Signal transfer device and radar

Abstract

The invention discloses a signal transfer device and a radar. The signal transfer device comprises a rotating motor which comprises a motor body and a rotating output shaft; the linear motion voice coil motor comprises a stator fixed on the motor body and a rotor sleeved on the rotary output shaft; the supporting piece comprises a connecting arm and an inclined arm capable of changing the angle, one end of the inclined arm is fixed to the rotating output shaft, the other end of the inclined arm is fixed to one end of the connecting arm, the other end of the connecting arm is fixed to the rotor, and the connecting arm moves back and forth along the rotating output shaft along with the rotor; the angle of deflection of the inclined arm relative to the rotary output shaft is changed; and the reflecting mirror is fixed on the inclined arm and is used for transferring signals. According to the invention, a wider scanning angle can be realized.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of radars, and in particular to a two-dimensional signal transfer device. Background Art

[0002] Radar is a commonly used detection equipment. Take laser radar as an example. Laser radar is a radar system that emits laser beams to detect the position, speed and other characteristic quantities of the target. Its working principle is to emit a detection signal (laser beam) to the target, and then compare the received signal reflected from the target (target echo) with the transmitted signal. After appropriate processing, the relevant information of the target can be obtained. It is widely used in current vehicle-mounted radar, airborne radar, remote sensing detection, intelligent robots, logistics and transportation and other fields.

[0003] At present, the scanning area of ​​radar signals is mostly limited. For example, a rotating motor is used to fix a tilted reflector on the rotating output shaft of the rotating motor. The reflector can rotate 360 ​​degrees under the drive of the rotating motor. Then the signals sent and received by the radar are transferred through the reflector, thereby realizing multi-angle detection. Although the reflector can rotate, so that the signal received by the radar can change the angle, the change of this angle is usually a different angle of the same plane, so the scanning area is relatively limited.

[0004] If two-dimensional scanning is to be achieved, the existing radar implementation structure is usually more complicated, the production cost is high, and there are also problems such as large size and weight.

[0005] Therefore, how to provide a signal relay device with a wider scanning area is a technical problem to be solved. Summary of the invention

[0006] In order to solve the technical problem that the scanning area of ​​the radar in the prior art is relatively limited, the present invention proposes a signal transfer device and a radar.

[0007] The signal transfer device proposed by the present invention comprises:

[0008] A rotating electric machine, comprising a motor body and a rotating output shaft;

[0009] A linear motion voice coil motor, comprising a stator fixed on the motor body and a mover sleeved on the rotating output shaft;

[0010] A support member, comprising a connecting arm and an angle-changeable tilting arm, wherein one end of the tilting arm is fixed to the rotating output shaft, and the other end is fixed to one end of the connecting arm, and the other end of the connecting arm is fixed to the mover, and the connecting arm moves back and forth along the rotating output shaft with the mover to change the deflection angle of the tilting arm relative to the rotating output shaft;

[0011] A reflector is fixed on the tilt arm and is used for relaying signals.

[0012] Furthermore, the stator includes a winding coil with the rotating output shaft as the axis, the mover is an annular magnet with polarity distributed along the axial direction of the rotating output shaft, and the number of coils with different polarities falling into the annular magnet is different.

[0013] Furthermore, the height of the winding coil in the axial direction of the rotating output shaft is half of the height of the annular magnet.

[0014] Furthermore, the support member is a spring sheet bent into the inclined arm and the connecting arm, and a curved surface with a smooth transition is formed between the inclined arm and the connecting arm.

[0015] Further, one end of the connection between the inclined arm and the rotating output shaft has a first fixing plate perpendicular to the rotating output shaft, the first fixing plate is fixed to the end face of the rotating output shaft, and a smoothly transitioned curved surface is formed between the first fixing plate and the inclined arm; and / or, one end of the connection between the connecting arm and the mover has a second fixing plate perpendicular to the rotating output shaft, the second fixing plate is fixed to the end face of the mover, and a smoothly transitioned curved surface is formed between the second fixing plate and the connecting arm.

[0016] Furthermore, it also includes a driving board arranged at the bottom of the rotating motor, the driving board has a control module, and the control module is electrically connected to the linear voice coil motor.

