can be suppressed, and the accuracy of the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 can be improved.

[0145] Figure 18 is a diagram illustrating a different example of the second displacement in the second example of Figure 16 compared to Figure 17.

[0146] As described above, in the second example of Figure 16, the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 34-2, which is used as the permanent magnet 34, becomes weaker as the temperature decreases. In other words, the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 34-2 becomes stronger as the temperature increases. However, the temperature characteristics of the intensity of the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 34-2 may not have the same local correlation as in other temperature regions in some temperature ranges.

[0147] Furthermore, as described above, in the second example of Figure 16, the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-2 used as the Hall sensor 51 increases with increasing temperature. In other words, the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-2 decreases with decreasing temperature. However, the temperature characteristics of the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-2 may not have the same local correlation in some temperature ranges as in other temperature ranges.

[0148] The example in Figure 18 corresponds to a case where the temperature characteristics of the magnetic field strength generated by the permanent magnet 34-2, or the temperature characteristics of the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-2, do not locally correlate in some temperature ranges as they do in other temperature ranges. In the second displacement in the example in Figure 18, similar to the second displacement in the example in Figure 17 described above, in the case of low temperature T_low, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 moves forward compared to the case of room temperature T_room. However, in the second displacement in the example in Figure 18, unlike the second displacement in the example in Figure 17 described above, in the case of high temperature T_high, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 moves forward compared to the case of room temperature T_room.

[0149] In the example shown in Figure 18, the change in the second displacement with respect to temperature in the temperature range lower than room temperature T_room is greater than the change in the second displacement with respect to temperature in the temperature range higher than room temperature T_room. Therefore, the difference in detection position P1 between room temperature T_room and low temperature T_low is greater than the difference in detection position P1 between room temperature T_room and high temperature T_high.

[0150] As described above, in the example of Figure 18, the first displacement, which is the displacement of the detection position P1 due to thermal deformation of the housing 10, and the second displacement, which is the displacement of the detection position P1 due to the temperature characteristics in the detection of the magnetic field by the Hall sensor 51S-2, cancel each other out in the temperature region lower than room temperature T_room, and multiply each other in the temperature region higher than room temperature T_room. However, the amount of change in the second displacement with respect to temperature change in the temperature region lower than room temperature T_room is larger than the amount of change in the second displacement with respect to temperature change in the temperature region higher than room temperature T_room.

[0151] Specifically, in the case of low temperature T_low, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 moves to the rear compared to the case of room temperature T_room, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 16 during the first displacement. On the other hand, in the case of low temperature T_low, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 moves to the front compared to the case of room temperature T_room, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 18 during the second displacement. Thus, in the temperature range lower than room temperature T_room, the first displacement and the second displacement cancel each other out.

[0152] Furthermore, in the case of high temperature T_high, in the first displacement, as shown by the solid arrow in Figure 16, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 moves forward compared to the case of room temperature T_room. Here, in the case of high temperature T_high, in the second displacement, as shown by the solid arrow in Figure 18, the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 moves forward compared to the case of room temperature T_room. Thus, in the temperature range higher than room temperature T_room, the first displacement and the second displacement are multiplied together. However, the degree to which the first displacement and the second displacement are multiplied together in the temperature range higher than room temperature T_room is smaller than the degree to which the first displacement and the second displacement cancel each other out in the temperature range lower than room temperature T_room.

[0153] Therefore, in the example of Figure 18, similar to the example of Figure 17, the axial positional relationship between the N pole and the S pole is set such that the degree to which the first displacement, which is the displacement due to thermal deformation of the housing 10 as an axial displacement caused by the temperature of the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2, and the second displacement, which is the displacement due to the temperature characteristics in the detection of the magnetic field by the Hall sensor 51S-2, cancel each other out is greater than when the above positional relationship is reversed. As a result, the displacement due to temperature changes at the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 can be suppressed, and the accuracy of the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 can be improved.

[0154] As described above, the actuator 1 according to this embodiment comprises a shaft 30 that moves linearly in the axial direction, a permanent magnet 34 provided on the shaft 30, a housing 10 that covers the shaft 30, and a Hall sensor 51 provided on the housing 10 and spaced radially away from the shaft 30. In the first example in Figure 13 and the second example in Figure 16 described above, the Hall sensor 51 (Hall sensor 51S-1 or Hall sensor 51S-2 in the above examples) is a unipolar detection sensor that detects the magnetic field generated by the second pole (S pole in the above examples), which is the other pole of the permanent magnet 34 (Permanent magnet 34-1 or permanent magnet 34-2 in the above examples), without detecting the magnetic field generated by the first pole (N pole in the above examples), which is one of the N poles of the permanent magnet 34. The permanent magnet 34 is arranged in a position where the first pole and the second pole are aligned in the axial direction. The axial positional relationship between the first pole and the second pole is set such that the degree to which the first displacement, which is the displacement due to thermal deformation of the housing 10 as an axial displacement due to the temperature of the detection position P1, which is the position of the permanent magnet 34 when the magnetic field is detected by the Hall sensor 51, and the second displacement, which is the displacement due to the temperature characteristics in the detection of the magnetic field by the Hall sensor 51, cancel each other out is greater than when the above positional relationship is reversed. This suppresses the displacement of the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51 due to temperature changes, thereby improving the accuracy of the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51.

[0155] In the above example, the first pole is the north pole and the second pole is the south pole. However, the first pole may be the south pole and the second pole may be the north pole.

