# US 10,502,282 B2 · Drive device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,502,282 B2 - Document ID: US10502282B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/881,642 - Filed: 2015-10-13 - Published: 2016-06-16 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2014-10-17 - Assignees: Denso Corporation - Applicants: Asmo Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Yasufumi Fujii - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502282B2 ## CPC - F16H 1/08: the members having helical, herringbone, or like teeth - F16H 57/031: characterised by covers or lids for gearboxes - F16H 1/16: comprising worm and worm-wheel - F16H 57/023: Mounting or installation of gears or shafts in the gearboxes, e.g. methods or means for assembly - F16H 57/028: characterised by means for reducing vibration or noise - F16H 57/039: Gearboxes for accommodating worm gears - F16H: GEARING ## Abstract A drive device includes a reduction drive, an accommodation portion, and an output unit. The reduction drive includes at least two resin helical gears meshed with each other. The at least two helical gears include an output-side helical gear and another helical gear. The output-side helical gear is located closer to the output unit than the other helical gear in a power transmission path of the reduction drive. The housing cover includes a restriction portion located within a range that includes a straight line intersecting the first center axis and the second center axis. The restriction portion projects toward a bottom of the gear accommodation portion. The restriction portion is configured to allow for slidable contact with the output-side helical gear to restrict axial bending of the output-side helical gear. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A drive device comprising: a reduction drive that reduces a speed of rotation produced by a motor, wherein the reduction drive includes at least two resin helical gears meshed with each other; an accommodation portion that accommodates the reduction drive, wherein the accommodation portion includes rotation supports that respectively support the at least two helical gears in a rotatable manner; and an output unit that outputs the rotation, of which the speed has been reduced by the reduction drive, to an outer side, wherein the accommodation portion includes a gear housing, which includes a gear accommodation portion capable of accommodating the at least two helical gears, and a housing cover, which closes an opening of the gear accommodation portion, the at least two helical gears include an output-side helical gear and another helical gear, the output-side helical gear is located closer to the output unit than the other helical gear in a power transmission path of the reduction drive, the rotation supports include a rotation support that supports the output-side helical gear and includes a first center axis and a rotation support that supports the other helical gear and includes a second center axis, the housing cover includes at least one restriction portion disposed so as to intersect a straight line intersecting the first center axis and the second center axis, the at least two helical gears are configured so that a thrust force, which directs from a bottom of the gear accommodation portion toward the housing cover, acts on a meshed portion of the at least two helical gears, the restriction portion projects from the housing cover toward the bottom of the gear accommodation portion, the output-side helical gear includes a first axial end surface facing toward the housing cover, and a second axial end surface facing toward the bottom of the gear accommodation portion, and the restriction portion is configured to allow for slidable contact with the first axial end surface of the output-side helical gear, which has received the rotation from the other helical gear, to restrict axial bending of the output-side helical gear caused by the thrust force acting on the meshed portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The drive device according to claim 1, wherein the output-side helical gear includes a tubular inner circumferential surface parallel to a rotation axis of the output-side helical gear, and the restriction portion is configured to allow for slidable contact with the inner circumferential surface of the output-side helical gear. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The drive device of claim 1, wherein the restriction portion is located adjacent to a portion where the two helical gears are meshed with each other. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The drive device of claim 1, wherein the housing cover includes a first cover that covers the other helical gear, and a second cover that covers the output-side helical gear, and the restriction portion is located at a boundary between the first cover and the second cover. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The drive device according to claim 1, wherein the restriction portion is configured to allow for slidable contact with the output-side helical gear at least when a load is applied to the output unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The drive device of claim 5, wherein the restriction portion is configured to avoid slidable contact with the output-side helical gear when a load applied to the output unit is smaller than a rated load. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The drive device according to claim 1, wherein the restriction portion is configured to allow for slidable contact over an entire circumference of the output-side helical gear to restrict axial bending of the output-side helical gear over the entire circumference. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The drive device of claim 7, wherein the restriction portion includes restriction portions arranged in a circumferential direction of the output-side helical gear.