CONTROL DEVICE AND ASSOCIATED PRODUCTION METHOD

Abstract

A control device for mechanically actuating a component may include an electric motor, which may comprise a stator and a rotor with a driveshaft, an output shaft for directly or indirectly actuating the component, a transmission, which may drive-connect the driveshaft to the output shaft and which may comprise a worm drive with a worm and a worm wheel, and a drive axis around which the driveshaft may be rotatable and which may extend inclined to an output axis about which the output shaft may be rotatable. The worm, with respect to the driveshaft, may be arranged non-rotatably and may mesh with the worm wheel, which may be rotatably arranged on the output shaft and non-rotatably connected to a first gear wheel, which may be rotatably arranged on the output shaft and may mesh with a second gear wheel, which may be rotatable about an intermediate axis extending parallel to the output axis and may be non-rotatably connected to a third gear wheel, which may be rotatable about the intermediate axis and may mesh with a fourth gear wheel, which may be non-rotatably arranged on the output shaft.

Claims

1. A control device for mechanically actuating a component, comprising: an electric motor, which comprises a stator and a rotor with a driveshaft; an output shaft for directly or indirectly actuating the component; a transmission, which drive-connects the driveshaft to the output shaft and which comprises a worm drive with a worm and a worm wheel; and a drive axis around which the driveshaft is rotatable and which extends inclined to an output axis about which the output shaft is rotatable; wherein the worm, with respect to the driveshaft, is arranged non-rotatably and meshes with the worm wheels; wherein the worm wheel is rotatably arranged on the output shaft and non-rotatably connected to a first gear wheel; wherein the first gear wheel is rotatably arranged on the output shaft and meshes with a second gear wheel; wherein the second gear wheel is rotatable about an intermediate axis extending parallel to the output axis and is non-rotatably connected to a third gear wheel; the third gear wheel is rotatable about the intermediate axis and meshes with a fourth gear wheel; and the fourth gear wheel is non-rotatably arranged on the output shaft.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the worm is geometrically arranged between the output shaft and an intermediate shaft, which extends coaxially to the intermediate axis and on which the second gear wheel and the third gear wheel are arranged.

3. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the worm is geometrically arranged between the second gear wheel and the fourth gear wheel.

4. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the worm, seen parallel to the output axis, is geometrically arranged between the second gear wheel and the fourth gear wheel and, seen transversely to the output axis, is geometrically arranged between the output axis and the intermediate axis.

5. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the drive axis is geometrically arranged in the middle between the output axis and the intermediate axis.

6. The control device according to claim 1, wherein an intermediate shaft extending coaxially to the intermediate axis is present, which is non-rotatably arranged and on which the second gear wheel and the third gear wheel are rotatably arranged.

7. The control device according to claim 1, wherein an intermediate shaft extending coaxially to the intermediate axis is present, which is rotatably arranged about the intermediate axis and on which the second gear wheel and the third gear wheel are non-rotatably arranged.

8. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the worm wheel and the first gear wheel are formed by a first step-up gear wheel, on which two gear wheel portions are integrally formed, which have different diameters and/or numbers of teeth and which form the worm wheel and the first gear wheel.

9. The control device according to claim 8, wherein the first step-up gear wheel is rotatably arranged on the output shaft (4).

10. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the second gear wheel and the third gear wheel are formed by a second step-up gear wheel, on which two gear wheel portions are integrally formed, which have different diameters and/or numbers of teeth and which form the second gear wheel and the third gear wheel.

11. The control device according to claim 10, wherein the second step-up gear wheel is rotatably arranged on an intermediate shaft extending coaxially to the intermediate axis.

12. The control device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of: the first gear wheel and the third gear wheel have same modules; and the second gear wheel and the fourth gear wheel have same modules.

13. The control device according to claim 12, wherein at least one of: the first gear wheel and the third gear wheel have same numbers of teeth; and the second gear wheel and the fourth gear wheel have same numbers of teeth.

14. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the first gear wheel, the second gear wheel, the third gear wheel and the fourth gear wheel have the same module.

