IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,845,327
Granted Patent B2
US 11,845,327 · App. 17/150,452 · Granted Dec 19, 2023

Actuator apparatus, sunroof apparatus, and manufacturing method of actuator apparatus

Inventor: Yuki Kobayashi (Kariya, JP)
Assignee: Aisin Corporation
B60J7/0573E05F15/643F16C1/12F16H57/031F16H57/039E05Y2201/11E05Y2201/434E05Y2201/654E05Y2201/716E05Y2900/542F16C2326/20F16H2057/02034F16H2057/02082
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,845,327
App. No.
17/150,452
Granted
Dec 19, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An actuator apparatus includes a gear housing including an arrangement surface of a drive gear. The arrangement surface is provided at an outer side of the gear housing. The apparatus includes a cover member fixed to the gear housing in a state of covering the drive gear. The apparatus includes a guide member of a drive cable meshing with the drive gear. The guide member is provided to extend in an arrangement direction of the drive cable. The apparatus includes a fixing portion provided at the arrangement surface and configured to fix the guide member relative to the gear housing.

Claims (54)

1. An actuator apparatus comprising:

a drive gear disposed on a rotatably driven shaft;

a gear housing including an arrangement surface for the drive gear, the arrangement surface being provided at an outer side of the gear housing, and the rotatable driven shaft extending through an opening defined by the gear housing;

a cover member fixed to the gear housing in a state of covering the drive gear;

a guide member of a drive cable meshing with the drive gear, the guide member being provided to extend in an arrangement direction of the drive cable; and

a fixing portion provided at the arrangement surface and configured to fix the guide member relative to the gear housing,

wherein

the fixing portion corresponds to a press-fitting portion opening in an assembling direction of the cover member relative to the gear housing,

the cover member includes a holding portion configured to position the guide member relative to the press-fitting portion by holding the guide member, and

the holding portion and the press-fitting portion are configured such that a holding force applied by the holding portion to the guide member is less than a fitting force applied by the press-fitting portion to the guide member.

2. The actuator apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:

a sliding-contact member provided at a position at which the sliding-contact member sandwiches a meshing portion of the drive cable between the sliding-contact member and the drive gear, the meshing portion meshing with the drive gear, wherein

the gear housing corresponds to a resin molded part, and

the sliding-contact member corresponds to an insert member formed integrally with the gear housing.

3. The actuator apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein

the guide member is configured to guide the drive cable to a lengthwise-direction end portion of a guide rail, and

the guide rail is provided as a pair to be arranged apart from each other, and the cover member is provided integrally with a connecting housing configured to connect the guide rails to each other.

4. The actuator apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the guide member is configured to guide the drive cable to a lengthwise-direction end portion of a guide rail, and

the guide rail is provided as a pair to be arranged apart from each other, and the cover member is provided integrally with a connecting housing configured to connect the guide rails to each other.

5. The actuator apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing portion comprises a pair of engagement tabs, and the the holding portion is configured to position the guide member relative to the engagement tabs by holding the guide member, the holding portion comprising a holding tab configured to be disposed in-between the pair of engagement tabs.

6. A sunroof apparatus comprising an actuator apparatus, the actuator apparatus including:

a drive gear disposed on a rotatably driven shaft;

a gear housing including an arrangement surface for the drive gear, the arrangement surface being provided at an outer side of the gear housing, and the rotatable driven shaft extending through an opening defined by the gear housing;

a cover member fixed to the gear housing in a state of covering the drive gear;

a guide member of a drive cable meshing with the drive gear, the guide member being provided to extend in an arrangement direction of the drive cable; and

a fixing portion provided at the arrangement surface and configured to fix the guide member relative to the gear housing,

wherein the fixing portion comprises a pair of engagement tabs, and the cover member includes a holding portion configured to position the guide member relative to the engagement tabs by holding the guide member, the holding portion comprising a holding tab configured to be disposed in-between the pair of engagement tabs.

7. The sunroof apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein

the fixing portion corresponds to a press-fitting portion opening in an assembling direction of the cover member relative to the gear housing.

8. The sunroof apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the actuator apparatus includes;

a sliding-contact member provided at a position at which the sliding-contact member sandwiches a meshing portion of the drive cable between the sliding-contact member and the drive gear, the meshing portion meshing with the drive gear, wherein

the gear housing corresponds to a resin molded part, and

the sliding-contact member corresponds to an insert member formed integrally with the gear housing.

9. The sunroof apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein

the guide member is configured to guide the drive cable to a lengthwise-direction end portion of a guide rail, and

the guide rail is arranged as a pair to be apart from each other, and the cover member is provided integrally with a connecting housing configured to connect the guide rails to each other.

10. A manufacturing method of an actuator apparatus including a drive gear disposed on a rotatably driven shaft, the method comprising:

assembling a cover member relative to a gear housing, the gear housing including an arrangement surface for the drive gear, the arrangement surface being provided at an outer side of the gear housing, the rotatable driven shaft extending through an opening defined by the gear housing, and the cover member being configured to cover the drive gear;

fixing a guide member of a drive cable to the arrangement surface, the drive cable meshing with the drive gear, the guide member being provided to extend in an arrangement direction of the drive cable, wherein

the arrangement surface is provided with a press-fitting portion opening in an assembling direction of the cover member relative to the gear housing, the press-fitting portion serves as a fixing portion configured to fix the guide member to the arrangement surface, the method comprising:

holding the guide member at the cover member before the gear housing and the cover member are assembled to each other; and

pressing the guide member, which has been positioned by being held by the cover member, into the press-fitting portion when assembling the gear housing and the cover member to each other,

wherein a holding portion of the cover member and the press fitting portion are configured such that a holding force applied by the holding portion to the guide member is less than a fitting force applied by the pressing fitting portion to the guide member.

11. A sunroof apparatus comprising an actuator apparatus, the actuator apparatus including:

a drive gear disposed on a rotatably driven shaft;

a gear housing including an arrangement surface for the drive gear, the arrangement surface being provided at an outer side of the gear housing, and the rotatable driven shaft extending through an opening defined by the gear housing;

a cover member fixed to the gear housing in a state of covering the drive gear;

a guide member of a drive cable meshing with the drive gear, the guide member being provided to extend in an arrangement direction of the drive cable; and

a fixing portion provided at the arrangement surface and configured to fix the guide member relative to the gear housing,

wherein

the fixing portion corresponds to a press-fitting portion opening in an assembling direction of the cover member relative to the gear housing,

the cover member includes a holding portion configured to position the guide member relative to the press-fitting portion by holding the guide member, and

the holding portion and the press-fitting portion are configured such that a holding force applied by the holding portion to the guide member is less than a fitting force applied by the press-fitting portion to the guide member.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 21, 2021
From: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
To: AISIN CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058545/0769 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 15, 2021
From: KOBAYASHI, YUKI
To: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 054935/0403 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-044021 · Mar 13, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210284001A1 · Sep 16, 2021