Camshaft adjuster and method for determining the setting of a camshaft adjuster

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10865716-B2
Application number	US-201515321580-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2015
Priority date	Jun 26, 2014
Publication date	Dec 15, 2020
Grant date	Dec 15, 2020

Abstract

A camshaft adjuster for adjusting the phase angle between a crankshaft and a camshaft of an internal combustion engine comprises an actuator, in particular, an electric motor, and an adjustment module, which comprises a drive element, which can be driven by the crankshaft, and an output element, which can be rotated relative to the drive element to a limited extent and which is provided to be securely coupled to the camshaft, wherein a signal generator, which is arranged so as to be fixed in position on the internal combustion engine and which has an inductance, is inductively coupled to a measurement circuit, which is integrated into the adjustment module and which has at least one resonant circuit component having electrical properties that depend on the said phase angle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A camshaft adjuster for adjusting a phase angle between a crankshaft and a camshaft of an internal combustion engine, the camshaft adjuster comprising:
an actuator;
a signal generator having an inductance, the signal generator arranged to be fixed on the internal combustion engine; and,
a variator arranged axially between the actuator and the camshaft, the variator including:
a first end configured to be coupled to a shaft of the actuator;
a drive element configured to be driven by the crankshaft; and,
an output element configured to be rotated within a pre-determined range relative to the drive element and coupled to the camshaft; and,
a measurement circuit inductively coupled to the signal generator and integrated within at least one rotatable component of the variator, the measurement circuit including at least one resonant circuit component having electrical properties which vary depending on the phase angle.

2. The camshaft adjuster of claim 1 , wherein a first inductance is provided as the resonant circuit component.

3. The camshaft adjuster of claim 2 , wherein a second inductance is connected in series to the first inductance, and the second inductance is not variable, and wherein only the second inductance is coupled between the measurement circuit and the signal generator.

4. The camshaft adjuster of claim 1 , further comprising a transmission housing secured to the drive element, wherein a first sub-component of the resonant circuit component is attached to the transmission housing; and a second sub-component of the resonant circuit component is attached to the output element.

5. The camshaft adjuster of claim 4 , wherein one of the first sub-component or the second sub-component is configured as a current-carrying component; and a remaining one of the first sub-component or the second sub-component is configured as a non-current carrying component.

6. The camshaft adjuster of claim 5 , wherein the current-carrying component is configured as a coil with three dimensional structure; and the non-current carrying component is an iron core, which dips into the coil and is configured to pivot relative to the coil.

7. The camshaft adjuster of claim 5 , wherein the current-carrying component is configured as a coil, which is implemented in a form of a printed circuit; and the non-current carrying component is a sheet metal ring, which is configured to pivot relative to the coil, arranged parallel to the coil, and has a width that varies in a circumferential direction of the sheet metal ring.

8. The camshaft adjuster of claim 1 , wherein an electric motor is provided as the actuator, and a stationary inductance is fixed on a housing of the electric motor.

9. The camshaft adjuster of claim 8 , wherein the variator is designed as a triple shaft transmission, and the resonant circuit component is disposed on a face of a transmission housing of the triple shaft transmission.

10. A method for measuring a setting of a camshaft adjuster configured for adjusting a phase angle between a crankshaft and a camshaft of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:
supplying a stationary inductance configured to be fixed in position relative to the internal combustion engine, and applying a signal to the stationary inductance,
producing an inductive coupling with a measurement circuit, the measurement circuit being totally formed within at least one rotatable component of the camshaft adjuster, the at least one rotatable component arranged axially between an actuator of the camshaft adjuster and the camshat, and electrical properties of the measurement circuit vary depending on the setting of the camshaft adjuster; and,
measuring a fed back signal, which varies depending on the setting of the camshaft adjuster, and which is picked up by the stationary inductance.

11. A camshaft adjuster for adjusting a phase angle between a crankshaft and a camshaft of an internal combustion engine, the camshaft adjuster comprising:
an electric motor;
a signal generator having an inductance; and,
a variator arranged axially between the electric motor and the camshaft, the variator including:
a transmission housing configured to be driven by the crankshaft; and,
a transmission configured to be coupled to the electric motor;
an output element configured to be rotated within a pre-determined range relative to the transmission housing, the output element configured to be coupled to the camshaft; and,
a measurement circuit inductively coupled to the signal generator, the measurement circuit formed within at least one of the transmission housing, the transmission, or the output element, and including at least one resonant circuit component having electrical properties which vary depending on the phase angle.

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag
• Schaefller Tech Ag & Co Kg

Inventors

• Braun Wolfgang
• Heim Jens
• SCHäFER JENS
• Thölke Andreas

Classifications

• F02D13/0219 Primary

  by shifting the phase, i.e. the opening periods of the valves are constant · CPC title

• F01L1/3442

  using hydraulic chambers with variable volume to transmit the rotating force · CPC title

• F01L2001/3522

  with electromagnetic brake · CPC title

• Y02T10/12

  Improving ICE efficiencies · CPC title

• F01L2013/111

  Camshafts position or phase · CPC title