Sensor device for a position sensor and sensor system having such a sensor device

Abstract

The invention provides a sensor device for a position sensor and a sensor system having such a sensor device. In some exemplary embodiments, a sensor arrangement is provided for a position sensor, preferably a rotor position sensor, having a printed circuit board. The sensor device includes a primary winding and at least one secondary winding, and a device body. At least one of the primary winding and the at least one secondary winding is at least partially formed from a bendable conductor wire. One of the bendable conductor wires of the primary winding and the at least one secondary winding is completely mounted on the surface portion of the device body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sensor device for a position sensor, preferably a rotor position sensor, and a sensor system having such a sensor device. In particular, the present invention relates to a sensor device for use in a position sensor for detecting an angular position of a target element relative to the sensor device together with a target element that is rotatably arranged relative to the sensor device. Background Art

[0002] In many technical fields, it is necessary to determine the position of a moving object with an accuracy predetermined by the respective application. To this end, numerous sensor systems have been developed in which the relative position between at least two components can be measured with sufficient accuracy using, for example, optical, electrical, magnetic, and other interactions. In particular, sensor arrangements are often used in technical fields where very harsh environmental conditions prevail, such as high operating temperatures combined with high magnetic fields (which can, for example, be caused by high operating currents). In such sensor arrangements, the position-dependent generation of eddy currents is used to determine the position of the component. To this end, and in some examples of such eddy current sensor arrangements, the damping of one or more coils caused by eddy currents is detected. One or more coils are provided as stationary components, and the moving component has a track made of a suitable material, which results in the position-dependent generation of eddy currents and, therefore, damping. Based on this position-dependent generation of eddy currents, the position of the moving track relative to the one or more stationary coils can be determined by correlating the resulting attenuation with the specific shape of the track.

[0003] An illustrative example of such an application is determining the position of a motor's rotor to determine appropriate control signals for supplying appropriate current and voltage values. For example, in many cases where a motor requires highly variable speed and a reasonably wide control bandwidth, it is important to acquire the output voltage signal from the sensor system with high temporal resolution in order to determine the rotor position with relative accuracy. For a permanent magnet synchronous motor to operate efficiently, for example, the rotor position within an angular segment must be known with high accuracy corresponding to the number of poles in order to supply the appropriate current to the stator windings to achieve the desired operating mode. Coil-based contactless sensor arrangements are often used for this purpose. However, these require a relatively large space for the coils and associated evaluation electronics. In motors, very close spatial coupling between the target element and the rotor is often required. Consequently, high currents with correspondingly high magnetic fields and relatively high temperatures occur in the vicinity of the target element, which can lead to interference in the coil's output signal. This sensitivity ultimately results in poor spatial resolution of the rotor's position. In addition to desirable immunity to high magnetic fields, the sensor arrangement is also expected to adapt to the motor's operating conditions, such as the prevailing temperature and required speed range.

[0004] In addition to the above aspects, and independent of the specific application, the provision and integration of the components of the sensor system requires a high degree of consistent precision in the production of the sensor array (e.g., in mass production). This enables consistent functionality of the sensor array without requiring extensive adjustment work when assembling the sensor array in the final application.

[0005] Commercially available evaluation circuits typically use a large-area primary winding that surrounds at least two sinusoidal secondary coils. When operating a rotor position encoder with such an evaluation circuit, the rectangular encoder element changes the coupling between the primary winding and the secondary coil (which is implemented as a planar coil in printed circuit board technology). Conventional evaluation circuits for rotor position sensors provide a circular printed circuit board with four layers in multilayer technology. The planar coils for the primary and secondary coils are usually formed on two of the four layers, while the other layer is provided for the integrated circuit of the evaluation circuit.

[0006] Document DE 10 2016 202 877 B3 discloses a rotational angle sensor having a stator element and a rotor element. The stator element has a transmitter coil arranged on a printed circuit board and at least two receiver coils arranged within the transmitter coil. The rotor element is mounted so that it can rotate relative to the stator element about a rotation axis. The transmitter coil is inductively coupled to the at least two receiver coils via the rotor element, such that the inductive coupling depends on the rotational angle between the stator element and the rotor element, and the transmitter coil induces at least two angle-dependent AC voltages in the at least two receiver coils. The rotor element and the at least two receiver coils are designed such that an AC voltage, whose amplitude is sinusoidally dependent on the rotational angle, is induced in the receiver coils. The at least two receiver coils are formed from electrically connected conductor tracks in the form of circular arcs, such that each of the at least two receiver coils is formed from partial windings oriented in opposite directions with respect to current flow, each of the partial windings being radially bounded by at least one circular arc-shaped conductor track curved to the left and at least one opposing circular arc-shaped conductor track curved to the right.

[0007] Document DE 11 2019 006 893 T5 discloses a planar linear inductive position sensor comprising: a substrate; at least one oscillating coil; a first sensor coil having opposing edges extending along a linear axis on opposite edges of the oscillating coil, along which the linear position of a conductive object is to be detected; and a second sensor coil having opposing edges extending along the linear axis on opposite edges of a voice coil. The first and second sensor coils have geometries selected such that, when no conductive object to be measured is present in the vicinity of the first and second sensor coils, equal, opposing magnetic fields are induced in the first and second sensor coils in the presence of magnetic fields generated by the oscillating coils, and when a conductive object to be measured is present in the vicinity of the first and second sensor coils, unequal, opposing magnetic fields are induced in the first and second sensor coils. The difference in the unequal, opposing magnetic fields induced in the first and second sensor coils is correlated with the position of the conductive object to be measured.

[0008] Since the price of a printed circuit board is mainly based on the number of layers and the required area thereof, the above-mentioned evaluation circuits available on the market are expensive.

[0009] In view of the prior art as described above, it is desirable to provide a sensor device for a position sensor and a sensor system having such a sensor device that have lower manufacturing costs than conventional devices and systems. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The sensor device and sensor system according to the invention are used for determining the position of an object which is moved and / or displaced relative to a reference object, for example in a rotor position sensor or the like for determining the angle by which the object is twisted or rotated relative to a reference object.

