Electromechanical Transmission and/or Clutch Actuator

Abstract

An electromechanical transmission and/or clutch actuator includes an electric motor for generating a driving rotational movement of a motor shaft, and elements for transmitting the driving rotational movement via a flexible drive from the electric motor to a spindle drive configured to convert the rotational movement to an axial actuation movement. The elements for transmitting the driving rotational movement may include a driving element such as a driving pulley or gear connected coaxially to the motor shaft, a driven element wheel such as a driven pulley or gear connected to the spindle drive, and a flexible element such as a drive belt which transfers the driving rotational movement from the motor shaft to the spindle drive.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. An electromechanical transmission and/or clutch actuator, comprising: an electric motor having a motor shaft; and a traction mechanism drive having a driving pulley and a driven pulley, wherein the driving pulley is arranged coaxially on the motor shaft of the electric motor, and rotational movement of the motor shaft is transferable from the driving pulley to the driven pulley by a traction mechanism.

14. The electromechanical transmission and/or clutch actuator as claimed in claim 13, further comprising: a spindle drive, wherein the driven pulley is arranged coaxially on the spindle drive, and the rotational movement transmitted by the traction mechanism drive drives the spindle drive via the driven pulley to convert the rotational movement into an axial clutch actuation movement.

15. The electromechanical transmission and/or clutch actuator as claimed in claim 14, wherein the driven pulley is arranged with a spindle nut of the spindle drive such that the driven pulley surrounds the spindle nut or is arranged at an end side of the spindle nut.

16. The electromechanical transmission and/or clutch actuator as claimed in claim 13, wherein the traction mechanism is a form-fitting traction mechanism.

17. The electromechanical transmission and/or clutch actuator as claimed in claim 16, wherein the form-fitting traction mechanism includes a toothed belt.

18. The electromechanical transmission and/or clutch actuator as claimed in claim 13, wherein the driving pulley and the driven pulley are composed of an injection molded plastic.

19. The electromechanical transmission and/or clutch actuator as claimed in claim 13, wherein the motor shaft of the electric motor is spaced apart in parallel from a main axis of the spindle drive, the traction mechanism drive bridges the spacing between the motor shaft and the main axis of the spindle drive, and the motor shaft, the main axis of the spindle drive and the traction mechanism drive are arranged with a substantially U-shaped side view.

20. The electromechanical transmission and/or clutch actuator as claimed in claim 13, wherein the motor shaft of the electric motor is spaced apart at an angle from the main axis of the spindle drive, and the motor shaft, the main axis of the spindle drive and the traction mechanism drive are arranged with a substantially Z-shaped side view.

21. The electromechanical transmission and/or clutch actuator as claimed in claim 17, further comprising: an adjustment arrangement configured to permit setting a variable spacing between motor shaft and spindle drive, wherein the adjustment arrangement is configured to adjust a pretension of the toothed belt.

22. The electromechanical transmission and/or clutch actuator as claimed in claim 21, wherein the adjustment arrangement includes a spring-loaded tensioning roller configured to pretension the toothed belt.

23. The electromechanical transmission and/or clutch actuator as claimed in claim 14, wherein the spindle drive includes a ball screw spindle.

24. A utility vehicle, comprising: a transmission or clutch which is incorporated into a power flow of a drivetrain; and an electromechanical transmission and/or clutch actuator configured to actuate the transmission for clutch, the electromechanical transmission and/or clutch actuator having an electric motor having a motor shaft and a traction mechanism drive having a driving pulley and a driven pulley, wherein the driving pulley is arranged coaxially on the motor shaft of the electric motor, and rotational movement of the motor shaft is transferable from the driving pulley to the driven pulley by a traction mechanism.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of an electromechanical clutch actuator in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention,

[0023] FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the transmission of the clutch actuator as per FIG. 1, and

[0024] FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the transmission of an alternative embodiment of the clutch actuator of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] According to FIG. 1, an electromechanical clutch actuator for actuating a merely schematically indicated clutch K of a vehicle—not illustrated in any more detail here—is composed substantially of an electric motor 1 for generating a driving rotational movement, which is transmitted to a spindle drive 2 for converting said driving rotational movement into an axial movement for clutch actuation.

[0026] A traction mechanism drive for stepping down the drive-side rotational movement is provided between the electric motor 1 and the spindle drive 2. The traction mechanism drive comprises a driving pulley 3, which is fixed to a motor shaft 4 of the electric motor 1, and a toothed belt 5 which is tensioned on said driving pulley and which corresponds with a driven pulley 7 which is fastened to a spindle nut 6 of the spindle drive 2. The driven pulley 7 is situated at the same level as the driving pulley 3. In this exemplary embodiment, the driven pulley 7 surrounds the spindle nut 6, which in a manner known per se corresponds with the spindle part of the spindle drive 2 via a screw drive.

[0027] Altogether, this results in a structural form in which the motor shaft 4 of the electric motor 1 runs so as to be spaced apart in parallel with respect to, and adjacent to, the main axis H of the spindle drive 2. Here, the traction mechanism drive bridges the spacing A hereby formed such that this component combination results in a substantially U-shaped side view.

[0028] According to FIG. 2, the driving pulley 3 and the driven pulley 7 are dimensioned such that the number of teeth respectively situated on said pulleys results in a specified step-down speed ratio between the torque M1 of the electric motor 1—not illustrated in any more detail here—and the torque M2 of the spindle drive—likewise not illustrated in any more detail here. Here, the length of the toothed belt 5 is such that the latter bridges the spacing A whilst ensuring the form-fitting tooth meshing.

[0029] In the alternative exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the motor shaft 4′ is arranged so as to be spaced apart at an angle with respect to, and adjacent to, the main axis of the spindle drive 2′. The hereby twisted toothed belt 5′ bridges the spacing between the driving pulley 3′ and the driven pulley 7′ such that this component combination results overall in a substantially Z-shaped side view.

[0030] The invention is not restricted to the preferred exemplary embodiment described above. Modifications or additions may also be made which are also encompassed by the scope of protection of the following claims. For example, it is also possible for the spacing A between the electric motor 1 and the spindle drive 2 to be made adjustable for the purposes of adjusting the pretension of the toothed belt 5. For example, a carriage guide with a clamping screw mechanism or the like could be used for this purpose. Likewise, the toothed belt 5 may if necessary be equipped with a spring-loaded tensioning roller means for the purposes of compensating elongation.

LIST OF REFERENCE DESIGNATIONS

[0031] 1 Electric motor [0032] 2 Spindle drive [0033] 3 Driving pulley [0034] 4 Motor shaft [0035] 5 Toothed belt [0036] 6 Spindle nut [0037] 7 Driven pulley [0038] A Spacing [0039] K Clutch [0040] H Main axis [0041] M1 Torque at electric motor [0042] M2 Torque at spindle drive