Gear Motor With Gearhead Output Shaft Position Feedback System

A gear motor, comprising:

• a motor including
• a housing including first and second endbells and a wall extending between the first and second endbells and defining a housing interior;
• a stator disposed within the housing interior;
• a rotor disposed within the housing interior and defining a tubular motor shaft extending through the first endbell of the housing, the motor shaft disposed about a rotational axis and defining a through bore;
• a first bearing disposed within the first endbell and supporting the motor shaft;
• a second bearing disposed within the second endbell and supporting the motor shaft;
• and,
• a third bearing disposed within the second endbell;
• a gearhead driven by the motor shaft and defining a gearhead output shaft coaxial with the motor shaft;
• a rod having a first end coupled to the gearhead output shaft and extending through the through bore in the motor shaft;
• a magnetized disc coupled to a second end of the rod opposite the first end of the rod;
• and,
• a gearhead output shaft position sensor configured to generate gearhead output shaft position signals responsive to rotation of the magnetized disc
• wherein the third bearing is configured to support the second end of the rod.

A gear motor, comprising:

• a motor including
• a housing including first and second endbells and a wall extending between the first and second endbells and defining a housing interior;
• a stator disposed within the housing interior;
• a rotor disposed within the housing interior and defining a tubular motor shaft extending through the first endbell of the housing, the motor shaft disposed about a rotational axis and defining a through bore;
• a first bearing disposed within the first endbell and supporting the motor shaft;
• a second bearing disposed within the second endbell and supporting the motor shaft;
• and,
• a third bearing disposed within the second endbell;
• a gearhead driven by the motor shaft and defining a gearhead output shaft coaxial with the motor shaft;
• a rod having a first end coupled to the gearhead output shaft and extending through the through bore in the motor shaft;
• a magnetized disc coupled to a second end of the rod opposite the first end of the rod, the magnetized disc disposed within the housing interior;
• and,
• a gearhead output shaft position sensor configured to generate gearhead output shaft position signals responsive to rotation of the magnetized disc, the gearhead output shaft position sensor disposed outside of the housing interior
• wherein the third bearing is configured to support the second end of the rod.