Device with a torque sensor device and a steering angle sensor device for a motor vehicle, motor vehicle and method for operating the device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9821846-B2
Application number	US-201314649413-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2013
Priority date	Dec 13, 2012
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A device for a motor vehicle having a torque sensor device for detecting a torque applied to a steering shaft of the motor vehicle and with a steering angle sensor device for detecting a current steering angle of the steering shaft is disclosed. The torque sensor device has a magnetic stator designed to conduct magnetic flux from a magnet to at least one flux conductor and through the same to at least one magnetic sensor of the torque sensor device, and two stator parts that are disposed so as to be displaced in the axial direction relative to each other, each of which comprises an annular edge element extending in the radial direction. The steering angle sensor device includes at least one rotation transmission element with a permanent magnet and a magnetic field detector for detecting a rotary motion of the rotation transmission element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a torque sensor device for detecting a torque applied to a steering shaft of the motor vehicle; and
a steering angle sensor device for detecting a current steering angle of the steering shaft,
wherein the torque sensor device comprises a magnetic stator for conducting magnetic flux from a magnet to at least one flux conductor and through the same to at least one magnetic sensor of the torque sensor device and two stator parts that are disposed so as to be displaced relative to each other in an axial direction, each of which comprises an annular edge element extending in a radial direction,
wherein the steering angle sensor device comprises at least one rotation transmission element with a permanent magnet and a magnetic field detector for detecting a rotary motion of the rotation transmission element, and wherein
the at least one rotation transmission element with the permanent magnet is disposed between the edge elements in the axial direction.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one rotation transmission element with its permanent magnet is disposed so as to be at least partially in mutual axial overlap with the edge elements.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein at least one rotation transmission element with its permanent magnet is disposed so as to be displaced in the radial direction relative to the edge elements.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field detector is disposed on a circuit board that is disposed axially between the edge elements.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the permanent magnet is disposed in the axial direction off-centre between the edge elements of the stator parts, and is designed to provide a magnetic field with the same field strength at the respective edge elements of the stator parts.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the permanent magnet is disposed centrally between the edge elements of the stator parts in the axial direction, and the at least one magnetic sensor is disposed axially off-centre between the edge elements.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein a screening means for magnetic fields is disposed axially between the permanent magnet on the one hand and at least one of the edge elements on the other hand.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the steering angle sensor device comprises a rotor with a tooth structure and the rotation transmission element is in the form of a gear wheel, which can be brought into engagement with the tooth structure of the rotor and by means of which a rotary motion of the rotor can be transferred into a rotary motion of the permanent magnet, wherein the rotor with its tooth structure is moulded onto a holder on which the stator is disposed.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one magnetic sensor is in the form of an SMD component that is disposed on a common circuit board for the torque sensor device and the steering angle sensor device, wherein the at least one flux conductor comprises a tab that is disposed so as to be in mutual overlap with the magnetic sensor.

10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the tab is disposed so as to be in mutual axial overlap with the magnetic sensor.

11. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one flux conductor comprises a plate-shaped receiving region for receiving the magnetic flux from the stator, said region being disposed so as to be in mutual axial overlap with the stator, and the tab extending parallel to the receiving region is disposed so as to be displaced in the axial direction relative to the receiving region.

12. The device according to claim 9 , further comprising two flux conductors, each with at least one tab, which are disposed on mutually opposite sides of the circuit board, wherein the respective tabs are disposed so as to be in mutual overlap with the magnetic sensor in the axial direction.

13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the circuit board comprises a cut-out for the tab of one of the flux conductors, the cut-out being formed beneath the magnetic sensor.

14. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the circuit board is in the form of a film at least in the region of the magnetic sensor.

15. A motor vehicle comprising the device of claim 1 .

16. A method for operating a device with a torque sensor device for detecting a torque applied to a steering shaft of a motor vehicle and with a steering angle sensor device for detecting a current steering angle of the steering shaft, wherein a magnetic sensor, a flux conductor and a magnetic stator are provided for the torque sensor device, the method comprising:
conducting, by the magnetic stator, magnetic flux from a magnet to the flux conductor and through the same to the magnetic sensor, wherein the magnetic stator is formed of two stator parts that are disposed so as to be displaced relative to each other in the axial direction, each of which comprises an annular edge element extending in the radial direction and detecting a rotary motion of at least one rotation transmission element with a permanent magnet and a magnetic field detector for the steering angle sensor device, wherein
the at least one rotation transmission element with the permanent magnet are disposed between the edge elements in the axial direction.

Assignees

• Valeo Schalter & Sensoren Gmbh

Inventors

• Schoepe Roman
• Thom Jens
• Froehlich Ekkehart
• Rachui Dirk
• Hadobas-Roessel Katalin

Classifications

• G01L5/221

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

• G01L3/104

  involving permanent magnets · CPC title

• B62D15/0215 Primary

  by measuring on the steering column · CPC title

• B62D6/10

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

• G01D5/145

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