U.S. patent application number 12/362867 was filed with the patent office on 2009-07-30 for opening device.
This patent application is currently assigned to Johnson Electric S.A.. Invention is credited to Qiang CHEN, Oliver Chillwa HO, Jingning TA, Zhiqiang WU.
Application Number | 20090188029 12/362867 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40897724 |
Filed Date | 2009-07-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090188029 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
TA; Jingning ; et
al. |
July 30, 2009 |
OPENING DEVICE
Abstract
An opening device has a drive motor with a motor shaft, an
output axle for pivotably driving a member between a first position
and a second position and a gear train connecting the motor shaft
to the output axle. A gear case houses the gear train. The gear
train has an output gear arranged to drive the output axle and the
output axle is slidably received in a hole in the output gear. Thus
the output axle can be assembled to the output gear or be
disassembled from the output gear without disassembling the gear
case. The gear case has at least one moveable baffle plate arranged
to prevent the output axle from accidentally separating from the
output gear once assembled.
Inventors: |
TA; Jingning; (Hong Kong,
CN) ; WU; Zhiqiang; (Shenzhen, CN) ; HO;
Oliver Chillwa; (Hong Kong, CN) ; CHEN; Qiang;
(Shenzhen, CN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Muncy, Geissler, Olds & Lowe, PLLC
P.O. BOX 1364
FAIRFAX
VA
22038-1364
US
|
Assignee: |
Johnson Electric S.A.
|
Family ID: |
40897724 |
Appl. No.: |
12/362867 |
Filed: |
January 30, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
4/246.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47K 13/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
4/246.1 |
International
Class: |
A47K 13/10 20060101
A47K013/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 30, 2008 |
CN |
200810065309 |
Claims
1. A opening device comprising: a drive motor having a motor shaft;
an output axle for pivotably driving a member between a first
position and a second position; a gear train connecting the motor
shaft to the output axle; and a gear case for housing the gear
train, the gear train being provided with an output gear to drive
the output axle; wherein the output axle is connected to the gear
case and the output gear by a live connection, whereby the output
axis can be assembled to the output gear or be disassembled from
the output gear without disassembling the gear case; and the
outside of the gear case is provided with at least one moveable
baffle plate arranged to prevent the output axle from separating
from the output gear.
2. The opening device of claim 1, wherein the output axle passes
through a through hole in the gear case, and the moveable baffle
plate is located adjacent the through hole; the moveable baffle
plate being moveable between a first position extending over an end
of the output axle to prevent the output axle from sliding through
the through hole and a second position in which the movable baffle
plate does not interfere with the output axle moving through the
through hole.
3. The opening device of claim 1, wherein the gear train comprises
a first gear train set extending along the axial direction of the
motor shaft, and a second gear train set extending transversely to
the axis of the motor shaft; the first gear train set is connected
to the motor shaft, and the second gear train set is connected to
the output axis; the output axle being parallel to the motor
shaft.
4. The opening device of claim 3, wherein the second gear train set
comprises an input gear driven by the first gear train set, the
output gear for driving the output axle, and a duplex gear
connected between the input gear and the output gear.
5. The opening device of claim 3, wherein the first gear train set
is a planetary gear train and comprises a sun gear fixed to the
motor shaft, an internal gear, and at least one planet gear group
meshing with the sun gear and the internal gear.
6. The opening device of claim 5, wherein the planetary gear train
has three stages.
7. The opening device of claim 1, wherein the output axle has a
through hole along its axis.
8. An opening assembly comprising: a base having a mounting part; a
movable member capable of pivoting relative to the base and having
a coupling part; an opening device for driving the movable member
between a first position and a second position, the opening device
having a drive motor, an output axle for driving the movable
member, and a gear train connecting a shaft of the drive motor to
the output axle, the gear train having an output gear arranged to
drive the output axis; a gear case for housing the gear train, the
gear case being fixed to the base; wherein the output axle is
connected to the gear case and the output gear by a live
connection; the output axle being insertable into the coupling part
of the cover when the coupling part is aligned with the mounting
part of the base, the output axle passing through the gear casing,
the output gear, the mounting part and the coupling part; and at
least one movable baffle plate provided on the gear case to limit
axial movement of the output axle with respect to the output gear
after the output axle has been inserted into the coupling part of
the movable member.
