Fastening device for an actuator and a housing, in particular for a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention proposes a device for attaching an actuator (2) to a housing (4), in particular for an automotive vehicle, the actuator being provided for driving a movable equipment (41) disposed within the housing. The device comprises attaching means for attaching the actuator on the housing. The mounting means comprise two conjugated connection flanges (20, 40), respectively mounted on a connexion face (28) of the actuator (28) and on a connection face (48) of the housing. The connexion flanges are adapted to be assembled according to a male/female type connection at the outside of the housing.

Description

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon studying the following detailed description and from the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1A is a diagram showing a housing/actuator assembly equipped with the fastening device of the invention;

FIG. 1B is a diagram showing the rotational movement imparted on the actuator during the assembly phase;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the actuator showing its connecting surface;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the fastening means provided on the housing;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the housing/actuator assembly in a first assembly step;

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of the housing/actuator assembly in a final assembly step;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the fastening means arranged on the housing when the drive shaft of the actuator and the drive pin of the movable member are off-center in relation to the axis of the flanges;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the housing-actuator assembly in the embodiment of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the fastening means arranged on the actuator, in the embodiment of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view of the housing/actuator assembly in an embodiment wherein the drive shaft of the actuator is connected to the drive pin of the movable member via an indirect drive mechanism;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are respective perspective views of the actuator and fastening means arranged on the housing, in the embodiment of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a partial diagram of the housing/actuator assembly showing an alternative embodiment of the latching tab of the actuator;

FIG. 13 is a perspective diagram of the housing/actuator assembly showing the use of a screw connection between the actuator and the housing;

FIG. 14 is a partial diagram of the housing/actuator assembly showing the use of axial holding pins;

FIG. 15 is a diagram of an embodiment of the fastening device of the invention in which slots are provided on the female flange; and

FIG. 16 is a diagram of an embodiment of the fastening device of the invention with a foolproof safety device;

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a support mounted between the housing and the actuator;

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a locator;

FIGS. 19 and 20 show a first stabilizing means;

FIG. 21 shows a holding mechanism;

FIG. 22 shows a second stabilizing means;

FIGS. 23 and 24 show a housing equipped with demolding openings;

FIGS. 25 and 26 show a connecting flange equipped with several helical connecting shapes;

FIGS. 27, 28 and 29 show the invention with a female drive shaft;

FIG. 30 shows another embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 31 to 40 show an embodiment with an actuator comprising a double-ended drive shaft.

Claims

1. Fastening device for an actuator (1) with a housing (4), in particular for a motor vehicle, the actuator (2) being designed to drive a movable member (41) arranged inside the housing (4), the device comprising fastening means for making the actuator integral with the housing, characterized in that the fastening means include two mating connecting flanges (20, 40) mounted, respectively, on a connecting surface (28) of the actuator and on a connecting surface (48) of the housing, and in that said connecting flanges are capable of being assembled via a male/female-type connection on the exterior of said housing.

2. Device of claim 1, characterized in that a support (6) is placed between the actuator (2) and the housing (4) and comprises a connecting surface (68) on which the connecting flange (40) is mounted.

3. Device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the connecting flanges (20, 40) are shaped so that the actuator is connected to the housing (4) or to the support (6) by a translational movement, in the direction of the drive shaft, towards the interior of the housing, followed by a rotational movement, until a predefined stop position is reached.

4. Device of claim 3, characterized in that the connecting flanges (20, 40) are shaped so as to produce a translational movement towards the housing (4) during the rotational movement of the actuator (2).

5. Device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connecting flanges (20, 40) have mating helical connecting shapes on at least a portion of their wall, and in that the male connecting flange shapes (20) comprise discontinuous helical grooves (200).

6. Device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connection between the flanges (20, 40) is of the bayonet type.

7. Device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fastening means further comprise a stop device (462, 23) designed to block the rotation of the actuator in relation to the housing or support (6), in the stop position.

8. Device of claim 7, characterized in that the stop device includes a latching tab (23) arranged on the actuator and a holding mechanism (462) arranged on the connecting surface (48, 68) of the housing (4) or support (6), said tab being designed to be fastened to the holding mechanism by clipping on, when the actuator reaches its stop position.

9. Device of claim 8, characterized in that the holding mechanism comprises a guide element (460) and holding elements (462), the guide element being shaped so as to bring the latching tab (23) substantially opposite the holding element (462) during the rotating movement of the actuator (2), and the holding elements (462) being shaped so as to connect by clipping together with the latching tab (23), when the actuator reaches its stop position.

10. Device of claim 9, characterized in that the latching tab (23) comprises an elastic portion, and in that the guide element (460) is shaped so as to exert increasing stress on the latching tab (23) during the rotating movement of the actuator (2), the elastic portion of the latching tab relaxing when the tab arrives substantially opposite the holding elements (462).

11. Device of claim 10, characterized in that the guide element (460) describes an arc of circle that is off-center in relation to the axis of rotation of the actuator (2).

12. Device as claimed in one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that the latching tab (230 extends in a overall plane that is substantially parallel to the connecting surface (28) on which it is arranged.

13. Device as claimed in one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that the latching tab (23) extends in an overall plane that is substantially perpendicular to the connecting surface (28) on which it is arranged.

14. Device as claimed in one of claims 7 to 13, characterized in that the stop device includes a holding stud (463) arranged on the housing (4) or support (6), and in that the actuator (2) is designed to be screwed onto the holding stud, after assembly of the actuator and the housing (4).

