CAM GEAR AND LINEAR DRIVE DEVICE COMPRISING SAID CAM GEAR Technical field

The present invention relates to a linear drive device for transforming a rotational movement into a linear movement, and particularly relates to a cam gear (i.e. a gear with a cam trench) for use in the linear drive device.

Background Art

In industries such as the automotive industry, a valve device able to be precisely controlled is generally required, for example, for use in a control valve of an engine exhaust gas recirculation system (referred to as an EGR control valve hereinafter) . Since most of such valve devices use a motor as a drive source, there is a need for a linear drive device which transforms a rotational output of the motor into a linear movement of a valve stem.

In order to replace a two-stage or multi-stage transmission with a one-stage transmission so as to reduce the overall size and manufacturing cost of the device, it is known that this linear drive device can use a cam gear, a cam trench being formed on an end face of the cam gear. The rotational movement of the motor is transmitted to teeth of the cam gear and causes the rotation of the cam gear. During the rotation of the cam gear, a follower fixedly connected to the valve stem linearly moves back and forth in the cam trench in an axial direction of the valve stem, so as to drive the valve stem to move up and down.

In the prior art cam gears, the cam trench is closed at both ends, so that the follower can only be assembled in the cam trench is a direction perpendicular to the plane of the gear, and thus the assembling is not easy to carry out. Moreover, the existing cam curve of the cam trench fails to effectively reduce the rigid impact. In addition, a shaft bore provided on the cam gear and intended for cooperating with an axle of a restoring system is a round bore, and therefore the cooperation between the shaft bore and the axle is easy to loose. Furthermore, when a plastic gear is used for a light weight, the strength of the gear teeth is insufficient, and the teeth easily break off.

Contents of the invention The invention is intended to solve one or more of the

above-mentioned problems in the prior art.

A first aspect of the present invention relates to a cam gear for use in a linear drive device for transforming a rotational movement of a first component into a linear movement of a second component, a cam trench being provided on an end face of the cam gear, wherein said cam gear is constructed as a sector gear, ans at least one of the two end portions of the cam trench in a circumferential direction of the gear is open.

According to a preferred embodiment, a cam curve of said cam trench is a fifth-order polynomial curve which is relatively flat at the starting point and the end point. According to a preferred embodiment, said cam trench extends through an angle within the range of 180 degrees to 320 degrees, in the circumferential direction of the gear.

According to a preferred embodiment, said cam trench comprises an introduction segment, a movement segment and a meshing segment, wherein said introduction segment is used to introduce a follower fixedly connected to said second component, said movement segment is used for causing a linear stroke of said follower, and said meshing segment is used for preventing said cam gear from disengaging from said first component when said follower reaches the end point of the stroke. Preferably, an outwardly expanding horn mouth is provided at an opening of said introduction segment. At least part of a curve profile of said introduction segment can rise by a predetermined height . Further preferably, said movement segment extends through an angle within the range of 150 degrees to 300 degrees, in the circumferential direction of the gear.

According to a preferred embodiment, a shaft bore having a non-circular cross section is provided at the centre of said cam gear. Preferably, a cross section of said shaft bore is

"D"-shaped .

According to a preferred embodiment, the length by which a sectoral face of said cam gear extends in the circumferential direction of the gear is equal to the length by which said cam trench extends in the circumferential direction of the gear. Preferably, both end portions of said cam trench in the cir ^¬ cumferential direction of the gear are open.

A second aspect of the present invention relates to a linear drive device, comprising: a motor; a speed-reducing transmission stage which comprises a pinion gear fixedly connected to an output shaft of the motor and a transmission gear meshing with the pinion gear; and a linear transmission stage which transforms a rotational movement of the transmission gear into a linear movement of a output connecting rod, said output connecting rod being received in a sleeve member so as to merely move linearly, wherein said transmission gear is a cam gear according to the first aspect of the present invention as described above.

According to the present invention, the cam gear is constructed as a sector gear, and at least one of two end portions of the cam trench in a circumferential direction of the gear is open; therefore, a light weight is realized without reducing the strength, and the follower can be easily assembled in the cam trench .

In addition, the rigid impact can be effectively reduced by means of the cam curve of said cam trench being designed as a fifth-order polynomial curve which is relatively flat at the starting point and the end point. Furthermore, torque can be effectively transmitted between the shaft bore and the mating shaft by means of the shaft bore of the cam gear being designed to have a non-circular cross section.

Description of the accompanying drawings

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a linear drive device according to the present in ^¬ vention .

