Transmission actuator driven by an electric motor
AssigneeLuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungs KG
InventorsJohn Mills, Bernhard Boll, Geir Huseby, Gunter Hirt, Viggo Norum, Jan Oyen, Lars Lein, Nigel Barnes, Simen Ronne
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An actuator for a motor vehicle transmission has a shift cylinder performing rotary actuating movements. An electric motor is arranged inside the shift cylinder and drives the latter either through a harmonic drive mechanism or a planetary drive mechanism. The arrangement provides a high reduction ratio and an efficient use of limited space.
Claims42
A transmission comprising a transmission actuator device with a shift cylinder and a motor arranged to drive the shift cylinder, wherein the shift cylinder has an outer circumference operatively engaged with shifter elements of the transmission, wherein further the shift cylinder is rotatably supported so that a rotary movement of the shift cylinder causes different transmission ratios to be engaged and disengaged, and wherein the shift cylinder has a recess and at least a part of the motor is received inside the recess.
An actuator for controlling an actuating mechanism of a motor vehicle transmission, said actuator comprising a fastening element for mounting the actuator on a carrier element;
- a shift cylinder arranged to perform rotary movements relative to the fastening element;
- and an electric motor arranged coaxially inside the shift cylinder, said electric motor having a stator arranged non-rotatably relative to the fastening element, and said electric motor further having a rotor operatively connected to the shift cylinder through a harmonic drive mechanism, wherein the harmonic drive mechanism comprises:
- a wave generator coupled to the rotor to rotate together with the rotor;
- a stationary ring-shaped spline gear concentric to the wave generator and non-rotatable relative to the fastening element;
- and a flexible spline gear arranged between the wave generator and the stationary ring-shaped spline gear, wherein the flexible spline gear is coupled to the shift cylinder to drive the rotary movements of the shift cylinder, wherein the flexible spline gear has fewer teeth than the stationary ring-shaped spline gear, and wherein the wave generator has a contour shaped so that the flexible spline gear and the stationary ring-shaped spline gear mesh with each other at revolving locations of engagement, but are separated from each other in angular sectors between said locations of engagement.
The actuator of clam 6, comprising two shift cylinders arranged in-line on a central shaft.
An actuator for actuating one of a clutch-actuating mechanism, a gear-shifting mechanism, and a brake of a motor vehicle, said actuator comprising an electric motor with a rotor shaft, and further comprising a gear-drive mechanism with a sun gear rotationally coupled to the rotor shaft, a ring-shaped planet carrier arranged to revolve coaxially around the rotor shaft, and a set of planet gears arranged symmetrically at angular intervals on the planet carrier;
- wherein the planet gears mesh with two internally toothed ring gears, one of said ring gears being stationary while the other of said ring gears is connected to a rotary output element coaxial to the rotor shaft, wherein the two ring gears differ in their respective number of teeth, and wherein the gear-drive mechanism has a reduction ratio dependent on said difference in the number of teeth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.