TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to the technical field of mechanical braking, and more particularly relate to an actuator for an electromechanical brake, and an electromechanical brake.

PRIOR ART

An electromechanical brake (EMB) generally has an actuator and a disc brake, wherein a torque generated by the actuator acts on a caliper via a mechanical structure, causing the caliper to tightly clamp the brake disc, thereby generating a desired braking force. Compared with a conventional electro-hydraulic brake (EHB), the EMB is easier to manufacture and assemble; with a quick brake response speed and a good control performance, the EMB is easy to implement linear control; as a substitution for the EHB device, the EMB represents a significant improvement over those conventional braking manners.

As an actuating source for the EMB, the actuator has an electric motor and an electromagnetic clutch for locking or releasing a motor shaft. During a process of braking, the electromagnetic clutch releases the motor shaft, and the electric motor rotates to output a braking torque to cause the caliper to tightly clamp the brake disc. In a locked state, the electromagnetic clutch locks the motor shaft, thereby holding the braking torque to prevent stalling of the motor. To implement the function, the actuator needs to be configured with a circuit board that may control a working state of the electromagnetic clutch. An electrical connection is established between the circuit board and the electromagnetic clutch to implement power transmission therebetween and control of the working state of the electromagnetic clutch. If the electrical connection between the circuit board and the electromagnetic clutch adopts a conventional wire or cable connection, because the wire and cable are flexible wire materials such that their shapes cannot be maintained during installation, the assembly difficulty will increase. If the cable and the circuit adopt a soldering- connect, the procedure is time-consuming, and solder skips and pseudo soldering might occur, which deteriorates the reliability of electrical connection.

The prior art fails to provide effective solutions to the problems above.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the invention to improve an electrical connection structure between a circuit board and an electromagnetic clutch of an actuator for an electromechanical brake.

SOLUTION

According to the present invention, the object of the invention is solved by the features of the independent claim. Additional preferred embodiments according to the invention are to be seen in the dependent claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION To overcome the drawbacks in the prior art, the present disclosure provides an actuator for an electromechanical brake and an electromechanical brake, which optimizes an electrical connection structure between a circuit board and an electromagnetic clutch and realizes a fast and reliable electrical connection therebetween.

To solve the technical problems above, the present disclosure adopts a technical solution below: An actuator for an electromechanical brake, comprising: a housing;

an electric motor accommodated in the housing, the electric motor including a motor shaft; an electromagnetic clutch accommodated in the housing, the electromagnetic clutch being configured for locking or releasing the motor shaft; a circuit board accommodated in the housing; and

an electrical connector configured for establishing an electrical connection between the electromagnetic clutch and the circuit board.

In the actuator for an electromechanical brake, the electromagnetic clutch comprises a rotor rotating with the motor shaft and a stator non-rotatable relative to the motor shaft, the electrical connector establishing an electrical connection between the stator and the circuit board.

In the actuator for an electromechanical brake, a fixing plate is further provided inside the housing, the stator and the circuit board being mounted on the fixing plate.

In the actuator for an electromechanical brake, a through-hole for the electrical connector to penetrate through is provided on the fixing plate.

In the actuator for an electromechanical brake, the fixing plate and the circuit board are both of an annular shape and penetrated through by the motor shaft.

In the actuator for an electromechanical brake, the stator is fixed to the housing.

In the actuator for an electromechanical brake, the electrical connector comprises a crimp terminal, the crimp terminal being crimped on the circuit board to establish the electrical connection.

In the actuator for an electromechanical brake, the crimp terminal is a terminal having an eye of needle.

In the actuator for an electromechanical brake, the electrical connector further comprises a terminal retaining portion provided on the stator.

In the actuator for an electromechanical brake, the electrical connector comprises a male-ended connector provided on the circuit board and a female-ended connector provided on the stator, the male-ended connector and the female-ended connector being mated with each other.

In the actuator for an electromechanical brake, the male-ended connector and/or the female- ended connector have electrodes built-in for protection, and the male-ended connector and the female-ended connector are mated with each other to cause the electrodes to maintain an electrical contact within the electrical connector.

In the actuator for an electromechanical brake, the male-ended connector and the female-ended connector have a mating hole and a plug pin, respectively, the plug pin being inserted into the mating hole.

