Angular position sensor for determining an angular position and/or a torque

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12174080-B2
Application number	US-202217811102-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2022
Priority date	Jan 9, 2020
Publication date	Dec 24, 2024
Grant date	Dec 24, 2024

Abstract

An angular position sensor may include a housing, and a rotor including a rotor assembly with a rotor latching device. The rotor and the housing are connected by the rotor latching device secured by a retaining ring. The retaining ring can be transferred into a secured position in an axial direction. The retaining ring is integral with the rotor assembly and features at least one retaining element with which the retaining ring secures the connection of rotor and housing. The retaining ring and the rotor latching device each feature corresponding latching elements. The rotor assembly features axial position-securing elements. The latching elements interact such that the retaining ring is secured in an axial direction along the rotary axis relative to the rotor. The axial position-securing elements interact so that the rotor is secured essentially free of play on the housing in an axial direction along the rotary axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An angular position sensor for determining an angular position and/or a torque, the angular position sensor comprising:
a housing,
a rotor arranged on the housing to be rotatable around a rotary axis, the rotor including a rotor assembly with a rotor latching device, where the rotor and the housing are connected to each other by means of the rotor latching device in a mounting position of the rotor, where such connection is secured by a retaining ring, where the retaining ring is selectively moveable into a secured position in an axial direction to the same along the rotary axis,
a printed circuit board with at least one stator corresponding to the rotor,
wherein the retaining ring is integrally formed with the rotor assembly, and includes at least one retaining element with which the retaining ring in its secured position secures the connection of rotor and housing,
wherein the retaining ring and the rotor latching device each include latching elements corresponding to each other, and the rotor assembly features axial position-securing elements,
wherein the latching elements interact in the secured position of the retaining ring such that the retaining ring is secured in an axial direction along the rotary axis relative to the rotor, and
where the axial position-securing elements interact in the secured position of the retaining ring such that the rotor is secured essentially free of play on the housing in an axial direction along the rotary axis.

2. The angular position sensor in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a housing latching device corresponding to the rotor latching device of the rotor, where the rotor and the housing are latched to each other by the rotor latching device and the housing latching device in the installed position of the rotor, and where such latching is secured by the retaining ring, and where the retaining ring with the retaining element in the secured position grips the rotor latching device such that the latching of rotor and housing is secured.

3. The angular position sensor in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the retaining ring and the rotor latching device include torque transmission devices corresponding to each other, where the torque transmission devices are designed such that a torque can be transmitted around the rotary axis by the torque transmission device.

4. The angular position sensor in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the rotor latching device and/or the retaining ring is/are as a single piece with the rotor.

5. The angular position sensor in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the rotor latching device and/or the retaining ring are/is a plastic part, where the rotor latching device or the retaining ring surrounds the rotor such that in the installed position of the rotor the stator is protected from coming into direct contact with the rotor and a position of the rotor is visible.

6. The angular position sensor in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the rotor latching device, the retaining ring and the housing are designed to complement such that the connection of the rotor with the housing can be checked in the installed position of the rotor by a visual inspection.

7. The angular position sensor in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the rotor latching device and/or the retaining ring are/is designed such that the rotor latching device and/or the retaining ring can be manufactured in an injection molding process without the use of sliders.

8. The angular position sensor in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the rotor latching device and the retaining ring include adjusting devices corresponding to each other for automatically aligning the retaining ring relative to the rotor latching device when it is being transferred into its secured position.

9. The angular position sensor in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the rotor latching device and/or the retaining ring include(s) lubricant traps filled with a lubricant that are arranged such that a movement of the rotor relative to the housing is promoted.

10. The angular position sensor in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the latching elements of the retaining ring are locking hooks, the latching elements of the rotor latching device are detent openings, and the axial position-securing elements of the rotor assembly are protrusions and/or shoulders arranged on the rotor latching device and the retaining ring.

11. The angular position sensor in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the latching elements of the retaining ring are press-fit elements, the latching elements of the rotor latching device are press-fit apertures, and the axial position-securing elements of the rotor assembly are protrusions and/or shoulders arranged on the rotor latching device and the retaining ring.

12. The angular position sensor in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the retaining ring is an angular position detection element for determining an angular position.

Assignees

• Hella Gmbh & Co Kgaa

Inventors

• Hoppe Steffen
• Oberste-Freilinghaus Holger
• Pankoke Martin
• Wirries Eckart

Classifications

• B60R16/027

  between relatively movable parts of the vehicle, e.g. between steering wheel and column {(devices for measuring, signalling or controlling tyre pressure or temperature specially adapted for mounting on vehicles B60C23/00)} · CPC title

• B62D6/10

  characterised by means for sensing {or determining} torque · CPC title

• B62D15/0215

  by measuring on the steering column · CPC title

• G01L5/221

  to steering wheels, e.g. for power assisted steering · CPC title

• G01D11/245

  Housings for sensors · CPC title