JP7376353B2 - Assemblies of planetary gears and carriers, planetary gear devices, actuators - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an assembly of a planetary gear and a carrier, a planetary gear device including the assembly, and an actuator including the planetary gear device.

Planetary gear systems are used in various technologies such as automobiles and robots. A planetary gear device is configured by combining a plurality of gears, and transmits input rotation through the plurality of gears and outputs it from an output shaft.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a planetary gear device that includes a sun gear that rotates in response to driving force from a motor, a plurality of planetary gears that mesh with the sun gear, and an internal gear that meshes with the plurality of planetary gears. There is. A support shaft held by a carrier is inserted into this planetary gear, and the planetary gear rotates about the support shaft by rotation of the sun gear.

JP 2018-3857 Publication

In the planetary gear device of Patent Document 1, the planetary gear and the support shaft that rotatably supports the planetary gear are independent components. Therefore, it is necessary to combine the planetary gear and the support shaft before the carrier holds the planetary gear, and there is a problem in that the number of steps for assembling the planetary gear device tends to increase.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides an assembly of a planetary gear and a carrier that can simplify the assembly process, a planetary gear device equipped with the assembly, and a planetary gear device equipped with the assembly. It is an object of the present invention to provide an actuator equipped with a planetary gear system.

An assembly of a planetary gear and a carrier according to the present invention includes a planetary gear with a rotating shaft protruding from at least one end of both ends in the axial direction, and an insertion portion into which the rotating shaft is inserted, a carrier rotatably holding the planetary gear in which the rotation shaft is inserted into an insertion part, the carrier having a first flange part in which the insertion part is formed, and a space apart from the first flange part. The carrier has a second flange portion provided with a gap therebetween, and a plurality of connection portions that connect the first flange portion and the second flange portion and are arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction. A hollow hole having a depth in the axial direction extending from the first flange portion to the connecting portion is formed at a position corresponding to the connecting portion.

The rotating shaft may be integrally formed with the planetary gear.

The insertion portion may have a portion open in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

The insertion portion may have a circular arc portion cut out by a circular arc having a center angle larger than 180°, and the rotation shaft may be rotatably supported by the circular arc portion.

In the first flange portion , an opening for reducing the rigidity of the insertion portion may be formed at a position adjacent to the insertion portion.

A second rotating shaft may protrude from the other end of the planetary gear, and a second insertion portion may be formed in the second flange portion to rotatably support the second rotating shaft. good.

The other end of the planetary gear may be formed with an insertion hole into which a pin that passes through the second flange and rotatably supports the planetary gear is inserted.

A planetary gear device according to the present invention includes an assembly of the above-described planetary gear and a carrier, a sun gear located at the center of the assembly and meshing with the planetary gear, and an internal gear meshing with the planetary gear. .

The internal gear has a first convex portion extending from one side in the axial direction toward the other side formed on the outer peripheral surface, and a second convex portion extending from one side in the axial direction toward the other side. a housing that accommodates the internal gear with a gap formed between the first convex part and the second convex part. Movement within the housing may be restricted by making line contact with the housing.

An actuator according to the present invention includes the above planetary gear device and a motor connected to the planetary gear device and driving the planetary gear device.

According to the present invention, the planetary gear can be assembled to the carrier by inserting the rotating shaft protruding from the planetary gear into the insertion portion formed in the carrier. Thereby, the assembly process can be simplified.

A perspective view of an actuator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention Front view of the actuator seen from arrow AII in Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the actuator taken along cutting line III-III in Figure 2 Exploded perspective view of an actuator according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention A sectional view of the second housing according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention A perspective view of the second housing according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention A perspective view of a first planetary gear mechanism according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention A perspective view showing how the planetary gear of the first planetary gear mechanism shown in FIG. 7 is assembled to the carrier. 9 is a diagram showing the carrier shown in FIG. 8, in which (a) is a view seen from arrow IXA (+X direction side), and (b) is a view seen from arrow IXB (-X direction side). A perspective view of the second planetary gear mechanism according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention A perspective view showing how the planetary gear of the second planetary gear mechanism shown in FIG. 10 is assembled to the carrier. 12 is a diagram showing the carrier shown in FIG. 11, in which (a) is a view seen from arrow XIIA (+X direction side), and (b) is a view seen from arrow XIIB (-X direction side). Diagram for explaining the relationship between the second housing and the internal gear according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention An explanatory diagram focusing on the stopper formed in the second housing shown in FIG. 13 An explanatory diagram focusing on the movement limiting convex portion formed on the internal gear shown in FIG. 13 A diagram for explaining the state in which the internal gear shown in FIG. 13 rotates around the central axis and contacts the second housing. A diagram for explaining a state in which the internal gear shown in FIG. 13 moves in a direction perpendicular to the axis and contacts the second housing. An explanatory diagram for explaining the contact mode between the second housing and the internal gear as seen from the arrow XVIII in FIG. 16 A schematic diagram comparing the movement-limiting convex portion shown in FIG. 15 with other examples of the movement-limiting convex portion. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a carrier of a second planetary gear mechanism according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, in which (a) is a view seen from the +X direction side, and (b) is a view seen from the -X direction side. It is a figure which shows the carrier of the 2nd planetary gear mechanism based on Embodiment 3 of this invention, (a) is the figure seen from the +X direction side, (b) is the figure seen from the -X direction side. A perspective view showing how to assemble a second planetary gear mechanism according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention Cross-sectional view of the planetary gear shown in Figure 22 23 is a diagram showing the carrier shown in FIG. 22, (a) is a diagram seen from arrow XXIVA (+X direction side), and (b) is a diagram seen from arrow XXIVB (−X direction side). An explanatory diagram focusing on a contact point between an internal gear and a second housing according to another embodiment of the present invention

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, an assembly of a planetary gear and a carrier, a planetary gear device, and an actuator according to preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In order to facilitate understanding of the drawings, in each figure, an X-axis parallel to the direction of the axis 2 of the actuator 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the axial direction) and an X-axis orthogonal to the X-axis are shown. 1 illustrates a Cartesian coordinate system having a Y-axis and a Z-axis.

(Embodiment 1)
(Configuration of actuator 1)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the actuator 1 includes, for example, a motor 10 and a planetary gear device 20 connected to the motor 10.

The motor 10 includes, for example, a motor body 11 and a rotating shaft 12, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The motor 10 rotates the rotating shaft 12 and drives the planetary gear device 20 under the control of a control section (not shown).

The planetary gear device 20 reduces the rotation input by the motor 10 shown in FIG. 1 at a predetermined reduction ratio and outputs it from the output gear 86a. For example, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the planetary gear device 20 includes a housing 50 having a first housing 30 and a second housing 40, and a planetary gear mechanism 60 housed inside the housing 50. .