[0017] Furthermore, it also includes: a Hall sensor, which detects the position of the mover, and the control module adjusts the position of the mover according to the detection result.

[0018] Furthermore, the Hall sensor is supported and fixed on the peripheral side surface of the stator through an FPC soft board connected to the driving board, and protrudes from the end surface of the stator close to the reflector.

[0019] The radar proposed in the present invention comprises a signal device for receiving and transmitting signals, and a signal transfer device described in the above technical solution for transferring signals.

[0020] Furthermore, the signal device is a laser.

[0021] Furthermore, the signal device is coaxially arranged with a rotating output shaft of the signal transfer device.

[0022] The two-dimensional signal transfer device of the present invention has an ingenious design, a compact structure, simple manufacturing and assembly, and low cost. It can realize 360° full-range scanning and specified angle area scanning in one horizontal plane, and can also realize scanning on different horizontal planes, which will bring great help to the development of the lidar industry. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0024] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 2 is an exploded view of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the principle of an embodiment of the radar of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 5 It is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a support member of the present invention.

[0029] Description of reference numerals:

[0030] 1. Reflector; 2. Support; 3. Magnet; 4. Coil; 5. Coil bracket; 6. Rotating motor; 7. Hall sensor; 8. Drive board; 21. Tilt arm; 22. Connecting arm; 23. First fixing plate; 24. Second fixing plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects to be solved by the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention.

[0032] Thus, a feature indicated in this specification will be used to illustrate one of the features of an embodiment of the present invention, rather than implying that each embodiment of the present invention must have the described feature. In addition, it should be noted that this specification describes many features. Although some features can be combined together to illustrate possible system designs, these features can also be used in other combinations that are not explicitly described. Thus, unless otherwise stated, the described combinations are not intended to be limiting.

[0033] In a basic embodiment, the signal transfer device of the present invention includes: a rotary motor, a linear motion voice coil motor, a support, and a reflector.

[0034] The rotary motor comprises a motor body and a rotary output shaft, and the rotary output shaft can rotate around its axis.

[0035] The linear motion voice coil motor includes a stator and a mover. The stator is fixed to the motor body, and the mover is mounted on the rotating output shaft. Under the action of the stator, the mover can move back and forth along the rotating output shaft. For example, if the rotating output shaft is placed vertically, the mover can move up and down along the rotating output shaft. If the rotating output shaft is placed horizontally, the mover can move left and right along the rotating output shaft.

[0036] The supporting member comprises a connecting arm and an inclined arm with a variable inclination angle.

[0037] One end of the tilting arm is fixed to the rotating output shaft, and the other end of the tilting arm is fixed to one end of the connecting arm. Correspondingly, one end of the connecting arm is fixed to the tilting arm, and the other end of the connecting arm is fixed to the mover. Since the mover can move back and forth along the rotating output shaft, the connecting arm can change the deflection angle of the tilting arm relative to the rotating output shaft as the mover moves.

[0038] A reflector, mounted on a tilting arm, is used to relay the signal.

[0039] The present invention can realize two-dimensional signal transfer through a rotary motor and a linear motion voice coil motor. Since the rotary motor and the voice coil motor are both small components, the present invention can realize a signal transfer device with a relatively small volume and a wider scanning area. The linear voice coil motor of the above embodiment can adopt any existing linear voice coil motor, and can realize 360° signal transfer in multiple parallel planes.

[0040] In order to reduce the volume of the linear motion voice coil motor, a preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a linear voice coil motor structure with a simple structure and a very small volume. In this embodiment, the stator is a winding coil with the rotating output shaft as the axis, and the mover is an annular magnet with polarity distributed along the axis of the rotating output shaft. The winding coil falls into the annular magnet with different polarities and the number of coils with different polarities is different to avoid force cancellation. In a preferred embodiment, the annular magnet can also have only one polarity facing the winding coil.

[0041] In this embodiment, a linear motion voice coil motor is realized by using only one annular coil and a magnet with a set hole in the middle, and the volume is very small. In other embodiments, the magnet can also use multiple magnets, and the polarity of each magnet is divided into a south pole and a north pole along the axis direction of the rotating output shaft. Then, the multiple magnets are connected into one by a magnet bracket, and the magnets are evenly distributed around the rotating output shaft.

