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US 9,435,400 B2Granted
Drive unit
AssigneeJohnson Electric S.A.
InventorsChi Wang Cheung, Zhong Ping Wu, Hong Yu Ding
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drive unit includes an electric motor, a worm shaft coupled to the motor, a worm gear engaging with the worm shaft, and an output shaft connected to the worm gear. The motor has a motor shaft on which the worm shaft is fixed. The worm shaft is made of plastic. The drive unit further includes a metallic sleeve press fitted to the motor shaft. An outer profile of the sleeve is non-circular. A correspondingly shaped receiving hole is formed in the worm shaft to receive the sleeve. The sleeve rotates with the motor shaft and drives the worm shaft.
Claims14
A drive unit comprising:
- a motor having a motor shaft;
- a worm shaft made of plastic and fixed to the motor shaft, the worm shaft including a through hole, wherein the motor shaft extends through the through hole to support an entire length of the worm shaft;
- a worm gear engaging with the worm shaft;
- an output shaft coupled to the worm gear;
- and
- a metal sleeve fixed to the motor shaft by a press fit connection and being surroundingly in direct contact with the motor shaft, the sleeve having an outer profile that is non-circular,
- wherein a receiving hole is formed in the worm shaft for receiving the sleeve, the receiving hole has a profile corresponding to the outer profile of the sleeve,
- wherein the sleeve rotates with the motor shaft and drives the worm shaft,
- wherein the outer profile of the sleeve is a square, and
- wherein the profile of the receiving hole is smaller than the outer profile of the sleeve and the sleeve is connected to the receiving hole by a press fit connection.
7 more elements
A drive unit comprising:
- a motor having a motor shaft;
- a worm shaft made of plastic and fixed to the motor shaft, the worm shaft including a axial through hole, wherein the motor shaft extends through the axial through hole to support an entire length of the worm shaft, the worm shaft defining a receiving hole;
- a worm gear engaging with the worm shaft;
- an output shaft coupled to the worm gear;
- and
- a metal sleeve fixed to the motor shaft by a press fit connection and being surroundingly in direct contact with the motor shaft,
- wherein the metal sleeve is received in the receiving hole of the worm shaft, the metal sleeve having a non-circular outer profile and the receiving hole having a profile corresponding to the outer profile of the sleeve;
- wherein the motor shaft forms radial outward protrusions which press against an inner surface of the worm shaft, the protrusions being axially spaced from the metal sleeve;
- and
- wherein the sleeve rotates with the motor shaft and drives the worm shaft.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.