The first housing 30 is, for example, a member for attaching the motor 10 to the planetary gear device 20. Further, the first housing 30 is combined with the second housing 40 to form an accommodation space S1 shown in FIG. 5 for accommodating the planetary gear mechanism 60 therein. As shown in FIG. 4, an opening 30a is formed in the center of the first housing 30, through which the rotating shaft 12 of the motor 10 passes. The rotating shaft 12 passed through the opening 30a is fixed (connected) to a sun gear 71 of the planetary gear mechanism 60, which will be described later. The first housing 30 is made of, for example, synthetic resin and is molded by injection molding.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the second housing 40 has an open side (one side) to which the first housing 30 is attached, and the planetary gear mechanism 60 shown in FIG. can be accommodated. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the planetary gear mechanism 60 includes a first planetary gear mechanism 70, a second planetary gear mechanism 80, and an output gear 86a, which are arranged along the axial direction. The planetary gear mechanism 60 decelerates the rotation brought about by the motor 10 (input) in two stages and outputs it from the output gear 86a. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the second housing 40 includes a first part 41 in which the first planetary gear mechanism 70 is housed, a second part 42 in which the second planetary gear mechanism 80 is housed, and a second planetary gear mechanism It has a third portion 43 for projecting the output gear 86a of the gear mechanism 80 to the outside.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the first portion 41 of the second housing 40 includes a cylindrical body 44 and a stopper extending along the axial direction (from one side to the other side in the axial direction). (second convex portion) 45. The stopper 45 has a mountain-shaped cross section when cut along a cross section perpendicular to the axial direction, and its shape and size are constant in the axial direction. Although the stopper 45 is formed in a partial range in the axial direction of the first portion 41, it may be formed over the entire range. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the stoppers 45 are arranged in pairs on the inner wall 44a of the cylindrical body 44 in the circumferential direction. The pair of stoppers 45 are provided, for example, at six locations on the inner wall 44a of the cylindrical body 44 at equal intervals. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, the cross-sectional shape of each stopper 45 includes a rising portion 45a that forms an arc and gradually rises from the inner wall 44a of the cylindrical body 44, a rounded top portion 45c, and a rising portion 45a and a top portion 45c. It has a connecting portion 45b that connects the two while expanding. Note that the cross-sectional shape and size of the stopper 45 are constant in the axial direction. Therefore, as can be understood from, for example, FIG. 6, the rising portion 45a, the connecting portion 45b, and the top portion 45c are curved surfaces that are not curved in the direction parallel to the axis. A movement-limiting convex portion 75 of the internal gear 74 shown in FIG. 13, which will be described later, is inserted between the pair of stoppers 45, thereby restricting movement of the internal gear 74 within the second housing 40.

The second portion 42 of the second housing 40 includes, for example, a cylindrical body 46 and an internal toothed portion 47 formed on the inner wall of the cylindrical body 46, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The internal teeth 47 are, for example, carved obliquely at an angle with respect to the axial direction. That is, the second portion 42 having the internal tooth portion 47 constitutes, for example, a helical gear.

The third portion 43 of the second housing 40 has, for example, a cylindrical shape and has an opening 43a through which the output gear 86a of the planetary gear mechanism 60 shown in FIG. 4 passes. Thereby, the torque output from the output gear 86a can be transmitted to an external mechanism. The second housing 40 is made of synthetic resin, for example, and is molded by injection molding.

In this specification, for convenience, the side of the second housing 40 that is open so that the first housing 30 can be attached is referred to as one side (-X direction side) in FIGS. A certain side of the third portion 43 of the second housing 40 having the opening 43a is called the other side (+X direction side). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the side having the opening 43a of the third portion 43 of the second housing 40 is considered as one side, and the side of the second housing 40 that is open so that the first housing 30 is attached. It may be reread and interpreted so that it is on the other side.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the planetary gear mechanism 60 is housed in the housing 50, reduces the rotation speed transmitted from the motor 10, and outputs it from the output gear 86a. The planetary gear mechanism 60 includes, for example, a first planetary gear mechanism 70 and a second planetary gear mechanism 80 that are arranged along the axial direction.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the first planetary gear mechanism 70 includes a sun gear 71, three (plural) planetary gears 72 arranged around the sun gear 71, and three (plural) ) and an internal gear 74. Although only two planetary gears 72 are shown in FIG. 7 due to the perspective view, another planetary gear 72 is provided at a position hidden behind the carrier 73. Further, a sun gear 81 having a sun tooth portion 81a formed on the outer circumferential surface is integrally molded on the carrier 73 with their axes aligned with each other. As described above, since the sun gear 81 is integrally molded with the carrier 73, it is illustrated in FIG. 7 which shows the first planetary gear mechanism 70 for convenience, but it is functionally similar to the second planetary gear mechanism shown in FIG. It functions as the sun gear of mechanism 80.

The sun gear 71 is an external gear in which a sun tooth portion 71a is formed on the outer peripheral surface, and the rotating shaft 12 of the motor 10 shown in FIG. 4 is fixed (connected) to the sun gear 71. As a result, the sun gear 71 rotates as the motor 10 operates. The sun tooth portion 71a has, for example, spiral teeth cut diagonally with respect to the axis of the sun gear 71. That is, the sun gear 71 is, for example, a helical gear.

The planetary gear 72 is, for example, an external gear in which a planetary tooth portion 72a is formed on the outer peripheral surface. The planetary tooth portion 72a has, for example, spiral teeth cut diagonally with respect to the axis of the planetary gear 72. That is, the planetary gear 72 is, for example, a helical gear. A rotating shaft 72b protruding along the axial direction is formed at the end on the +X side of the planetary gear 72, and a rotating shaft 72c protruding along the axial direction is formed at the end on the -X side. It is formed. The three planetary gears 72 are arranged at equal intervals on the same circle centered on the axis of the first planetary gear mechanism 70. A sun gear 71 is located between the three planet gears 72, and the sun tooth portion 71a is meshed with each of the planet tooth portions 72a of the three planet gears 72.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the carrier 73 includes a first flange portion 73a, a second flange portion 73b provided at a distance from the first flange portion 73a, and a first flange portion 73a and a second flange portion. 73b, and three connecting portions 73c arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. As shown in FIG. 9(b), a circular opening 73d is formed in the center of the second flange portion 73b. This opening 73d opens the -X direction side of the accommodation space S2 formed in the carrier 73. Note that the housing space S2 is a space for housing the sun gear 71 (FIG. 7). Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a sun gear 81 that protrudes toward the +X-axis direction is provided at the center of the first flange portion 73a.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the carrier 73 has three hollow holes 73e formed along the axial direction from the first flange portion 73a to the connecting portion 73c. The three lightening holes 73e are formed at positions corresponding to the connecting portions 73c. Thereby, the weight of the carrier 73 is reduced.

As shown in FIG. 9(a), the first flange portion 73a has a substantially circular shape, and three notches 78 cut out from the outer edge toward the center are located with the center of the first flange portion 73a as a reference point. are arranged at equal angular intervals. The notch portion 78 has an open portion 78a whose width gradually increases toward the outside, and an arcuate portion 78b connected to the open portion 78a inside the first flange portion 73a. Since the arcuate portion 78b has a center angle larger than 180°, the width of the entrance 78c is narrower than the radius of the arcuate portion 78b. Such a notch 78 forms a portion of the first flange portion 73a that is open in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and a rotating shaft 72b of the planetary gear 72 shown in FIG. 8 is inserted into this portion. Ru. That is, the notch portion 78 functions as an insertion portion into which the rotating shaft 72b is inserted.

As shown in FIG. 9(b), the second flange portion 73b has a ring shape with an opening 73d formed in the center, and three notches 79 cut out from the outer edge toward the center form the second flange portion 73b. They are arranged at equal angular intervals with respect to the center of the flange portion 73b. The notch portion 79 has an open portion 79a whose width gradually increases toward the outside, and an arcuate portion 79b connected to the open portion 79a inside the second flange portion 73b. Since the arcuate portion 79b has a center angle larger than 180°, the entrance 79c is provided at a narrow position. Such a notch 79 forms a portion of the second flange portion 73b that is open in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and the rotating shaft 72c of the planetary gear 72 is inserted into this portion. That is, the notch portion 79 functions as an insertion portion into which the rotating shaft 72c is inserted.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the carrier 73 has three accommodation spaces 77 for accommodating the planetary gears 72, which are partitioned by a first flange part 73a, a second flange part 73b, and an adjacent connecting part 73c. It is formed.