[0011] In various aspects of the present disclosure, at least some of the problems of the prior art are solved by the common inventive concept of reducing the costs associated with printed circuit boards in conventional position sensors in a sensor device and a sensor system having such a sensor device according to the present invention. The solution proposed in various aspects herein is achieved by at least partially replacing the expensive printed circuit board with an inexpensive printed circuit board or with a wire winding formed at least partially from one or more flexible conductor wires arranged externally to the printed circuit board.

[0012] Conductor wire means a bendable or flexible conductor wire that can be temporarily wound on a cylindrical bobbin for storage and can be unwound from the bobbin when needed. In contrast to conductor traces on printed circuit boards, etc., conductor wire is a self-supporting structure, while conductor traces on printed circuit boards are formed as deposited and patterned traces that are not independent of the printed circuit board (i.e., the conductor trace does not exist without the surface on which the conductor trace is formed). In other words, the conductor wire according to the present specification exists in itself and exists independently of whether the conductor wire is attached to a printed circuit board. In this sense, "bendable conductor wire" and "self-supporting conductor wire" are understood as inherent features that designate the conductor wire as a conductor wire in the original sense of the word, etc., which designates the conductor wire as an independent structural feature independent of another structure (such as a surface, a carrier, a printed circuit board, etc.). In the present application, "bendable conductor wire" and "self-supporting conductor wire" may be interchangeable.

[0013] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a sensor device for a position sensor, such as a rotor position sensor, or generally a position sensor that detects not only the position of a motor rotor but also the position of any rotating component, such as a component connected to the motor rotor via a gearbox flange, or a rotating component that rotates only within a limited angular range or continuously. For example, the sensor device is applied to a resolver.

[0014] In a first aspect of the invention, a sensor device is provided, which is intended for a position sensor having a printed circuit board. In a specific exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the sensor device may be provided as a sensor device for a rotor position sensor.

[0015] In an exemplary embodiment of the first aspect, the sensor device includes a device body, a primary winding, and at least one secondary winding, wherein at least one of the primary winding and the at least one secondary winding is at least partially formed of a conductor wire. The conductor wire of the primary winding and / or the conductor wire of the at least one secondary winding is completely attached to a surface portion of the device body, for example, the conductor wire of the primary winding and / or the conductor wire of the at least one secondary winding can be attached to the surface portion of the device body. The primary winding and / or the at least one secondary winding can, for example, be entirely formed of a conductor wire, wherein the conductor wire of the primary winding and / or the conductor wire of the at least one secondary winding is entirely attached to a surface portion of the device body. For example, the conductor wire of the primary winding and / or the conductor wire of the at least one secondary winding can be completely attached to the surface portion of the device body.

[0016] In some illustrative examples herein, the conductor wires of the primary winding and / or the conductor wires of at least one secondary winding may be partially or completely attached to a surface portion of the device body by means of an adhesive such as a resin or epoxy. In this context, grooves, such as those described below, may be formed, and the wire-forming winding(s) routed within the grooves may be partially or completely embedded in the adhesive.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, the device body may not contain any electrical and / or electronic components. In particular, no electrical and / or electronic components may be integrated into the device body. The device body serves only as a support for the primary winding and / or secondary winding(s), and optionally as a support for a printed circuit board mounted on a surface of the device body.

[0018] As described herein, for example, a conductor wire can be formed from a length of wire. For example, the length of wire can be a length of round wire or a flat wire, wherein the conductor wire is completely mounted on a surface portion of the surface of the device body. In this case, the conductor wire at least partially forms a planar coil of at least one of a primary winding and at least one secondary winding disposed on the surface portion of the device body. According to illustrative examples, the primary winding and / or the secondary winding can be entirely formed from round wire or a flat wire.

[0019] Thus, a sensor device can be provided at low manufacturing costs, wherein the device body serves as a coil body or carrier for the primary and secondary windings of the sensor device. For example, a device body provided as an injection-molded body can be easily manufactured in large quantities at low manufacturing costs with high accuracy and repeatability. The corresponding device body can also provide a sustainable component, as it can be used in a process where it is used in conjunction with a printed circuit board, wherein the printed circuit board can be used for multiple projects, because the size and shape of the printed circuit board to be used with the sensor device according to the present invention are no longer limited by its intended function as a device body for the sensor device.

[0020] In some examples herein, the device body may carry the primary and secondary windings only on its surface. The device body may be free of any integrated electrical and / or electronic components, such that no electrical and / or electronic components are present within the device body. Thus, interference between the windings and components mounted to the device body may be reduced.

[0021] In various exemplary embodiments of the first aspect, the device body is provided, at most, in part, as a printed circuit board for the sensor device. In particular exemplary embodiments, the device body does not function as a printed circuit board for the sensor device. For example, the device body may not even be provided as a printed circuit board at all, and may be provided separately from the printed circuit board for the sensor device, that is, the device body may be an additional component provided in addition to the printed circuit board and windings in the sensor device. For example, the conductor wires of at least one primary winding and the conductor wires of at least one secondary winding may be mounted completely independently of the printed circuit board. In particular exemplary embodiments herein, the conductor wires of the primary winding and / or at least one secondary winding may be mounted entirely on a surface portion of the surface of the device body, external to any printed circuit board.

[0022] In various exemplary embodiments of the first aspect, the sensor device includes a primary winding and at least one secondary winding, and a device body, wherein at least one of the primary winding and the at least one secondary winding is at least partially formed from a conductor wire. The conductor wire of the primary winding and / or the at least one secondary winding is completely mounted on a surface portion of the device body.

[0023] In some illustrative examples herein, the device body can be easily adapted to several pole-pair numbers, and the primary winding and / or the secondary winding can be implemented at least partially independent of the printed circuit board.

[0024] In some illustrative and non-limiting examples of the first aspect, the primary winding and the two secondary windings may be mounted on, for example attached to, the device body.Accordingly, precise positioning during operation of the position sensor using the sensor device becomes possible.

