Patent Publication Number: US-2016230888-A1

Title: Actuator

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is the U.S. national stage application pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §371 of International Patent Application No. PCT/DE2014/200392, filed Aug. 8, 2014, which application claims priority from German Patent Application No. 10 2013 219 316.5, filed Sep. 25, 2013, which applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to an actuator, in particular for actuating a transmission to select a transmission ratio and to engage or disengage the selected transmission ratio and/or for actuating a clutch. The invention further relates to a transmission including at least one actuator of this kind. 
     Various actuators for transmissions or clutches are known in the art. 
     DE 196 55 083 B4 discloses an actuator for a transmission with a controller drum integrated into the transmission housing. The clutch actuator is designed to be separate therefrom. 
     WO 97/02963 discloses an actuator for a transmission and a clutch wherein the actuation of the transmission and the actuation of the clutch are carried out by means of actuators that are separate from one another. 
     WO 02/066870 A1 discloses a transmission actuation wherein a transmission ratio is disengaged in an automated way when a different transmission ratio is engaged. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the invention is to provide an actuator for a transmission that is of simple and cost-efficient construction. 
     An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to an actuator, in particular for actuating a transmission to select a transmission ratio and to engage or disengage the selected transmission ratio and/or for actuating at least one clutch, with at least one cylindrical control element on which at least a first ring element for controlling the clutch, a second ring element as a drive element, a third ring element for shift control, and a fourth ring element for shift actuation are disposed for rotation, wherein the first ring element is connected to a clutch for actuating the clutch upon a rotation of the first ring element, the second ring element is connected to a drive for rotating the second ring element in a controlled and driven way, the third ring element is provided with actuating means interacting with corresponding actuating means of the first, second, and fourth ring element, and wherein the fourth ring element is connected to shifting elements of a transmission for shifting a transmission ratio. The first ring element and/or the third ring element may be rotated by a rotation of the second ring element. The clutch may be actuated by a rotation of the first ring element. The fourth ring element may be actuated by a rotation of the third ring element, causing the transmission to be actuated to select a transmission ratio and to engage or disengage a transmission ratio. 
     In this context it is advantageous if the cylindrical control element has at least one protruding tab acting as a rotation stop of the first ring element, wherein the first ring element has at least one contact surface that rests against the tab when the ring element is in a defined position relative to the control element. 
     In accordance with the invention, it is preferred if the cylindrical control element is a stationary element, which is fixedly connected to the transmission housing, for instance, and is not disposed for rotation. On this cylindrical control element, the ring elements are received for rotation; individual ring elements are rotatable only through a limited angle of rotation, whereas other ring elements are rotatable in one or both directions, in particular through 360° or more than 360°. 
     It is particularly advantageous if the ring elements are disposed adjacent to one another as viewed in an axial direction of the control element. 
     It is further expedient if the second ring element has means connected to drive means of a drive to drive the second ring element in a first or in a second direction of rotation. 
     It is particularly advantageous if the means are or comprise a circumferential toothing meshing with a gear of the drive. Thus the second ring element may easily be driven to rotate in the one or in the other direction of rotation. 
     In accordance with the invention, it is further advantageous if the second ring element has recesses through which actuating means of the third ring element extend in an axial direction. The third ring element may drive the first ring element if the actuating means pass through the recess and protrude out of the latter and in a different mode of operation, the third ring element may not drive the first ring element if the actuating means do not protrude out of the recess. 
     It is further expedient if the third ring element has first actuating means that extend to the second ring element in an axial direction and if the third ring element has second actuating means that extend to the fourth ring element in an axial direction. 
     It is particularly advantageous if the first actuating means of the third ring element extend through the recesses of the second ring element. These then serve to actuate the first ring element. 
     It is further advantageous if the first actuating means of the third ring element has a contact surface interacting with a contact surface of the first ring element. In this way, the first ring element may be displaced by means of the third ring element. 
     It is particularly advantageous if the contact surface of the first ring element and the contact surface of the third ring element are disposed to be inclined in a circumferential direction. 
     It is further advantageous if the second actuating means of the third ring element are designed to have contact surfaces interacting with contact surfaces of the actuating means of the fourth ring element. Thus the third ring element may interact with the fourth ring element to displace the latter. 
     It is further advantageous if the second actuating means of the third ring element are embodied as tabs that protrude in an axial direction and if the actuating means of the fourth ring element are recesses in which the actuating means of the third ring element engage. 
     In accordance with the invention it is advantageous if the cylindrical control element and the third ring element have ramp elements that interact with one another in a pre-defined relative position of the control element and the third ring element. In this process, the third ring element is lifted by means of the ramp elements, causing the actuating means of the third ring element to disengage from the recesses of the fourth ring element. 