9. The assembly of claim 8, further comprising a torsion spring;
one end of the torsion spring being fixed to the base, and the
other end being fixed to the cover or the output axle.
10. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the base further comprises a
second mounting part, and each mounting part is provided with a
containing hole; the coupling part of the movable member is located
between the two mounting parts of the base, and the coupling part
of the movable member is provided with a coupling hole; the output
axle being removably slidably received in the coupling hole of the
coupling part and in a hole in the output gear whereby the output
axle couples the output gear to the movable member for rotation
therewith.
11. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the gear train comprises a
first gear train set which extends along the axis of the motor
shaft, and a second gear train set which extends transversely to
the axis of the motor shaft; the first gear train set being
connected to the motor shaft, and the second gear train set
comprises the output gear.
12. An assembly according to claim 11, wherein the first gear train
set is a planetary gear train and comprises a sun gear fixed to the
motor shaft, an internal gear, and at least one planet gear group
meshing with the sun gear and the internal gear.
13. An assembly according to claim 8, wherein the planetary gear
train has three stages.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This non-provisional patent application claims priority
under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119(a) from Patent Application No.
200810065309.3 filed in The People's Republic of China on Jan. 30,
2008.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to an opening device, an in
particular, to a motor drive unit for an opening device for a
toilet.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Traditional toilets require a user to manually open and
close the cover or seat by direct contact therewith, which is
neither convenient nor sanitary.
[0004] To solve the above mentioned problem, devices have been
developed which automatically open or close the cover or seat. A
typical device for a toilet appearing in market comprises a drive
motor, a gear box and an output shaft to drive the seat or the
cover of the toilet between first and second positions. However,
the existing opening device for toilet is of the outer output type,
in which the seat or cover needs to be fixed to the outside of the
opening device and before the opening device is fixed to the seat
or cover of the toilet, the output shaft is fixed to the opening
device by a dead joint and generally has no way to disassemble the
output shaft from the opening device without disassembling the
case.
[0005] Also, as the existing opening devices have the output shaft
fixed to the opening device by a dead joint (e.g. as an
interference fit), it is not suitable when the coupling part of the
seat or cover needs to be fixed to the inside of the opening
device. Thus, there is a need for an opening device with the
coupling part of the seat or cover being suitable to be fixed to
the inside of the opening device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] Accordingly, in one aspect thereof, the present invention
provides an opening device comprising: a drive motor having a motor
shaft; an output axle for pivotably driving a member between a
first position and a second position; a gear train connecting the
motor shaft to the output axle; and a gear case for housing the
gear train, the gear train being provided with an output gear to
drive the output axle; wherein the output axle is connected to the
gear case and the output gear by a live connection, whereby the
output axis can be assembled to the output gear or be disassembled
from the output gear without disassembling the gear case; and the
outside of the gear case is provided with at least one moveable
baffle plate arranged to prevent the output axle from separating
from the output gear.
[0007] Preferably, the output axle passes through a through hole in
the gear case and the moveable baffle plate is located adjacent the
through hole; the moveable baffle plate being moveable between a
first position extending over an end of the output axle to prevent
the output axle from sliding through the through hole and a second
position in which the movable baffle plate does not interfere with
the output axle moving through the through hole.
[0008] Preferably, the gear train comprises a first gear train set
extending along the axial direction of the motor shaft and a second
gear train set extending transversely to the axis of the motor
shaft; the first gear train set is connected to the motor shaft and
the second gear train set is connected to the output axis; the
output axle being parallel to the motor shaft.