The planetary gear 72 is assembled to the carrier 73 by being accommodated in the accommodation space 77 from the outside of the carrier 73, as shown by the arrow in FIG. At this time, the rotating shaft 72b of the planetary gear 72 is inserted into the notch 78, passed over the entrance 78c shown in FIG. 9(a), and is housed in the arcuate portion 78b. Similarly, the rotating shaft 72c of the planetary gear 72 is inserted into the notch 79, passed through the entrance 79c shown in FIG. 9(b), and is housed in the arcuate portion 79b. Thereby, the planetary gear 72 is rotatably held by the arcuate portions 78b, 79b of the carrier 73 that accommodate the rotating shafts 72b, 72c. Note that, as shown in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b), since the inlets 78c and 79c are provided at narrower positions, it is possible to prevent the planetary gear 72 from slipping out from the carrier 73. The planetary gear 72 rotatably held in this manner is in a state in which a portion of the planetary tooth portion 72a protrudes from the outer circumferential surface of the carrier 73. This allows the planetary tooth portion 72a to mesh with an internal tooth portion 74a of an internal gear 74, which will be described later.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the internal gear 74 has an internal toothed portion 74a formed on its inner peripheral surface. The internal gear portion 74a is, for example, a helical gear having spiral teeth cut diagonally with respect to the axis of the internal gear 74. The diameter of the tip circle of the internal gear 74 is larger than the diameter of the carrier 73. Therefore, a carrier 73 holding the planetary gear 72 is housed inside the internal gear 74 . The planetary tooth portion 72a protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the carrier 73 meshes with the internal tooth portion 74a of the internal gear 74.

Further, on the outer circumferential surface of the internal gear 74, for example, as shown in FIG. is formed. The movement-limiting convex portions 75 are provided, for example, in correspondence with the pair of stoppers 45, and are formed at six locations similarly to the pair of stoppers 45. The movement limiting convex portion 75 has a generally triangular cross section when cut along a plane perpendicular to the axial direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 15, the movement limiting convex portion 75 is located, for example, at a location where a linear oblique side portion 75a rising from the outer peripheral surface 74b of the internal gear 74 intersects with an oblique side portion 75a rising from both sides. It has a rounded top 75b. Note that, as shown in FIG. 7, the shape and size of the cross section of the movement limiting convex portion 75 are constant in the axial direction (extending uniformly from one side to the other side in the axial direction). The oblique side portion 75a of the movement-limiting convex portion 75 constitutes a plane area. Although the movement-limiting convex portion 75 is formed over the entire width of the internal gear 74, it may be formed only over a part of the width. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, a hemispherical protrusion 74c is formed on the end surface of the internal gear 74 on the +X direction side. The hemispherical protrusions 74c are formed between adjacent movement-limiting protrusions 75, and are formed at six locations in total. When the internal gear 74 is housed in the first portion 41 of the second housing 40 shown in FIG. It contacts surface 46a (FIGS. 5 and 6). The manner of contact between the protrusion 74c and the stepped surface 46a is a point contact since it is a contact between a spherical surface and a flat surface. The internal gear 74 is made of synthetic resin, for example. Note that, as will be described later, the internal gear 74 is made of a synthetic resin having a lower hardness than the synthetic resin forming the second housing 40 shown in FIG. 13.

As shown in FIG. 13, the second housing 40 and the internal gear 74 are physically separated, and a gap is formed between them when the actuator 1 is not operating. Therefore, the internal gear 74 is in a floating state within the second housing 40 and rotates around the axial direction within the second housing 40 by the gap provided between the internal gear 74 and the second housing 40. Movement in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction is permitted. Then, the movement limiting convex portion 75 formed on the internal gear 74 comes into contact with the pair of stoppers 45, thereby restricting further movement of the internal gear 74.

The second planetary gear mechanism 80, which is another planetary gear mechanism, includes, for example, a sun gear 81, three planetary gears 82, and a carrier 83 that rotatably holds the three planetary gears 82, as shown in FIG. and an output shaft 86. Although only two planetary gears 82 are shown in FIG. 10 due to the perspective view, another planetary gear 82 is provided at a position hidden behind the carrier 83.

The sun gear 81 is, for example, an external gear having a sun tooth portion 81a formed on its outer peripheral surface, and is integrally molded with the carrier 73 of the first planetary gear mechanism 70 shown in FIG. 7 with their axes aligned. (connected). Accordingly, as the carrier 73 of the first planetary gear mechanism 70 rotates, the sun gear 81 rotates in the same manner as the rotation of the carrier 73 of the first planetary gear mechanism 70 (synchronized, interlocked). That is, as the carrier 73 of the first planetary gear mechanism 70 rotates, the sun gear 81 rotates in the same rotational direction as the carrier 73 of the first planetary gear mechanism 70 and at the same rotational speed as the carrier 73 of the first planetary gear mechanism 70 . Rotate. The sun tooth portion 81a has, for example, spiral teeth cut diagonally with respect to the axis of the sun gear 81. That is, the sun gear 81 is, for example, a helical gear.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the planetary gear 82 is, for example, an external gear in which a planetary tooth portion 82a is formed on the outer peripheral surface. The planetary tooth portion 82a has, for example, spiral teeth cut diagonally with respect to the axis of the planetary gear 82. That is, the planetary gear 82 is, for example, a helical gear. A rotating shaft 82b that projects along the axial direction is formed at the end on the +X side of the planetary gear 82, and a rotating shaft 82c that projects along the axial direction is formed at the end on the -X side. It is formed. For example, the three planetary gears 82 are arranged at equal intervals on the same circle centered on the axis of the second planetary gear mechanism 80. A sun gear 81 is located between the three planet gears 82, and the sun tooth portion 81a is meshed with each of the planet tooth portions 82a of the three planet gears 82. Further, the planetary gear 82 is meshed with an internal tooth portion 47 formed in the second housing 40 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

The carrier 83 has a gear holding part 84 that holds the planetary gear 82 and an output shaft holding part 85 that holds the output shaft 86. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the gear holding portion 84 includes a first flange portion 83a, a second flange portion 83b provided at a distance from the first flange portion 83a, and a first flange portion 83a and a second flange portion 83a. It has three connecting portions 83c arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction and connecting to the flange portion 83b. As shown in FIG. 12(b), a circular opening 83d is formed in the center of the second flange portion 83b. This opening 83d opens the −X direction side of the accommodation space S3 formed in the carrier 83. Note that the housing space S3 is a space for housing the sun gear 81 (FIG. 10). Further, at the center of the first flange portion 83a, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, an output shaft holding portion 85 that protrudes toward the +X-axis direction side is provided.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the carrier 83 has three lightening holes 83e formed along the axial direction from the first flange portion 83a to the connecting portion 83c. The three lightening holes 83e are formed at positions corresponding to the connecting portions 83c. Thereby, the weight of the carrier 83 is reduced.

As shown in FIG. 12(a), the first flange portion 83a has a substantially circular shape, and three notches 88 cut out from the outer edge toward the center are located with the center of the first flange portion 83a as a reference point. are arranged at equal angular intervals. The notch portion 88 has an open portion 88a whose width gradually increases toward the outside, and an arcuate portion 88b connected to the open portion 88a inside the first flange portion 83a. Since the central angle of the circular arc portion 88b is larger than 180°, the width of the entrance 88c is narrower than the radius of the circular arc portion 88b. Such a notch 88 forms a portion of the first flange portion 83a that is open in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and a rotating shaft 82b of the planetary gear 82 shown in FIG. 11 is inserted into this portion. Ru.

As shown in FIG. 12(b), the second flange portion 83b has a ring shape with an opening 83d formed in the center, and three notches 89 cut out from the outer edge toward the center. They are arranged at equal angular intervals with respect to the center of the second flange portion 83b. The notch portion 89 has an open portion 89a whose width gradually increases toward the outside, and an arcuate portion 89b connected to the open portion 89a inside the second flange portion 83b. Since the central angle of the circular arc portion 89b is larger than 180°, the width of the entrance 89c is narrower than the radius of the circular arc portion 89b. Such a notch 89 forms a portion of the second flange portion 83b that is open in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and the rotating shaft 82c of the planetary gear 82 is inserted into this portion.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the carrier 83 has three accommodation spaces 87 for accommodating the planetary gears 82, which are partitioned by a first flange part 83a, a second flange part 83b, and an adjacent connecting part 83c. It is formed.