[0156] In particular, in the above example, the actuator 1 includes a motor 20 that drives the shaft 30, and the shaft 30 is arranged coaxially with the motor 20. Therefore, in such an actuator 1, the accuracy of the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51 can be improved. However, the structure for driving the shaft 30 in the actuator 1 is not particularly limited. That is, the shaft 30 may be driven by a drive source other than the motor 20 which is arranged coaxially with the shaft 30.

[0157] Furthermore, in the first example in Figure 13 and the second example in Figure 16 described above, the second displacement includes the displacement due to the temperature characteristics of the magnetic field strength and the displacement due to the temperature characteristics of the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51. Thus, the arrangement of the permanent magnets 34 can be set so that the second displacement effectively cancels out the first displacement, taking into account the displacement due to the temperature characteristics of the magnetic field strength and the displacement due to the temperature characteristics of the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51. Therefore, the accuracy of the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51 can be effectively improved.

[0158] However, the arrangement of the permanent magnets 34 may be set such that the second displacement effectively cancels out the first displacement, by considering only one of the two factors: the displacement caused by the temperature characteristics of the magnetic field strength, or the displacement caused by the temperature characteristics of the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51.

[0159] Furthermore, in the first example shown in Figure 13 above, the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 34-1 weakens as the temperature increases, the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-1 increases as the temperature decreases, and the second pole (the south pole in the above example) is located in the direction of displacement associated with the temperature rise in the first displacement (the forward direction in the above example) relative to the first pole (the north pole in the above example). As a result, when the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 34-1 weakens as the temperature increases and the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-1 increases as the temperature decreases, the displacement of the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 due to temperature changes is suppressed, and the accuracy of the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-1 is appropriately improved.

[0160] Furthermore, in the second example of Figure 16 described above, the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 34-2 weakens as the temperature decreases, the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-2 increases as the temperature increases, and the first pole (N pole in the above example) is located in the direction of displacement associated with the temperature rise in the first displacement (forward in the above example) relative to the second pole (S pole in the above example). As a result, when the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 34-2 weakens as the temperature decreases and the sensitivity of the Hall sensor 51S-2 increases as the temperature increases, the displacement of the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 due to temperature changes is suppressed, and the accuracy of the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51S-2 is appropriately improved.

[0161] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 14 in the first example of Figure 13, and in the example shown in Figure 17 in the second example of Figure 16, the first displacement and the second displacement cancel each other out in all temperature ranges. As a result, the displacement of the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51 due to temperature changes is effectively suppressed, and the accuracy of the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51 is appropriately improved.

[0162] Furthermore, in the example of Figure 15 in the first example of Figure 13 and the example of Figure 18 in the second example of Figure 16 described above, the first and second displacements cancel each other out in the first temperature region (a temperature region lower than room temperature T_room in the above example) and the second temperature region (a temperature region higher than room temperature T_room in the above example), which are separated by a reference temperature (room temperature T_room in the above example). In the second temperature region, they multiply each other, and the amount of change in the second displacement with respect to temperature change in the first temperature region is larger than the amount of change in the second displacement with respect to temperature change in the second temperature region. As a result, the displacement associated with temperature change at the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51 is effectively suppressed, and the accuracy of the detection position P1 of the Hall sensor 51 is appropriately improved.

[0163] Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and these will naturally also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0164] In the above, the modifications for installing each substrate into the housing 10 were explained with reference to Figures 9 to 12, and the modifications for arranging the permanent magnets 34 were explained with reference to Figures 13 to 18. However, only one of the modifications for installing each substrate into the housing 10, or the modifications for arranging the permanent magnets 34, may be applied to the actuator 1. For example, in the actuator 1, the first substrate 40 and the second substrate 50 may be fixed individually, rather than being fixed by the same fixing member 80. Also, for example, in the actuator 1, a bipolar detection sensor may be used as the Hall sensor 51, and the modifications for arranging the permanent magnets 34 described above may not be applied.

[0165] The configuration of actuator 1 has been described above with reference to each drawing. However, the configuration of actuator 1 is not limited to the examples shown in each drawing. For example, the shape of each component of actuator 1 is not limited to the examples shown in each drawing. For example, the positional relationship between the components of actuator 1 is not limited to the examples shown in each drawing. For example, some components of actuator 1 may be deleted, modified, or added compared to the examples shown in each drawing.

[0166] 1 Actuator (device) 10 Housing (base) 11a Second plane 11b Positioning pin (positioning member) 13a First plane 13e Groove 20 Motor 30 Shaft 40 First substrate 50 Second substrate 51 Hall sensor (sensor) 60 Header pin (connecting member) 70 Connector 80 Fixing member 82a Projection D1 Installation direction

Claims

1. A device comprising: a base; a first plane provided on the base; a second plane provided on the base and spaced apart from the first plane in a direction perpendicular to the first plane; a first substrate installed on the first plane in an installation direction perpendicular to the first plane; a second substrate installed on the second plane in the installation direction; a connecting member for electrically and mechanically connecting the first substrate and the second substrate; and a fixing member for fixing the second substrate to the base by fixing the first substrate to the base.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the base is provided with a positioning member for positioning the second substrate on a plane perpendicular to the installation direction.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member is attached to the base by the restoring force of the fixing member.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the base is provided with a groove extending in the installation direction, and the fixing member is provided with a projection extending in the installation direction and fitted into the groove.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a connector shared by the first substrate and the second substrate.

6. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the base is a housing, the apparatus comprises a motor, a shaft and a sensor attached to the housing, the shaft is arranged coaxially with the motor and moves linearly in the axial direction when driven by the motor, the sensor detects when the shaft is in a reference position, the first substrate is a substrate electrically connected to the motor, and the second substrate is a substrate electrically connected to the sensor.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the sensor is spaced radially away from the shaft and non-contactively detects that the shaft is located at the reference position.

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