GEARED ACTUATOR ARRANGEMENT

Abstract: An actuator includes a compound gear arrangement having a sun gear (37), and compound planet gears (32) which include pinions (33, 34) having differing numbers of teeth, one of the pinions (34) meshing with the sun gear (37) and with one output ring gears (3l) and another of the pinions (33) meshing with another output ring gear (30). A further planet pinion (35) is freely rotatable relative to the pinions (33, 34) and meshes with a ring gear (36) on a relatively stationary body (l0) and with a further sun gear (43) drivingly connected to the sun gear (37). The arrangement is such that the output ring gears (30, 3l) rotate in opposite directions relative to the body (l0).

Description: This invention relates to a geared actuator arrangement particularly intended for angularly moving parts of an articulated structure relative to one another. It has already been proposed to construct a compound planetary gear arrangement within a tubular body of a hinge, which gear arrangement is driven by a suitable motor to displace one part of the hinge body relative to another part about the common axis of these parts. In this way it has been found possible to provide a very substantial reduction ratio whilst keeping the overall dimensions of the hinge body relatively small. One such geared hinge construction is to be found disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3640l50, and provides an arrangement by means of which two output elements can be driven simultaneous in opposite directions with respect to a relatively staionary body. This result is obtained by providing that the pinions of compound planetary gears which mesh with ring gears on the respective output elements have additional portions which mesh with a ring gear on the relatively stationary body. It is a disadvantage of the prior art arrangement that the additional pinion portions are intergral with and driven by the remaining pinions on the compound planetary gears. Such an arrangement can give rise to problems of assembly if the additional pinion portions have pitch circle diameters which are larger than those of other pinions on the planetary gears, since it may then be difficult or impossible to pass an output ring gear over the additional pinion portions. The dimensional constraints imposed by this difficulty limit the ratios of the speed of the output elements relative to the body. It is an object of the present invention to provide a geared actuator arrangement in which the foregoing problem is overcome. According to the invention a geared actuator arrangement comprises a body, a first sun gear rotatable relative to said body first and second ring gears and a plurality of planet gears, each of said planet gears comprising first and second pinions which are coupled for rotation in unison and which have dissimilar numbers of teeth, one of said pinions meshing with said first sun gear and with said first ring gear and the other of said pinions meshing with said second ring gear, a further ring gear rotatable with said body and a plurality of further pinions coaxial with respective ones of said planet gears and meshing with said further ring gear, characterised in that a second sun gear is coupled to said first sun gear for rotation thereby and said further pinions are freely rotatable about the axes of the respective planet gears and in mesh with said further sun gear. An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figures l to 4 are diagrammatic views showing a joint between parts of an articulated aircraft wing, in four successive operating positions, and Figure 5 is a diagrammatic cross-section through a compound gear arrangement forming part of the joint of Figures l to 4. As shown in Figures l to 4 the compound gear arrangement includes a body l0 on which there is a mounting arm ll. This arm ll is pivotally supported coaxially with a hinge l2 which interconnects two parts l3, l4 of an articulated structure. The axis lA of the body l0 is spaced from and parallel to the axis of the hinge l2. The gear arrangement has two output arms l5, l6 which turn in opposite directions relative to the body l0 when a motor mounted on the body l0 is operated. As explained in detail in the following description of Figure 5, the various gear ratios of the gear arrangement are such that the two ouput arms l5 and l6 turn in opposite directions at approximately equal speeds about the axis l0 The arm l5 is connected by a link l8 to a bracket l9 on the part l4, whereas the arm l6 is connected by a link 20 to a bracket 2l on the part l3. The two linkages constituted by the arm l5 and the link l8 and by the arm l7 and the link 20 are substantially indentical and symmetrical, although minor asymmetries may be required to enable the linkages to be stowed. Figure l shows the parts l3, l4 in a position of use, in which the two linkages overlap one another within the confines of the two parts l3, l4, which, in this condition, have substantially contiguous outer surfaces. When the drive motor is operated the turning of the two output arms l5, l6 causes the linkages to move out of their overlapping positions to increase the distance between the brackets l9, 2l and, with the part l3 fixed, move the part l4 anticlockwise as viewed in the drawings. In the final postion shown in Figure 4 each of the output arms l5, l6 has been turned through an angle of slightly less than l80° relative to the body and the part l4 has turned through approximately the same angle. It will be seen that in each of the postions shown the arm ll lies approximately along the bisector of the angle between the arms l5, l6, that is the linkages l5, l8 and l6, 20 are substantially symmetrically arranged about the arm ll. This symmetry and the choice of gear ratios to cause turning of the arms l5, l6 through roughly equal angles ensures that side loads on the arm ll and the hinge l2 are mimimised enabling the arm ll to be lightly constructed as compared with the arms l5 and l6. Turning now to Figure 5, it will be seen that the arms l5 and l6 are provided on first and second internal ring gears 30, 3l. In fact, two of the first ring gears 30, 30' are provided and these are disposed on opposite sides of the ring gear 3l. The gears 30, 30' are coupled together. This arrangement distributes and balances the effect of output loads on the assembly as a whole. A plurality of compound planet gears 32 are provided and each of these includes two pinions 33, 33' which engage gears 30, 30' respectively, and a pinion 34, which engages gear 3l. The pinions 33, 33', 34 are either integral or consituted by separate gears secured together in any convenient manner for rotation in unison. The pinion 34 of the compound planet gears 32 also meshes with a sun gear 37. Two sets of further pinions 35, 35' are mounted for free rotation on spindles of the compound planet gears 32 and mesh with respective sun gears 43, 43' which are constrained to rotate with the sun gear 37. The pinions 35, 35' also mesh with internal ring gears 36, 36' respectively on the body l0. The sun gears 37, 43, 43' are integral with or secured to the planet pinion carrier of a conventional epicyclic reduction gear train 38, the sun gear of which is driven by the planet pinion carrier of another such gear train 39. The sun gear of gear train 39 is likewise driven by the planet pinion carrier of a third epicyclic reduction gear train 40, the sun gear of which is driven by the shaft of motor l7. The internal ring gears of all three gear trains 38, 39, 40 are integral with or secured to the body l0. Each of the gear trains 38, 39, 40 is a 3.63l:l reduction gear train so that the three gear trains provide a 50.895:l reduction. In the specific example described gear 30, 30' and 3l each have 47 teeth and there are 54 of the internal teeth 36 on the body. Pinions 33 and 33' of each compound pinion have l2 teeth and pinions 34 have l3 teeth. The pinions 35 have l6 teeth. The sun gear 37 has l9 teeth and the sun gears 43, 43' have 2l teeth. With these tooth ratios, the reduction ratio between sun gear 37 and ring 30 (assuming the body l0 to be stationary) is +88.295 and the reduction ratio between the sun gear 37 and the ring gear 3l is -90.385. Thus if the body l0 is stationary and the motor l7 is driven at 6,000 rpm the ring gears 30, 30' rotate at +l.4l88 rpm and ring gear 3l rotates in the reverse direction at -l.3860 rpm. The pinions 35, 35' rotate at approximately 0.9 times the speed of the platet pinion gears 32, whereby with the motor l7 driven at 6,000 rpm the pinions 35, 35' rotate at about 24 rpm relative to the gears 32. Wear between the pinions 35, 35' and stub shafts of the gears 32 is minimal and plain bearings may be used. Though equality of the reduction ratios between the sun gear 37 and the ring gears 30, 3l is desirable, in practice the restraints imposed by the design and number of teeth in each gear, in order to obtain the necessary speed reduction from the motor and to facilitate assembly, result, in a pratical construction in the difference between the above rotational speeds relative to the body l0. A plurality of additional arrangements each having a housing l0 and gear trains 30-37 and 43 may be coupled in axial alignment with the arrangement shown in Figure 5, and be driven by the motor l7. For this purpose a shaft 4l of the carrier 42 of the gear train 38 is coupled directly to the sun gear 37 of the next adjacent arrangement. The bodies l0 of the arrangements are drivingly coupled together, as are the arms l5 and l6 to corresponding arms in the other arrangements. The ease of assembly provided by the free pinions 35, 35¹ has the effect that these may readily be mounted, as shown, at opposite ends of the gears 32 even if their pitch circle diameters are substantially different from those of the pinions 33, 34. Typically six equiangularly spaced gears 32 are provided. In view of the small side loads on the arms ll it is possible to arrange that the pinions 35, 35¹ are provided on only three of the gears 32.