The planetary gear 82 is assembled to the carrier 83 by being accommodated in the accommodation space 87 from the outside of the carrier 83, as shown by the arrow in FIG. At this time, the rotating shaft 82b of the planetary gear 82 is inserted into the notch 88, passed through the entrance 88c shown in FIG. 12(a), and accommodated in the arcuate portion 88b. Similarly, the rotating shaft 82c of the planetary gear 82 is inserted into the notch 89, passed through the entrance 89c shown in FIG. 12(b), and accommodated in the arcuate portion 89b. Thereby, the planetary gear 82 is rotatably held by the arcuate portions 88b, 89b of the carrier 83 that accommodate the rotating shafts 82b, 82c. Note that, as shown in FIGS. 12(a) and 12(b), since the entrances 88c and 89c are provided at narrow positions, the planetary gear 82 can be prevented from slipping out from the carrier 83. The planetary gear 82 rotatably held in this manner is in a state in which a portion of the planetary tooth portion 82a protrudes from the outer circumferential surface of the carrier 83. This allows the planetary tooth portion 82a to mesh with the internal tooth portion 47 formed on the second housing 40. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the output shaft holding portion 85 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a smaller diameter than the gear holding portion 84, and the output shaft holding portion 85 has a central portion for holding the output shaft 86. A fitting hole 85a is formed.

For example, the output shaft 86 is held by the carrier 83 and rotates together with the carrier 83. The output shaft 86 has an output gear 86a having knurled teeth on the shaft. That is, the output shaft 86 constitutes a gear having knurled teeth, for example.

(Operation of actuator 1)
Next, an example of the operation of the actuator 1 will be described. First, when the motor 10 shown in FIG. 4 operates, the rotating shaft 12 rotates in the first direction or the second direction. Hereinafter, a case where the rotating shaft 12 rotates in the first direction will be described.

Note that the first direction regarding the rotational direction of each member is a clockwise direction when each member is viewed from the direction indicated by arrow AII shown in FIG. On the other hand, the second direction regarding the rotational direction of each member is a counterclockwise direction when each member is viewed from the direction indicated by arrow AII shown in FIG.

When the rotating shaft 12 rotates in the first direction, the sun gear 71 shown in FIGS. 3 and 7 rotates in the first direction as the rotating shaft 12 rotates. As the sun gear 71 rotates in the first direction, the three planetary gears 72 meshed with the sun gear 71 each rotate (rotate) in the second direction. At this time, the rotating shafts 72b and 72c protruding from both ends of the planetary gear 72 shown in FIG. 8 rotate while being accommodated in the arcuate portions 78b and 79b shown in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b). Further, since the planetary gear 72 is meshed with the internal gear 74, by rotating (rotating) in the second direction, the planetary gear 72 rotates (revolutions) around the axis of the first planetary gear mechanism 70 in the first direction. As the planetary gear 72 rotates (revolutions), the carrier 73 rotates (rotates) in the first direction about its own central axis.

In this way, when the carrier 73 rotates in the first direction, the sun gear 81 shown in FIGS. 3, 7, and 10 fixed to the carrier 73 rotates in the first direction. As the sun gear 81 rotates in the first direction, the three planetary gears 82 meshed with the sun gear 81 each rotate (rotate) in the second direction. At this time, the rotating shafts 82b and 82c protruding from both ends of the planetary gear 82 shown in FIG. 10 rotate while being accommodated in the arcuate portions 88b and 89b shown in FIGS. 12(a) and 12(b). Furthermore, since the planetary gear 82 meshes with the internal tooth portion 47 shown in FIGS. Rotates (revolutions) in one direction. As the planetary gear 82 rotates (revolutions) in the first direction, the carrier 83 rotates (rotates) in the first direction about its own central axis. The rotation of the carrier 83 is then transmitted to the output shaft 86 held by the carrier 83.

In the above, a case has been described in which the rotating shaft 12 rotates in the first direction, but if the rotating shaft 12 is rotated in the second direction, the rotation direction of each gear is simply reversed, and the actuator 1 is rotated in the same way. Be able to explain the operation.

As described above, the second housing 40 and the internal gear 74 are physically separated. When the actuator 1 is not operating, a gap is formed between the second housing 40 and the internal gear 74. When the actuator 1 operates, the internal gear 74 is allowed to rotate around the axis and move in a direction perpendicular to the axis within the second housing 40 by the amount of the gap provided. For example, if the internal gear 74 rotates in the first direction (clockwise) from the state shown in FIG. , makes line contact with a corresponding stopper 45 formed on the second housing 40. As a result, the internal gear 74 can no longer rotate clockwise. Since the stoppers 45 are formed in pairs, even when the internal gear 74 rotates in the second direction (counterclockwise), they are in line contact and the rotation of the internal gear 74 around the axis is restricted. .

Further, assume that the internal gear 74 moves from the state shown in FIG. 13 in a direction perpendicular to the axis, for example, upward in the figure. Then, as shown in FIG. 17, the movement limiting convex portion 75 formed on the internal gear 74 at the upper part in the figure comes into line contact with the pair of stoppers 45 formed on the second housing 40. As a result, the internal gear 74 cannot move upward any further, and its movement in the direction perpendicular to the axis is restricted. At this time, the top 75b of the internal gear 74 (more specifically, the top 75b of the movement limiting convex portion 75) comes into contact with the second housing 40 (more specifically, the inner wall 44a of the cylindrical body 44). contact). Note that the restriction on the movement of the internal gear 74 in the direction orthogonal to the axis is not limited to the case where the internal gear 74 moves upward. Since the six movement-limiting protrusions 75 and the pair of stoppers 45 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, movement of the internal gear 74 in various directions such as the vertical direction, the left-right direction, and the diagonal direction is restricted. be able to.

(effect)
According to the embodiment described above, in the planetary gear 72 of the first planetary gear mechanism 70 shown in FIG. 7, the rotational shaft 72b and rotational shaft 72c protruding from both ends and the planetary tooth portion 72a are integrally molded. . Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced compared to a configuration in which the rotating shaft is an independent separate part. Further, when assembling the planetary gear 72 to the carrier 73, there is no need for a process of assembling the rotating shaft and the planetary gear in advance, so the process of assembling the planetary gear device can be simplified. Similarly, the planetary gear 82 of the second planetary gear mechanism 80 shown in FIG. 10 has a structure in which a rotating shaft 82b and a rotating shaft 82c protruding from both ends and a planetary tooth portion 82a are integrally molded. Thereby, the number of parts of the planetary gear device can be reduced, and the assembly process can be simplified.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, a notch 78 and a notch 79 are formed in the carrier 73, which are open in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, and the rotation shaft 72b of the planetary gear 72 can be rotated by the notch 78. The rotation shaft 72c of the planetary gear 72 is rotatably supported by the notch 79. With this configuration, by inserting the rotating shaft 72b into the notch 78 from a direction perpendicular to the axial direction and inserting the rotating shaft 72c into the notch 79 from a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, the planetary gear 72 can be easily assembled to the carrier 73. Similarly, in the carrier 83 of the second planetary gear mechanism 80 shown in FIG. 11, a notch 88 and a notch 89 are formed which are open in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction. Thereby, the planetary gear 82 can be easily assembled to the carrier 83.

Further, in the first planetary gear mechanism 70, the rotating shafts 72b and 72c of the planetary gears 72 are rotatably supported by circular arc portions 78b and circular arc portions 79b whose center angles are larger than 180°. By making the arcuate portions 78b and 79b larger than the central angle of 180° in this manner, the inlets 78c and 79c can be provided at narrow positions. Thereby, during the operation of the planetary gear 72, the rotating shaft 72b and the rotating shaft 72c can be prevented from slipping out from the circular arc portions 78b and the circular arc portions 79b. Also, in the carrier 83 of the second planetary gear mechanism 80, as shown in FIGS. 12(a) and 12(b), a circular arc portion 88b and a circular arc portion 89b whose center angle is larger than 180° are formed. Thereby, during the operation of the planetary gear 82, the rotating shaft 82b and the rotating shaft 82c can be prevented from slipping out from the circular arc portions 88b and 89b.