In the actuator for an electromechanical brake, the male-ended connector has a male-ended terminal base and a male-ended terminal block provided on the male-ended terminal base, and the female-ended connector has a female-ended terminal base and a female-ended terminal block embedded in the female-ended terminal base, the male-ended terminal base being inserted into the female-ended terminal base to cause the male-ended terminal block and the female- ended terminal block to electrically contact.

The present disclosure further provides an electromechanical brake device, comprising the actuator according to any of the technical solutions above.

The present disclosure has the following beneficial effects: The actuator for an electromechanical brake according to the present disclosure comprises: a housing; an electric motor accommodated in the housing, the electric motor including a motor shaft; an electromagnetic clutch accommodated in the housing, the electromagnetic clutch being configured for locking or releasing the motor shaft; a circuit board accommodated in the housing; and an electrical connector configured for establishing an electrical connection between the electromagnetic clutch and the circuit board.

In the present disclosure, through a reasonable structural arrangement, the circuit board is embedded in the housing of the actuator, such that the electric motor, the electromagnetic clutch, and the circuit board may be accommodated in the housing, which enhances integration degree and compactness of the actuator, thereby reducing occupation of vehicle space and facilitating chassis layout; based on such a solution, the circuit board may be assembled with the electromagnetic clutch quickly and precisely to thereby save an operation space needed for assembling, such that a more reliable and effective electrical connection may be established between the electromagnetic clutch and the circuit board. The electrical connector according to the present disclosure is arranged for implementing power or signal transmission and control between the electromagnetic clutch and the circuit board; however, different from the wire or cable, assembling of the electrical connector needs no tools or auxiliary connection techniques (e.g., soldering), which reduces assembling time and costs. After the electromagnetic clutch is completely installed, the electrical connection between the circuit board and the electromagnetic clutch is synchronously connected while the circuit board is being mounted; and vice versa, thereby achieving a fast and reliable electrical connection between the electromagnetic clutch and the circuit board; during maintenance, the circuit board and the electromagnetic clutch may be easily disassembled, which reduces costs for maintenance and changing parts.

Further, a fixing plate is further provided inside the housing, the stator and the circuit board being mounted on the fixing plate. By mounting the stator and the circuit board on the fixing plate, the relative positions between the stator and the circuit board may be stably maintained, which facilitates maintaining the reliability of the connection of the electrical connector between the stator and the circuit board.

Further, the fixing plate and the circuit board are both of an annular shape and penetrated through by the motor shaft. This facilitates the fixed connection between the motor shaft and the rotor and meanwhile shortens the assembled distance between the electromagnetic clutch and the motor, causing the internal structure of the actuator more compact and facilitating a miniaturized design of the actuator.

Further, the stator is fixed to the housing. By fixing the stator to the housing of the actuator, the circuit board establishes an electrical connection with the stator through the electrical connector, thereby providing another actuator layout.

Further, the electrical connector comprises a crimp terminal, the crimp terminal being crimped on the circuit board to establish the electrical connection. This enables a simple assembly and the electrical connection between the circuit board and the electromagnetic clutch may be implemented with a soldering process; this provides an easy changeability, and a damaged crimp terminal may be directly removed from the electromagnetic clutch and changed with a new crimp terminal. Further, the electrical connector further comprises a terminal retaining portion provided on the stator. The terminal retaining portion directly acts on the crimp terminal, for enhancing the strength of the crimp terminal and reducing the possibility of bending or breaking the crimp terminal when being crimped. Further, the electrical connector comprises a male-ended connector provided on the circuit board and a female-ended connector provided on the stator, the male-ended connector and the female- ended connector being mated with each other. The male-ended connector and the female-ended connector are designed into a matched pair, such that connection reliability therebetween is substantially not affected by the inherent structures of the electromagnetic clutch and the circuit board.

Further, the male-ended connector and/or the female-ended connector have electrodes built-in for protection, and the male-ended connector and the female-ended connector are mated with each other to cause the electrodes to maintain an electrical contact within the electrical connector. With the male-ended connector and the female-ended connector being mated, the electrodes are concealed inside, which provides a good protection to the electrodes, avoiding bad connection due to impact of external environment.