[0009] Preferably, the second gear train set comprises an input
gear driven by the first gear train set, the output gear for
driving the output axle and a duplex gear connected between the
input gear and the output gear.
[0010] Preferably, the first gear train set is a planetary gear
train and comprises a sun gear fixed to the motor shaft, an
internal gear and at least one planet gear group meshing with the
sun gear and the internal gear.
[0011] Preferably, the planetary gear train has three stages.
[0012] Preferably, the output axle has a through hole along its
axis.
[0013] According to a second aspect, the present invention provides
an opening assembly comprising: a base having a mounting part; a
movable member capable of pivoting relative to the base and having
a coupling part; an opening device for driving the movable member
between a first position and a second position, the opening device
having a drive motor, an output axle for driving the movable member
and a gear train connecting a shaft of the drive motor to the
output axle, the gear train having an output gear arranged to drive
the output axis; a gear case for housing the gear train, the gear
case being fixed to the base; wherein the output axle is connected
to the gear case and the output gear by a live connection; the
output axle being insertable into the coupling part of the cover
when the coupling part is aligned with the mounting part of the
base, the output axle passing through the gear casing, the output
gear, the mounting part and the coupling part; and at least one
movable baffle plate provided on the gear case to limit axial
movement of the output axle with respect to the output gear after
the output axle has been inserted into the coupling part of the
movable member.
[0014] Preferably, the assembly also has a torsion spring; one end
of the torsion spring being fixed to the base and the other end
being fixed to the cover or the output axle.
[0015] Preferably, the base has a second mounting part and each
mounting part is provided with a containing hole; the coupling part
of the movable member is located between the two mounting parts of
the base and the coupling part of the movable member is provided
with a coupling hole; the output axle being removably slidably
received in the coupling hole of the coupling part and in a hole in
the output gear whereby the output axle couples the output gear to
the movable member for rotation therewith.
[0016] Preferably, the gear train comprises a first gear train set
which extends along the axis of the motor shaft and a second gear
train set which extends transversely to the axis of the motor
shaft; the first gear train set being connected to the motor shaft
and the second gear train set comprises the output gear.
[0017] The embodiments of the present invention allow for the
output axle to be freely assembled to the case or disassembled from
the case without disassembling the case, allowing the output axle
to be inserted in to the case and cover after the opening device is
assembled to the base. Thus the opening device of the present
invention is suitable for use where the coupling part of the seat
or cover needs to be assembled outside as well as inside the
opening device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be
described, by way of example only, with reference to figures of the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0019] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an opening device according
to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a partially exploded view of the device of FIG.
1;
[0021] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a first gear train set, being
a part of the device of FIG. 1;
[0022] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the gear train set of FIG.
3;
[0023] FIG. 5 is an isometric view of two opening devices assembled
to a base of a toilet seat according to an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0024] FIG. 6 is an isometric view from above of the base of FIG.
5; and
[0025] FIG. 7 is a sectional view illustrating the connection
between the seat or cover, the base and the opening device.
[0026] In the figures, identical structures, elements or parts that
appear in more than one figure are generally labeled with a same
reference numeral in all the figures in which they appear.
Dimensions of components and features shown in the figures are
generally chosen for convenience and clarity of presentation and
are not necessarily shown to scale.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0027] FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate an opening device according to
a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The opening device
can be used in toilets or other applications needing a member to be
pivotably moved between first and second positions. The present
embodiment will use a toilet as an example to explain the invention
in which the movable member is either the seat of the toilet or a
cover for the seat of the toilet. The opening device comprises a
drive motor 10, a first gear train set 30, a second gear train set
50, an output axle 70 and a gear case. The gear case comprises a
first case part 92 for housing the first gear train set 30, a
second case part 94 for housing the second gear train set 50 and a
lid 96. The outside of the first case part 92 is provided with a
pair of mounting bases 922 and each mounting base 922 is provided
with a mounting hole 924. The lid 96 is provided with a through
hole 962 for the output axle 70 to pass through and a pair of
movable baffle plates 964 are rotatablely fixed to the outside of
the lid 96 and located on opposite sides of the through hole 962.