In addition, in the structure of the separated internal gear 74 and the second housing 40, even if the internal gear 74 moves during operation of the actuator 1, the stopper 45 and the movement limiting convex portion 75 are in line contact, so that the internal gear 74 movement can be restricted. FIG. 16 shows a state in which the internal gear 74 and the second housing 40 are in line contact as the internal gear 74 rotates around the axis. At this time, the pair of stoppers 45 and the movement limiting convex portion 75 come into contact at all six locations, but the manner of contact is the same. Therefore, one contact point at the upper part of the figure will be described with reference to the enlarged view of FIG. 16. As shown in the figure, the contact point between the connecting portion 45b of the stopper 45, which is illustrated by a bulging convex curve, and the oblique side portion 75a of the movement limiting convex portion 75, which is illustrated by a straight line, is indicated by a contact point P1. I can do it. In other words, contact occurs within an extremely limited range. Note that the cross section of the second housing 40 and the cross section of the internal gear 74 have a constant shape and size in the axial direction. Therefore, the contact between the connecting portion 45b and the oblique side portion 75a is a contact between a convex curved surface having no bend in a direction parallel to the axis and a plane parallel to the axis. Thereby, as in the contact area 90 shown in FIG. 18, the contact between the internal gear 74 and the second housing 40 is a line contact along the axial direction parallel to the X-axis.

Further, FIG. 17 shows a state in which the second housing 40 and the internal gear 74 are in contact with each other due to the internal gear 74 moving in a direction perpendicular to the axis, for example, upward in the figure. As shown in FIG. 17, there are four contact points between the second housing 40 and the internal gear 74, indicated by contact points P2 to P5. As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 17, the contact points P2 and P3 are connected to the connecting portion 45b of the stopper 45, which is illustrated by a bulging convex curve, and the hypotenuse portion 75a of the movement-limiting convex portion 75, which is illustrated by a straight line. This is the point of contact. Similar to the above, such a contact point is a contact between a convex curved surface having no bend in a direction parallel to the axis and a plane parallel to the axis, so that the two come into line contact. Further, the contact between the stopper 45 and the movement limiting convex portion 75 at the contact points P4 and P5 is also a line contact since the convex curved surface and the flat surface are in contact.

In this way, by arranging the chevron-shaped stoppers 45 having a convex curved surface in pairs and inserting the triangular movement-limiting convex part 75 having a flat slope between them, the internal gear 74 The contact between the outer circumferential surface of the internal gear 74 and the inner circumferential surface of the second housing 40 remains in line contact even when the internal gear 74 rotates around the axis or moves in a direction perpendicular to the axis. I can do it. Since the contact area between the outer circumferential surface of the internal gear 74 and the inner circumferential surface of the second housing 40 that are in line contact in this manner is small, vibrations from the operating internal gear 74 are difficult to be transmitted to the second housing 40 . This suppresses the vibration of the second housing 40 that is transmitted and generated from the first planetary gear mechanism 70, thereby suppressing the noise generated from the planetary gear apparatus 20 due to the vibration caused by the first planetary gear mechanism 70. be able to.

Note that the "line contact" described in this specification refers to a contact state in which the contact portion has a linear shape, and is simply indicated by only one point of contact in each cross section. This does not mean only a contact state in which the width W in the contact area 90 is sufficiently smaller than the length L, as shown in FIG. 18. In addition, "line contact" described in this specification further refers to contact in a scattered manner so that the width W in the contact area 90 forms a line shape when an imaginary line is drawn along the axial direction (sparse contact). (contact) shall also be included. Moreover, the term "line contact" described in this specification further includes a contact state in which the width W in the contact area 90 is not in the axial direction but in a linear shape so as to draw a diagonal line. Furthermore, the term "line contact" described herein means that the width W in the contact area 90 forms a line shape when an imaginary line is drawn not in the axial direction but in the diagonal direction. It also includes a contact state in which contact is made in a scattered manner (contact is sparse).

Further, a hemispherical protrusion 74c is formed on the end surface of the internal gear 74 on the +X direction side, and the protrusion 74c is brought into contact with the step surface 46a (FIGS. 5 and 6) of the second housing 40. The manner of contact between the protrusion 74c and the stepped surface 46a can be limited to a point contact. This makes it difficult to transmit vibrations from the operating internal gear 74 to the second housing 40.

Further, as shown in FIG. 15, the cross section of the movement limiting convex portion 75 cut along a plane perpendicular to the axis is triangular, and the tapered apex 75b is directed outward, so that the inner surface during injection molding is The gear 74 can be removed from the mold easily. Thereby, the yield can be improved.

Further, as shown in FIG. 19, linear oblique sides 75a are formed on both sides of a cross section of the movement limiting convex portion 75 taken along a plane perpendicular to the axial direction. Further, in FIG. 19, as a comparative example of the movement-limiting convex portion 75, a movement-limiting convex portion 100 having a bulged shape on both sides is illustrated by a two-dot chain line. Comparing the two, the cross-sectional area of the movement-limiting convex portion 75 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the movement-limiting convex portion 100 by the area of the hatched area. Thereby, in this embodiment, the weight of the internal gear 74 can be reduced, so that the load on the motor 10 can be reduced, and manufacturing costs can be reduced. Further, since the operating internal gear 74 can be made lighter, in this embodiment, the impact when the internal gear 74 contacts the second housing 40 can be reduced (suppressed), and therefore the vibration of the second housing can also be reduced. It can be made smaller (suppressed).

Further, the internal gear 74 is made of a synthetic resin having a lower hardness than the synthetic resin forming the second housing 40 . As the synthetic resin forming the internal gear 74 and the second housing 40, it is preferable to use engineering plastics and super engineering plastics from the viewpoints of mechanical strength, wear resistance, heat resistance, and the like. Examples of these synthetic resins include ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHPE), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyarylate (PAR), polyacetal (POM), polyamide (PA), polycarbonate (PC), and polybutylene terephthalate (PBT). , polyether sulfone (PES), polyether ether ketone (PEEK), and the like.

The synthetic resins forming the internal gear 74 and the second housing 40 may be the same material or different materials. It can be selected as appropriate within the range that provides the effects of the present invention.

Among the above synthetic resins, examples of relatively soft synthetic resins suitable for forming the internal gear 74 include ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHPE), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyarylate (PAR), and polyacetal (POM). ), it is desirable to use polyamide (PA). In addition, examples of relatively hard synthetic resins suitable for forming the second housing 40 include polycarbonate (PC), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyether sulfone (PES), polyphenylene sulfite (PPS), and polycarbonate. Preference is given to using ether ether ketone (PEEK), polyacetal (POM), polyamide (PA). In addition, when using synthetic resin materials having the same main components as the synthetic resin material (material) forming the internal gear 74 and the second housing 40, the synthetic resin material forming the second housing 40 may be made by changing the density etc. of the synthetic resin. It is desirable that the resin be harder.

In this embodiment, by forming the internal gear 74 from a synthetic resin having a lower hardness than the second housing 40, it is possible to soften the impact when the internal gear 74 contacts the second housing 40. , the vibrations generated in the second housing 40 can be further reduced (suppressed). As a result, in this embodiment, it is possible to further reduce (suppress) the noise caused by the vibration of the second housing 40, and further to reduce the sound when the internal gear 74 and the second housing 40 collide ( can be suppressed). Furthermore, noise generated from the planetary gear device 20 due to vibrations caused by the first planetary gear mechanism 70 can be suppressed.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the configuration in which the housing and the internal gear are separated is not applied to the second stage planetary gear mechanism that rotates at low speed, but only to the first stage planetary gear mechanism that rotates at high speed. It is applied to In other words, in this embodiment, a structure in which the internal gear is floating is adopted for a mechanism that rotates at high speed where vibration and noise are likely to become large, and a structure in which the internal gear is floating is adopted for a mechanism that rotates at low speed where vibration and noise are relatively less likely to become large. , adopts a housing structure with internal teeth. As a result, in this embodiment, it is possible to suppress the vibration and noise of the planetary gear set caused by the planetary gear set, and also to prevent an unnecessary increase in the number of parts of the planetary gear set, and an increase in assembly work and assembly cost. I can do it. As a result, the manufacturing cost of the planetary gear device can be reduced. In this way, depending on the rotational mode of the planetary gear mechanism, two mechanisms with different configurations can be employed as appropriate, and both mechanisms can coexist.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described, which has many configurations in common with the first embodiment. Therefore, the following description will focus on different configurations, and common configurations will be given the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions will be omitted. In addition, in the following embodiments, since the same configuration is applied to the first planetary gear mechanism and the second planetary gear mechanism, the configuration of the second planetary gear mechanism is used as an example to avoid redundant explanation. I will list and explain.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment described above, the notch portion formed in the carrier was formed from the outer edge of each flange portion toward the center. On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 20(a) and 20(b), the notch formed in the carrier in the second embodiment has a diameter from the outer edge of the flange portions 183a, 183b so as to have a component around the axis. It is formed with an inclination to the direction.