[0025] In a first embodiment of the first aspect, the conductor wire can be routed as a planar coil portion. For example, the conductor wire can be routed in a manner that has a sinusoidal coil path in the planar coil portion. This allows for a compact sensor device with a reduced overall height.

[0026] In a second embodiment of the first aspect, the device body may comprise a groove in which the conductor wires of at least one of the primary winding and the at least one secondary winding are completely routed. The groove may be formed at least partially in a surface portion of the device body and formed as a shallow groove therein. In this context, a shallow groove is a groove in which the depth of the groove (measured as the dimension of the groove entering the device body along a direction parallel to the surface normal of the surface portion) is smaller than any dimension of the groove measured perpendicular to the surface normal of the surface portion, for example at least 5 times, 10 times or 20 times smaller. Routing the conductor wires in the grooves can prevent the conductor wires from protruding significantly from the device body, thereby avoiding damage to the windings during operation. In addition, the overall height of the sensor device can be reduced.

[0027] In some illustrative examples of the second embodiment, the slot may include a coil-accommodating slot portion. For example, the coil-accommodating slot portion may be formed as an annular coil slot portion in the device body. The coil-accommodating slot portion is laterally bounded by a web portion in the surface of the device body. Thus, the windings mounted in the coil-accommodating slot portion can be easily encapsulated, with the web portion laterally defining the slot.

[0028] In some other illustrative examples of the second embodiment, the slot may further include a printed circuit board receiving portion configured to completely receive the printed circuit board, wherein the slot is formed on only one surface of the device body. By providing a corresponding slot, a sensor device having a low profile can be provided when the printed circuit board is mounted on the device body.

[0029] In a third embodiment of the first aspect, the device body may be in the form of a plate-like or disk-like body, and the groove may be formed in a surface of the device body perpendicular to the smallest dimension of the device body. Thus, in applications such as rotor position sensors intended to detect angular position, an advantageous design of the device body may be provided.

[0030] In a fourth embodiment of the first aspect, the sensor device may further include a printed circuit board mounted on the device body and connected to at least one of the primary winding and the at least one secondary winding on the device body. The printed circuit board can be selected in a shape and size that is independent of the intended application of the sensor device, thereby enabling the selection of very compact printed circuit boards or the simple and cost-effective configuration of existing sensor devices by retroactively replacing printed circuit boards. For example, a circuit board with a minimal surface area (i.e., the area defined solely by circuitry integrated on and / or in the circuit board) and having a small number of layers or fewer than four layers (such as only two layers or only one layer) can be used.

[0031] In a fifth embodiment of the first aspect, the printed circuit board may have a diameter of less than 19000 mm of the device body. 2In other words, the printed circuit board can cover less than 19000mm of the surface portion of the device body. 2 In the illustrative example herein, the area may be at most 18500 mm 2 or up to 18000mm 2 or up to 15000mm 2 or up to 10000mm 2 or up to 5000mm 2 For example, the area may cover up to 3000 mm 2 , such as up to 2000mm 2 or up to 1500mm 2 or up to 1300mm 2 Etc. For example, a very compact and thus cost-effective printed circuit board can be chosen without limiting the capabilities of the integrated circuits on the printed circuit board.

[0032] In a sixth embodiment of the first aspect, the circuit board may include fewer than four layers. For example, the circuit board may have at most two layers.

[0033] In a seventh embodiment of the first aspect, the printed circuit board may comprise only contacts, discrete electrical components, and an integrated circuit. In this case, the contacts are connected to the electrical components via conductor tracks, and the electrical components provide at least one capacitor and / or at least one resistor as one or more discrete components. The printed circuit board may be connected to the primary winding and the secondary winding via the contacts. Furthermore, the integrated circuit may represent at least a portion of an integrated evaluation and / or driver circuit connected to the primary winding and / or at least one secondary winding. In this case, only components and conductor tracks of minimal length are provided on the printed circuit board, enabling a very compact design of the printed circuit board.

[0034] In a second aspect, a sensor device for a position sensor (preferably, a rotor position sensor) is equipped with a printed circuit board. In an exemplary embodiment herein, the sensor device according to the second aspect includes a primary winding and at least one secondary winding, a device body, and a printed circuit board. At least one of the primary winding and the at least one secondary winding is at least partially formed from a flexible conductor wire. The printed circuit board, along with the conductor wire of at least one of the primary winding and the at least one secondary winding, is mounted on (such as attached to) the device body. The conductor wire of the at least one primary winding and the conductor wire of the at least one secondary winding are completely mounted on a surface portion of the device body outside the printed circuit board. For example, the conductor wire of the primary winding and / or the at least one secondary winding may be completely mounted on a surface portion of the surface of the device body. The flexible conductor wire is a flexible wire conductor formed from a length of wire (e.g., a length of round wire or flat wire), wherein the conductor wire is completely routed and mounted on a surface portion (e.g., a flat portion) of the surface of the device body outside the printed circuit board. The conductor wire thus at least partially forms a planar coil of at least one of the primary winding and the at least one secondary winding disposed on a planar portion of the device body.

[0035] Thus, a sensor device can be provided at low manufacturing costs, wherein the device body serves as a coil former or carrier for the primary and secondary windings of the sensor device. For example, the device body can be provided as an injection-molded body, making it easy to manufacture in large quantities at low manufacturing costs with high accuracy or repeatability. The corresponding device body can be a sustainable component because it can be used in a process that uses a common component of a printed circuit board that can be used in multiple projects. The printed circuit board to be used with the sensor device according to the present invention is no longer limited in size and shape to serve as the device body of the sensor device.

[0036] In various exemplary embodiments herein, the device body is provided, at most, in part as a printed circuit board of the sensor device. In some specific but non-limiting examples herein, the device body may not be provided as a printed circuit board. Thus, the device body may be provided completely independently of the printed circuit board of the sensor device, or may be provided merely as an additional component in addition to the printed circuit board and windings in the sensor device.