Further, the male-ended connector and the female-ended connector have a mating hole and a plug pin, respectively, the plug pin being inserted into the mating hole. When assembling, an operator may observe relative positions of the mating hole and the plug pin and align them for mating, which reduces the assembly difficulty, and after the assembly is completed, the plug pin will not be exposed, which provides a good protection to the pin.

Further, the male-ended connector has a male-ended terminal base and a male-ended terminal block provided on the male-ended terminal base, and the female-ended connector has a female- ended terminal base and a female-ended terminal block embedded in the female-ended terminal base, the male-ended terminal base being inserted into the female-ended terminal base to cause the male-ended terminal block and the female-ended terminal block to electrically contact. The male-ended terminal base and the female-ended terminal base are designed to mate with other, which may reduce the difficulty of disassembling the electromagnetic clutch and the circuit board; the male-ended terminal block and the female-ended terminal block are also designed to match with each other, such that the electrical connection established therebetween may implement various functions such as power transmission, signal transmission, grounding, etc.

Advantageous developments of the invention result from the claims, the description and the drawings. The advantages of features and of combinations of a plurality of features mentioned at the beginning of the description only serve as examples and may be used alternatively or cumulatively without the necessity of embodiments according to the invention having to obtain these advantages.

The following applies with respect to the disclosure - not the scope of protection - of the original application and the patent: Further features may be taken from the drawings, in particular from the illustrated designs and the dimensions of a plurality of components with respect to one another as well as from their relative arrangement and their operative connection. The combination of features of different embodiments of the invention or of features of different claims independent of the chosen references of the claims is also possible, and it is motivated herewith. This also relates to features which are illustrated in separate drawings, or which are mentioned when describing them. These features may also be combined with features of different claims. Furthermore, it is possible that further embodiments of the invention do not have the features mentioned in the claims which, however, does not apply to the independent claims of the granted patent. The number of the features mentioned in the claims and in the description is to be understood to cover this exact number and a greater number than the mentioned number without having to explicitly use the adverb "at least". For example, if an element is mentioned, this is to be understood such that there is exactly one element or there are two elements or more elements. Additional features may be added to these features, or these features may be the only features of the respective product.

Any reference signs contained in the claims are not limiting the extent of the matter protected by the claims. Their sole function is to make the claims easier to understand. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following, the invention is further explained and described with respect to preferred exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an internal structure of an actuator in a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 shows local explosive diagrams of an electromagnetic clutch and a circuit board in the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of crimping a crimp terminal and the circuit board in the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 4 shows a schematic diagram of an internal structure of an actuator in a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5 shows local explosive diagrams of an electromagnetic clutch and a circuit board in the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 shows a schematic diagram of connecting a male-ended connector and a female- ended connector in the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7 shows a schematic diagram of connecting a male-ended connector and a female- ended connector in a third embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 8 shows a schematic diagram of connecting a male-ended connector and a female- ended connector in a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 9 shows a schematic diagram of assembling an electromagnetic clutch and a circuit board in a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 10 shows a schematic diagram of assembling an electromagnetic clutch and a circuit board in a sixth embodiment of the present disclosure. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The actuator for an electromechanical brake according to the present disclosure comprises: a housing; an electric motor accommodated in the housing, the electric motor including a motor shaft; an electromagnetic clutch accommodated in the housing, the electromagnetic clutch being configured for locking or releasing the motor shaft; a circuit board accommodated in the housing; and an electrical connector configured for establishing an electrical connection between the electromagnetic clutch and the circuit board. In the present disclosure, the circuit board is embedded in the housing of the actuator through a reasonable structural arrangement, such that the electric motor, the electromagnetic clutch, and the circuit board may be accommodated in the housing, which enhances integration degree and compactness of the actuator, thereby reducing occupation of vehicle space and facilitating chassis layout; based on such a solution, the circuit board may be fitted to the electromagnetic clutch quickly and precisely to thereby save an operation space needed for assembling, such that a more reliable and effective electrical connection may be established between the electromagnetic clutch and the circuit board. The electrical connector according to the present disclosure is arranged for implementing power or signal transmission and control between the electromagnetic clutch and the circuit board; however, different from the wire or cable, assembling of the electrical connector needs no tools or auxiliary connection techniques (e.g., soldering), which reduces the assembling time and cost. After the electromagnetic clutch is completely installed, the electrical connection between the circuit board and the electromagnetic clutch is synchronously connected while the circuit board is mounted; or if the circuit board is first installed, a fast and reliable electrical connection between the electromagnetic clutch and the circuit board is achieved while fixing the electromagnetic clutch; during maintenance, the circuit board and the electromagnetic clutch may be easily disassembled, which reduces the difficulty in maintenance and changing parts. Hereinafter, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be explained and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings corresponding to the embodiments of the present disclosure. However, the embodiments are only embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of them. Other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without exercise of inventive work based on the examples in the embodiments all fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

