US 12,261,509 B2
Actuator with reduced axial length and accessory incorporating same
Geoffrey William Ryeland, North York (CA); Ercong Ji, Scarborough (CA); Matthew Viola, Woodbridge (CA); and Alin Pop, Woodbridge (CA)
Assigned to LITENS AUTOMOTIVE PARTNERSHIP, Woodbridge (CA)
Appl. No. 18/042,382
Filed by LITENS AUTOMOTIVE PARTNERSHIP, Woodbridge (CA)
PCT Filed Aug. 23, 2021, PCT No. PCT/CA2021/051166
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 21, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/036464, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 24, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/068,689, filed on Aug. 21, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0336051 A1, Oct. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. F16K 31/04 (2006.01); F16H 19/08 (2006.01); H02K 3/26 (2006.01); H02K 7/116 (2006.01); H02K 21/24 (2006.01)
CPC H02K 7/116 (2013.01) [F16H 19/08 (2013.01); F16K 31/047 (2013.01); H02K 3/26 (2013.01); H02K 21/24 (2013.01); H02K 2203/03 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An actuator, comprising:
an axial flux motor having a motor stator and a rotor, the rotor defining a rotor axis and having a motor output shaft, the motor output shaft having a first shaft portion that is coaxial with the rotor axis and a second shaft portion that is offset from the rotor axis; and
an epicycloid gear arrangement including a ring gear, a cycloid gear, and a gear arrangement output member, wherein the cycloid gear is rotatably mounted to the second shaft portion of the motor output shaft such that rotation of the motor output shaft drives the cycloid gear about the ring gear, wherein the gear arrangement output member is driven rotationally by the cycloid gear about a gear arrangement output member axis that is fixed,
wherein the motor output shaft has a third shaft portion that is offset from the rotor axis and which is angularly offset from the second shaft portion about the rotor axis by a selected angular offset, and a fourth shaft portion that is offset from the rotor axis and which is angularly offset from the second shaft portion about the rotor axis by the selected angular offset, wherein the third shaft portion is axially on a first side of the second shaft portion and the fourth shaft portion is axially on a second side of the second shaft portion,
wherein the cycloid gear is a first cycloid gear that is part of a plurality of cycloid gears including a second cycloid gear and a third cycloid gear, wherein the second and third cycloid gears are rotatably mounted to the third shaft portion and the fourth shaft portion, respectively, such that rotation of the motor output shaft drives the second and third cycloid gears about the ring gear,
wherein the selected angular offset is selected such that a center of mass of the plurality of cycloid gears and the motor output shaft is approximately on the rotor axis,
wherein engagement between each of the first, second and third cycloid gears and the ring gear applies a first radial force, a second radial force, and a third radial force, respectively, on the motor output shaft,
wherein each of the first, second, and third cycloid gears each have a width, and wherein there is a first center distance between the first and second cycloid gears and a second first center distance between the first and third cycloid gears, and wherein the widths of the first, second and third cycloid gears, and the first and second center distances are selected such that, there is approximately no net moment imposed on the motor output shaft by the first, second and third radial forces,
wherein the gear arrangement output member is further driven rotationally by the second and third cycloid gear about the gear arrangement output member axis.