[0042] In a further embodiment, the linear motion voice coil motor includes a coil support, and the coil can be fixed by an annular coil support, so that the structure of the linear motion voice coil motor is more solid.

[0043] The support member of the present invention can be implemented in a variety of forms, for example, through a connecting rod structure, one end of the first connecting rod is provided with a fixed sleeve hinged to its end, the fixed sleeve is fixedly connected to the rotating output shaft, the other end of the first connecting rod is hinged to the second connecting rod, and the other end of the second connecting rod also has a fixed sleeve, the fixed sleeve is fixedly connected to the mover of the linear motion voice coil motor, and the first connecting rod can change its tilt angle through the movement of the mover, so that the first connecting rod can be used as a tilt arm and the second connecting rod can be used as a connecting arm. In addition to the above-mentioned form, there are other implementations of the support member that can change the tilt angle.

[0044] In a preferred embodiment, the support member is a spring sheet bent into a tilting arm and a connecting arm, and a smoothly transitioned curved surface is formed between the tilting arm and the connecting arm, that is, the support member is made of a piece or a strip of spring sheet, and since the spring sheet itself has a certain elasticity, the mover can squeeze the connecting arm, thereby changing the angle of the tilted tilting arm. This embodiment is not only simple to implement, but also has a low cost. In comparison, the support member only needs to reserve deformation space for each part of the spring sheet, and the deformation space is very small compared to the connecting rod structure or other structures, so that the signal transfer device can achieve the minimum size while realizing two-dimensional signal transfer. When it is used in radar and other equipment, the volume of the equipment can be further reduced. In addition, the present invention uses spring sheets to make the support member, which can also play the role of hanging the mover, so that the mover has only one polarity facing the winding coil, and the spring sheet can make the magnet have a restoring force, and after the coil is powered off, it can return to the initial position, avoiding the magnet from sliding on the rotating output shaft and leaving the area where the coil can act, and also avoiding hitting the lens. If spring clips are not used, in order to make the magnet of the mover only have one polarity aligned with the coil, a gasket can be added to the bottom of the magnet, which can also achieve the same effect. In other embodiments, if spring clips are not used, a bearing can be added to the magnet, the inner ring of the bearing is connected to the magnet, and the outer ring of the bearing is connected to a structural member, and the structural member is connected to the coil stator through a spring. Or other magnetic levitation structures allow the magnet to return to its initial position. The initial position is the position of the lower end face of the magnet approximately on the upper and lower symmetrical planes of the coil along the axis of the rotating output shaft, ensuring that the magnet can move up and down a certain distance without falling out of the coil area. However, compared with the method of using spring clips, these methods have more parts and are more complicated. Correspondingly, spring clips as support members can simplify the structure to the minimum.

[0045] On the basis of using spring clips or other supporting parts, the height of the coil in the axial direction of the rotating output shaft can be made only half of the height of the annular magnet (the magnet is also half South Pole and half North Pole in the height direction). In this way, even if the annular magnet drops to the lowest point, only one polarity is aligned with the coil, which solves the problem of needing to add additional gaskets.

[0046] In a further embodiment, one end of the tilting arm of the present invention connected to the rotating output shaft has a first fixing plate perpendicular to the rotating output shaft, the first fixing plate is fixed to the end face of the rotating output shaft, and a smoothly transitioned curved surface is formed between the first fixing plate and the tilting arm.

[0047] There are many ways to fix the tilting arm to the rotating output shaft, for example, they can be fixed to the rotating output shaft by welding or other methods. The above embodiment provides a more stable fixing method, and a first fixing plate is provided. The first fixing plate can be fixed to the end face of the rotating output shaft by screws or the like, and there is a smoothly transitioned curved surface between the first fixing plate and the tilting arm, which can reduce stress and make the fixing structure more stable.

[0048] In another further embodiment, one end of the connecting arm connected to the mover has a second fixing plate perpendicular to the rotating output shaft, the second fixing plate is fixed to the end surface of the mover, and a smoothly transitional curved surface is formed between the second fixing plate and the connecting arm. This embodiment is the same as the previous embodiment, both of which are for providing a more stable fixing structure.