In the description of the present disclosure, it needs to be understood that the oriental or positional relationships indicated by the terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", - I Q -

"thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" etc. are oriental and positional relationships based on the drawings, which are intended only for facilitating or simplifying description of the present disclosure, not for indicating or implying that the devices or elements have to possess those specific orientations and have to be configured and operated with those specific orientations; therefore, they should not be understood as limitations to the present disclosure.

Besides, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for description purposes, which shall not be understood as indicating or implying an importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features as indicated. Therefore, the features limited by "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present disclosure, unless otherwise indicated, "plurality" indicates two or above.

In the present disclosure, unless otherwise explicitly provided and limited, the terms such as "assemble", "connected", "connection" and "fix" should be understood broadly, which, for example, may refer to a secured connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; which may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; which may be a direct connection or an indirect connection via an intermediate medium; which may also be a communication between the insides of two elements. To a person of normal skill in the art, specific meanings of the above terms in the present disclosure may be understood based on specific situations. In the present disclosure, unless otherwise explicitly provided and limited, that a first feature is "above" or "below" a second feature may include a direct contact between the first feature and the second feature or may include a case where although the first feature and the second feature do not contact directly, they contact via a further feature therebetween. Moreover, that the first feature is "above" or "over" or "on" the second feature includes a case where the first feature is exactly or generally over the second feature or only indicates that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than the second feature. That the first feature is "under" or "below" or "beneath" the second feature includes a case where the first feature is exactly or generally below the second feature or only indicates that the horizontal height of the first feature is lower than the second feature. Embodiment I

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, an actuator for an electromechanical brake according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: a housing 100; an electric motor 310 accommodated in the housing 100, the electric motor 310 including a motor shaft 400; an electromagnetic clutch 610 accommodated in the housing 100, the electromagnetic clutch 610 being configured for locking or releasing the motor shaft 400; a circuit board 700 accommodated in the housing 100; and an electrical connector 900 configured for establishing an electrical connection between the electromagnetic clutch 610 and the circuit board 700. Particularly, the electric motor 310 comprises a motor shaft 400, a motor stator 300, and a motor rotor 200, the motor rotor 200 being fixedly connected with the motor shaft 400; when the motor rotor 200 is rotating relative to the motor stator 300, it may synchronously drive the motor shaft 400 to rotate, outputting a braking torque. Although this embodiment illustrates an inner motor rotor, the present disclosure is not limited thereto; the motor of the actuator may adopt any motor type that drives the motor shaft with electricity to thereby output a torque. The electromagnetic clutch 610 comprises a rotor 600 and a stator 500, the rotor 600 being fixedly connected with the motor shaft

400 (if the rotor 600 is tightly locked to the motor shaft 400 via a screw or some other means, e.g. splines, welding.), the stator 500 being fixedly and non-rotationally arranged relative to the motor shaft 400. The electromagnetic clutch 610 is configured for locking or releasing the motor shaft 400, specifically: the stator 500 of the electromagnetic clutch 610 comprises an electromagnet (e.g., an electromagnetic coil, etc.) and a permanent magnet; during a process of executing braking, the electromagnet is energized to generate a magnetic field; if the magnetic field of the electromagnet is weakened or counteracts the magnetic field of the permanent magnet such that the permanent magnet cannot attract a friction plate on the rotor 600, the rotor 600 will rotate with the motor shaft 400, i.e., the electromagnetic clutch 610 releases the motor shaft 400, and then the electric motor 310 may output a braking torque, causing the caliper to tightly clamp the brake disc; in a locked state, the electromagnet is deenergized, and the permanent magnet attracts the friction plate on the rotor 600 to limit the rotational movement of the rotor 600 via a friction force therebetween; because the rotor 600 and the motor shaft 400 are fixedly connected, i.e., the motor shaft 400 is locked dead, a braking force is held without consuming electrical power. In the actuator according to this embodiment, the electrical connector 900 is a crimp terminal 910. One end of the crimp terminal 910 is connected to the electromagnet of the stator 500, and the other end of the crimp terminal 910 is crimped on the circuit board 700, causing an electrical connection to be established between the electromagnet and the circuit board 700, i.e., establishing an electrical connection between the electromagnetic clutch 610 and the circuit board 700. This electrical connection manner enables a simple assembling, and the electrical connection between the circuit board 700 and the electromagnetic clutch 610 may be implemented without a soldering process; this provides an easy changeability, and a damaged crimp terminal 910 may be directly removed from the electromagnetic clutch 610 and changed with a new crimp terminal 910.

