Height sensor

Abstract

The invention relates to a height sensor which comprises a shell. An inner cavity penetrating up and down is formed in the shell; a shielding cover and a bearing assembly are sequentially arranged in the inner cavity from bottom to top. And an injection magnet is arranged in the shielding case. And one end of the rotating shaft is connected with the injection molding magnet, and the other end of the rotating shaft is connected with an external hinge structure. An end cover is fixed at the lower end of the shell; a signal sensing module is arranged in the end cover; the end cover is connected with a wiring terminal, and the wiring terminal is electrically connected with the signal induction module. The rotating shaft comprises a first shaft body and a second shaft body; the first shaft body is fixed at the upper end of the second shaft body; the diameter of the first shaft body is greater than that of the second shaft body; the length of the first shaft body is larger than or equal to 1 / 3 of the total length of the rotating shaft. According to the height sensor provided by the invention, faults such as breakage of the rotating shaft in the working process of the height sensor can be effectively reduced, and the service life of the height sensor is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of automobile sensors, and in particular to a height sensor. Background Art

[0002] Height sensors are widely used in commercial vehicle air suspension systems. The air suspension system is based on the set height of the frame and the car. The height sensor is used to measure the distance between the frame and the axle. When the height sensor detects that the height position between the frame and the axle exceeds the preset height deviation, the electronic control unit will control the corresponding solenoid valve to inflate or exhaust the specified airbag.

[0003] Commonly used height sensors include Hall height sensors. The working principle of Hall height sensors is to convert the linear displacement of the vehicle height into an angle change through the mechanical structure, driving the target magnet of the rotating shaft to rotate. The sensor chip detects the change of the magnetic field in the magnetic shield, converts the angle into an electrical signal, provides calibration to identify the change in a specific angle range and output a signal.

[0004] In actual use, the existing Hall-type height sensor, in addition to normal rotation, also has lateral force perpendicular to the direction of the bracket acting on the height sensor. In particular, the lateral force caused by vibration and bumps under extreme road conditions is much greater than normal driving. If the height sensor is not strong enough, the rotating shaft is very likely to break, causing the height sensor to fail, and then lead to failure of the air suspension system. Summary of the invention

[0005] Based on the above description, the present invention provides a height sensor to solve the technical problem that the Hall-type height sensor in the prior art is prone to cross bar breakage, rotating shaft breakage and screw breakage, causing failure of the height sensor and further leading to failure of the air suspension system.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention to solve the above technical problems is as follows:

[0007] A height sensor comprises: a housing;

[0008] The shell is provided with an inner cavity which penetrates from top to bottom; the inner cavity is provided with a shielding cover and a bearing assembly in sequence from bottom to top; the shielding cover is provided with an injection-molded magnet inside;

[0009] A rotating shaft is connected to the inner side of the bearing assembly, one end of the rotating shaft is connected to the injection molding magnet, and the other end is connected to the external hinge structure;

[0010] An end cap is fixed at the lower end of the shell; the signal sensing module is arranged in the end cap; a wiring terminal is connected to the end cap, and the wiring terminal is electrically connected to the signal sensing module;

[0011] The rotating shaft comprises: a first shaft body and a second shaft body; the first shaft body is fixed to the upper end of the second shaft body; the diameter of the first shaft body is greater than the diameter of the second shaft body; the length of the first shaft body is greater than or equal to 1 / 3 of the total length of the rotating shaft.

[0012] Based on the above technical solution, the present invention can also be improved as follows.

[0013] Further: it also includes: a bracket; the rotating axis is connected to the external hinge structure through the bracket.

[0014] Further: it also includes: a bolt; the bracket is fixed in the threaded hole opened at the upper end of the first shaft through the bolt.

[0015] Further: the bolt is a bolt with a flange surface.

[0016] Furthermore: the length of the threaded hole opened at the upper end of the first shaft body is less than or equal to 2 / 3 of the total length of the first shaft body.

[0017] Further: the signal sensing module includes: a printed circuit board and a sensing chip; the sensing chip is integrated on the printed circuit board, and the printed circuit board is arranged in the end cover; the printed circuit board is electrically connected to the wiring terminal.

