Wheel hub assembly having dual angular position sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11001099-B2
Application number	US-201816156472-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2018
Priority date	Oct 10, 2017
Publication date	May 11, 2021
Grant date	May 11, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle wheel hub assembly includes an outer member configured to be mounted to a non-rotatable portion of the vehicle and an inner member rotatably supported in the outer member by a bearing. An annular target body is coupled to the inner member. A first magnetic target track is disposed on the annular target body, and a first sensor is located adjacent to the first magnetic target track and configured to sense angular displacement of the first magnetic target track and to produce a first output signal. A second magnetic target track is disposed on the annular target body, and the second magnetic target track is spaced from the first magnetic target track. A second sensor is located adjacent to the second magnetic target track for sensing angular displacement of the second target track and is configured to produce a second output signal.

First claim

We claim:

1. A vehicle wheel hub assembly comprising:
an outer member configured to be mounted to a non-rotatable portion of the vehicle;
an inner member rotatably supported in the outer member by a bearing, the inner member being configured to support a vehicle wheel for rotation about a central axis of the bearing;
an annular target body coupled to the inner member for rotation with the inner member;
a first magnetic target track disposed on the annular target body;
a first sensor located adjacent to the first magnetic target track and configured to sense angular displacement of the first magnetic target track and to produce a first output signal;
a second magnetic target track disposed on the annular target body, the second magnetic target track being spaced from the first magnetic target track;
a second sensor located adjacent to the second magnetic target track and configured to sense angular displacement of the second target track and to produce a second output signal; and
a controller in communication with the first sensor and with the second sensor and configured to receive the first output signal and the second output signal, to generate a first speed signal indicitave of a wheel rotation speed from the first output signal, to generate a second speed signal indicative of the wheel rotation speed from the second output signal and to generate an error signal when the first speed signal differs from the second speed signal by more than a predetermined amount.

2. The vehicle wheel hub assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second magnetic target track is located radially inward of the first magnetic target track.

3. The vehicle wheel hub assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first magnetic target track faces in an axial direction and is axially spaced from the first sensor and wherein the second magnetic target track faces in a radial direction and is radially spaced from the second sensor.

4. The vehicle wheel hub assembly of claim 1 , wherein the annular body comprises a first cylindrical portion and a flange extending radially outwardly from an axial end of the first cylindrical portion and wherein the first magnetic target track is located on the flange and the second magnetic target track is located on the cylindrical portion.

5. The vehicle wheel hub assembly of claim 4 , wherein the annular body includes a second cylindrical portion extending from the flange and away from the first cylindrical portion, the second cylindrical portion being mounted on the inner member such that a portion of an inner race of the bearing extends into the second cylindrical portion.

6. The vehicle wheel hub assembly of claim 5 , wherein a diameter of the second cylindrical portion is greater than a diameter of the first cylindrical portion.

7. The vehicle wheel hub assembly of claim 6 , wherein the first cylindrical portion, the second cylindrical portion and the flange are formed as a unitary member.

8. The vehicle wheel hub assembly of claim 4 , including a seal element having at least one seal lip, wherein the seal lip presses against the flange to form a sliding seal with the flange.

9. The vehicle wheel hub assembly of claim 4 , wherein the annular target body includes a layer of magnetic rubber or magnetic plastic and the first magnetic target track comprises a pattern of circumferentially spaced, discrete magnetic nodes formed on the layer of magnetic rubber or magnetic plastic.

10. The vehicle wheel hub assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are each selected from the group consisting of a magnetic speed sensor, a Hall effect sensor and an optical sensor.

11. A vehicle wheel hub assembly comprising:
an outer member configured to be mounted to a non-rotatable portion of the vehicle;
an inner member rotatably supported in the outer member by a bearing, the inner member being configured to support a vehicle wheel for rotation about a central axis of the bearing;
a target coupled to the inner member for rotation therewith, the target comprising:
a first cylindrical portion having a first inner diameter and a flange extending radially outwardly from the first cylindrical portion,
a first magnetic target track on the flange,
a second magnetic target track on the flange or on the first cylindrical portion,
a first sensor mounted adjacent to the first magnetic target track and configured to sense angular displacement of the first magnetic target track and to produce a first output signal;
a second sensor located adjacent to the second target track and configured to sense angular displacement of the second target track and to produce a first second signal: and
a controller in communication with the first sensor and with the second sensor and configured to receive the first output signal and the second output signal, to generate a first speed signal indicative of a wheel rotation speed from the first output signal, to generate a second speed signal indicative of the wheel rotation speed from the second output signal and to generate an error signal when the first speed signal differs from the second speed signal by more than a predetermined amount.

12. The vehicle wheel hub assembly of claim 11 , further including a bearing seal, the bearing seal including at least one seal lip pressed against the first flange.

13. The vehicle wheel hub assembly of claim 12 , wherein the target includes a second cylindrical portion on an opposite side of the flange from the first cylindrical portion, the second cylindrical portion having a second inner diameter larger than the first inner diameter.

14. The vehicle wheel hub assembly of claim 13 ,
including a bearing inner race mounted on the inner member,
wherein the second cylindrical portion is mounted on the bearing inner race such that a portion of the bearing inner race extends into the second cylindrical portion.

15. The vehicle wheel hub assembly of claim 14 wherein the first cylindrical portion, the second cylindrical portion and the flange are formed as a unitary member.

16. The vehicle wheel hub assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first sensor is circumferentially offset from the second sensor.

17. The vehicle wheel hub assembly of claim 11 wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are each selected from the group consisting of a magnetic speed sensor, a Hall effect sensor and an optical sensor.

18. The vehicle wheel hub assembly of claim 15 , wherein the first cylindrical portion, the second cylindrical portion and the flange are formed as a unitary member.

19. The wheel hub assembly of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control a brake member for braking the inner member relative to the outer member based on the first output signal and/or the second output signal.

20. The wheel hub assembly of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to control a brake member for braking the inner member relative to the outer member based on the first output signal and/or the second output signal.

Assignees

• Skf Ab

Inventors

• Hubert Mathieu
• Kovacs Gene
• Musso Michele
• Nagarajan Lokesh
• Rybski David Christopher

Classifications

• B60B2900/511

  Sealing · CPC title

• F16C41/007

  Encoders, e.g. parts with a plurality of alternating magnetic poles · CPC title

• B60T2270/416

  Wheel speed sensor failure · CPC title

• F16C19/186

  with three raceways provided integrally on parts other than race rings, e.g. third generation hubs · CPC title

• F16C33/00

  Parts of bearings; Special methods for making bearings or parts thereof · CPC title