[0037] In some exemplary embodiments of the second aspect, the sensor device may further comprise at least one additional feature as defined in one of the embodiments of the first aspect (in particular one of the first to fifth embodiments of the first aspect).

[0038] In a third aspect, a sensor device for a position sensor (preferably, a rotor position sensor) having a printed circuit board is provided. In an exemplary embodiment herein, the sensor device according to the second aspect includes at least two circuit boards electrically connected to each other. Furthermore, the sensor device according to the third aspect includes a primary winding and at least one secondary winding, wherein at least one of the primary winding and the at least one secondary winding is at least partially integrated as at least partially integrated wiring into at least one of the at least two circuit boards. By using multiple circuit boards, at least one of the circuit boards can be used as a relatively inexpensive circuit board for the partially integrated wiring, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the sensor device.

[0039] In some exemplary embodiments of the third aspect, the at least two circuit boards may include a two-layer circuit board and a circuit board with more than two layers, that is, a circuit board with more than two layers. In this case, a printed circuit board having only two layers provides a relatively inexpensive printed circuit board compared to a printed circuit board having more than two layers. A printed circuit board having more than two layers can be provided as a printed circuit board that can be integrated with additional integrated circuit structures, thereby reducing the use of expensive printed circuit boards by further utilizing printed circuit boards having only two layers. For example, a circuit board having more than two layers also allows at least a portion of the evaluation and drive circuitry for one or more of the connected windings to be integrated into the circuit board. Additionally or alternatively, at least one winding can be fully integrated into a circuit board having only two layers.

[0040] In a further exemplary embodiment of the third aspect, the sensor device may further include a device body, such as an injection-molded body. At least two printed circuit boards may be attached to the device body. Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the primary winding and the at least one secondary winding may be formed, at most in part, from conductor wire. Thus, a surface for the windings can be provided without the use of printed circuit boards, further reducing manufacturing costs.

[0041] In a fourth aspect, a sensor system is provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the sensor system includes a sensor device according to at least one of the first to third aspects, and a target element rotatably arranged relative to the sensor device, wherein the target element has a target pattern formed of a conductive material. Thus, the advantages and positive effects of the sensor device according to the first and / or second and / or third aspects are transferred to the sensor system according to the fourth aspect.

[0042] In the sensor system of the fourth aspect, the angular position between the sensor device and the target element is advantageously detected when the target element moves relative to the sensor device. For example, the relative rotational motion between the target element and the sensing device caused by the rotational movement of a rotor (which can be the rotor of an electric motor in a specific application) can generate a voltage in the secondary winding that depends on the instantaneous position of the target element relative to the sensing device. In other words, the magnetic field generated by the primary winding circuit is modulated by the target element, and the modulated magnetic field induces a voltage signal in the secondary winding of the sensor device, which voltage signal represents a signal modulated by a target pattern of the target element of the electrical signal applied to the primary winding circuit, wherein the target pattern has a shape that changes in accordance with the angle of the target element relative to the sensor device. In this context, the shape of the target pattern changes according to the changing angle between the target element and (one or more than one) secondary windings.

[0043] In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing a sensor device for a position sensor (preferably a rotor position sensor) having a printed circuit board is provided. In an exemplary embodiment herein, the method comprises: providing a flexible conductor wire; providing a device body; providing at least one of a primary winding and at least one secondary winding, wherein at least one of the primary winding and at least one secondary winding is at least partially formed on a surface of the device body by the flexible conductor wire; and providing a printed circuit board (6) mounted to the device body and connected to at least one of the primary winding and at least one secondary winding.

[0044] In the sensor device according to the first and / or second and / or third aspects, the primary and secondary windings can be provided as air-core coils, meaning that the primary and secondary windings are provided without a magnetizable core. In this case, since there is no magnetic core material in the coils, external magnetic fields do not contribute to magnetization or saturation, or contribute only to a tolerable degree, and the resulting output signal is relatively insensitive to interference from strong magnetic fields, such as those occurring in motors. Therefore, if the target pattern is at least partially composed of electrically conductive / magnetic material, eddy current losses in the target pattern can be used to influence the output signal of the sensor device. Therefore, according to the first and / or second and / or third aspects, the sensor device can be resistant to interference from electromagnetic influences.

[0045] The method according to the fifth aspect may be used to manufacture a sensor device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein embodiments from any one of the first to fourth aspects may be combined into the fifth aspect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] Further advantages and exemplary embodiments of the above aspects of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0047] Figure 1 schematically illustrates in plan view a sensor device according to some exemplary embodiments;

[0048] Figure 2a and Figure 2b schematically illustrates in plan view the layers of a printed circuit board according to some exemplary embodiments; and

[0049] Figure 3 Schematic representations of sensor systems are shown, in accordance with some demonstrative embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] The various exemplary embodiments described below may relate to an application of the sensor arrangement in a rotor position sensor, but unless explicitly stated otherwise, the embodiments themselves are not limited to this application.

[0051] According to an exemplary typical embodiment, a rotor position sensor generally includes a sensor system for detecting an angular position between a sensor device of the sensor system and a target element of the sensor system.

[0052] For example, the target element can be a reference object that moves relative to the sensor device, or can be a fixed reference object with respect to the sensor device (which moves relative to the target element). The target element has a target pattern formed of a conductive / magnetic material and changes in an angularly dependent manner during a full rotation (i.e., a 360° rotation relative to the sensor device about the rotation axis of the target element), thereby detecting the angular position between the sensor device and the target element.

[0053] In a rotor position sensor with a passive target element, the sensor device includes a primary winding circuit that generates a magnetic field modulated by a target pattern of the target element. This modulated magnetic field, in turn, induces a correspondingly modulated electrical signal in at least one secondary winding of the sensor device. The angular position between the target element and the sensor device can be determined based on a comparison between the electrical signal applied to the primary winding circuit for generating the magnetic field and the electrical signal output by the at least one secondary winding in response thereto.