15. The control device according to claim 1, wherein an angle of rotation sensor for determining a rotary position of the output shaft is provided, which comprises a Hall sensor and which interacts with a permanent magnet that is non-rotatably arranged on the output shaft.

16. The control device according to claim 15, wherein: a bearing sleeve is present, which contains a bearing chamber; the output shaft is rotatably mounted in the bearing chamber about the output axis with an end comprising the permanent magnet; and the Hall sensor is arranged in a sensor space spaced apart from the permanent magnet.

17. The control device according to claim 16, wherein the angle of rotation sensor comprises a sensor part comprising the Hall sensor, which, transversely to the output axis, projects into the sensor space, so that the Hall sensor is arranged in the sensor space.

18. The control device according to claim 17, wherein electrical contacts of the sensor part are electrically conductively connected to electrical contacts of a lead frame, which is embedded in the plastic of a housing wall of a housing of the control device.

19. The control device according to claim 18, wherein: the sensor part is located on an inner side of the housing; and the lead frame, on an outside of the housing, comprises an electrical connection for electrically contacting the sensor part.

20. The control device according to claim 15, wherein the angle of rotation sensor comprises a board carrying the Hall sensor, the board projecting transversely to the output axis into the sensor space so that the Hall sensor is arranged in the sensor space.

21. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the driveshaft or the worm is radially supported on a housing of the control device in an end region facing away from the electric motor.

22. A method for mounting a control device of claim 1, comprising: inserting the output shaft with the fourth gear wheel non-rotatably attached thereon, into a housing of the control device; inserting the electric motor, with the worm non-rotatably attached on the driveshaft, into the housing; fitting the worm wheel and the first gear wheel non-rotatably connected therewith, onto the output shaft; and fitting the second gear wheel and the third gear wheel non-rotatably connected therewith, onto an intermediate shaft extending coaxially to the intermediate axis, which is beforehand or afterwards arranged in the housing.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein: fitting a cover of the housing, which comprises a bearing for the output shaft and a positioning place for the intermediate shaft.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] It shows, in each case schematically,

[0031] FIG. 1 an isometric view of a control device with opened housing,

[0032] FIG. 2 a view of the control device without housing,

[0033] FIG. 3 an expanded isometric view of the control device with the open housing,

[0034] FIG. 4 an isometric view of the housing in the region of a bearing,

[0035] FIG. 5 a greatly simplified longitudinal section of a bearing sleeve of the control device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] According to FIGS. 1 to 3, a control device 1, which is suitable for mechanically actuating a component that is not shown here, comprises a housing 2, which is only partly shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, an electric motor 3, an output shaft 4 and a transmission 5.

[0037] The electric motor 3 has a stator 6 located outside and a rotor 7 located inside with a driveshaft 8. The driveshaft 8 is rotatable about a drive axis 9. The output shaft 4 serves for the rotational driving of an actuator 10 indicated with dashed line only in FIG. 2, which can be coupled to the respective component to be actuated. Here, purely exemplarily, this actuator 10 is configured as actuating lever 11, which on an end 12 of the output shaft 4 led out of the housing 2 is non-rotatably arranged and, spaced apart from the output shaft 4, carries a pin 13, via which the coupling to the respective component to be actuated can be effected. The actuator 13 is practically arranged on an outside of the housing 2, when the housing is closed with a further housing part that is not shown here or with a cover. Here, the output shaft 4 is rotatable about an output axis 14. Here, the drive axis 9, with the control device 1 introduced here, is orientated substantially vertically to the output axis 14. Unclear inclined position between drive axis 9 and output axis 14 is conceivable, for example in order to reduce or exclude an axial loading of the worm wheel 17 introduced in the following.

[0038] The transmission 5 creates a drive connection between the driveshaft 8 and the output shaft 4. For this purpose, the transmission 5 comprises a worm drive 15 comprising a worm 16 and a worm wheel 17 which meshes with the worm 16. In the transmission 5 introduced here, the worm 16 is non-rotatably arranged on the driveshaft 8. For supporting the reaction forces from the engagement between worm 16 and worm wheel 17, the driveshaft 8 or the worm 16 can each be supported or mounted radially on the housing 2 of the control device 1 in a distant or spaced-apart end region that is axially facing away from the electric motor 3, which is not shown here.