[0018] Further: the bearing assembly includes: a bearing and a retaining spring; the bearing is installed in the inner cavity through the retaining spring.

[0019] Further: it also includes: a magnetic steel protection frame; the magnetic steel protection frame is fixed on the inner side of the shielding cover, and the injection-molded magnet is arranged on the inner side of the magnetic steel protection frame.

[0020] Furthermore: the end cover is fixedly connected to the lower end of the shell by self-tapping screws.

[0021] Furthermore: an O-shaped groove is arranged on the upper end surface of the end cover, and an O-shaped sealing ring is arranged in the O-shaped groove.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of this application has the following beneficial technical effects:

[0023] The height sensor provided by the present invention has a first shaft body connected to an external hinged structure, and the first shaft body is the main force-bearing structure of the rotating shaft. The diameter of the first shaft body is designed to be larger than the diameter of the second shaft body, and the length of the first shaft body is greater than or equal to 1 / 3 of the total length of the rotating shaft. By increasing the diameter and length of the first shaft body, the structural strength of the rotating shaft can be greatly increased, which can effectively reduce the occurrence of failures such as rotating shaft breakage during the operation of the height sensor, thereby ensuring the effective operation of the height sensor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 A longitudinal cross-sectional view of a height sensor provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the external structure of a height sensor provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Among them, 1-bolt, 2-protective cap, 3-rotating shaft, 4-first retaining spring, 5-second retaining spring, 6-magnetic steel protection frame, 7-shielding cover, 8-injection molded magnet, 9-printed circuit board, 11-bracket, 12-bearing, 13-housing, 14-self-tapping screw, 15-O-ring, 16-end cover, 17-terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In order to facilitate understanding of the present application, the present application will be described more fully below with reference to the relevant drawings. Embodiments of the present application are provided in the drawings. However, the present application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. On the contrary, the purpose of providing these embodiments is to make the disclosure of the present application more thorough and comprehensive.

[0028] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used herein in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application.

[0029] It will be appreciated that spatial relationship terms such as "under," "beneath," "below," "under," "above," "above," etc., may be used herein to describe the relationship of an element or feature shown in the figures to other elements or features. It will be appreciated that, in addition to the orientations shown in the figures, spatial relationship terms also include different orientations of the device in use and operation. For example, if the device in the accompanying drawings is flipped, an element or feature described as "under other elements" or "under it" or "under it" will be oriented as being "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary terms "under" and "under" may include both upper and lower orientations. In addition, the device may also include additional orientations (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or other orientations), and the spatial descriptors used herein are interpreted accordingly.

[0030] It should be noted that when an element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element, or connected to the other element through an intermediate element. The "connection" in the following embodiments should be understood as "electrical connection", "communication connection", etc. if the connected circuits, modules, units, etc. have electrical signals or data transmission between each other.

[0031] When used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "said / the" may also include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "include / comprise" or "have" etc. specify the presence of stated features, wholes, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof, but do not exclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof.

[0032] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 The embodiment of the present invention provides a height sensor, which mainly includes: a housing 13, a rotating shaft 3, a shielding cover 7, a bearing assembly, an injection-molded magnet 8, a signal sensing module, a wiring terminal 17 and an end cover 16 and other structures.

[0033] An inner cavity is provided in the shell 13, which runs through from top to bottom. A shielding cover 7 and a bearing assembly are arranged in sequence from bottom to top in the inner cavity. A protective cap 2 is detachably connected to the upper end of the shell 13, and the protective cap 2 limits the bearing assembly to the inner side of the inner cavity. An injection molded magnet 8 is arranged inside the shielding cover 7, and the shielding cover 7 is used to shield external interference signals to ensure that the magnetic signal generated by the injection molded magnet 8 is not affected by the outside world, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the height sensor. The bearing assembly includes: a bearing 12 and a retaining spring, and the retaining spring includes a first retaining spring 4 arranged above the bearing 12 and a second retaining spring 5 arranged below the bearing 12, and the bearing 12 is installed in the inner cavity through the first retaining spring 4 and the second retaining spring 5.

