IP Library Granted Patent US 12691753
Granted Patent B2
US 12691753 · App. 18/242,616 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Actuation device, and refueling port or charging port flap assembly

Inventor: Yuan Sun (Shanghai, CN)
Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
B60K15/05E05B81/06E05B83/34B60K2015/053B60K2015/0576B60K2015/0584
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12691753
App. No.
18/242,616
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure provides an actuation device and a refueling port or charging port flap assembly. The actuation device comprises: a housing, a rotary motion mechanism, a linear motion mechanism, a rotary output mechanism and a linear output mechanism. The rotary motion mechanism and the linear motion mechanism are mounted inside the housing. The rotary output mechanism and the linear output mechanism are connected to the outside of the housing. The rotary output mechanism is configured to open and close a flap. The linear output mechanism is configured to lock and unlock the flap. A motion input mechanism, a motion output mechanism and a mounting structure of the actuation device each have a predetermined structure and size, so that the design of the actuation device can be simplified, facilitating mounting. In the present disclosure, further, a direction of a linear motion output of the actuation device is configured to be parallel to a direction of a rotation axis about which a rotary motion output of the actuation device is performed, thereby simplifying the mechanical structure of the actuation device.

Claims (68)

1 . An actuation device for actuating a flap movably mounted on a base, the actuation device comprising:

a housing;

a rotary motion mechanism and a linear motion mechanism mounted inside the housing;

a rotary output mechanism connected to an outside of the housing and

a linear output mechanism connected to the outside of the housing,

wherein the rotary output mechanism is configured to open and close the flap, and the linear output mechanism is configured to lock and unlock the flap, and

wherein the rotary motion mechanism and the linear motion mechanisms are configured to operate independently of components to which they are mounted outside the housing.

2 . The actuation device according to claim 1 , wherein the actuation device further comprises:

a power input mechanism configured to receive power provided by a power source, so as to drive the rotary motion mechanism and the linear motion mechanism.

3 . The actuation device according to claim 2 , wherein

the rotary output mechanism, the linear output mechanism and the power input mechanism each have a predetermined structure and size.

4 . The actuation device according to claim 3 , wherein the housing comprises a mounting component having a predetermined structure and size.

5 . The actuation device according to claim 4 , wherein

the actuation device is mounted on the base by means of the mounting component;

the rotary output mechanism cooperates with a rotary driving mechanism mounted on the base; and

the linear output mechanism cooperates with a linear driving mechanism mounted on the base, or the linear output mechanism cooperates with a flap connecting mechanism connected to the flap.

6 . The actuation device according to claim 5 , wherein

the flap is opened and closed by the rotary driving mechanism; and

the flap is locked and unlocked by the linear driving mechanism.

7 . A refueling port or charging port flap assembly, comprising:

a base;

a flap movably mounted on the base; and

an actuation device according to claim 1 arranged on the base.

8 . The refueling port or charging port flap assembly of claim 7 , wherein the refueling port or charging port flap assembly further comprises:

a power source arranged on the actuation device.

9 . An actuation device for actuating a flap movably mounted on a base, the actuation device comprising:

a rotary motion mechanism configured to rotate about a rotation axis to open and close the flap;

a linear motion mechanism configured to move linearly to lock and unlock the flap; and

a driving mechanism connected to the rotary motion mechanism and the linear motion mechanism, and configured to drive the rotary motion mechanism and the linear motion mechanism,

wherein a direction in which the linear motion mechanism moves linearly is parallel to a direction of the rotation axis about which the rotary motion mechanism rotates.

10 . The actuation device according to claim 9 , wherein

the driving mechanism comprises a driving shaft, and is configured to be capable of rotating about an axis of the driving shaft so as to drive the rotary motion mechanism to rotate about the rotation axis and to drive the linear motion mechanism to move linearly,

the direction of the rotation axis about which the rotary motion mechanism rotates is parallel to a direction of the axis of the driving shaft, and

the direction in which the linear motion mechanism moves linearly is parallel to the direction of the axis of the driving shaft.