[0039] The worm wheel 17 is rotatably arranged on the output shaft 4. Furthermore, the worm wheel 17 is non-rotatably connected to a first gear wheel 18. The first gear wheel 18 is likewise rotatably arranged on the output shaft 4. Furthermore, the first gear wheel 18 meshes with a second gear wheel 19 which is rotatable about an intermediate axis 20, which extends parallel to the output axis 14 and thus likewise substantially perpendicularly to the drive axis 9. Here, the intermediate axis 20 is defined by a longitudinal centre axis of an intermediate shaft 21 on which the second gear wheel 19 is arranged. Furthermore, the second gear wheel 19 non-rotatably connected to a third gear wheel 22, which is likewise arranged on the intermediate shaft 21 and rotatable about the intermediate axis 20. This third gear wheel 22 meshes with a fourth gear wheel 23 which is non-rotatably arranged on the output shaft 4.

[0040] The worm 16 is geometrically arranged between the output shaft 4 and the intermediate shaft 21. In particular, the drive axis 9 is geometrically arranged in the middle between the output axis 14 and the intermediate axis 20. Furthermore it is provided that the worm 16 is geometrically arranged between the second gear wheel 19 and the fourth gear wheel 23. In FIG. 2, a drive path 24 is indicated by arrows which symbolise the force transmission or torque transmission from the driveshaft 8 via the transmission 5 to the output shaft 4. Because of the arrangement of the individual components chosen here, the drive path 24, based on the drive axis 9 is guided roundabout the worm 16 in the circumferential direction, quasi spirally, in order to get from the driveshaft 8 or from the worm 16 as far as to the output shaft 4. Accordingly, a particularly compact design is realised here.

[0041] Apart from this, it is evident in FIG. 2 that the worm 16 is arranged parallel to the output axis 14, geometrically between the second gear wheel 19 and the fourth gear wheel 23, while transversely to the output axis 14 it is geometrically arranged between the output axis 14 and the intermediate axis 20.

[0042] Practically, the intermediate shaft 21 introduced above is non-rotatably arranged in the housing 2, for the purpose of which the housing 2 has a corresponding positioning place which is not shown here for inserting the intermediate shaft 21. Insofar, the intermediate shaft 21 is preferably non-rotatably arranged in the housing 2. Following this, the second gear wheel 19 and the third gear wheel 22 are rotatably arranged or mounted on the intermediate shaft 21. Basically, another embodiment is also conceivable, with which the second gear wheel 19 and the third gear wheel 22 are non-rotatably arranged on the intermediate shaft 21, while the intermediate shaft 21 in turn is rotatably mounted in the housing 2 about the intermediate axis 20.

[0043] In the examples shown here, the worm wheel 17 and the first gear wheel 18 are formed by a first step-up gear wheel 25, on which two gear wheel portions 25a and 25b are integrally formed. The two gear wheel portions 25a, 25b have different diameters and numbers of teeth. The one gear wheel portion 25a defines the worm wheel 17, while the other gear wheel portion 25b defines the first gear wheel 18. In the example, the first step-up gear wheel 25 is rotatably arranged on the output shaft 4.

[0044] Analogously to this, a second step-up gear wheel 26 is provided in the shown example in order to form the second gear wheel 19 and the third gear wheel 22. For this purpose, two gear wheel portions 26a and 26b are integrally formed on the second step-up gear wheel 26, which have different diameters and different numbers of teeth. The one gear wheel portion 26a defines the second gear wheel 19, while the other gear wheel portion 26b defines the third gear wheel 22. The second step-up gear wheel 26 is preferably rotatably arranged on the intermediate shaft 21 extending coaxially to the intermediate axis 20.

[0045] In the preferred embodiment shown here it is provided that the drive axis 9 is geometrically arranged in the middle between the output axis 14 and the intermediate axis 20. By way of this it is possible to rotatably arrange the first step-up gear wheel 25 also on the intermediate shaft 21 in such a manner that the worm wheel 17 meshes with the worm 16. Furthermore, the drive axis 9 practically stands perpendicularly on a plane in which the output axis 14 and the intermediate axis 20 extend.