[0054] refer to Figure 1 , illustrating a sensor device 10 for a rotor position sensor according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, which is used to detect an angular position between the sensor device 10 in a sensor system (not shown) and a target element (not shown) of the sensor system (not shown).

[0055] Figure 1A sensor device 10 is schematically shown in plan view with a device body 2 and a coil structure 4 attached to the device body 2. According to an exemplary embodiment, the coil structure 4 may include a primary winding 4a and at least one secondary winding 4b (in Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, there are approximately two secondary windings, but more than two secondary windings may be provided, such as four secondary windings or more than four secondary windings, etc.).

[0056] exist Figure 1 In the illustrative examples of the illustrated embodiments, the device body 2 can be provided as a carrier body that is easy and inexpensive to manufacture, and in particular, can be provided as a body suitable for use as a coil carrier body. For example, the device body 2 can be provided as an injection-molded body, wherein the device body 2 can be easily and reproducibly manufactured. As a particularly illustrative but non-limiting example of possible materials for producing the device body 2, thermoplastics can be included, which can be supplemented with additives and fillers for the injection molding process and the subsequent specific use of the device body 2 in a specific application (for example, but not limited to, in the application as a device body for a position sensor in a vehicle construction).

[0057] For example, the material used to produce the device body 2 can be, but is not limited to, at least one of the following: polyolefin, polypropylene, acrylic (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS), PS copolymer (ABS=acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene), polyamide (PA), polyoxymethylene (POM) and many other engineering plastics.

[0058] refer to Figure 1 , the device body 2 is formed by a coil carrier body portion 2a and an optional printed circuit board carrier portion 2b, wherein the optional printed circuit board carrier portion 2b can be formed integrally with the coil carrier body portion 2a and can be designed to carry an optional printed circuit board 6. For example, the coil carrier body portion 2a can have a shape that is based on the shape and form of the coil structure 4 or is determined by the shape and form of the coil structure 4. Figure 1 , the coil carrier body portion 2a is formed as an annular device body portion. However, this is not a limitation, and without affecting the following description, the coil support portion 2a may have a linear or elongated device body portion instead of an annular device body portion, depending on the application in the linear position sensor. In particular, unless explicitly stated, Figure 1 The preceding and following description of further structural and functional features of the sensor device 10 in FIG. 1 is independent of a specific design of the device body 2 a .

[0059] In some specific illustrative examples and as Figure 1As shown, the device body 2 can be designed as a plate-shaped or disc-shaped body. In particular, the coil carrier body portion 2a can be designed as a disc-shaped body. The terms "disc-shaped" and "plate-shaped" should be understood to mean that the smallest dimension of the body is oriented perpendicular to the surface on which the coil structure 4 is arranged. Alternatively, the device body can be a linear bar-shaped body (not shown).

[0060] Continue to refer Figure 1 , the circuit board carrier portion 2b is oriented transversely to the extension direction of the coil structure 4 and extends away from the device body portion 2a transversely to the extension direction of the coil structure 4. The extension direction of the coil structure 4 is defined as the direction along which the flexible conductor wires of the coil structure 4 extend for the most part between the contacts, with the term "most part" being understood as a proportion greater than 50% (particularly greater than 70%) measured from the total length. The printed circuit board carrier portion 2b has a size sufficient to hold the printed circuit board 6 so that the printed circuit board 6 can be mounted (mountable) on the device body 2 by means of the printed circuit board carrier portion 2b. The term "mountable" is understood to mean permanently or removably attached.

[0061] In the illustrative example, Figure 1 As shown, the primary winding 4a and the secondary winding 4b can each be formed by a flexible conductor wire completely mounted on a surface portion of the surface of the device body 2. The flexible conductor wires of each winding 4a, 4b in the coil structure 4 can be wired as a planar coil portion, wherein as shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown, a sinusoidal coil wiring is preferably adopted for the secondary winding 4b in the planar coil portion, while the flexible conductor wire of the primary winding 4a is wired in a circular shape so that the secondary winding is completely surrounded by the primary winding 4a in the surface.

[0062] like Figure 1 As shown, in some exemplary embodiments, the sensor device 10 may include a groove 8 formed in a surface portion of the surface of the device body 2. The groove 8 is formed as a recessed portion in the device body 2, which is formed in the coil carrier body portion 2a corresponding to the wiring of the coil structure 4 as a coil accommodating groove portion 8a that follows the wiring of the coil structure 4, for receiving the coil structure 4 in the coil carrier body portion 2a, so that the coil structure 4 is accommodated and embedded in the coil accommodating groove portion 8a and thus enters the surface portion of the surface of the device body 2. The surface portion of the surface of the device body 2 is oriented substantially perpendicular to the plane substantially defined by the coil structure 4. In other words, the coil structure 4 defines a virtual plane because the coil structure 4 is essentially wired in a plane that can, for example, coincide with the surface of the device body 2 where the coil structure 4 is arranged. The coil structure 4 can be completely wired within the groove 8.

[0063] In the illustrated example of an annular coil carrier body portion 2a, the coil accommodating groove portion 8a is formed as an annular groove in the device body 2, which is laterally bounded by web sections 2c1 and 2c2. Typically, at least one web section can be provided corresponding to at least one of the web sections 2c1 and 2c2 to define the groove 8 in the surface of the coil carrier body portion 2a on at least one side. However, this is not a limitation, as in the case of a linear position sensor, a linear coil carrier portion including a corresponding linear coil accommodating groove portion can be formed.

[0064] The printed circuit board carrier portion 2b may be formed as a plate-like protrusion on the coil carrier body portion 2a, and the printed circuit board carrier portion 2b may be smaller than the printed circuit board 6, or have the same size as the printed circuit board 6, or be larger than the printed circuit board 6. Figure 1 As shown, the printed circuit board carrier portion 2b is formed to be larger than the printed circuit board 6, and the printed circuit board 6 can be inserted into the printed circuit board receiving groove portion 8b formed in the printed circuit board carrier body portion 2b. The printed circuit board receiving groove portion 8b can be defined by the web portion 2d that at least partially surrounds the printed circuit board receiving groove portion 8b. In the illustrated example and as shown Figure 1 As shown, the printed circuit board accommodating groove portion 8b may be communicatively connected to the coil accommodating groove portion 8a so that the groove 8 is formed by the groove portions 8a and 8b.