As shown in FIG. 20(a), the first flange portion 183a of the carrier 183 has a substantially circular shape. The first flange portion 183a is formed with three notches 188 that are inclined with respect to the radial direction so as to have a component around the axis from the outer edge. The three notches 188 are arranged at equal angular intervals with the center of the first flange 183a as a reference. The cutout portion 188 is connected to a first curved portion 188a extending in a counterclockwise direction when viewed from the +X-axis direction from the outer edge of the first flange portion 183a, and to the first curved portion 188a on the inside of the first flange portion 183a. The second curved portion 188c is parallel to the first curved portion 188a and is connected to the circular arc portion 188b on the outside of the first flange portion 183a. Since the arcuate portion 188b has a center angle larger than 180°, a corner portion 188d is formed at the connection point with the first curved portion 188a. The notch portion 188 configured in this manner forms a portion of the first flange portion 183a that is open in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

As shown in FIG. 20(b), the second flange portion 183b is also formed with a notch similar to the first flange portion 183a. That is, the second flange portion 183b is formed with three notches 189 that are inclined with respect to the radial direction so as to have a component around the axis from the outer edge. Note that since the viewing directions are different between FIG. 20(a) seen from the +X-axis direction and FIG. 20(b) seen from the -X-axis direction, the directions around the axis of the notch are opposite. There is. That is, the notch portion 189 includes a first curved portion 189a extending clockwise from the outer edge of the second flange portion 183b, and a circular arc portion 189b connected to the first curved portion 189a inside the second flange portion 183b. , has a second curved portion 189c parallel to the first curved portion 189a, which is connected to the circular arc portion 189b on the outside of the second flange portion 183b. Since the arcuate portion 189b has a central angle larger than 180°, a corner portion 189d is formed at the connection point with the first curved portion 189a. The notch portion 189 configured in this manner forms a portion of the second flange portion 183b that is open in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

When assembling the planetary gear 82 to the carrier 183, first, the rotating shafts 82b, 82c of the planetary gear 82 are inserted into the notches 188, 189 of the carrier 183 as indicated by arrows 101. Then, the rotary shafts 82b, 82c are further inserted and passed over the corner portions 188d, 189d, and the rotary shafts 82b, 82c are housed in the circular arc portions 188b, 189b. Thereby, the planetary gear 82 can be rotatably held by the carrier 183.

Here, when the sun gear 81 shown in FIG. 10 rotates, the three planetary gears 82 meshed with the sun gear 81 rotate, respectively. Assume that the planetary gear 82 shown in FIG. 20(a) rotates (revolutions) in a counterclockwise direction (at this time, the planetary gear 82 shown in FIG. 20(b) is clockwise in the opposite direction). At this time, the rotation shaft 82b of the planetary gear presses the notch 188 in the direction of rotation (revolution), that is, the direction of the arrow F1, and rotates the carrier 183. Similarly, the rotating shaft 82c of the planetary gear 82 presses the notch 189 in the direction of arrow F4, rotating the carrier 183, as shown in FIG. 20(b). Open portions of the first flange portion 183a and the second flange portion 183b are not formed in the direction of the arrow F1 and the direction of the arrow F4. Therefore, the rotating shafts 82b and 82c do not slip out of the carrier 183 during the operation of the planetary gear 82.

On the other hand, it is assumed that the planetary gear 82 shown in FIG. 20(a) rotates (revolutions) in a clockwise direction (at this time, the planetary gear 82 shown in FIG. 20(b) is counterclockwise in the opposite direction). At this time, the rotation shaft 82b of the planetary gear 82 presses the notch 188 in the direction of rotation (revolution), that is, the direction of arrow F2, and rotates the carrier 183. Similarly, the rotating shaft 82c of the planetary gear 82 presses the notch 189 in the direction of arrow F3, rotating the carrier 183, as shown in FIG. 20(b). When the planetary gear 82 rotates (revolutions) in this way, the rotating shaft 82b shown in FIG. 20(a) comes into contact with the corner 188d. This can prevent the rotating shaft 82b from slipping out of the notch 188 while the planetary gear 82 is in operation. Similarly, when the planetary gear 82 rotates in the direction F3, the rotating shaft 82c shown in FIG. 20(b) comes into contact with the corner 189d. This can prevent the rotating shaft 82c from slipping out of the notch 189 while the planetary gear 82 is in operation.

In this way, the shape of the notch can be changed to another shape while ensuring the function as a planetary gear device. Other effects achieved by this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment.

(Embodiment 3)
The third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that through holes 283c, 283d, 283e, and 283f are formed on both sides of each notch 88 and 89, as shown in FIG. 21. Note that the other configurations are the same as the configuration of the first embodiment.

When the planetary gear 82 shown in FIG. 21(a) rotates (revolutions) counterclockwise in the figure, the first flange portion adjacent to the notch portion 88 presses the notch portion 88 in the direction of arrow F5. A through hole 283c is formed at the position 283a. Similarly, when the planetary gear 82 shown in FIG. A through hole 283f is formed at the position of the portion 283b.

On the other hand, when the planetary gear 82 shown in FIG. A through hole 283d is formed at the position of the portion 283a. Similarly, when the planetary gear 82 shown in FIG. 21(b) rotates (revolutions) counterclockwise in the figure, the second A through hole 283e is formed at the flange portion 283b.

As shown in FIG. 21(b), the through hole 283f is defined by a circular arc 251, a circular arc 252 having a larger radius than the circular arc 251, and line segments 253 and 254 connecting the ends of the circular arc 251 and the circular arc 252. It is a hole made by The through hole 283f is arranged such that the circular arc 251 having a smaller radius is close to the circular arc portion 89b of the notch portion 89. The other through holes 283c, 283d, and 283e also have similar shapes and are arranged in the same manner.

In this way, the through holes 283c, 283d, 283e, and 283f are located adjacent to the notches 88, 89, and the rotating shafts 82b, 82c press the notches 88, 89 during the operation of the planetary gear 82. It is placed in the direction. Thereby, the rigidity of the notch portions 88 and 89 pressed by the rotating shafts 82b and 82c can be reduced and elasticity can be added. Therefore, vibrations and sounds generated when the planetary gear 82 operates can be absorbed, and vibrations and noise generated from the planetary gear device can be suppressed. Other functions and effects are the same as those of the first embodiment.

(Embodiment 4)
In the above embodiment, a planetary gear with a rotating shaft protruding from both ends has been described. However, the planetary gear according to the fourth embodiment is different from the planetary gears of the above embodiments in that the rotation shaft is formed only at one end of the planetary gear.

As shown in FIG. 22, the second planetary gear mechanism 380 includes three planetary gears 382, a carrier 383 that rotatably supports the three planetary gears 382, and a planetary gear holder 350. Note that since the sun gear and the output shaft are the same as those shown in FIG. 10, illustration in FIG. 22 is omitted.

