Gear drive assembly having one of a first selected gear and a second selected gear and a method of producing the same

An actuated system comprising:

• an output shaft movable between a plurality of positions;
• an actuator capable of moving said output shaft between said plurality of positions and having one of a first output, having a first velocity and a first torque, and a second output, having a second velocity and a second torque;
• said actuator comprising:
• a motor;
• a gear drive assembly driven by said motor;
• said gear drive assembly comprising:
• a housing having an internal surface defining a cavity;
• and
• a gear arrangement disposed in said cavity and comprising a drive gear, at least one driven gear, and one of a first selected gear and a second selected gear engageable with both of said drive and the at least one driven gears to transmit rotation from said drive gear to said at least one driven gear, with said drive and the at least one driven gears each rotatably coupled with said housing;
• wherein said drive and the at least one driven gears and said first selected gear have a first gear ratio to selectively move said output shaft with said first output, and said drive and the at least one driven gears and said second selected gear have a second gear ratio not equal to said first gear ratio to selectively move said output shaft with said second output;
• and
• wherein said internal surface of said housing defines a first gear retention feature to facilitate selective rotatable coupling of said first selected gear with said housing and a second gear retention feature to facilitate selective rotatable coupling of said second selected gear with said housing.

An actuator capable of moving an output shaft between a plurality of positions and having one of a first output, having a first velocity and a first torque, and a second output, having a second velocity and a second torque;

• said actuator comprising:
• a motor having a shaft rotatable about a shaft axis and capable of transmitting rotational force with said shaft, with said motor configured to be controlled by an electrical control signal;
• a gear drive assembly driven by said motor;
• said gear drive assembly comprising:
• a housing comprising a first section and a second section each having an internal surface, with said internal surfaces defining a cavity, with said shaft of said motor extending through one of said first and second sections and is at least partially disposed within said cavity, with said internal surfaces of said first and second sections of said housing each defining a first gear pocket which collectively define a first gear retention feature and with said internal surfaces of said first and second sections of said housing each defining a second gear pocket which collectively define a second gear retention feature;
• and
• a gear arrangement disposed in said cavity and comprising:
• a drive gear rotatable about a first axis aligned coaxial with said shaft axis and operably coupled with said shaft of said motor, with said drive gear having gear teeth extending radially from said first axis and defining an input diameter of said drive gear;
• one of a first selected gear and a second selected gear rotatable about one of a second axis and a third axis, respectively, with said first and second selected gears each having a first gear section and a second gear section spaced from and fixed to said first gear section, with said first gear section of each of said first and second selected gears having gear teeth extending radially from said second axis and said third axis, respectively, and defining one of a first diameter of said first gear section of said first selected gear and a second diameter of said first gear section of said second selected gear, with said gear teeth of said first gear section of said first and second selected gears engageable with said gear teeth of said drive gear to define a first gear stage, with said second gear section of said first and second selected gears having gear teeth extending radially from said second axis and said third axis, respectively, and defining one of a third diameter of said second gear section of said first selected gear and a fourth diameter of said second gear section of said second selected gear, and with both of said first and second selected gears defining a hole extending therethrough along said second and third axes, respectively;
• at least one driven gear rotatable about a fourth axis and operably coupled with the output shaft movable between the plurality of positions, with said output gear having gear teeth extending radially from said fourth axis and defining an output diameter of said output gear, with said gear teeth of said second gear section of said first and second selected gears engageable with said gear teeth of said output gear to define a second gear stage;
• and
• a pin extending between a first end and a second end through said hole of said one of said first and second selected gears and individually disposed within one of said first gear pockets and said second gear pockets of said first and second gear sections of said housing to facilitate rotation of said one of said first and second selected gears about the respective one of said second and third axes;
• wherein said pin is disposed within each of said first gear pockets when said first selected gear is disposed in said cavity, with said first gear section having said first diameter engaged with said drive gear having said input diameter to define said first gear stage, and with said second gear section having said third diameter engaged with said at least one driven gear having said output diameter to define said second gear stage for selectively moving the output shaft with the first output;
• and
• wherein said pin is disposed within each of said second gear pockets when said second selected gear is disposed in said cavity, with said first gear section having said second diameter engaged with said drive gear having said input diameter to define said first gear stage, and with said second gear section having said fourth diameter engaged with said at least one driven gear having said output diameter to define said second gear stage for selectively moving the output shaft with the second output.

A method of manufacturing a gear drive assembly for use with and driven by a motor in an actuator, with the actuator capable of moving an output shaft between a plurality of positions, with the actuator having one of a first output, having a first velocity and a first torque, and a second output, having a second velocity and a second torque, with the gear drive assembly comprising a housing having an internal surface defining a cavity, and a gear arrangement disposed in the cavity and comprising a drive gear, at least one driven gear, and one of a first selected gear and a second selected gear, wherein the drive and the at least one driven gears and the first selected gear have a first gear ratio for selectively moving the output shaft with the first output, and the drive and the at least one driven gears and the second selected gear have a second gear ratio not equal to the first gear ratio for selectively moving the output shaft with the second output;

• said method comprising the steps of:
• rotatably coupling the drive and the at least one driven gears with the housing within the cavity;
• selecting one of the first and second selected gears;
• engaging the one of the first and second selected gears with both of the drive and the at least one driven gears;
• and
• rotatably coupling the one of the first and second selected gears with the housing within the cavity.