15. Device as claimed in one of claims 7 to 14, characterized in that it further comprises a foolproof device (50) arranged so as to allow electrical connection of the actuator only when the rotation of the actuator (2) in relation to the housing (4) or support (6) is blocked by the stop device (462, 23).

16. Device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further includes a locator (500) comprising three sub-locators (501, 502, 503) placed so as to form an arc of circle, the center of this arc of circle being located by the axis of rotation D of the flange (20) of the actuator (2), this arc of circle arrangement limiting the placement of the actuator (2) to a single position in relation to the housing (4) or support (6).

17. Device of claim 16, characterized in that it further comprises at least one first stabilizing means (7) located between one side (21) of the actuator (2) and a first sub-locator (501), this first stabilizing means (7) holding the latching tab (23) of the actuator (2) pressed against one of the clipping walls (4620) forming the holding means (462).

18. Device of claim 17, characterized in that the first stabilizing means (7) is integral with the actuator (2) or with the first sub-locator (501).

19. Device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises at least one second stabilizing means (7′) located between the connecting surface (28) of the actuator (2) and the connecting surface (48, 68) of the housing (4) or support (6), this second stabilizing means (7′) holding in contact at least two mating helical connecting shapes.

20. Device of claim 19, characterized in that the second stabilizing means (7′) is integral with the actuator (2) or with the connecting surface (48, 68).

21. Device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fastening means further include two substantially L-shaped axial holding pins (25, 45) arranged, respectively, on the connecting surface (48, 68) of the housing (4) or the support (6) and on the connecting surface (28) of the actuator, the L-shape of each pin having a first branch (251, 451) extending substantially perpendicular to the corresponding connecting surface (28, 48, 68) and a second branch (252, 452) substantially parallel to the corresponding connecting surface, and in that the second branch (452) of the pin of the housing is shaped so as to press against the second branch (252) of the pin of the actuator, towards the interior of the housing, when the actuator reaches its stop position.

22. Device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connecting flange (20) of the actuator (2) is shaped so as to obstruct at least one opening (8) in the connecting surface (48, 68) supporting the mating flange (40), the opening (8) being arranged on the interior or exterior periphery of said mating flange (40).

23. Device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the connecting flange (20) of the actuator (2) includes helical connecting shapes (200) on both an interior surface and an exterior surface of its wall or on one of these surfaces of its wall.

24. Device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the movable member (410) has a connecting bearing (465) and the actuator has a drive shaft (22), the connecting bearing being shaped so as to be connected to the drive shaft of the actuator during the fastening of the connecting flanges (20, 40).

25. Device of claim 24, characterized in that the drive shaft (220 of the actuator (2) and the connecting bearing (465) of the movable member (41) are coaxial in relation to the axis of the connecting flanges (20, 40).

26. Device of claim 25, characterized in that the drive shaft (22) of the actuator and the connecting bearing (465) of the movable member 9410 are off-center in relation to the axis of the connecting flanges.

27. Device of claim 26, characterized in that the bearing (465) has a notch (4650) shaped so that the drive shaft (22) of the actuator comes to nest radially inside the bearing via the notch, when the actuator reaches its stop position.

28. Device of claim 26, characterized in that the drive shaft (22) of the actuator (2) has a notch (2200) shaped so as to nest radially in the connecting bearing (465) of the movable member (41) via the notch (2200), when the actuator (2) reaches its stop position.

29. Device of claim 24, characterized in that the bearing (465) of the movable member (41) is off-center in relation to the drive shaft (22) of the actuator (2), and in that the drive shaft (22) of the actuator (2) is connected to the bearing (465) of the movable member (41) via an indirect drive mechanism (3, 9).

30. Device of claim 29, characterized in that the indirect drive mechanism (3, 9) includes a connecting rod (30) hinged to the drive shaft (22) of the actuator (2) via a first lever (29) and to the bearing (465) of the movable member via a second lever (32), and in that the connecting flanges (20, 40) of the actuator (2) and the housing (4) or support (6) each have a notch (290, 490) on their wall, which is shaped so as to allow the first lever (29) to pass through the flanges (20, 40).

31. Device of claim 30, characterized in that the lever (29) is shaped so as to obstruct at least one opening (8) made along the periphery and interior side of the connecting flange (40) located on the connecting surface (48, 68) of the housing (4) or support (6).

32. Device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the actuator (2) has a double-ended (22a, 22b) drive shaft (22) whose first end (22a) is located on the same side as the connecting flange (20), and whose second end (22b) is located on the opposite side in relation to the body of the actuator (2) with this connecting flange (20).

33. Device of claim 32, characterized in that the ends (22a, 22b) of the drive shaft (22) can be of either the male or the female type.

34. Device as claimed in claim 32 or 33, characterized in that a drive shaft (22) of the actuator (2) drives both at least one indirect drive mechanism (3, 9) and/or one movable member (41).

35. Device as claimed in any one of claims 32 to 34, characterized in that the indirect drive mechanism (3, 9) comprises a connecting means (10) so as to connect said indirect drive mechanism (3, 9) to the drive shaft (22) of the actuator (2) or to the connecting bearing (465) of the movable member (41) or to another indirect drive mechanism (3, 9).

36. Heating and air conditioning system comprising an airflow housing (4) in which a damper (41) is housed, the damper being driven by an actuator (2), characterized in that it comprises a fastening device, as claimed in any of claims 1 to 36, for making the actuator integral with the housing.

37. Air conditioning and heating device including an air circulation housing (4) that contains a damper, the damper being driven by an actuator (2), characterized in that it comprises a fastening device according to one of claims 1 to 36, for fastening the actuator on the housing.