US 11,955,873 B2
Drive train
Massimo Gandolfi, San Lazzaro di Savena (IT); and Neil Patrick Keegan, London (GB)
Assigned to Automata Technologies Limited, London (GB)
Appl. No. 17/287,909
Filed by AUTOMATA TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED, London (GB)
PCT Filed Oct. 25, 2019, PCT No. PCT/GB2019/053034
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 22, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/084316, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 1817380 (GB), filed on Oct. 25, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0399608 A1, Dec. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. H02K 7/116 (2006.01); B25J 9/12 (2006.01); H02K 7/08 (2006.01); H02K 11/21 (2016.01)
CPC H02K 7/116 (2013.01) [B25J 9/126 (2013.01); H02K 7/08 (2013.01); H02K 11/21 (2016.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A drive train comprising:
a motor assembly comprising an electric motor and a rotatable shaft defining an input axis, the shaft comprising a first set of gear teeth;
a gear box assembly comprising an annular gear comprising a second set of gear teeth which intermesh with the first set of gear teeth, and a housing comprising a fixed portion to which the motor assembly is mounted and a rotatable portion fixed to the annular gear and providing the output from the drive train about an output axis offset from the input axis; and
an encoder assembly to measure the rotation at the output axis;
wherein:
a central opening is defined through the gearbox assembly in alignment with the output axis and passing through the housing and the annular gear, the motor assembly being mounted so as to not obstruct the central opening;
the encoder assembly comprises an annular first portion mounted to the rotatable portion of the gearbox assembly about the central opening, and a second portion fixed with respect to the fixed portion of the housing of the gearbox assembly housing to measure the rotation of the annular first portion; and
a main bearing between the fixed and rotatable portions of the housing of the gear box assembly, and an encoder bearing between the first portion and the second portion of the encoder to rotatably support and maintain the alignment of the first and second portions of the encoder.