[0065] One or more mounting portions 9, each having a mounting hole 9a, may be formed on the device body 2. These one or more mounting portions 9 may protrude laterally from the coil carrier body 2a and may be used to mount the sensor device on another object (not shown). The mounting hole 9a may be provided with a reinforcement structure 9b having an optional internal thread, such as a metal ring inserted into the mounting hole 9a.

[0066] Optimization Reference Figure 1 The design described above minimizes the cost of manufacturing sensor device 10, particularly by minimizing the size of printed circuit board 6. To this end, primary winding 4a and secondary winding 4b of coil structure 4 are at least partially designed as flexible wires and are each formed from a flexible conductor wire. Consequently, the footprint of printed circuit board 6 in the sensor device can be minimized, as printed circuit board 6 is only necessary for assembling discrete components, such as an integrated circuit and components required for the circuit system.

[0067] The method of manufacturing the sensor device 10 may include: providing a flexible conductor wire; providing a device body 2; providing one of a primary winding 4a and at least one secondary winding 4b, wherein at least one of the primary winding 4a and at least one secondary winding 4b is at least partially formed by the flexible conductor wire on the surface of the device body 2; and providing a circuit board 6, which is mounted to the device body 2 and connected to at least one of the primary winding 4a and at least one secondary winding 4b on the device body 2.

[0068] refer to Figure 2a and Figure 2b , showing two layers of the printed circuit board 6 in plan view. Figure 2a and Figure 2b , the printed circuit board 6 may only have contacts CP, discrete electronic components such as a capacitor K and one or more resistors, and an integrated circuit such as a chip C. The chip C may at least partially include an integrated evaluation and / or driver circuit and may be connected to the primary winding 4 a and the secondary winding 4 b via contacts CP by means of conductor tracks B.

[0069] Figure 2a The upper layer of the printed circuit board 6 can be shown, with vias V1, V2, V3, V4 connecting the upper layer to the Figure 2b The lower layer shown in FIG. 1 can minimize the printed circuit board area of ​​the printed circuit board 6. The vias V1 to V4 can connect the conductor traces B on the upper layer with the conductor traces B' on the lower layer.

[0070] In the illustrated example, the circuit board 6 may have a width of 45×29 mm=1300 mm. 2 size, which is greater than 19000mm used in traditional applications 2 In addition, the number of layers of the printed circuit board 6 can be reduced from the previous four layers in the conventional printed circuit board to two layers used for the printed circuit board 6, which also leads to a price reduction of the printed circuit board 6 compared with the conventional printed circuit board.

[0071] In some typical embodiments, the sensor device 10 may represent a rotor position sensor for an electric motor. In this case, a target pattern (not shown) may be attached to an axial surface of a rotor (not shown), for example, a rotor of an electric motor (not shown), and the target pattern (not shown) may optionally be movable together with the rotor (not shown). In an illustrative example, the electric motor (not shown) may be a permanent magnet excitation electric motor whose angular signals are used for electrical commutation. Furthermore, a sensor device 10 is provided that may be arranged axially opposite the target pattern (not shown). The target pattern (not shown) and the sensor device 10 form a sensor system for a rotor position sensor, wherein the target pattern (not shown) is arranged rotatably relative to the sensor device 10.

[0072] According to the illustrative examples herein, the target structure (not shown) can be mounted on a suitable substrate (not shown) or directly mounted in the base material of a rotor (not shown) which is seated on a shaft (not shown). The base material of the rotor (not shown) can be understood to mean a material intended for the function of the rotor (not shown), such as a material for holding components (not shown) of the motor (not shown), such as magnets, etc.

[0073] For example, the sensor device 10 includes a plurality of windings (not shown) and an electronic circuit (not shown) that processes the signals output by the windings and outputs them as position signals, such as electrical signals such as voltage amplitude, differential voltage, current amplitude, differential current, frequency, phase angle, etc. The rotation angle of the rotor (not shown) relative to the sensor device 10 can be derived from these electrical signals output by the electronic circuit (not shown).

[0074] refer to Figure 3 , shows a sensor system 20 having a sensor device 10 ′ and a target element. Figure 3 The target element is illustrated in FIG by means of a target pattern 22 of the target element. Although the target pattern 22 is shown as a sinusoidally varying pattern, no limitation is implied and alternative target patterns may be used, such as a rectangular target pattern that is smaller than one period of the coil structure. Figure 3 The direction of movement of the target element relative to the sensor device 10 ′ (eg the direction of rotation of the rotor position sensor) is schematically indicated in FIG by means of arrow 24 .

[0075] The sensor device 10' can be used with the above reference Figure 1 2 corresponds to the sensor device 10, wherein unless otherwise expressly stated below, the structural and functional elements described with reference to the sensor device 10 are applicable to the sensor device 10', and for the sake of brevity and to avoid repetition of redundant descriptions, the description of the sensor device 10 is incorporated as a whole by reference in the context of the sensor device 10'.

[0076] like Figure 3 As shown, the sensor device 10 ′ includes a plurality of primary windings 12 and a plurality of secondary windings 14. These windings are mounted on the device body. The plurality of primary windings 12 may include two primary windings 12a to 12b, but this is not restrictive, and one primary winding or more than two primary windings superimposed on the secondary coil may be provided instead. The plurality of secondary windings 14 includes two secondary windings 14a and 14b, but this is not restrictive, and four or more secondary windings may be provided instead. Therefore, the number of secondary windings is not limited to two, and alternatively, two or a multiple of four secondary windings may be provided.