The planetary gear 382 is, for example, an external gear in which a planetary tooth portion 82a is formed on the outer peripheral surface. As shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, a rotating shaft 82b is formed at the end of the planetary gear 382 on the +X-axis direction side in the axial direction, and protrudes along the axial direction. On the other hand, the end on the −X-axis direction side is not provided with a rotating shaft, and as shown in FIG. 23, a recess 382c into which the pin 352 of the planetary gear holder 350 shown in FIG. 22 is inserted is formed. ing.

As shown in FIG. 24(a), the configuration of the first flange portion 83a of the carrier 383 that holds the rotating shaft 82b of the planetary gear 382 is similar to the configuration of the first flange portion 83a of the first embodiment. On the other hand, the configuration of the second flange portion 383b provided on the −X-axis direction side where the rotation axis of the planetary gear 382 is not provided is different from the configuration of the second flange portion of the first embodiment. The second flange portion 383b does not have a cutout portion into which the rotation shaft of the planetary gear is inserted. Further, the second flange 383b is formed with an insertion hole 383c through which the pin 352 of the planetary gear holder 350 is inserted. Furthermore, an accommodation recess 383d for accommodating the ring part 351 of the planetary gear holder 350 is formed on the -X-axis side surface of the second flange part 383b.

As shown in FIG. 22, the planetary gear holder 350 includes a ring portion 351 formed in a ring shape and three pins 352 protruding from the ring portion 351. Each of the three pins 352 is passed through a corresponding insertion hole 383c formed in the second flange portion 383b and inserted into a recess 382c of the planetary gear 382 shown in FIG. 23.

When assembling the planetary gear 382 to the carrier 383, the rotating shaft 82b of the planetary gear 382 is first inserted into the notch 88. Then, the rotary shaft 82b is further inserted, passed through the entrance 88c shown in FIG. 24(a), and housed in the arcuate portion 88b. In this way, by housing one end of the planetary gear 382 in the circular arc portion 88b, the planetary gear 382 can be roughly positioned. Then, one ends of all three planetary gears 382 are accommodated in the circular arc portion 88b and held by the carrier 383. Subsequently, the three pins 352 formed on the planetary gear holder 350 are passed through the corresponding insertion holes 383c formed on the second flange portion 383b, and inserted into the recess 382c of the planetary gear 382 shown in FIG. 23. Note that the ring portion 351 of the planetary gear holder 350 is accommodated in a housing recess 383d shown in FIG. 24 formed in the second flange portion 383b. With the above, the planetary gear 382 can be rotatably held in the carrier 383.

In this way, the planetary gear 382 is provided with the rotating shaft 82b protruding from one end. Then, by inserting the rotating shaft 82b into the notch 88 formed in the carrier 383, the planetary gear 382 can be roughly positioned. Thereby, the pin 352 formed on the planetary gear holder 350 can be smoothly inserted into the recess 382c of the planetary gear 382, and the planetary gear 382 can be easily assembled to the carrier 383.

(Modified example)
This invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and applications are possible. In the embodiment described above, the first planetary gear mechanism 70 and the second planetary gear mechanism 80 have the same structure for attaching the planetary gears to the carrier, but the respective structures may be different. For example, the configuration of the various embodiments can be applied arbitrarily, such as applying the configuration of the first embodiment to the first planetary gear mechanism 70 and applying the configuration of the second embodiment to the second planetary gear mechanism 80. I can do it.

Furthermore, the shape of the notch formed in the carrier is not limited to the above embodiment. As described with reference to FIG. 20, the rotation shaft of the planetary gear applies a force in the direction of rotation (revolution). Therefore, the operating planetary gear is difficult to move in the direction (radial direction) of coming out of the notch. Therefore, the cutout portion may be a simple U-shaped cutout toward the center, or a rectangular cutout.

Furthermore, the shapes of the through holes 283c, 283d, 283e, and 283f formed on both sides of the notch are not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 21, but can be formed in any shape. For example, it may be circular, rectangular, or triangular. Alternatively, elasticity may be added to the notch by forming a plurality of small through holes around the notch.

Furthermore, the carrier may have a shape without a notch. That is, the carrier may have a shape having a through hole or a recess into which the rotating shaft of the planetary gear is inserted. In this case, after the planet gear is placed in the housing portion of the carrier, the rotating shaft is inserted into the through hole or the recess by moving the planet gear in the axial direction. Thereafter, as in the fourth embodiment, a pin is inserted into the planetary gear to assemble it.

Furthermore, although the planetary gear has been described as having a rotating shaft integrally molded, the manufacturing method of the planetary gear is arbitrary. For example, a planetary gear may be manufactured by manufacturing the rotating shaft as a separate member and fixing it to the gear portion. Even with such a configuration, the planetary gears can be easily assembled, and the planetary gear device can be easily assembled.

Further, in the above embodiment, the second housing 40 is provided with a pair of stoppers 45, and the internal gear 74 is provided with a movement limiting convex portion 75 that is inserted between the pair of stoppers 45. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the installation locations of the pair of stoppers 45 and the movement-limiting convex portion 75 are replaced, the movement-limiting convex portion 75 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the second housing 40, and the outer circumference of the internal gear 74 is A configuration in which a pair of stoppers 45 are provided on the surface may be adopted.

Further, the cross section of the pair of stoppers 45 is made into a chevron shape, and the cross section of the movement limiting convex part 75 is made into a triangular shape. The cross-sectional shape may be changed such that the cross-sectional shape is chevron-shaped.

Further, the number of locations where the pair of stoppers 45 and the corresponding movement limiting protrusions 75 are installed is not particularly limited, and may be greater than the six locations shown in the above embodiment, or may be less. You can also use it as

Furthermore, by bringing the convex curved surface of the pair of stoppers 45 into contact with the flat surface of the movement-limiting convex portion 75, a line contact was made between the two, but a line contact can be achieved by bringing a piece of a different shape into contact. You can also do that. Next, another embodiment for realizing line contact will be described with reference to FIG. 25. The difference from the configuration shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 13 is that the cross section of the movement limiting convex portion (first convex portion) 175 is not triangular but has a rounded mountain shape. Note that the configuration of the second housing 40 is similar to the configuration shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 13. In FIG. 25, the internal gear 174 is shown in solid lines when the actuator is not operating. Furthermore, the internal gear 174 indicated by the two-dot chain line moves upward and is in contact with the second housing 40 due to the actuator's operation. As shown in FIG. 25, the contact between the pair of stoppers 45 and the movement-limiting convex portion 175 is the contact between their convex curved surfaces, and the contact points P6 and P7 between the pair of stoppers 45 and the movement-limiting convex portion 175 Line contact occurs. In this way, in this embodiment, line contact is achieved by bringing convex curved surfaces with bulges into contact with each other.

In addition, the present invention is not limited to this, and the second housing 40 locally has a concave portion with a large curvature, the internal gear 74 has a convex curved surface with a smaller curvature, and the concave curved surface with a large curvature and the bulge. It is also possible to realize line contact by making contact with a convex curved surface having . In addition, the configuration itself for realizing line contact is arbitrary.

In addition, in other embodiments that realize the above-mentioned line contact, the configuration of the internal gear and the configuration of the second housing at the location where the line contact is made can be replaced.

Further, the actuator 1 is provided with a two-stage planetary gear mechanism including a first planetary gear mechanism 70 and a second planetary gear mechanism 80 as a speed reducer that decelerates the rotation of the motor 10, but the number of stages can be set arbitrarily. be able to. For example, three or more stages of the planetary gear mechanism may be provided to further increase the reduction ratio, or the configuration may include only one stage of the planetary gear mechanism.