[0049] In other embodiments, it can also be a combination of these two embodiments, that is, in this embodiment, the tilting arm and the connecting arm are connected by a first fixing plate and a second fixing plate respectively. Figure 5 This embodiment shows a specific structure of a support member, which includes a first fixing plate 23 and a second fixing plate 24 arranged in parallel with each other, a connecting arm 22 arranged in parallel with the rotating output shaft, and an inclined arm 21 inclined at approximately 45° relative to the connecting arm 22. There are smooth transition curved surfaces between the first fixing plate 23 and the inclined arm 21, between the inclined arm 21 and the connecting arm 22, and between the connecting arm 22 and the second fixing plate 24.

[0050] In one embodiment, the signal transfer device of the present invention may further include a driving board disposed at the bottom of the rotating motor, wherein the driving board has a control module, and the control module is electrically connected to the linear voice coil motor.

[0051] This embodiment sets the drive board at the bottom of the motor body, which only increases the thickness by about a circuit board. The structure is very clever. It only slightly increases the thickness by about a circuit board in the axial direction, and has no effect on the volume of the signal transfer device in the lateral direction.

[0052] In a further embodiment, the signal transfer device further includes a Hall sensor, which detects the position of the mover, and the control module adjusts the position of the mover according to the detection result.

[0053] The position of the mover is detected by the Hall sensor and a corresponding signal is sent to the control module so that the control module can adjust the position of the mover, thereby achieving precise control of the mover.

[0054] In a further embodiment, the Hall sensor is fixed to the peripheral side surface of the stator through an FPC soft board support connected to the driving board, and protrudes from the end surface of the stator close to the reflector.

[0055] This structure only slightly increases the thickness of a circuit board in the axial direction, and has no effect on the volume of the signal transfer device in the circumferential direction, thereby realizing a precisely controlled and compact signal transfer device.

[0056] The above embodiments may be combined in any way, all of which fall within the protection scope of the present invention. A specific embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0057] Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the embodiment is shown. It can be seen from the three-dimensional schematic diagram that the diameter length and volume of the peripheral side of the signal transfer device of the present invention are almost the same as the diameter length of the peripheral side of a rotating motor. The length in the axial direction is the thickness of a rotating motor superimposed with an inclined reflector and a circuit board at the bottom, so the volume is very small, and a two-dimensional signal scanning range can be achieved based on such a small volume.

[0058] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the signal transfer device includes a reflector 1, a support member 2 made of springs, a magnet 3, a coil 4, a coil bracket 5, a rotating motor 6, a Hall sensor 7, and a driving board 8.

[0059] The rotary motor 6 preferably adopts a brushless servo motor, which can achieve high precision, high speed, and 360° reciprocating swing at any angle. The rotary output shaft of the rotary motor 6 is provided with a linear motion voice coil motor, which includes a coil support, a coil and a magnet.

[0060] The coil support 5 is fixed to one end surface of the motor body of the rotating motor 6, the coil 4 of the linear motion voice coil motor is fixed to the coil support 5, the magnet 3 is a circular ring structure, axially magnetized, sleeved on the rotating output shaft of the rotating motor 6, there is a sliding gap between the magnet 3 and the rotating output shaft, and the axial movement can be up and down. The support 2 is a three-dimensional bent spring sheet, one end of which is fixed to the shaft end of the rotating motor 6, and the other end is fixed to the magnet 3.

[0061] The reflector 1 is fixed on a tilting arm of the support 2 which is tilted at about 45° in a non-external force state. The driving board 8 is fixed on the tail end of the motor body of the rotating motor 6. The Hall sensor 7 is extended from the driving board 8 through the FPC soft board and fixed on the coil bracket 5. It is arranged at the junction of the NS level of the magnet in the static state to detect the magnetic field change of the magnet 3 during the movement and feedback the position signal.

[0062] The present invention also protects a radar. The radar of the present invention comprises a signal device for receiving and transmitting signals, and a signal transfer device of any one of the above technical solutions for transferring signals.