Referring to Fig. 3, the crimp terminal 910 of the present embodiment is a terminal with an eye of needle (EON); the terminal generally includes a base 912, a prong portion 914, and a deformed portion 913 between the base 912 and the prong portion 914, an eye of needle 915 is provided on the deformed portion 913, and the base 912 is connected to the electromagnet of the stator 500. When assembling, the prong portion 914 guides the terminal to be inserted into an electrically conductive hole 710 of the circuit board 700. The deformed portion 913 may be deformed when being compressed, such that the deformed portion 913 may enter the electrically conductive hole 710 and closely contact with the electrically conductive hole 710, implementing an electrical connection between the terminal and the circuit board 700; in this way, a higher clamping force may be achieved only with a very small compressing force. The assembling is convenient without the need of welding. Besides, a removability is provided, such that the terminal may match a small-aperture electrically conductive hole 710 on the circuit board 700. In the actuator according to the present embodiment, the electrical connector 900 further comprises a terminal retaining portion 91 1 on a stator 500. The terminal retaining portion 91 1 directly acts on the crimp terminal 910 mentioned above, for enhancing the strength of the crimp terminal 910 and reducing the possibility of bending or breaking the crimp terminal when being crimped. The terminal retaining portion 911 acts on a root portion of the crimp terminal 910 (e.g., a base 912 of the terminal), which may better maintain the strength of the crimp terminal 910. The terminal retaining portion 91 1 may select an insulative sheath of a resin material, for example, which is sleeved on the crimp terminal 910, which may play a role of electrical insulation while enhancing the strength of the crimp terminal 910, thereby providing a better safety.

In the actuator according to the present embodiment, a fixing plate 800 is further provided in the housing 100 of the actuator, the fixing plate 800 is connected on the housing 100 to realize fixation; the stator 500 and the circuit board 700 are both mounted on the fixing plate 800, exemplarily: the stator 500 and the circuit board 700 are mounted at opposite two sides of the fixing plate 800, respectively, a through-hole 810 for the crimp terminal 910 to penetrate through being provided on the fixing plate 800; during assembling, the crimp terminal 910 penetrates through the through-hole 810 to be mated into the electrically conductive hole of the circuit board 700; after the assembling is completed, under the supporting action of the fixing plate 800, the relative positions between the stator 500 and the circuit board 700 may be stably held, which facilitates maintaining the connection reliability of the electrical connector 900 between the stator 500 and the circuit board 700, i.e., preventing the crimp terminal 910 from escaping from the electrically conductive hole of the circuit board 700 due to external force. In the actuator according to the present embodiment, the circuit board 700 is spaced from the rotor 600 of the electromagnetic clutch 610 by the stator 500 and the fixing plate 800. To implement connection between the motor shaft 400 and the rotor 600, the fixing plate 800 and the circuit board 700 are both designed into an annular shape, the fixing plate 800 and the circuit board 700 are provided with an avoidance hole allowing the motor shaft 400 to penetrate through, a stator hole 510 is provided at the center of the stator 500, the motor shaft 400 penetrates through the avoidance hole of the circuit board 700, the avoidance hole of the fixing plate 800, and the stator hole 510 to be fixedly connected to the rotor 600 of the electromagnetic clutch 610. This design may shorten the assembled distance between the electromagnetic clutch 610 and the electric motor 310, causing the internal structure of the actuator to be more compact and facilitating the miniaturized design of the actuator.