Figure 2 shows another perspective view of the preferred

embodiment of the linear drive device according to the present invention, without showing an external housing .

Figure 3 shows a sectional view of a preferred embodiment of a linear drive device according to the present in- vention.

Figure 4 shows a front view of a transmission gear according to the present invention as well as a follower received in a trench thereof.

Figure 5 shows a sectional view of an output assembly comprising an output connecting rod and the follower.

Figure 6 shows a front view of the transmission gear.

Figure 7 shows a schematic diagram of a cam curve.

Figure 8 shows a perspective view of a volute spring together with an axle.

Figure 9 shows a front view of the volute spring together with the axle. Specific embodiments

An linear drive device and a cam gear for use in the linear drive device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth in order to enable a person skilled in the art to more completely understand the present invention. However, it would be apparent to a person skilled in the field that the present invention may be achieved without some of these specific details. Furthermore, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein. Instead, it is envisaged herein that any combination of the following features and elements can be used to implement the present invention, regardless of whether or not they are involved in different embodiments. Therefore, the following aspects, features, em ^¬ bodiments and advantages are merely illustrative and should not be regarded as elements or definitions of the claims, unless explicitly stated in the claims.

Taking a linear drive device of an EGR control valve for use in the engine exhaust gas recirculation as an example, the linear drive device according to the present invention will be explained below, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The linear drive device according to the present invention can be used with any equipment requiring small precise linear control, such as a variety of valves and actuators. A preferred embodiment of a linear drive device according to the present invention is shown in figures 1-3. In the embodiment, the linear drive device 1 comprises a motor 2, a first transmission stage (speed-reducing transmission stage) and a second transmission stage (linear transmission stage) . The linear drive device causes a linear movement of an output connecting rod 7 by means of the driving of the motor 2. In order to prevent dust or other foreign substances from entering and thus damaging the drive device, a housing 11 and a corresponding sealing system are provided .

The first transmission stage, namely the speed-reducing transmission stage comprises a pinion gear 5 fixedly connected to an output shaft of the motor and a transmission gear 6 meshing with the pinion gear 5. When the motor 2 operates, the pinion gear 5 is driven to rotate, so that the transmission gear 6 meshing with the pinion gear 5 is rotated.

The second transmission stage is a linear transmission stage for transforming the rotational movement of the transmission gear 6 into the linear movement of the output connecting rod 7. The second transmission stage comprises a spiral trench 8 formed on the transmission gear 6, a follower 9 received in the trench 8 and the output connecting rod 7 fixedly connected to the follower 9.

The follower 9 may comprise a roller or a rolling bearing or a sliding bearing. Preferably, the follower 9 comprises a ball bearing as shown in figure 4. By using the ball bearing, the friction loss is reduced and the efficiency is improved. In the embodiment shown in figure 5, the follower 9 comprises a ball bearing and a pin shaft, the ball bearing bears in the trench 8 of the transmission gear 6 and is able to roll along the trench, and one end of the pin shaft is connected to an inner ring of the ball bearing and the other end is supported in a connector 17.

Figure 5 shows an output assembly comprising the follower 9 and the output connecting rod 7, wherein the output connecting rod 7 is connected to an inner ring of the ball bearing via the connector 17. The output connecting rod 7 is provided in a sleeve member 10, and thus it can only linearly move up and down (see figure 3) . When the transmission gear 6 rotates, the follower 9 is displaced along the trench 8, due to the spiral shape of the trench 8, the follower 9 is moved up and down, so that the output connecting rod 7 is driven to move up and down. The transmission gear 6 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to figures 6 and 7. The transmission gear 6 combines a cam and a gear, and therefore is also referred to as a cam gear.

The transmission gear 6 is constructed as a sector gear. Since an unused portion is eliminated, the material is saved and a light weight is realized. Compared with the use of plastic gears for obtaining a light weight, the strength of the transmission gear 6 according to the present invention is improved, thereby reducing the risk of broken teeth.

Preferably, in a circumferential direction of the transmission gear 6, the length (i.e., the angular range) by which the sectoral face of the transmission gear extends is adapted to the length by which the spiral trench 8 extends. In this case, both end portions of the trench 8 in the circumferential direction of the gear are open. With this structure, the follower 9 can easily slide from the open end portions into the trench 8. The assembling is simple and easy, as compared with the structure in which the follower must be assembled in the cam trench in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the gear because the two ends of the trench are closed.