[0077] As described above, the sensor device 10' may be designed in the same manner as the sensor device 10. However, this is not a limitation, and alternatively, the sensor device 10' may be designed in an alternative manner to the sensor device 10, wherein the sensor device 10' includes at least two printed circuit boards (PCBs) electrically connected to each other. Figure 3 (not shown in the schematic representation of FIG. 1 ). In this case, at least one of the primary winding 12 and the secondary winding 14 can be designed as an at least partially integrated wiring, which is at least partially integrated into at least one of the at least two circuit boards.

[0078] In the illustrative example, the at least two printed circuit boards may also include a printed circuit board having only two layers and a printed circuit board having more than two layers. For example, a printed circuit board having more than two layers may also include at least a portion of the evaluation and drive circuitry for one or more of the connected windings 12, 14, and / or at least one of the windings 12, 14 may be completely integrated into a printed circuit board having only two layers.

[0079] Furthermore, the sensor device 10' may also comprise a device body, such as the injection-molded body described above for the sensor device 10, except that at least two printed circuit boards are mounted on the device body, and / or wherein at least one of the primary winding 12 and the secondary winding 14 is at most partially formed by a flexible conductor wire.

[0080] The method of manufacturing the sensor device 10' may include: providing a flexible conductor wire; providing a device body 2; providing a primary winding 12 and / or at least one secondary winding 14, wherein at least one of the primary winding 12 and the at least one secondary winding 14 is at least partially formed by the flexible conductor wire on the surface of the device body 2; and providing a circuit board 6, which is to be attached to the device body 2 and connected to at least one of the primary winding 12 and the at least one secondary winding 14 on the device body 2.

[0081] As described above, a plurality of primary windings may be provided in a one-to-one correspondence with a plurality of secondary windings. Alternatively, a subset of secondary windings from a plurality of secondary windings may be assigned to exactly one primary winding. For example, a primary winding from a plurality of primary windings may be assigned to two or more secondary windings such that each primary winding is assigned to a subset of secondary windings, wherein each subset has an equal number of secondary windings.

[0082] Continue to refer Figure 3, an electronic circuit may be provided by means of a printed circuit board 16. The electronic circuit may apply an electrical signal to the plurality of primary windings 12 and / or may receive an electrical signal output by the plurality of secondary windings 14. For example, the electronic circuit may include an oscillator circuit integrated into or coupled to the printed circuit board 16, by means of which a periodic electrical signal may be applied to the plurality of primary windings 12.

[0083] For example, multiple primary windings 12 may be connected in a resonator circuit fed by an oscillator circuit (not shown) integrated into the printed circuit board 16. For example, multiple primary windings 12 may be formed by a series connection of primary windings 12a and 12b. However, this is not intended to be limiting, and appropriate parallel connections of primary windings 12a and 12b may be provided.

[0084] Secondary windings 14a and 14b of the plurality of secondary windings 14 can be further divided into subsets of two secondary windings connected in series (i.e., the two secondary windings in each subset can be connected in series), each subset being individually connected to printed circuit board 16. For example, secondary winding 14a can be formed from two or more secondary winding groups connected in series, while secondary winding 14b can be formed from another subset of secondary windings. Each of these subsets can provide a dedicated electrical signal to printed circuit board 16, based on which angular position can be determined in sensor system 20. The secondary windings in each subset can be wound and interconnected relative to each other in such a way that the voltage signal output by each subset represents a differential signal at the contacts of printed circuit board 16. This means that the voltage signal output by each subset corresponds to a voltage difference. For example, the voltage signal output by one subset can be phase-shifted relative to the voltage signal output by another subset, such that one signal represents a sine-shaped signal while the other represents a cosine-shaped signal.

[0085] In some specific but non-limiting examples herein, and as with respect to the above based Figure 3 In the disclosed embodiment, all primary windings 12 and all secondary windings 14 can have the same winding orientation relative to one another. Each secondary winding 14 can be connected to one another in subgroups in such a way that a differential signal can be picked up by a printed circuit board 16. Signals proportional to the sine and cosine signals can thus be provided by the secondary windings on the printed circuit board, for example, so that an angle signal can be input to the printed circuit board.

[0086] Regarding other configurations of the target pattern 22 than the illustrated target pattern 22 (as described above regarding various configurations of the target pattern), suitable forms may be chosen for the secondary and primary windings, for example in the form of sinusoidal coils or rectangular coils.

[0087] In some exemplary embodiments, the plurality of primary windings 12 can be arranged relative to the plurality of secondary windings 14 such that one of each of the primary windings 12a and 12b and one of each of the secondary windings 14a and 14b can be arranged in a winding pair, such that the windings in the winding pair can have a maximum inductive coupling compared to the inductive coupling between the winding in the winding pair and the winding in another winding pair. For example, the primary winding 12a and the secondary winding 14a can form a winding pair 12a, 14a, wherein the winding pair 12a, 14a has a maximum inductive coupling between the primary winding 12a and the secondary winding 14b, and also compared to the inductive coupling between the secondary winding 14a and the primary winding 12b. Therefore, the remaining windings 12b and 14b can be arranged in a winding pair. This can be achieved according to a specific illustrative (but not limiting) example of a winding arrangement in which the primary and secondary windings are directly opposite each other or interleaved. This arrangement can maximize the signal strength generated by each winding pair, so that the signals generated by the winding pairs require little amplification. In a further illustrative example, the primary and secondary windings in a winding pair can be congruent.

[0088] In the above, the windings are described based on primary windings and secondary windings in various exemplary embodiments. At least some of these windings can be designed as air-core coils. This means that no magnetizable core is provided.

[0089] "Sinusoidal" coils have been described above with respect to some exemplary embodiments. In this context, the term "sine" is generally understood to mean a shape that repeats itself at least once, with the length of the shape during the maximum length interval during which no repetition of the shape occurs being referred to as the period. In a specific exemplary example, a "cosine" shape can also be considered to fall under the term "sine," since it is known that sine and cosine for an angle φ are generated from each other with a phase shift of 90°, or a quarter period: cosφ = sin(φ + 90°).