[0034] A rotating shaft 3 is arranged inside the bearing assembly, and the rotating shaft 3 is fixedly connected to the inner ring of the bearing assembly. The rotating shaft 3 drives the inner ring of the bearing assembly to rotate synchronously during the rotation process. One end of the rotating shaft 3 is connected to the injection molding magnet 8, and the other end is connected to the external hinge structure. The height change of the vehicle body is transmitted to the rotating shaft 3 through the external hinge mechanism and drives the rotating shaft 3 to rotate. The rotating shaft 3 drives the injection molding magnet 8 to rotate synchronously during the rotation process.

[0035] The end cap 16 is fixed to the lower end of the housing 13 by a plurality of symmetrically distributed self-tapping screws 14, and the end cap 16 is used to seal the lower end of the housing 13. In order to further improve the airtightness between the end cap 16 and the housing 13, an O-shaped groove can be provided on the upper end surface of the end cap 16, and an O-shaped sealing ring 15 is provided in the O-shaped groove, and the O-shaped sealing ring 15 can be made of rubber material. An installation groove is provided on the inner side of the end cap 16, and a signal sensing module is provided in the installation groove. The outer side of the end cap 16 is connected to a wiring terminal 17, and the wiring terminal 17 is electrically connected to the signal sensing module; the wiring terminal 17 is used to connect to an external electrical device.

[0036] For details, see Figure 1, the rotating shaft 3 includes: a first shaft body and a second shaft body, and the first shaft body and the second shaft body are cylindrical. The lower end of the first shaft body is fixed to the upper end of the second shaft body, and the first shaft body and the second shaft body are coaxially arranged; during the processing, the first shaft body and the second shaft body can be processed as one piece. In this embodiment, the diameter of the first shaft body is greater than the diameter of the second shaft body, and the length of the first shaft body is greater than or equal to 1 / 3 of the total length of the rotating shaft 3. Compared with the design scheme in the prior art that the length of the first shaft body is less than 1 / 3 of the total length of the rotating shaft 3, by increasing the diameter and length of the first shaft body, the structural strength of the rotating shaft 3 is increased, the failure of the rotating shaft 3 and the like during the operation of the height sensor is reduced, and the service life of the height sensor is increased.

[0037] Of course, in order to facilitate reliable connection between the rotating shaft 3 and the external hinge structure, a preferred embodiment provided by the present invention is further provided with: a bracket 11 and a bolt 1. The bracket 11 is fixed in the threaded hole opened at the upper end of the first shaft body by the bolt 1. In order to improve the structural strength of the bolt 1 and prevent the bolt 1 from breaking when subjected to a large force, the bolt 1 with a flange surface is used in this embodiment to increase the contact area between the bolt 1 and the bracket 11, so as to prevent the bolt 1 and the bracket 11 from breaking under extreme road conditions.

[0038] See also Figure 1 In a preferred solution provided by an embodiment of the present invention, in order to further increase the structural strength of the rotating shaft 3, the length of the threaded hole opened at the upper end of the first shaft body can also be set to be less than or equal to 2 / 3 of the total length of the first shaft body. Compared with the design solution in the prior art in which the length of the threaded hole in the first shaft body is close to the total length of the first shaft body, this solution reduces the length of the threaded hole on the basis of ensuring the reliable connection of the bolt 1, so as to increase the proportion of the solid part in the rotating circle, and can further improve the structural strength of the rotating shaft 3.

[0039] In the above multiple schemes, see Figure 1 The signal sensing module is a device that converts magnetic field signals into electrical signals. Specifically, the signal sensing module includes: a printed circuit board 9 and a sensing chip. The sensing chip is integrated on the printed circuit board 9, and the printed circuit board 9 is fixed in the end cover 16 by screws and other connecting parts.