     It is further advantageous if the fourth ring element is a roller element that has at least one guide track or guide tracks disposed on its outer circumference and/or on an end face. Thus the fourth ring element may be embodied as a controller drum whose guide tracks are engaged by shifting means of the transmission to cause an actuating element of the transmission to be actuated when the contour of the guide track changes. 
     It is further advantageous if an energy storage element is provided between the second ring element and the third ring element to pre-load the two ring elements away from one another. 
     An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a transmission with a plurality of transmission ratios and with at least one clutch, characterized by at least one actuator. 
     In this context, it is advantageous if two actuators are provided to select a transmission ratio and to engage or disengage the selected transmission ratio and/or to actuate two clutches. 
     It is further advantageous if the transmission is a double clutch transmission. 
     The present invention will be explained below based on preferred exemplary embodiments and in connection with the associated figures. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will he explained in greater detail in the following section on the basis of exemplary embodiments, with reference to the appended drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic perspective view of an actuator; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic sectional view of the actuator; 
         FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic partial representation of the actuator; 
         FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic representation of the actuator in a first operating position; 
         FIG. 5  is a diagrammatic representation of the actuator in a second operating position; 
         FIG. 6  is a diagrammatic representation of a cylindrical control element; 
         FIG. 7  is a diagrammatic representation of the first ring element; 
         FIG. 8  is a diagrammatic representation of the fourth ring element; 
         FIG. 9  is a diagrammatic representation of the third ring element; 
         FIG. 10  is a diagrammatic representation of the second ring element; 
         FIG. 11  is a representation of a translatory model for explaining the invention; 
         FIG. 12  is a representation of a translatory model for explaining the invention; 
         FIG. 13  is a representation of a translatory model for explaining the invention; 
         FIG. 14  is a representation of a translatory model for explaining the invention; 
         FIG. 15  is a representation of a translatory model for explaining the invention; 
         FIG. 16  is a representation of a translatory model for explaining the invention; 
         FIG. 17  is a representation of a translatory model for explaining the invention; 
         FIG. 18  is a representation of a translatory model for explaining the invention; 
         FIG. 19  is a representation of a translatory model for explaining the invention; 
         FIG. 20  is a representation of a translatory model for explaining the invention; and, 
         FIG. 21  is a representation of a translatory model for explaining the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIGS. 1 to 3  are a perspective view, a sectional view, and a partial perspective view, respectively, of actuator  1  of the invention. Actuator  1  has cylindrical control element  2 , which has cylindrical first region  3  and cylindrical second region  4  protruding in a radially outward direction therefrom. Cylindrical control element  2  receives ring elements  5 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8  for rotation on its outer circumference. Ring element  5 , ring element  6 , and ring element  8  are positioned to be axially fixed and rotatable and are connected for rotation with cylindrical control element  2  by means of bearings  9 . Ring element  7  is disposed for axial displacement and rotation relative to cylindrical control element  2 . 
     As it is apparent from  FIG. 1 , ring element  5  has actuating means  10  with contact surface  11  capable of interacting with protruding tab  12  of cylindrical control element  2  to limit a relative rotation of ring element  5  relative to control element  2 . When contact surface  11  gets into contact with tab  12 , ring element  5  is fixed in a circumferential direction. However, ring element  5  may be rotated out of this position shown in  FIG. 1  by a rotation towards the right. 
     Ring element  5  serves to actuate a clutch and is thus connected to a clutch actuating element for controlling the clutch; this is diagrammatically indicated by connection  13  to clutch  14 . 
     Ring element  6  serves as a drive element that is in driving connection with drive  15 . Ring element  6  may be driven in a first direction of rotation or in the opposite second direction of rotation by means of drive  15 . For this purpose, ring element  6  preferably has means  16  that are in driving connection with drive means  17  of drive  15  to drive ring element  6  in the first or second directions of rotation. Means  16  may be a gear or a toothing meshing with a toothing of drive  15 . In a corresponding way, drive  15  may rotate ring element  6  to drive ring element  5  and/or ring element  8 . 
     Ring element  7 , which is disposed adjacent to ring element  6  and is provided with actuating means  18 ,  19  interacting with ring element  5  or with ring element  8 , is provided to drive ring element  5  or ring element  8 . Ring element  6  has recesses  20 , which receive actuating means  18  of ring element  6 . Actuating means  18  are designed in such a way that they may respectively extend through recess  20  in an axial direction. 