The circuit board 700 in this embodiment is usually a printed circuit board, e.g., a hard PCB board or an FPC circuit board with a certain flexibility; an electrical connection between the circuit board 700 and the stator 500 of the electromagnetic clutch 610 to perform power transmission to the stator 500 or control the stator 500; the circuit board 700 may further establish an electrical connection with the motor 310, thereby acting as a control unit for the whole caliper to implement overall control of the motor 310 and electromagnetic clutch 610.

Embodiment II

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, the present embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that: the electrical connector 900 comprises a male-ended connector 920 provided on the circuit board 700 and a female-ended connector 930 provided on the stator 500, the male-ended connector and the female-ended connector being mated with each other. Specifically, in the electrical connector 900, the male-ended connector 920 and the female-ended connector 930 are designed into a matched pair, wherein the male-ended connector 920 is mounted on the circuit board 700 and the female-ended connector 930 is mounted on the stator 500; when assembling, the male- ended connector 920 and the female-ended connector 930 are mated with each other to cause an electrical connection to be established between the electromagnetic clutch 610 and the circuit board 700; because the male-ended connector 920 and the female-ended connector 930 are designed to match with each other, the connection reliability therebetween is substantially not affected by the inherent structures of the electromagnetic clutch 610 and the circuit board 700. Referring to Fig. 6, in this embodiment, the male-ended connector 920 and/or the female-ended connector 930 are specifically fitted with each other in the following manner: the male-ended connector 920 is built-in with a male-ended electrode 921 , the female-ended connector 930 is built-in with a female-ended electrode 931 , the female-ended electrode 931 is of a sleeve structure, the male-ended connector 920 and the female-ended connector 930 are mated with each other, wherein the male-ended electrode 921 is inserted into the female-ended electrode 931 to maintain an electrical contact therewith, similar to a currently known water-proof plug- socket. After the male-ended connector 920 and the female-ended connector 930 being mated, the electrodes are concealed inside, which provides a good protection to the electrodes, avoiding exposure of the electrodes, which would otherwise be affected by the external environment, e.g., being oxidized to cause bad connection.

As an equivalent alteration to the present embodiment, the male-ended connector has an external male-ended electrode, while the female-ended connector has a built-in female-ended electrode, wherein the male-ended electrode is inserted into the female-ended electrode to maintain an electrical contact therewith; or, the male-ended connector has a built-in male-ended electrode and the female-ended connector has an external female-ended electrode, wherein the male- ended electrode is inserted into the female-ended electrode to maintain an electrical contact therewith, which may achieve the same effect as the present embodiment and is likewise included within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

In addition, aside from the circuit board 700 serving as the control unit of the electromagnetic clutch 610, an extended circuit board 720 electrically connected with the electric motor 310 is also provided in this embodiment, acting as an electric motor control unit to be linked with the circuit board 700, thereby jointly implementing a control of the whole caliper. The extended circuit board 720 and the circuit board 700 may be disposed at two sides of the fixing plate 800 via a conventional fixation manner such as screws, sufficiently utilizing a surface space of the fixing plate. Embodiment III

Referring to Fig. 7, the present embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the male- ended connector and the female-ended connector have a mating hole and a plug pin , respectively, i.e., the male-ended connector 920 is provided with a plug pin 922, and the female- ended connector 930 is provided with a mating hole 932, e.g., a wedge-groove type mating hole, a wire spring mating hole, a crown spring mating hole (a mating hole which is embedded with a plurality of elastic reeds), etc., wherein the plug pin 922 is inserted into the mating hole 932. When assembling, an operator may observe relative positions of the mating hole 932 and the plug pin 922 and align them for mating, which reduces the assembly difficulty; and after the assembling is completed, the plug pin 922 will not be exposed, which provides a good protection to the pin 922. As an equivalent alteration to the present embodiment, the male-ended connector is provided with a mating hole, and the female-ended connector is provided with a plug pin, which achieves the same effect as the present embodiment.