[0063] In one embodiment, the signal device may be a laser. In other embodiments, the signal device may be other signal devices. For example, the signal device may also send high-frequency or ultra-high-frequency microwave signals.

[0064] In one embodiment, the signal transmitter and the rotating output shaft of the signal transfer device are arranged coaxially, which can make the control algorithm simpler.

[0065] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the principle of laser radar is shown.

[0066] The laser is placed above the reflector, and the laser beam is irradiated onto the reflector and reflected. The mover of the linear motion voice coil motor moves axially up and down, driving one end of the shrapnel to move, causing the shrapnel to bend and deform, changing the deflection angle of the reflector, and thus driving the reflector to move. The deflection angle of the lens changes back and forth to form a scanning angle for the laser beam, thereby obtaining a vertical scanning area. When the rotary motor rotates, the rotating output shaft will drive the shrapnel to rotate horizontally, and at the same time drive the reflector to rotate horizontally, thereby obtaining a horizontal scanning area. The shrapnel will drive the mover of the linear motion voice coil motor to rotate together. The magnet of the mover is circular and magnetized in the axial direction, so it will not affect the magnetic field distribution of the voice coil motor, and will not affect the vertical motion control.

[0067] The real-time position of the feedback magnet 3 can also be monitored by the Hall sensor 7, so as to accurately control the scanning range and scanning speed in the vertical direction. The control module controls the rotating motor 6 to accurately control the 360° rotation scanning in the horizontal direction, or the reciprocating swing scanning at any angle. The control module further combines the PID closed-loop control algorithm to simultaneously control the vertical and horizontal movements, so as to realize the scanning of any two-dimensional area.

[0068] 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 and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A signal transfer device, characterized in that: include: A rotating electric machine, comprising a motor body and a rotating output shaft; A linear motion voice coil motor, comprising a stator fixed on the motor body and a mover sleeved on the rotating output shaft; A support member, comprising a connecting arm and an angle-changeable tilting arm, wherein one end of the tilting arm is fixed to the rotating output shaft, and the other end is fixed to one end of the connecting arm, and the other end of the connecting arm is fixed to the mover, and the connecting arm moves back and forth along the rotating output shaft with the mover to change the deflection angle of the tilting arm relative to the rotating output shaft; A reflector is fixed on the tilt arm and is used for relaying signals.

2. The signal transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stator includes a winding coil with the rotating output shaft as the axis, the mover is an annular magnet with polarity distributed along the axis direction of the rotating output shaft, and the winding coil has different numbers of coils with different polarities falling into the annular magnet.

3. The signal transfer device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The height of the winding coil in the axial direction of the rotating output shaft is half the height of the annular magnet.

4. The signal transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support member is a spring sheet bent into the inclined arm and the connecting arm, and a smoothly transitioned curved surface is formed between the inclined arm and the connecting arm.

5. The signal transfer device according to claim 3, characterized in that: One end of the inclined arm connected to the rotating output shaft has a first fixing plate perpendicular to the rotating output shaft, the first fixing plate is fixed to the end face of the rotating output shaft, and a smoothly transitioned curved surface is formed between the first fixing plate and the inclined arm; and / or, one end of the connecting arm connected to the mover has a second fixing plate perpendicular to the rotating output shaft, the second fixing plate is fixed to the end face of the mover, and a smoothly transitioned curved surface is formed between the second fixing plate and the connecting arm.

6. The signal transfer device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a driving board arranged at the bottom of the rotating motor, wherein the driving board has a control module, and the control module is electrically connected to the linear voice coil motor.

7. The signal transfer device according to claim 6, characterized in that: Also includes: A Hall sensor detects the position of the mover, and the control module adjusts the position of the mover according to the detection result. The Hall sensor is fixed to the peripheral side of the stator through an FPC soft board support connected to the drive board, and protrudes from the end face of the stator close to the reflector.

8. A radar, characterized in that: It comprises a signal device for receiving and transmitting signals, and a signal relay device as described in any one of claims 1 to 7 for relaying signals.

9. The radar according to claim 8, characterized in that The signal device is a laser.

10. The radar according to claim 8, characterized in that The signal device is coaxially arranged with the rotating output shaft of the signal transfer device.

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