     Actuating means  18  have a first region that is essentially rectangular when viewed from the side and a second region embodied as an end region and inclined on one flank to be capable of interacting with contact surface  11  of actuating means  10  of ring element  5 . When actuating means  18  extends through recess  20  and protrudes from recess  20 , actuating means  18  may get into contact with contact surface  11  upon a rotation of ring element  6 , and upon a further rotation, ring element  5  may be rotated in this way. If, after a rotation of ring element  5  to the right, ring element  6  is rotated to the left again, ring element  5  follows this rotation because ring element  5  is connected to clutch  14  and, due to the pre-loading of the clutch, a force is applied to ring element  5  in an indirect way so that in a not-actuated condition, contact surface  11  of ring element  5  gets into contact with tab  12 . 
     If ring element  7  is displaced in an axial direction so that actuating means  8  does not protrude out of recess  20 , ring element  6  may be rotated with ring element  7  without causing actuating means  18  to get into contact with support surface  11  and without causing ring element  5  to be co-rotated. 
     Ring element  7  further includes actuating means  19  that protrude in an axial direction and protrude from ring element  7  in the opposite direction from actuating means  18 . Actuating means  19  may engage in recesses  21  as actuating means of ring element  8  to be capable of moving ring element  8  in the respective direction of rotation when actuating means  19  engages in recess  21 . For this purpose, actuating means  19  are embodied to have a trapezoidal shape, having opposing inclined contact surfaces, which in turn get into contact with inclined contact surfaces associated with recesses  21 . 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  illustrate actuator  1  in various actuating positions. In  FIG. 4 , which essentially corresponds to  FIG. 1 , ring element  7  is disposed adjacent to ring element  6  in such a way that actuating means  18  extends through recess  20  and protrudes from recess  20  to be capable of getting into contact with contact surface  11  of ring element  5 . Simultaneously, actuating means  19  is outside recesses  21  of the actuating means of ring element  8 . 
     In  FIG. 5 , ring element  7  is moved towards ring element  8  in an axial direction, causing ring element  6  and ring element  7  to be spaced apart. Due to this spacing, actuating means  18  only extends into recess  20  but does not protrude from recess  20 . Thus, contact surface  11  of ring element  5  cannot be acted upon and actuating means  18  may be guided past contact surface  11  by a rotation of ring element  6 . In this arrangement of ring element  7 , actuating means  19  is simultaneously introduced into recess  21  so that by rotating ring element  6 , ring element  7  and consequently also ring element  8  is disposed to be rotatable. 
     Energy storage element  22  is provided between ring element  6  and ring element  7  to apply a load to ring elements  6 ,  7  relative to one another in a way to urge ring element  7  away from ring element  6  and towards ring element  8 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates cylindrical control element  2  with cylindrical region  3  and cylindrical region  4 . Cylindrical region  3  transitions into cylindrical region  4  at shoulder  23 . Tab  12  serving as a stop for contact surface  11  of ring element  5  is disposed on lateral cylinder surface  24  of cylindrical region  3 . Preferably, two tabs  12  opposing one another at 180° are provided on lateral surface  24  of cylindrical region  3 . Shoulder  23  is essentially perpendicular, with ramp surfaces  34  provided in the region of shoulder  23  to create raised portion  25  in sections of the circumference of shoulder  23 . There are preferably  2  opposing ramp surfaces  34  that are connected to raised plane  26 .  FIG. 7  illustrates ring element  5  with the protrusions embodied as actuating means  27  and axially protruding from ring element  5 . Lateral flanks form contact surfaces  11  for contact with a flank of tab  12  or with a flank of actuating means  18  of ring element  7 .  FIG. 8  illustrates ring element  8  with essentially trapezoidal recesses  21  that have side flanks  28  for contacting flanks of actuating means  19  of ring element  7 . Annular upper side  29  is interrupted by recesses  21  and does not have a uniform height: on one side of recesses  21 , upper side  29  rises, forming raised portion  30 . When actuating means  19  is contacted on the upper side and when actuating means  19  is displaced to the left, this raised portion  30  causes a side flank of actuating means  19  to get into contact with side flank  28  in the region of raised portion  30  and prevents any further rotation on the surface of upper side  29  so that actuating means  19  is engaged in recess  21 . 
       FIG. 9  illustrates ring element  7  with actuating means  18  that protrude upwards in an axial direction. Actuating means  18  has straight side flanks  31  and angled side flanks  32 . Angled side flanks  32  serve to contact contact surfaces  11  of ring element  5  and straight side flanks  31  serve to contact recesses  20  of ring element  6 . Actuating means  19  extend away from ring element  7  in the opposite direction of actuating means  18  and are of trapezoidal shape, including side flanks  33 . Side flanks  33  serve as contact surfaces by means of which actuating means  19  may get into contact with the side flanks of recesses  21  of ring element  8  to cause the transmission of force between ring element  7  and ring element  8 . 