[0046] In the example shown here, the first gear wheel 18 and the third gear wheel 22 have the same diameter and the same number of teeth. Insofar, the first gear wheel 18 and the third gear wheel 22 have the same module. Likewise, the second gear wheel 19 and the fourth gear wheel 23 have the same diameter and the same number of teeth. Insofar, the second gear wheel 19 and the fourth gear wheel 23 have the same module. Practically it is provided that the first gear wheel 18, the second gear wheel 19, the third gear wheel 22 and the fourth gear wheel 23 have the same module.

[0047] According to FIGS. 4 and 5, the control device 1 can be additionally equipped with an angle of rotation sensor 27, which serves for determining a rotary position of the output shaft 4. The angle of rotation sensor 27 comprises a Hall sensor 28 that is likewise evident in FIG. 5 and a permanent magnet 29 that is likewise evident in FIG. 5. The Hall sensor 28 is non-rotatably arranged on the housing 2. The permanent magnet 29 is non-rotatably arranged on the output shaft 4, for example on or in an end 30 located inside that is distant from the end 12 located outside. For the rotatable mounting of the output shaft 4, the housing 2 contains a suitable bearing 31. According to the particular embodiment shown here, the bearing 31 can comprise a bearing sleeve 32. Here, the bearing sleeve 32 comprises a shell 33 and a base 34 and defines a bearing chamber 35. In FIG. 4, the bearing chamber 35 faces the beholder. With its end 30 comprising the permanent magnet 29, the output shaft 4 is inserted into the bearing chamber 35 and rotatably mounted therein about the output axis 14. By contrast, the Hall sensor 28 is arranged below and spaced-apart from the base 34 in a sensor space 37.

[0048] According to FIG. 4, the angle of rotation sensor 27 comprises a sensor part 36 on which the Hall sensor 28 is arranged. This sensor part 36 projects, transversely to the output axis 14, laterally into the sensor space 37 in order to thus position the Hall sensor 28 below the permanent magnet 29. For this purpose, the angle of rotation sensor 27 is arranged on a board 44 which likewise extends laterally into the sensor space 37. The board 44 can be a part of the sensor part 36 mentioned before. Likewise, the board 44 can present an alternative solution for positioning the Hall sensor 28.

[0049] According to FIG. 4, electrical contacts 38 of the sensor part 36 can now be electrically connected with electrical contacts 39 of a lead frame 40. In the example of FIG. 4, suitable plug contacts 41 are shown. This lead frame 40 is at least partly integrated in a housing wall 42 of the housing 2. In other words, the lead frame 40 is at least partly embedded in a plastic, out of which the housing wall 42 of the housing 2 is produced. In particular, the lead frame 40 can be placed into a suitable injection mould during the injection moulding of the housing 2 and over moulded by the plastic.

[0050] Thus, the sensor part 36 is located on an inner side of the housing 2. Practically, the lead frame 40 can lead to an outside of the housing 2 and there comprise electrical connections for electrically contacting the sensor part 36.

[0051] By way of FIG. 3, a method for mounting the control device 1 is explained in more detail in the following. Initially, the output shaft 4 with fourth gear wheel 23 non-rotatably arranged thereon is inserted in the housing 2. In the housing 2, a suitable bearing 31 is provided for this purpose. Following this, the electric motor 3 with the worm 16 non-rotatably attached to the driveshaft 8 is inserted in the housing 2. In the housing 2, a suitable motor mounting 43 is formed for this purpose. Following this, the worm wheel 17 and the first gear wheel 18, in particular in the form of the first step-up gear wheel 25, can be fitted to the output shaft 4. Following this, the second gear wheel 19 or the third gear wheel 22, preferentially in the form of the second step-up gear wheel 26, can be fitted onto the intermediate shaft 21. For this purpose, the intermediate shaft 21 is inserted into a corresponding positioning place of the housing 2 beforehand. Following this, a cover or a complementary housing part which can comprise a suitable bearing for the output shaft 4 and a further positioning place for the intermediate shaft 21, can be fitted.