In another embodiment that is not shown, the length by which the trench 8 extends in the circumferential direction of the gear may be less than the length by which the sectoral face of the transmission gear 6 extends in the circumferential direction of the gear, and only one of the two end portions of the trench 8 in the circumferential direction of the gear is open, while the other may be closed. In this case, the follower 9 may likewise easily slide from the open end portion into the trench 8. The spiral trench 8 formed on the end face of the transmission gear 6 is used as a cam trench. The spiral trench 8 is for example of an involute shape. The centre of the spiral trench 8 coincides _n

with the centre of the transmission gear 6. Since the arc length by which the spiral trench 8 rotates in one stroke of the linear transmission stage can be very large, the pressure angle between the trench 8 and the linear transmission stage is reduced. In the case that the transmitted force required has a given component in the direction of the linear movement, the reduction in the pressure angle results in an increase in the cosine value thereof, and thus a reduction in the transmission force between the trench 8 and the linear transmission stage. The spiral trench 8 extends through an angle in the range of 90 degrees to 320 degrees, and more preferably in the range of 180 degrees to 300 degrees, in the circumferential direction of the transmission gear 6.

Figure 6 shows in detail an example of the transmission gear 6 and the cam groove formed on the end face thereof. In the example, the modulus m of the gear is 0.6, and the transmission ratio thereof to the motor gear is 11. However, these parameters are only exemplary, and the present invention is not limited thereto. As shown in figure 6, the trench 8 comprises an introduction segment, a movement segment and a meshing segment. In the illustrated example, the introduction segment, the movement segment and the meshing segment of the cam groove extend through an angle of 28.3 degrees, 160 degrees and 62.4 degrees, re- spectively, in the circumferential direction of the gear. However, these values are merely exemplary, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the angle by which the movement segment extends in the circumferential direction of the gear can be set within a range of 150 degrees to 300 degrees. The angular ranges of the introduction segment and the meshing segment can also be adjusted appropriately.

The introduction segment is used to introduce the follower 9. An outwardly expanding horn mouth is provided at an opening of the introduction segment, making it easier to introduce the follower 9. The starting position of the movement segment is the position Ml, the end position is the position M2, and a linear stroke of the follower 9 is caused in the movement segment. The meshing segment is used to prevent the teeth of the transmission gear 6 from disengaging from the pinion gear 5 when the follower 9 reaches the maximum stroke.

In the example shown in figure 6, at a position distanced from the point Ml in the introduce segment by an angle of 17.5 degrees, the curve profile rises by a height larger than 0.3 mm (i.e., the linear stroke caused by the curve rises by 0.3mm), in order to prevent the follower 9 from falling out of the trench 8. The values for the position and the height are also merely exemplary.

Figure 7 shows a cam curve corresponding to the movement segment of the cam trench shown in figure 6, where the horizontal axis represents the angle by which the transmission gear 6 is rotated, and the vertical axis represents the distance by which the follower 9 moves (i.e. rises) during the rotation of the transmission gear 6. As described above, the movement segment of the cam trench covers a gear angle of 160 degrees. Within this range, the stroke of the follower 9 and the corresponding valve is 6 mm. The value for the stroke is also merely exemplary.

The cam curve shown in figure 7 is a fifth-order polynomial curve, and the curve is relatively flat at the starting point and the end point. Thus, the impact force can be reduced at the starting position and the end position, so as to avoid a rigid collision of the follower 9 in the cam trench.

In one embodiment, a form-fitting structure exists between the transmission gear 6 and the housing 11 for enclosing the linear drive device. In the illustrated embodiment, a pin 12 is fixed to the transmission gear 6 (see figure 4) , and the pin, when mating with a feature on the housing 11, can be used as a mechanical stop to prevent the follower 9 from falling out of the trench 8 of the transmission gear 6. For example, when the transmission gear 6 is moved to the position M2, the pin 12 comes into contact with a limiting boss on the housing 11 so as to stop the transmission gear, thereby preventing the follower 9 from dislodging from the trench 8.

A shaft bore having a non-circular cross section is further provided at the centre of the transmission gear 6, for example, the shaft bore of a "D"-shaped cross section as shown in figures 4 and 6. The cross section of the shaft bore can be also of another shape such as square. The shaft bore is used for receiving an axle of a restoring system as described below.

In order to enable the output connecting rod 7 to return back to the initial position even if the motor 2 malfunctions or is de-energized, the linear transmission device preferably further comprises a restoring system for restoring without electricity as shown in figures 8 and 9. It is well known that when the motor is energized, the driving thereof in two opposite directions can achieve the driving and the restoring. However, when the motor is de-energized (for example, due to a failure or for other reasons), it is desirable that the transmission device can restore to the initial position, so that there is a need for such a restoring system.