     In addition, ramp surfaces  35  are provided radially inside actuating means  19 . Upon a rotation of ring element  7  relative to cylindrical control element  2 , these ramp surfaces  35  get into contact with ramp surfaces  34 , causing ring element  7  to rise relative to control element  2  and actuating means  19  to disengage from recesses  21  of ring element  8  upon contact between ramp surfaces  34 ,  35 . 
       FIG. 10  illustrates ring element  6  as a ring element with recesses  20  that are open towards the outside in which actuating means  18  of ring element  7  may engage. 
       FIGS. 11 to 15  explain the functioning of actuator  1  in a translatory analogous model. A driven shifting element that is movable in a lateral direction is represented as shift ring  50 . The lateral movement corresponds to the rotation of the component.  51  indicates the controller drum and  52  indicates the disengagement tab of cylindrical control element  2 . In this context, controller drum  51  is represented as ring element  8  and the disengagement tab is represented as ramp surface  34  or raised portion  25  of cylindrical control element  2 . If control element  50  moves against a contact surface of clutch actuating element  53 , which is embodied as ring element  5 , the clutch can be actuated by displacing clutch actuating element  53 . If there is no actuation of the clutch, the clutch actuating element is in contact with stop  54 . If control element  50  moves into recess  55  of the controller drum, controller drum  51  may be moved or rotated upon a further rotation or movement of control element  2 . If controller drum  51  moves relative to disengagement tab  52 , control element  50  is guided out of recess  55  again. 
       FIG. 11  shows that the control element is disposed outside recess  55  of controller drum  51 ; the clutch is not actuated.  FIG. 12  shows control element  50  in contact with a contact surface of clutch actuating element  53 , so that upon a further movement, clutch actuating element  53  is displaced so that the clutch is actuated. 
       FIG. 13  shows control element  50  with the clutch not actuated, i.e., the clutch actuating element is in contact with stop  54 , introduced into recess  55  so that upon a further displacement of control element  50  towards the right or towards the left, a shifting actuation to a first transmission ratio or a shifting actuation in a second transmission ratio may occur. 
       FIG. 14  shows the control element disengaged from recess  55  after disengagement via disengagement tab  52  so that subsequently an activation of the clutch or a shifting operation is possible by a movement into a further recess. 
       FIG. 15  shows control element  50  moved in the direction of recess  55  from a different position while the clutch is not actuated. 
       FIG. 16  shows actuating means  19  of ring element  7  upon an engagement process with recess  21  of ring element  8 . Here, the controller drum is indicated at  51 , the disengagement tab at  52 , and the clutch actuating element with stop at  53  and  54 , respectively. Actuating means  19  of ring element  7  is spring-loaded by energy storage element  56  and pre-loaded in the direction of the controller drum/ring element  8 . Actuating means  19  is in contact with the disengagement tab so that a further rotation of actuating means  19  results in an actuation of the clutch or in an engagement with recess  21 . 
       FIG. 17  illustrates the movement of actuating means  19  into recess  21  to engage in the recess.  FIG. 18  illustrates actuating means  19  having moved above recess  21  and in contact with flank  57  of recess  21 . Upon a further displacement of actuating means  19  towards the left as shown in  FIG. 19 , actuating means  19  moves into recess  21  along flank  58  of recess  21 . Upon a displacement of actuating means  19  towards the left as shown in  FIG. 20 , a first transmission ratio is activated or upon a displacement of actuating means  19  towards the right a second transmission ratio may be activated. 
     LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
     
         
           1  actuator 
           2  control element 
           3  first cylindrical region 
           4  second cylindrical region 
           5  first ring element 
           6  second ring element 
           7  third ring element 
           8  fourth ring element 
           9  bearing 
           10  actuating means 
           11  contact surface 
           12  tab 
           13  connection 
           14  clutch 
           15  drive 
           16  means 
           17  drive means 
           18  actuating means 
           19  actuating means 
           20  recess 
           21  recess 
           22  energy storage element 
           23  shoulder 
           24  lateral cylinder surface 
           25  raised portion 
           26  raised plane 
           27  actuating means 
           28  side flank 
           29  upper side 
           30  raised portion 
           31  side flank 
           32  side flank 
           33  side flank 
           34  ramp surface 
           35  ramp surface 
           50  control element 
           51  controller drum 
           52  disengagement tab 
           53  clutch actuating element 
           54  stop 
           55  recess 
           56  energy storage element 
           57  flank 
           58  flank