Linear sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9702416-B2
Application number	US-201414537276-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2014
Priority date	Nov 8, 2013
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

The present invention uses a sensor to determine when a pressure plate and a clutch plate of a dual clutch transmission system are in contact with one another. The assembly includes a housing having a plurality of pistons connected to both the clutch plate and pressure plate. The pistons contain either magnets or couplers and are positioned adjacent one another separated by either a Hall effect sensor or an inductive sensor. As the pressure plates and clutch plates come into contact with one another the pistons move within the housing and said movement is detected by the sensor. The sensor determines if the pressure plate is in contact with the clutch plate and if the clutch plate or the pressure plate has traveled any linear distance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sensor assembly for use with a clutch assembly having a plurality of clutch plates and pressure plates, a housing positioned adjacent the plurality of clutch plates and pressure plates, at least one pair of pistons connected to the clutch plates and the pressure plates, the pistons movable within the housing, the sensor assembly comprising:
a magnet connected to each of said pistons;
a pair of magnetic sensors in communication with each of said magnets, said sensors being further in communication with an electrical control unit, a shield disposed between said pair of sensors for blocking magnetic fields between said sensors, said sensors operable to measure changes in magnetic fields as the pistons are caused to move in response to movement of the clutch plates and the pressure plates, the electronic control unit receiving an output signal from said sensors for determining the linear distance traveled of the clutch plates and pressure plates.

2. The sensor assembly of claim 1 wherein said sensors each further comprises a printed wiring assembly.

3. The sensor assembly of claim 1 wherein each of said sensors further comprises a Hall chip.

4. The sensor assembly of claim 3 wherein said sensors and Hall chips are encapsulated.

5. The sensor assembly of claim 1 wherein the housing is disc shaped and positioned around a transmission shaft adapted to support the clutch plates, pressure plates and housing.

6. A clutch assembly for a vehicle, the assembly comprising:
at least one clutch plate position around a transmission shaft;
at least one pressure plate pressure plate positioned adjacent to the at least one clutch plate, the at least one pressure plate positioned around the transmission shaft;
a housing positioned adjacent the plurality of clutch plates and pressure plates, the housing positioned around the transmission shaft;
at least one pair of pistons connected to the clutch plates and the pressure plates, the pistons being movable within the housing;
a pair of magnetic sensors in communication with the pistons, a shield disposed between said pair of sensors for blocking magnetic fields therebetween, each sensor in further in communication with an electronic control unit and operable to measure changes in magnetic fields as the pistons move relative to the sensors in response to movement of the clutch plates and the pressure plates, the electronic control unit adapted to determine the linear distance traveled of the clutch plates and pressure plates.

7. The clutch assembly of claim 6 , wherein the clutch assembly is a dual clutch assembly.

8. The clutch assembly of claim 6 wherein said sensors are encapsulated.

9. The clutch assembly of claim 6 wherein each of said pistons includes a magnet in communication with said sensors.

10. The clutch assembly of claim 6 wherein each of said sensors further comprise a printed wiring assembly (PWA).

11. A Hall effect sensor assembly for use in a clutch assembly having at least one clutch plate, said sensor assembly comprising:
a housing having an interior within which are disposed a pair of movable pistons and magnets adapted to being connected to the clutch plates;
a casing containing a pair of magnetic sensors, said casing securing to an opening in said housing so that said sensors are positioned in proximity to said movable pistons;
a shield disposed between said pair of sensors for blocking magnetic fields between said sensors; and
changes in the magnetic fields generated by movement of said pistons and magnets being outputted as a voltage converted signal to an electronic control unit in communication with said sensor assembly.

12. The sensor assembly of claim 11 , said casing further comprising a lower portion and an upper portion, said upper portion containing an exposed plurality of pins adapted to be communicated by a plug in connector associated with the electronic control unit.

13. The sensor assembly as described in claim 12 , further comprising an attachment portion integrated into said casing lower portion for attachment to said housing.

14. The sensor assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a carrier plate supporting said pins, said pair of magnetic sensors being disposed on opposite sides of said carrier plate.

15. The sensor assembly of claim 14 , said magnetic sensors further comprising a printed wiring assemblies.

16. The sensor assembly as described in claim 15 , said printed wiring assemblies further comprising printed circuit boards, each containing a Hall effect chip.

17. The sensor assembly as described in claim 16 , each of said printed circuit boards further comprising a pattern of apertures which align with and receive tabs projecting from opposite surfaces of said carrier plate.

18. The sensor assembly as described in claim 17 , said carrier plate further comprising connection tabs for communicating with an additional plurality of apertures in said printed circuit boards.

19. The sensor assembly of claim 11 , further comprising an encapsulating material embedding said magnetic sensors and magnetic shield.

Assignees

• Ksr Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Shao Lingmin
• Hartford Jim

Classifications

• F16D48/062

  of a clutch system with a plurality of fluid actuated clutches · CPC title

• F16D2500/30401

  On-off signal indicating the engage or disengaged position of the clutch · CPC title

• F16D25/12 Primary

  Details not specific to one of the before-mentioned types · CPC title

• G01D5/145 Primary

  influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields (see G01R33/06) · CPC title

• F16D2300/18

  Sensors; Details or arrangements thereof · CPC title