The restoring system comprises an axle 13 for bearing the transmission gear 6 and a spring. The spring may be a torsion spring (such as a spiral torsion spring or a torsion bar spring) . In addition, the spring may also be the volute spring 14 fixed to the axle 13 as shown in the figure. The axle 13 is mounted at two end portions thereof to the housing 11 via bearings. The axle 13 and the transmission gear 6 are connected in a relatively non-rotatable manner. One end of the volute spring 14 is fixed to the housing 11 of the device, and the other end is directly or indirectly fixed to the axle 13. After the assembling is completed, in the initial position of the transmission device, the volute spring 14 is in a pre-stressed state and applies a torque to the axle 13, so that the linear transmission stage trends to move upwards. Since the spring in the initial position is already in a pre-stressed state, when the valve is opened to the largest degree, the pre-stressing force of the spring is higher. By means of using the volute spring 14, the restoring force is increased and the fixing is facilitated, with a saving in space.

Fixing the volute spring 14 to the axle 13 may be carried out by using a spring bushing 15. The spring bushing 15 is fixed to the axle 13 in such a way that it surrounds the axle 13 and is provided with a groove 16, and an end portion of the volute spring 14 is received in the groove 16. With this approach, the fixing of the spring is more convenient, and the force is transferred to the axle 13 better.

The axle 13 may also be integrally formed with the spring bushing 15, such that the spring is directly connected to the axle 13. Of course, it is also contemplated that the groove 16 for receiving the end portion of the volute spring 14 is directly provided in the axle 13 to realize the function of connection. Of course, other methods for fixing the spring can also be contemplated, for example, by fixing one end of the spring to the housing and the other end to the transmission gear. In addition, as to the volute spring, the rotation may be along either an inner ring or an outer ring.

The axle 13 at least partially has a non-circular cross section corresponding to the shaft bore of the transmission gear 6, for example a D-shaped cross section as shown in figures 8 and 9, or may be of another shape such as square. Torque can be better transmitted between the transmission gear 6 and the axle 13 by using a non-circular cross-section such as a "D"-shape, thereby avoiding the occurence of loosening between the axle and the gear. Accordingly, torque can be reliably transmitted to the volute spring 14, thereby allowing restoring without electricity.

The linear drive device 1 may comprise a sensor (not shown) for detecting a position of the connecting rod, and said sensor may ,

be an inductive sensor, a Hall sensor, a magnetoresistive sensor or a contact sensor. These sensors can be arranged in different positions, and can detect different types of movements depending on different types of sensors. When the transmission gear 6 moves to the position Ml, the sensor senses the position and sends a signal to the motor such that the motor is de-energized and stopped .

The linear drive device 1 can be used in a valve device, in particular an EGR control valve in an engine exhaust gas re ^¬ circulation system. The engine exhaust gas recirculation system is well known. In such an exhaust gas recirculation system, the EGR control valve is used in an exhaust gas recirculation pipe to control the amount of the recirculated exhaust gas.

For applications in the EGR valve or other valve devices, the output connecting rod 7 of the linear drive device is connected to a valve head 3, and drives the movement of the valve head 3 when the output connecting rod 7 moves, so as to change the distance of the valve head from a valve seat (not shown) , thereby realizing an adjustment of the valve. The motor 2 of the linear drive device 1 of the EGR control valve is controlled to drive the valve head 3 to move up and down by means of the output connecting rod 7 of the linear drive device, so that the valve is closed or opened. During the opening movement of the valve, the follower 9 is in contact with an inner wall of the trench 8, and during the closing movement of the valve, the follower 9 is in contact with an outer wall of the trench 8. When the EGR control valve is de-energized, due to the pre-stressing of the spring, a spring force is applied to axle 13 and causes the axle 13 to rotate, thereby driving the rotation of the transmission gear 6, and the trench 8 on the transmission gear 6 drives the follower 9, thereby driving the connecting rod 7 to move upward until the valve is closed. In addition, the current position of the output connecting rod 7 is detected by the sensor and is transmitted to a control device so as to control the EGR control valve. While the present invention has been disclosed above by means of the relatively preferred embodiments, the present invention is not limited thereto. A variety of changes and modifications made by a person skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, should be included in the scope of protection of the present invention, and thus the scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the claims .

List of reference signs

1 linear drive device

2 motor

3 valve head

5 pinion gear

6 transmission gear

7 output connecting rod

8 trench

9 follower

10 sleeve member

11 housing

12 pin

13 axle

14 volute spring

15 spring bushing

16 groove

17 connector