By rotating the movable baffle plates 964, their ends can be moved
to extend over the through hole 962 to prevent the output axle 70
from sliding out of the through hole 962 and their ends can be
moved away from the through hole 962 to allow the output axle 70 to
enter the through hole 962. The center of the output axle 70 is
provided with a through hole 72 for the electric wires (not shown)
from the cover of seat of the toilet (movable member) to pass
through.
[0028] The drive motor 10 comprises an motor shaft 12 (see FIG. 4),
a ring magnet 14 fixed to the end of the shaft 12, a position
sensor 16 fixed to a circuit board at the end of the motor 10 and
located adjacent to the ring magnet 14. In the present embodiment,
the position sensor is a Hall sensor, which can produce high and
low voltage signals corresponding to the number of times the ring
magnet 14 rotates. A micro processor (not shown) associated with
the toilet can judge the number of times the motor shaft 12
rotates, so as to determine the position of the cover or seat by
processing the signals produced by the Hall sensor.
[0029] Referring now to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the first gear train set
30 is a NGW planetary gear which extends in the axial direction of
the motor shaft 12. The planetary gear comprises a first sun gear
32, a first planet gear group 34, a first carrier 36, a second
planet gear group 38, a second carrier 40, a third planet gear
group 42, a third carrier 44, a mounting plate 46, a backing plate
48 and an internal gear 49. The first sun gear 32 is fixed to the
motor shaft 12 by a dead joint to rotate with it (see FIG. 4). The
first planet gear group 34, the second planet gear group 38 and the
third planet gear group 42 are separately rotatablely fixed to
mounting axes 36a, 40a and 44a of the first carrier 36, the second
carrier 40 and the third carrier 44 and are together in mesh with
the internal gear 49. In the present embodiment, each planet gear
group has three planet gears. The first planet gear group 34 meshes
with the first sun gear 32. The sides of the first carrier 36 and
the second carrier 40 remote from the motor 10 are provided with a
second sun gear 36b and a third sun gear 40b respectively and the
second sun gear 36b and the third sun gear 40b separately mesh with
the second planet gear group 38 and the third planet gear group 42.
All the planet gear groups mesh with the internal gear 49 and are
able to roll along it. The side of the third carrier 44 remote from
the motor is provided with an output shaft 44b. The mounting plate
46 is fixed to one side of the internal gear 49 adjacent the motor
10 and is used to mount the planetary gear to the motor 10. The
backing plate 48 is located between the mounting plate 46 and the
first planet gear group 34 to reduce the friction between the first
planet gear group 34 and the mounting plate 46.
[0030] Referring to FIGS. 2 & 7, the second gear train set 50
is a parallel axes gear set which extends transversely to the axis
of the motor shaft 12, to offset the axis of the output axle from
the axis of the motor shaft. The second gear train set comprises an
input gear 52, a duplex gear 54 and the output gear 56, each of
which have an axis that extends parallel to the axis of the motor
shaft 12. The input gear 52 is connected to the output shaft 44b of
the planetary gear by a dead joint (interference or press fit) to
rotate with it. The duplex gear 54 comprises a first meshing part
54a and a second meshing part 54b; the first meshing part 54a
meshes with the input gear 52 and the second meshing part 54b
meshes with the output gear 56. The tooth number of the first
meshing part 54a is more than the tooth number of the second
meshing part 54b such that the output gear rotates more slowly than
the output shaft. The input gear 52, the duplex gear 54 and the
output gear 56 are all housed in the second case part 94. The lid
96 is fixed to the open ends of the first case part 92 and the
second case part 94.