Further, in the above embodiment, the configuration in which the housing and the internal gear are separated is applied only to the first planetary gear mechanism 70, which is the first stage mechanism that rotates at high speed, and The second planetary gear mechanism 80, which is a mechanism, is equipped with a housing in which internal teeth are formed on the inner peripheral surface. However, the second planetary gear mechanism 80, which is the second stage mechanism, may also adopt a configuration in which the housing and the internal gear are separated to reduce vibration and noise.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which the present invention is used as a speed reducer that decelerates the rotation of the motor 10 and outputs it from the output gear 86a, but the application is not limited to this. For example, the part where the output shaft 86 shown in FIG. 10 is provided is the input side and the rotating shaft of the motor is connected, and the part where the sun gear 71 shown in FIG. 7 is provided is the output side and the output shaft is connected. Good too. Thereby, it can be used as a speed increaser that speeds up and outputs the rotation of the motor. Also in this case, since the first planetary gear mechanism 70 shown in FIG. 7 operates at higher speed, it is preferable to adopt a structure in which the internal gear and the housing are separated. Moreover, since the rotation of the motor is directly transmitted to the second planetary gear mechanism 80 shown in FIG. 10, it is preferable to adopt a structure in which the internal gear and the housing are separated, if necessary. Further, the present invention may be applied to industrial machines such as robots and machine tools, and play equipment such as so-called coffee cups.

Further, when using the present invention in various applications, when a planetary gear mechanism with three or more stages is provided, the separation structure of the internal gear and the housing is applied to the planetary gear mechanism that operates at the highest speed. Thereby, generation of vibration and noise can be effectively reduced. Furthermore, since the planetary gear mechanism that operates at the lowest speed generates less vibration and noise, a configuration is applied that includes a housing having internal teeth formed on the inner circumferential surface. This eliminates the need for an unnecessarily separate structure between the internal gear and the housing, which prevents an increase in the number of parts, assembly work, and assembly costs, and ultimately reduces production costs. .

Further, in the above embodiment, each gear used to transmit the power of the motor 10 to the output shaft 86 is described as a helical gear, but other gears may be used. For example, a spur gear may be used. As a result, rattling is more likely to occur at the meshing points than when helical gears are used, but even in such cases, by adopting the configuration of the present invention, vibration and noise of the planetary gear system can be reduced. can be reduced (suppressed).

Moreover, although the case where the separation structure of the internal gear and the housing is used as part of a planetary gear mechanism has been described, its use is not limited and it may be used as part of other gear mechanisms.

Further, in the above embodiment, the planetary gear mechanism of the planetary gear device is realized using three planetary gears, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, for example, a planetary gear mechanism using one or a plurality of planetary gears other than three may be employed to realize a planetary gear device.

Further, the planetary gear device to which the present invention is applied can be applied to various machines and devices that use reduction gears and speed increasers, such as automobiles, robots, industrial machines, and play equipment.

Further, in the above embodiment, the movement regulating convex part (first convex part) and the pair of stoppers (second convex part) are in line contact along the axial direction, so that movement inside the housing is restricted. Alternatively, a structure may be adopted in which the movement within the housing is restricted by point contact between the movement regulating convex portion (first convex portion) and the pair of stoppers (second convex portion). More specifically, the pair of stoppers (second convex portions) 45 in FIG. 5 may have a shape that exists intermittently in the axial direction, and the movement limiting convex portions (first convex portions) in FIG. 75 may exist intermittently in the axial direction.

The present invention is capable of various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the invention. Moreover, the embodiments described above are for explaining the present invention, and do not limit the scope of the present invention. That is, the scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the meaning of the invention equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

1 Actuator 2 Axis 10 Motor 11 Motor body 12 Rotating shaft 20 Planetary gear device 30 First housing 30a Opening 40 Second housing 41 First part 42 Second part 43 Third part 43a Opening 44 Cylindrical body 44a Inner wall 45 Stopper (second convex part)
45a Standing portion 45b Connection portion 45c Top portion 46 Cylindrical body 47 Internal tooth portion 50 Housing 60 Planetary gear mechanism 70 First planetary gear mechanism 71 Sun gear 71a Sun tooth portion 72 Planet gear 72a Planet tooth portion 72b Rotating shaft 72c Rotating shaft 73 Carrier 73a First flange portion 73b Second flange portion 73c Connection portion 73d Opening 73e Lightening hole 74 Internal gear 74a Internal tooth portion 74b Outer peripheral surface 74c Protrusion 75 Movement limiting convex portion (first convex portion)
75a Oblique portion 75b Top portion 75c Notch portion 77 Accommodation space 78 Notch portion 78a Open portion 78b Arc portion 78c Inlet 79 Notch portion 79a Open portion 79b Arc portion 79c Inlet 80 Second planetary gear mechanism 81 Sun gear 81a Sun tooth portion 82 Planetary gear 82a Planetary tooth portion 82b Rotating shaft 82c Rotating shaft 83 Carrier 83a First flange portion 83b Second flange portion 83c Connection portion 83d Opening 83e Lightening hole 84 Gear holding portion 84a Accommodating opening 85 Output shaft holding portion 85a Fitting hole 86 Output shaft 86a Output gear 87 Accommodation space 88 Notch portion 88a Open portion 88b Arc portion 88c Inlet 89 Notch portion 89a Open portion 89b Arc portion 89c Inlet 90 Contact area 140 Second housing 141 Concave portion 174 Internal gear 175 Movement limiting convex portion (First convex portion)
183, 283, 383 Carrier 183a, 283a First flange portion 183b, 283b, 383b Second flange portion 188 Notch portion 188a First curved portion 188b Arc portion 188c Second curved portion 188d Corner portion 189 Notch portion 189a First curve Part 189b Arc part 189c Second curved part 189d Corner part 283c, 283d, 283e, 283f Through hole 350 Planetary gear holder 351 Ring part 352 Pin 380 Second planetary gear mechanism 382 Planetary gear 382c Recessed part 383 Carrier 383b Second flange part 383c Insertion hole 383d accommodation recess

Claims (10)

a planetary gear with a rotating shaft protruding from at least one end of both ends in the axial direction;
a carrier having an insertion part into which the rotation shaft is inserted, and rotatably holding the planetary gear with the rotation shaft inserted into the insertion part ;
The carrier connects a first flange portion in which the insertion portion is formed, a second flange portion provided at a distance from the first flange portion, and the first flange portion and the second flange portion. and a plurality of connection parts arranged at intervals in the circumferential direction,
A hollow hole having a depth in the axial direction extending from the first flange portion to the connecting portion is formed in the carrier at a position corresponding to the connecting portion.
Assembly of planetary gear and carrier. the rotating shaft is integrally molded with the planetary gear;
An assembly of a planetary gear and a carrier according to claim 1. The insertion portion has a portion that is open in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction.
An assembly of a planetary gear and a carrier according to claim 1 or 2. The insertion portion has a circular arc portion notched with a circular arc having a center angle larger than 180°, and the rotation shaft is rotatably supported by the circular arc portion.
An assembly of a planetary gear and a carrier according to claim 3. In the first flange portion , an opening for reducing the rigidity of the insertion portion is formed at a position adjacent to the insertion portion.
An assembly of a planetary gear and a carrier according to claim 3 or 4. A second rotating shaft protrudes from the other end of the planetary gear,
A second insertion portion that rotatably supports the second rotating shaft is formed in the second flange portion.
An assembly of a planetary gear and a carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 5. An insertion hole is formed at the other end of the planetary gear, into which a pin that passes through the second flange and rotatably supports the planetary gear is inserted.
An assembly of a planetary gear and a carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 5. An assembly of a planetary gear and a carrier according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
a sun gear located at the center of the assembly and meshing with the planet gear;
an internal gear that meshes with the planetary gear;
Planetary gearbox. A first convex portion extending from one side to the other side in the axial direction is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the internal gear,
A second convex portion extending from one side toward the other side in the axial direction is formed on the inner circumferential surface, and the housing accommodates the internal gear with a gap provided between the second convex portion and the inner circumferential surface. Prepare,
Movement of the internal gear inside the housing is restricted by line contact between the first convex portion and the second convex portion.
The planetary gear device according to claim 8. The planetary gear device according to claim 8 or 9;
a motor connected to the planetary gear device and driving the planetary gear device;
actuator.

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