Patent ID: 8297142

Claim:
An actuator for driving a driven member comprising: a housing; an electric motor mounted on the housing and comprising a rotational shaft; a driving mechanism which drives the driven member by a rotational force being transmitted thereto from the rotational shaft; a first power transmission mechanism comprising a plurality of gears for transmitting the rotational force of the rotational shaft of the electric motor to the driving mechanism; a sensor which detects a rotational angle of a measuring shaft; and a second power transmission mechanism comprising a plurality of gears for transmitting the rotational force of the rotational shaft to the measuring shaft of the sensor, wherein at least one of the gears of the first power transmission mechanism and at least one of the gears of the second power transmission mechanism are supported by a single shaft extending through a center of said at least one of the gears of the first power transmission mechanism and a center of said at least one of the gears of the second power transmission mechanism, wherein said at least one of the gears of the first power transmission mechanism and said at least one of the gears of the second power transmission mechanism are formed as separate pieces, wherein said at least one of the gears of the first power transmission mechanism and said at least one of the gears of the second power transmission mechanism do not directly mesh each other, and wherein the second power transmission mechanism includes a gear that is unrelated to the first power transmission mechanism.