# US 10,871,215 B2 · Positioning device and a method for producing the positioning device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,871,215 B2 - Document ID: US10871215B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/448,999 - Filed: 2019-06-21 - Published: 2019-12-26 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-21 - Assignees: Mahle International GmbH - Applicants: Mahle International GmbH - Inventors: Eugen Makarow; Edgar Salfeld; Johannes Schmidt; Florian Wetzel - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871215B2 ## CPC - F16H 57/02004: {the gears being positioned relative to one another by rolling members or by specially adapted surfaces on the gears, e.g. by a rolling surface with the diameter of the pitch circle} - F16H 57/0031: {with gearing elements rotatable supported on the shaft (F16H57/021 takes precedence)} - F16H 57/022: Adjustment of gear shafts or bearings (for compensating misalignment of axes of toothed gearings without orbital motion F16H1/26; for compensating misalignment of axes of planetary gears F16H1/48) - F16H 57/023: Mounting or installation of gears or shafts in the gearboxes, e.g. methods or means for assembly - F16H 57/031: characterised by covers or lids for gearboxes - F16H 2057/0221: {Axial adjustment} - F16H: GEARING ## Abstract A positioning device for mechanically actuating a component may include a housing with first and second housing parts welded to one another via an axial welded connection. The first and second housing parts may have integrally formed first and second bearing points, respectively, of a bearing within the housing. The positioning device may also include a gearing fixed in the housing, the gearing having an output shaft penetrating the second housing part and being drive-connectable with the component outside the housing, and an output wheel non-rotationally fixed on the output shaft and rotatably mounted in the bearing. The positioning device may further include a rotary position detector with a permanent magnet and a Hall sensor, the permanent magnet being arranged on a gear wheel of the output shaft or on the output shaft at an end face of the output shaft, and the Hall sensor being arranged on the first housing part. End faces of the first and second bearing points may interact axially with first and second bearing surfaces, respectively, of the output wheel located opposite each other. The bearing may have a predetermined axial play defined by a difference between an outer axial distance between the first and second bearing points and an inner axial distance between the first and second bearing surfaces. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A positioning device for mechanically actuating a component, comprising: a housing with a first housing part and a second housing part welded to one another via an axial welded connection, wherein the first housing part has an integrally formed first bearing point of a bearing and the second housing part has an integrally formed second bearing point of the bearing within the housing; a gearing fixed in the housing, the gearing having an output shaft penetrating the second housing part and that is drive-connectable with the component to be mechanically actuated outside the housing, and an output wheel that is non-rotationally fixed on the output shaft and rotatably mounted in the bearing; a rotary position detector with a permanent magnet and a Hall sensor, wherein the permanent magnet is arranged on a gear wheel of the output shaft or on the output shaft at an end face of the output shaft, and the Hall sensor is arranged on the first housing part; wherein an end face of the first bearing point interacts axially with a first bearing surface of the output wheel, and an end face of the second bearing point interacts with a second bearing surface of the output wheel located opposite the first bearing surface; and wherein the bearing has a predetermined axial play defined by a difference between an outer axial distance between the first and the second bearing points and an inner axial distance between the first and the second bearing surfaces. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the permanent magnet of the rotary position detector is arranged within the first bearing point of the bearing and is enclosed by the same in the circumferential direction of the output shaft. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the second housing part is formed by a housing cover for closing the first housing part. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The positioning device according to claim 1, the second housing part is formed by a support which is arranged within the first housing part. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the welded connection between the first housing part and the second housing part circulates about the output shaft in a radially closed manner. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The positioning device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of: at least one of the first bearing surface of the output wheel and an end face of the first bearing point facing the first bearing surface of the output wheel is annular; and at least one of the second bearing surface of the output wheel and an end face of the bearing point facing the second bearing surface of the output wheel is annular. ### Claim 7 A method for producing a positioning device, comprising: fixing a gearing, which has an output shaft and an output wheel non-rotationally fixed on the output shaft, in a housing having a first housing part, which has an integrally formed first bearing point of a bearing, and a second housing part, which has an integrally formed second bearing point of the bearing, in a manner such that the output shaft penetrates the second housing part, the output wheel is rotatably mounted in the bearing, an end face of the first bearing point interacts axially with a first bearing surface of the output wheel, and an end face of the second bearing point interacts axially with a second bearing surface of the output wheel located opposite the first bearing surface; arranging a permanent magnet of a rotary position detector on a gear wheel of the output shaft or on the output shaft at an end face of the output shaft, and a Hall sensor of the rotary position detector on the first housing part; welding the second housing part to the first housing part via an axial welded connection; and during welding, axially adjusting the second housing part and the first housing part relative to one another until a predetermined axial play is present in the bearing, the predetermined axial play being defined by a difference between an outer axial distance between the first and the second bearing points and an inner axial difference between the first and the second bearing surfaces. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, further comprising: after fixing the gearing in the housing and prior to welding the second housing part to the first housing part, bringing the second housing part into contact with the first housing part in a welding zone provided for forming the welded connection; prior to welding the second housing part to the first housing part, determining an initial axial play present in the bearing; calculating as a function of the initial axial play an axial adjusting travel by which the second housing part and the first housing part have to be adjusted relative to one another during welding for attaining the predetermined axial play; and during welding, axially adjusting the second housing part and the first housing part relative to one another by the calculated adjusting travel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, further comprising: after fixing the gearing in the housing and prior to welding the second housing part to the first housing part, measuring a first axial distance between the second bearing surface and a first precalculated welding contour formed on the first housing part in a welding zone provided for forming the welded connection; measuring a second axial distance between the end face of the second bearing point and a second precalculated welding contour formed on the second housing part in the welding zone; calculating an axial adjusting travel from the first axial distance, from the second axial distance, and from the predetermined axial play, wherein the second housing part and the first housing part have to be axially adjusted relative to one another by the axial adjustive travel during the welding for attaining the predetermined axial play; and during welding, axially adjusting the second housing part and the first housing part to one another by the calculated axial adjusting travel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, further comprising after fixing the gearing in the housing and prior to welding the second housing part to the first housing part, measuring a first axial distance between the first bearing surface and a first precalculated welding contour formed on the first housing part in a welding zone provided for forming the welded connection; measuring a second axial distance between the end face of the second bearing point and a second precalculated welding contour formed on the second housing part in the welding zone; measuring an inner axial distance between the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface; calculating an axial adjusting distance from the first axial distance, from the second axial distance, from the inner axial distance, and from the predetermined axial play, wherein the second housing part and the first housing part have to be axially adjusted relative to one another by the axial adjusting distance during the welding for attaining the predetermined axial play; and during welding, axially adjusting the second housing part and the first housing part relative to one another by the calculated axial adjusting travel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein welding is effected by one of laser welding, ultrasound welding, or frictional welding. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein welding is effected by vibration welding. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The positioning device according to claim 2, wherein the second housing part is formed by a housing cover for closing the first housing part. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The positioning device according to claim 2, the second housing part is formed by a support arranged within the first housing part. ### Claim 15 (depends on 2) The positioning device according to claim 2, wherein the welded connection between the first housing part and the second housing part circulates about the output shaft in a radially closed manner. ### Claim 16 (depends on 6) The positioning device according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the first bearing surface of the output wheel and an end face of the first bearing point facing the first bearing surface of the output wheel is annular. ### Claim 17 (depends on 6) The positioning device according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the second bearing surface of the output wheel and an end face of the bearing point facing the second bearing surface of the output wheel is annular. ### Claim 18 A positioning device for mechanically actuating a component, comprising: a housing with a first housing part and a second housing part welded to one another via an axial welded connection, wherein the first housing part has an integrally formed first bearing point of a bearing and the second housing part has an integrally formed second bearing point of the bearing within the housing; a gearing fixed in the housing, the gearing having an output shaft penetrating the second housing part and that is drive-connectable with the component to be mechanically actuated outside the housing, and an output wheel that is non-rotationally fixed on the output shaft and rotatably mounted in the bearing; a rotary position detector with a permanent magnet and a Hall sensor, wherein the permanent magnet is arranged on a gear wheel of the output shaft or on the output shaft at an end face of the output shaft, and the Hall sensor is arranged on the first housing part; wherein an end face of the first bearing point interacts axially with a first bearing surface of the output wheel, and an end face of the second bearing point interacts with a second bearing surface of the output wheel located opposite the first bearing surface; wherein the bearing has a predetermined axial play defined by a difference between an outer axial distance between the first and the second bearing points and an inner axial distance between the first and the second bearing surfaces; wherein at least one of the first bearing surface of the output wheel and an end face of the first bearing point facing the first bearing surface of the output wheel is annular; and wherein at least one of the second bearing surface of the output wheel and an end face of the bearing point facing the second bearing surface of the output wheel is annular. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The positioning device according to claim 18, wherein the permanent magnet of the rotary position detector is arranged within the first bearing point of the bearing and is enclosed by the same in the circumferential direction of the output shaft. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The positioning device according to claim 18, wherein the welded connection between the first housing part and the second housing part circulates about the output shaft in a radially closed manner.