[0031] Referring to FIGS. 5 to 7, two opening devices are assembled
to a base 100 of a toilet seat assembly. The base 100 comprises two
mounting parts 102 having, at a center thereof, a containing hole
104. The coupling part 110 (see FIG. 7) of the seat and cover of
the toilet is located between the two mounting parts 102 of the
base 100. The two opening devices are fitted to the base 100 from
below by the mounting bases 922, that is, screws passes through the
holes 924 in the mounting bases 922 and are screwed in to screw
holes in the base 100. The second case part 94 extends from the
bottom side of the base 100 upward into the containing hole 104
and, when the coupling part 110 of the seat or cover is placed
between the two mounting parts 102 and after the coupling hole 112
of the coupling part 110 is aligned with the through hole of the
output gear 56, the output axle 70 is passed through the though
hole 962 of the lid 96 from the containing hole 104 and inserted
into the coupling hole 112 of the seat or the cover after passing
through the through hole 94a of the second case part 94 via the
through hole of the output gear 56. The outer surface of the output
axle 70 is a cylinder shape with two diagonally opposite flat
portions extending in the axial direction and the shapes of the
mounting hole of the output gear 56 and the coupling hole 112 of
the seat or the cover is adapted to mate with the shape of the
cross section of the output axle 70, so that when the output gear
56 rotates, the output axle 70 and the seat or cover will also
rotate with it. The output axle 70 is thus arranged to be slidably
received in the hole in the output gear and in the coupling hole
112 but is form locked or keyed to cause the output gear and the
cover or sear to pivotably rotate or move with it.
[0032] A torsion spring 120 is fixed to the output axle 70 by a
socket joint. One end (not shown) of the spring is fixed to the
base 100 and the other end 122 is fixed to the output axle 70. When
the cover or seat of the toilet is located at a setting angle such
as 70 degrees, the torsion spring 120 is in a relaxed o free state.
When the cover or seat is located at a position more than or less
than the setting angle, the torsion spring 120 will be in a
deformation state, having the tendency to resiliently push the
cover or seat back to the setting angle. It is to be understood
that the other end 122 of the torsion spring 120 can also be fixed
to the cover or seat of the toilet.
[0033] In use, the motor shaft 12 drives the output axle 70 to
rotate via the first and second gear train sets 30, 50, so as to
drive the cover or seat between first and second positions. When
the micro processor determines that the opening angle of the cover
or seat has reached a predetermined desired angle, such as 110
degrees, by processing the signal produced by the position sensor
16, the power to the motor is turned off, so the motor shaft 12
stops rotating and the cover or seat stops at the desired
position.
[0034] In the opening device of the present invention, the output
axle 70 can be freely assembled to the case or disassembled from
the case without disassembling the case. Before the cover or seat
of the toilet is assembled to the base 100 of the toilet, the
output axle 70 can be conveniently dissembled from the opening
device for the convenience of aligning the coupling part of the
cover or the seat between the two mounting parts 102 of the base
100. After the coupling part of the cover or seat is correctly
aligned between the two mounting parts 102 of the base 100, the
output axle 70 is passed through the through hole 962 of the lid 96
from the containing hole 104 and inserted into the coupling hole
112 of the seat or cover after passing through the through hole 94a
of the second case part 94 via the mounting hole of the output gear
56. Thus, the opening device of the present invention is suitable
for use whether the coupling part of the seat or cover needs to be
assembled inside the opening device or needs to be assembled
outside the opening device. As the second gear train set 50 is a
parallel axes gear set which extends in a direction transverse to
the axis of the motor shaft 12, the output axle 70 is spaced from
but parallel to of the motor shaft 12.
[0035] Although the invention is described with reference to one or
more preferred embodiments, it should be appreciated by those
skilled in the art that various modifications are possible.
Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be determined by
reference to the claims that follow.
[0036] In the description and claims of the present application,
each of the verbs "comprise", "include", "contain" and "have" and
variations thereof, are used in an inclusive sense, to specify the
presence of the stated item but not to exclude the presence of
additional items.
* * * * *