Claims: 1. A geared actuator arrangement comprising a body (l0), a first sun gear (37) rotatable relative to said body (l0) first and second ring gears (3l, 30) and a plurality of planet gears (32), each of said planet gears (32) comprising first and second pinions (33, 34) which are coupled for rotation in unison and which have dissimilar numbers of teeth, one of said pinions (34) meshing with said first sun gear (37) and with said first ring gear (3l) and the other of said pinions (33) meshing with said second gear (30), a further ring gear (36) rotatable with said body (l0) and a plurality of further pinions (35) coaxial with respective ones of said planet gears (32) and meshing with said further ring gear (36), characterised in that second sun gear (43) is coupled to said first sun gear (37) for rotation thereby and said further pinions (36) are freely rotatable about the axes of the respective planet gears (32) and in mesh with said further sun gear (43). 2. An actuator arrangement as claimed in Claim l which includes two of said further ring gears (36, 36') axially spaced on opposite sides of said first and second ring gears (3l, 30), two of said second sun gears (43, 43') aligned with respective ones of said further ring gears (36, 36') and said further pinions are in two groups (35, 35') which mesh with respective ones of said further ring gears (36, 36') and said second sun gears (43, 43'). 3. An actuator arrangement as claimed in Claim l or Claim 2 which includes a motor (l7) mounted in said body (l0) and epicyclic reduction gearing (39, 40) coupling said motor (l7) to said first sun gear (37). 4. An actuator arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim which includes means (l2) for mounting said body (l0) for movement about a hinge axis (l2) between two articulated parts (l3, l4) so that the axis (l0A) of said body (l0) is in spaced parallel relationship with said hinge axis (l2), and linkages (20, l8) connecting said first and second ring gears (3l, 30) to respective ones of said parts (l3, l4).

Inventors: MCKAY, RICHARD JOHN
Applicants: LUCAS INDUSTRIES PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY
Application year: 1986
Main classification: F16H19
IPC codes: F16H19, F16H1