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US 2024/0200386 A1Published application
Activatable drive device
AssigneesEdscha Engineering GmbH, Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
InventorsJörg DORNEN, Jochen BALS, Enrico HORN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A drive device, in particular a spindle drive for a vehicle panel, including a housing, a drive element which extends along a drive axis, an output element which extends along an output axis, and a coupling device which is arranged between the drive element and the output element which has at least one first coupling element for coupling the drive element and the output element. The coupling device can be moved from a decoupling position into a coupling position, which couples the drive element and the output element together, by actuating the drive element.
Claims21
1-20. (canceled)
21:
- A drive device, in particular a spindle drive for a vehicle panel, comprising:
- a housing;
- a drive element which extends along a drive axis;
- an output element which extends along an output axis;
- and
- a coupling device which is arranged between the drive element and the output element with at least one first coupling element for coupling the drive element and the output element, wherein the coupling device can be displaced from a decoupling position into a coupling position, in which the drive element and the output element are coupled to one another, by actuating the drive element,
- wherein the first coupling element has a thread which, in the decoupling position of the coupling device, is in engagement with a mating thread, wherein the first coupling element is moved into the coupling position by mutual rotation of the thread and of the mating thread, wherein the mating thread is arranged stationarily relative to the drive element.
4 more elements
22:
- The drive device according to claim 21, wherein the first coupling element is coupled to the drive element and decoupled from the output element before actuation of the drive element or in the decoupling position of the coupling device.
23:
- The drive device according to claim 21, wherein the first coupling element is axially displaceable in a direction parallel to one of the drive axis and output axis by actuating the drive element.
24:
- The drive device according to claim 21, wherein the first coupling element and the drive element, in the decoupling position of the coupling device, are in a threaded or gear engagement.
25:
- The drive device according to claim 21, wherein the drive element is rotatable in a driven manner about the drive axis.
26:
- The drive device according to claim 25, wherein the first coupling element is displaced axially into the coupling position by rotating the drive element about the drive axis.
27:
- The drive device according to claim 21, wherein the thread is designed as an internal thread and the mating thread is designed as an external thread.
28:
- The drive device according claim 21, wherein the mating thread is arranged on the housing.
29:
- The drive device according to claim 21, wherein the drive element drives a rotation of the first coupling element about the output axis, wherein the first coupling element is moved axially into the coupling position by the rotation of the first coupling element about the output axis, which rotation is driven by the drive element.
30:
- The drive device according to claim 21, wherein the output element has a coupling portion and the first coupling element has a mating coupling portion.
31:
- The drive device according to claim 30, wherein, in the decoupling position of the coupling device, the coupling portion of the output element and the mating coupling portion of the first coupling element are axially spaced apart from one another in the direction of the output axis.
32:
- The drive device according to claim 31, wherein, in the coupling position of the coupling device, the coupling portion of the output element and the mating coupling portion of the first coupling element overlap axially in the direction of the output axis.
33:
- The drive device according to claim 30, wherein a spline is arranged in the coupling portion and extends along the drive axis, and in the mating coupling portion of the first coupling element there is arranged an inner spline which is formed complementarily to the spline and extends longitudinally along the drive axis.
34:
- The drive device according to claim 21, wherein the output element is designed as a spindle rod with an external thread.
35:
- The drive device according to claim 21, wherein the first coupling element is designed as a worm gear rotatable about the output axis.
36:
- The drive device according to claim 35, wherein the drive element is designed as a worm shaft, the coupling element designed as a worm gear being in threaded engagement with the worm shaft.
37:
- The drive device according to claim 21, wherein the coupling device comprises a biasing means which biases the coupling device in the direction of the coupling position.
38:
- The drive device according to claim 37, wherein the biasing means is designed as a compression spring and is arranged between a stop face within the housing and the first coupling element.
39:
- The drive device according claim 21, wherein the first coupling element is arranged concentrically to the output axis.
40:
- A method for subsequent activation of a motor-driven adjustment of a vehicle panel, comprising the steps of:
- manually adjusting a drive device according to claim 1 to a first end position;
- actuating a drive element within the drive device by activation of a motor;
- displacing a first coupling element, which is in engagement with the drive element, of a coupling device arranged within the drive device into a coupling position which couples together the drive element and an output element to be driven by the drive element;
- and
- moving the drive device from the first end position in the direction of a second end position by further actuation of the drive element in the coupling position of the coupling device.
3 more elements