11 . The actuation device according to claim 10 , wherein

the linear motion mechanism comprises an inner circumferential portion arranged partially around the driving mechanism,

wherein the inner circumferential portion is configured to cooperate with the driving mechanism such that the linear motion mechanism reciprocates along a predetermined linear path to unlock and lock the flap.

12 . The actuation device according to claim 11 , wherein

the driving mechanism comprises an unlocking driving portion configured to be capable of rotating about the axis of the driving shaft; and

the inner circumferential portion of the linear motion mechanism comprises an unlocking engagement portion,

wherein the unlocking driving portion and the unlocking engagement portion are configured such that

when the driving mechanism rotates in a first rotational direction, the unlocking driving portion is capable of rotating to come into contact with and drive the unlocking engagement portion, so as to cause the linear motion mechanism to move linearly in a first linear direction parallel to the axis of the driving shaft to unlock the flap.

13 . The actuation device according to claim 12 , wherein

the driving mechanism further comprises a locking driving portion configured to be capable of rotating about the axis of the driving shaft, and the unlocking driving portion and the locking driving portion are separated by a distance in a circumferential direction; and

the inner circumferential portion of the linear motion mechanism further comprises a locking engagement portion, and the unlocking engagement portion and the locking engagement portion are respectively arranged at two opposite ends of the inner circumferential portion,

wherein the locking driving portion and the locking engagement portion are configured such that

when the driving mechanism rotates in a second rotational direction, the locking driving portion is capable of rotating to come into contact with and drive the locking engagement portion, so as to cause the linear motion mechanism to move linearly in a second linear direction parallel to the axis of the driving shaft to lock the flap,

wherein the first rotational direction is opposite to the second rotational direction, and the first linear direction is opposite to the second linear direction.

14 . The actuation device according to claim 13 , wherein

the locking driving portion comprises a locking driving slope arranged obliquely relative to the axis of the driving shaft; and

the locking engagement portion comprises a locking engagement slope arranged facing the locking driving slope,

wherein the locking driving slope and the locking engagement slope are configured such that when the locking driving portion rotates in the second rotational direction, the locking driving slope is capable of coming into contact with and driving the locking engagement slope, so as to drive the linear motion mechanism to move linearly in the second linear direction to lock the flap.

15 . The actuation device according to claim 12 , wherein

the unlocking driving portion comprises an unlocking driving slope arranged obliquely relative to the axis of the driving shaft; and

the unlocking engagement portion comprises an unlocking engagement slope arranged facing the unlocking driving slope,

wherein the unlocking driving slope and the unlocking engagement slope are configured such that when the unlocking driving portion rotates in the first rotational direction, the unlocking driving slope is capable of coming into contact with and driving the unlocking engagement slope, so as to drive the linear motion mechanism to move linearly in the first linear direction to unlock the flap.

16 . The actuation device according to claim 11 , wherein

the linear motion mechanism further comprises an outer circumferential portion arranged partially around the inner circumferential portion and radially connected to the inner circumferential portion,

wherein the driving mechanism is configured to be capable of driving the inner circumferential portion and thus driving the outer circumferential portion to move linearly in a direction parallel to the axis of the driving shaft to lock and unlock the flap.

17 . The actuation device according to claim 16 , wherein

the outer circumferential portion is provided with a linear output portion arranged parallel to the direction of the axis of the driving shaft, and

the linear output portion is configured to be capable of linearly moving in the direction parallel to the axis of the driving shaft to lock and unlock the flap.

18 . The actuation device according to claim 17 , wherein

the linear output portion is configured to be capable of moving linearly in the direction parallel to the axis of the driving shaft to block and release a locking engagement portion connected to the flap, so as to lock and unlock the flap, and the locking engagement portion is arranged on a flap connecting mechanism connected to the flap.

19 . The actuation device according to claim 17 , wherein

the outer circumferential portion is further provided with a guiding rod portion arranged parallel to the linear output portion,

wherein the linear output portion and the guiding rod portion are configured such that the linear motion mechanism moves linearly around the driving mechanism in the direction parallel to the axis of the driving shaft without radial deviation.

20 . The actuation device according to claim 9 , wherein the actuation device is capable of being mounted in a separate housing and operates independently.