[0040] See also Figure 1 In order to improve the service life of the injection-molded magnet 8, a preferred solution provided by the present invention further comprises: a magnetic steel protection frame 6. The magnetic steel protection frame 6 is fixed to the inner side of the shielding cover 7, and the injection-molded magnet 8 is arranged on the inner side of the magnetic steel protection frame 6. The inner side of the magnetic steel protection frame 6 can be made of a flexible material to prevent the injection-molded magnet 8 from contacting the inner wall of the housing 13 and damaging the injection-molded magnet 8 in extreme cases.

[0041] In addition to the structural changes in the above scheme, the materials of the bracket 11, the rotating shaft 3, and the bolt 1 can also be replaced from SUS304 to materials with higher yield strength, such as the bracket 11 using 65Mn material, the rotating shaft 3 using XM-19 material, and the bolt 1 using a 10.9 grade bolt. Through structural optimization and material optimization, the strength of the height sensor is enhanced to the maximum extent, the service life of the product is extended, and it can withstand more severe road conditions.

[0042] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 The working process of the height sensor provided by the embodiment of the present invention is as follows: the bracket 11 is connected to the external hinge structure, and the lateral displacement of the vehicle height is converted into the rotation angle of the bracket 11. The bracket 11 drives the rotating shaft 3 and the injection magnet 8 to rotate together. When the sensing chip detects the change of the magnetic field in the magnetic shield 7, it converts the angle into an electrical signal and outputs it to the external electrical device.

[0043] The height sensor provided by the embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects or advantages:

[0044] The height sensor provided in the embodiment of the present invention has a first shaft body connected to an external hinged structure, and the first shaft body is the main force-bearing structure of the rotating shaft. The diameter of the first shaft body is designed to be larger than the diameter of the second shaft body, and the length of the first shaft body is greater than or equal to 1 / 3 of the total length of the rotating shaft. By increasing the diameter and length of the first shaft body, the structural strength of the rotating shaft can be greatly increased, which can effectively reduce the risk of failures such as rotating shaft breakage during operation of the height sensor and extend the service life of the height sensor.

[0045] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A height sensor, characterized in that: include: case; The shell is provided with an inner cavity which penetrates from top to bottom; the inner cavity is provided with a shielding cover and a bearing assembly in sequence from bottom to top; the shielding cover is provided with an injection-molded magnet inside; A rotating shaft is connected to the inner side of the bearing assembly, one end of the rotating shaft is connected to the injection molding magnet, and the other end is connected to the external hinge structure; An end cap is fixed at the lower end of the shell; the signal sensing module is arranged in the end cap; a wiring terminal is connected to the end cap, and the wiring terminal is electrically connected to the signal sensing module; The rotating shaft comprises: a first shaft body and a second shaft body; the first shaft body is fixed to the upper end of the second shaft body; the diameter of the first shaft body is greater than the diameter of the second shaft body; the length of the first shaft body is greater than or equal to 1 / 3 of the total length of the rotating shaft.

2. The height sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes: Bracket; the rotating shaft is connected to the external hinge structure through the bracket.

3. The height sensor according to claim 2, characterized in that: Also includes: Bolt; the bracket is fixed in the threaded hole opened at the upper end of the first shaft through the bolt.

4. The height sensor according to claim 3, characterized in that: The bolt is a bolt with a flange surface.

5. The height sensor according to claim 3, characterized in that: The length of the threaded hole formed at the upper end of the first shaft body is less than or equal to 2 / 3 of the total length of the first shaft body.

6. The height sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The signal sensing module comprises: a printed circuit board and a sensing chip; the sensing chip is integrated on the printed circuit board, and the printed circuit board is arranged in the end cover; the printed circuit board is electrically connected to the connection terminal.

7. The height sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The bearing assembly comprises: a bearing and a retaining spring; the bearing is installed in the inner cavity through the retaining spring.

8. The height sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: Also includes: Magnetic steel protection frame; the magnetic steel protection frame is fixed on the inner side of the shielding cover, and the injection-molded magnet is arranged on the inner side of the magnetic steel protection frame.

9. The height sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The end cover is fixedly connected to the lower end of the shell by self-tapping screws.

10. The height sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The upper end surface of the end cover is provided with an O-shaped groove, and an O-shaped sealing ring is provided in the O-shaped groove.

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