Sensor device for a pedal, and a method for providing information regarding an operation of a pedal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9631918-B2
Application number	US-201113808528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2011
Priority date	Jul 7, 2010
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A sensor device for a pedal which is set up to determine at least one actuating variable regarding an operation of the pedal by a user of a device which is actuable by means of the pedal, and to output information corresponding to the at least one determined actuating variable, the sensor device additionally being set up to determine as the at least one actuating variable, at least one variable regarding a position and/or a change in position of an input rod disposed on the pedal, which is able to be set into at least a rotary motion by operating the pedal, in relation to a specified spatial direction. Furthermore, a method for providing information regarding an operation of a pedal is described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor device for a pedal, comprising:
a sensor arrangement configured to determine at least one actuating variable regarding an operation of the pedal by a user of a device which is actuable using the pedal, and to output information corresponding to the at least one ascertained actuating variable, to determine, as the at least one actuating variable, at least one variable regarding at least one of a position and a change in position of an input rod disposed at the pedal, which input rod is settable into at least a rotary motion by operating the pedal, in relation to a specified spatial direction;
wherein the specified spatial direction is a center longitudinal axis of an output rod present in its initial position, which is joined to the input rod so that the output rod is settable into at least a translatory motion using the input rod set into the rotary motion, and
wherein the sensor device is configured to specify as at least part of the output information, at least one of: a distance of at least one point of the input rod perpendicularly to the center longitudinal axis of the output rod; a quantity of change in distance of the at least one point of the input rod perpendicularly to the center longitudinal axis of the output rod; an angle representing an orientation of the input rod in relation to the center longitudinal axis of the output rod; and an angle representing a change in orientation of the input rod in relation to the center longitudinal axis of the output rod.

2. The sensor device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one variable is determined by the sensor device based on at least one of a field intensity, a change in field intensity, an orientation, a change in orientation of an electric, or a magnetic field of at least one of an electrically and a magnetically interacting component disposed at least one of on and in the input rod.

3. The sensor device as recited in claim 2 , wherein the sensor device includes a Hall-effect sensor, which is configured to determine at least one of a magnetic field intensity and a change in field intensity of a magnetic field of a magnet disposed on the input rod as interacting component.

4. The sensor device as recited in claim 2 , wherein the sensor device includes at least one of a GMR sensor and an AMR sensor, which is configured to determine at least one of an orientation and a change in orientation of a magnetic field of a magnet disposed on the input rod as the interacting component.

5. A rotation-translation converter, comprising:
an input rod disposed on a pedal such that when the pedal is operated, the input rod is settable into at least a rotary motion;
an output rod joined to the input rod and able to be disposed on a device which is actuable using the pedal, so that the output rod is settable into at least a translatory motion using the input rod set into the rotary motion, such that a force is able to be transmitted to at least one component of the device via the output rod set into the translatory motion; and
a sensor device configured to determine at least one actuating variable regarding an operation of the pedal by a user of a device which is actuable using the pedal, and to output information corresponding to the at least one ascertained actuating variable, the sensor device being configured to determine, as the at least one actuating variable, at least one variable regarding at least one of a position and a change in position of the input rod disposed at the pedal, which input rod is settable into at least a rotary motion by operating the pedal, in relation to a specified spatial direction;
wherein the specified spatial direction is a center longitudinal axis of the output rod present in its initial position, and
wherein the sensor device is configured to specify as at least part of the output information, at least one of: a distance of at least one point of the input rod perpendicularly to the center longitudinal axis of the output rod; a quantity of change in distance of the at least one point of the input rod perpendicularly to the center longitudinal axis of the output rod; an angle representing an orientation of the input rod in relation to the center longitudinal axis of the output rod; and an angle representing a change in orientation of the input rod in relation to the center longitudinal axis of the output rod.

6. The rotation-translation converter as recited in claim 5 , wherein the rotation-translation converter includes an evaluation device configured to provide a setpoint function mode of at least one component of the device actuable using the pedal, taking the information output by the sensor device into account, and to provide a control signal which corresponds to the specified setpoint function mode.

7. The rotation-translation converter as recited in claim 5 , wherein the input rod is magnetized.

8. A brake system, comprising:
a sensor device configured to determine at least one actuating variable regarding an operation of a pedal by a user of a device which is actuable using the pedal, and to output information corresponding to the at least one ascertained actuating variable, the sensor device being configured to determine, as the at least one actuating variable, at least one variable regarding at least one of a position and a change in position of an input rod disposed at the pedal, which input rod is settable into at least a rotary motion by operating the pedal, in relation to a specified spatial direction;
wherein the specified spatial direction is a center longitudinal axis of an output rod present in its initial position, which is joined to the input rod so that the output rod is settable into at least a translatory motion using the input rod set into the rotary motion, and
wherein the sensor device is configured to specify as at least part of the output information, at least one of: a distance of at least one point of the input rod perpendicularly to the center longitudinal axis of the output rod; a quantity of change in distance of the at least one point of the input rod perpendicularly to the center longitudinal axis of the output rod; an angle representing an orientation of the input rod in relation to the center longitudinal axis of the output rod; and an angle representing a change in orientation of the input rod in relation to the center longitudinal axis of the output rod.

9. A brake system, comprising:
a rotation-translation converter, including an input rod disposed on a pedal such that when the pedal is operated, the input rod is settable into at least a rotary motion, an output rod joined to the input rod and able to be disposed on a device which is actuable using the pedal, so that the output rod is settable into at least a translatory motion using the input rod set into the rotary motion, such that a force is able to be transmitted to at least one component of the device via the output rod set into the translatory motion, and a sensor device configured to determine at least one actuating variable regarding an operation of the pedal by a user of a device which is actuable using the pedal, and to output information corresponding to the at least one ascertained actuating variable, the sensor device being configured to determine, as the at least one actuating variable, at least one variable regarding at least one of a position and a change in position of an input rod disposed at the pedal, which input rod is settable into at least a rotary motion by operating the pedal, in relation to a specified spatial direction;
wherein the specified spatial direction is a center longitudinal axis of an output rod present in its initial position, which is joined to the input rod so that the output rod is settable into at least

Assignees

• Weiberle Reinhard
• Hassdenteufel Frank
• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Weiberle Reinhard
• Hassdenteufel Frank

Classifications

• B60T7/042 Primary

  by electrical means, e.g. using travel or force sensors · CPC title

• B60T7/06

  Disposition of pedal · CPC title

• F16H21/44

  for conveying or interconverting oscillating or reciprocating motions · CPC title

• B60T11/18

  Connection thereof to initiating means · CPC title

• G01B7/003 Primary

  for measuring position, not involving coordinate determination (coordinate measuring G01B7/004) · CPC title