Embodiment IV

Referring to Fig. 8, the present embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that: the male- ended connector has a male-ended terminal base 923 and a male-ended terminal block provided on the male-ended terminal base 923, and the female-ended connector has a female-ended terminal base 933 and a female-ended terminal block embedded in the female-ended terminal base 933, the male-ended terminal base 923 being inserted into the female-ended terminal base 933 to cause the male-ended terminal block and the female-ended terminal block to electrically contact. Specifically, the male-ended terminal block refers to a plurality of male-ended contact sheets 924 provided at a side face of the male-ended terminal base 923; the female-ended terminal base 933 is provided with a mating port 934 matching the male-ended terminal base 923; the female-ended terminal block refers to a plurality of female-ended contact sheets 935 provided inside the mating port 934; the male-ended terminal base 923 is inserted into the mating port 934 of the female-ended terminal base 933; the plurality of male-ended contact sheets 924 and the plurality of female-ended contact sheets 935 maintain an electrical contact in a one-to-one manner. Such an electrical connection manner may implement various functions such as power transmission, signal transmission, grounding, etc. As an equivalent alteration to the present embodiment, the male-ended terminal base is provided with a mating port matching the female- ended terminal base, and the female-ended terminal base is inserted into the mating port of the male-ended terminal base to cause electrical contact between the female-ended terminal block and the male-ended terminal block, which achieves the same effect as the present embodiment.

Embodiment V

Referring to Fig. 9, in the present embodiment, the circuit board 700 and the stator 500 are both mounted at a same side of the fixing plate 800. A through-hole is not needed to be reserved on the fixing plate 800 for the electrical connector 900. The fixing plate 800 and the circuit board 700 are both in an annular shape. The circuit board 700 is disposed surrounding the stator 500, and the circuit board 700 and the stator 500 overlap partially along the axial direction of the motor shaft 400, the overlapping parts are electrically connected via the electrical connector 900. The motor shaft 400, after penetrating through the fixing plate 800 and the stator 500, is connected to the rotor 600 of the electromagnetic clutch 610. This design may shorten the assembled distance between the electromagnetic clutch 610 and the circuit board 700, therefore shortening the electricity or signal transmission distance and facilitating a miniaturized design of the actuator. A specific implementation of the electrical connector 900 in this embodiment may refer to any embodiment above.

Embodiment VI

Referring to Fig. 10, the present embodiment differs from the preceding embodiments in that: the stator 500 of the electromagnetic clutch 610 is directly fixed to the housing 100, and the rotor 600 of the electromagnetic clutch 610 is disposed between the stator 500 and the circuit board 700. To facilitate electrical connection between the stator 500 and the circuit board 700, the stator 500 and the circuit board 700 have a radial size larger than that of the rotor 600; the stator 500 and an outer periphery of the circuit board 700 are electrically connected via the electrical connector 900 according to any embodiment above. The circuit board 700 is of an annular structure, and one end of the motor shaft 400 is fixedly connected with the rotor 600 after penetrating through the circuit board 700. In this embodiment, the stator 500 is fixed to the housing 100 of the actuator, and the circuit board 700 may establish an electrical connection with the stator 500 via the electrical connector 900, which provides another actuator layout.

Embodiment VII

An electromechanical brake device according to the present embodiment comprises the actuator according to any of the technical solutions above and a caliper directly or indirectly actuated by the actuator. The brake may be a disc brake; the electromechanical brake further comprises a transmission unit; the actuator drives, using the input electrical power, the motor shaft to output the torque, and drives, through the transmission unit, the caliper to act, pushing brake pads towards the brake disc to thereby generate a braking force, wherein the transmission unit may include a gear reducer, a planetary gear reducer, a worm gear reducer, cycloidal gear, etc., which, with a reasonably designed reduction ratio, reduces rotational speed and increases torque. It should be understood that aside from the disc brake, the present disclosure is also applicable for a drum brake to serve as a source for the driving force of brake shoes.

What have been described above are only embodiments of the present disclosure; however, the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. A person skilled in the art should understand that the present disclosure includes, but not limited to the contents described in the drawings and the embodiments. Any modifications without departing from the functions and structural principles of the present disclosure will be included within the scope of the claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS housing

motor rotor

motor stator

motor

motor shaft

stator

stator hole

rotor

electromagnetic clutch

circuit board

electrically conductive hole

extended circuit board

fixing plate

through-hole

electrical connector

crimp terminal

terminal retaining portion

base

deformed portion

prong portion

eye of needle

male-ended connector

male-ended electrode

plug pin

male-ended terminal base

male-ended terminal block (contact sheets)

female-ended connector

female-ended electrode

mating hole

female-ended terminal base

mating port

female-ended terminal block (contact sheets)