[0090] The term "substantially" is used to indicate that deviations and modifications that have little effect on the function or effect to be achieved are also possible. Deviations within a range of 50% (e.g., at most 25% or at most 15% or at most 10% or at most 5% or at most 1%) are considered to be permissible.

[0091] With respect to various embodiments of sensor devices having secondary windings connected in subgroups, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the primary and secondary windings can each be inductively coupled and / or connected with a particular winding orientation or winding such that a magnetic field is generated in each primary winding associated with a particular subgroup of secondary windings, which in turn induces a voltage in the corresponding secondary winding associated with that particular subgroup in such a manner that a voltage difference is generated at the connection of that particular subgroup to the printed circuit board relative to the voltage induced in the respective secondary windings of that particular subgroup. This means that the voltage signal output by the subgroup corresponds to the voltage difference. For example, the voltage signal output by one subgroup can be phase-shifted relative to the voltage signal output by another subgroup, such that one signal can represent a sine-shaped signal while the other signal can represent a cosine-shaped signal.

[0092] Although the application to the rotor position sensor is described with reference to the accompanying drawings, this is not intended to be limiting. Instead of the rotor position sensor, the present invention can be applied to a position sensor that does not directly detect the position of the motor rotor but detects the position of any rotating component (such as, for example, a component connected to the motor rotor via a gearbox flange, or a rotating component that rotates only within a limited angular range or continuously (such as any rotating control element, etc.)).

Claims

1. A sensor device (10; 10 '), the position sensor is preferably a rotor position sensor, the sensor device having a printed circuit board (6; 16), the sensor device comprises: A primary winding (4a; 12) and at least one secondary winding (4b; 14), wherein the primary winding (4a; 12) and at least one of the at least one secondary winding (4b; 14) are at least partially formed by a bendable conductor wire; and A device body (2), wherein one of the bendable conductor wires of the primary winding (4a; 12) and the at least one secondary winding (4b; 14) is integrally mounted on a surface portion of the device body (2).

2. The sensor device (10; 10') according to claim 1, wherein The bendable conductor wire is routed as a planar coil portion, preferably having a sinusoidal coil path therein.

3. The sensor device (10; 10') according to claim 1 or 2, wherein The device body (2) has a slot (8), wherein the bendable conductor wire of at least one of the primary winding (4a; 12) and the at least one secondary winding (4b; 14) is completely routed in the slot (8).

4. The sensor device (10; 10') according to claim 3, wherein The slot (8) has a coil accommodating slot portion (8a), which is preferably formed as an annular coil slot portion in the device body (2), and the annular coil slot portion is laterally limited by web portions (2c1, 2c2) in the surface of the device body (2).

5. The sensor device (10; 10') according to claim 3 or 4, wherein The groove (8) further includes a circuit board accommodating groove portion (8b) configured to completely accommodate the circuit board (6), wherein the groove (8) is formed on only one surface of the device body (2).

6. The sensor device (10; 10') according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein The device body (2) is formed as a plate-like or disk-like body, and the groove (8) is formed in a surface of the device body (2) perpendicular to the smallest dimension of the device body (2).

7. The sensor device (10; 10') according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a printed circuit board, which is mounted to the device body (2) and is connected to at least one of the primary winding (4a; 12) and the at least one secondary winding (4b; 14) on the device body (2).

8. The sensor device (10; 10') according to claim 7, wherein The printed circuit board covers the following area of ​​the surface portion of the device body (2), which is less than 19000mm 2 , preferably at most 18500mm 2 and more preferably at most 3000 mm 2 .

9. The sensor device (10; 10') according to claim 7 or 8, wherein The printed circuit board (6) comprises less than four layers.

10. The sensor device (10; 10') according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein The printed circuit board (6) has only contacts (CP), discrete electrical components, preferably at least one capacitor (K) and / or at least one resistor, and an integrated circuit (C), the integrated circuit (C) being connected at least as part of an integrated evaluation and / or driver circuit to at least one of the primary winding (4a; 12) and the at least one secondary winding (4b; 14), wherein one or more windings are connected to the electrical components via conductor tracks (B, B') via the contacts (CP).

11. A sensor device (10; 10 '), the position sensor is preferably a rotor position sensor, the sensor device having a printed circuit board (6; 16), the sensor device comprises: a primary winding (4a; 12) and at least one secondary winding (4b; 14), wherein at least one of the primary winding (4a; 12) and the at least one secondary winding (4b; 14) is at least partially formed from a bendable conductor wire; a device body (2); and A printed circuit board is mounted to the device body and is connected to the bendable conductor line of at least one of the primary winding (4a; 12) and the at least one secondary winding (4b; 14).

12. A sensor device for a position sensor, preferably a rotor position sensor, comprising: at least two printed circuit boards electrically connected to each other; as well as A primary winding and at least one secondary winding, wherein at least one of the primary winding and the at least one secondary winding is at least partially integrated into at least one of the at least two printed circuit boards as an at least partially integrated wiring.

13. The sensor device according to claim 12, wherein: The at least two printed circuit boards include a printed circuit board having only two layers and a printed circuit board having more than two layers.

14. The sensor device according to claim 13, wherein At least a part of the evaluation and driver circuit for one or more of the connected windings is further integrated into the printed circuit board having more than two layers and / or at least one winding is completely integrated into the printed circuit board having only two layers.

15. The sensor device according to any one of claims 12 to 14, further comprising a device body, preferably a molded body, wherein the at least two printed circuit boards are mounted on the device body.

16. The sensor device according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein: At least one of the primary winding and the at least one secondary winding is formed at most partially by a bendable conductor wire.

17. A sensor system comprising: The sensor device according to any one of claims 1 to 16; as well as a target element, which is arranged rotatably relative to the sensor device, The target element has a target pattern formed of a conductive material.

18. A method for producing a sensor device (10; 10') for a position sensor, preferably a rotor position sensor, the sensor device having a printed circuit board (6; 16), the method comprising: Providing a conductor line capable of bending, Providing a device body (2), providing at least one of a primary winding (4a; 12) and at least one secondary winding (4b; 14), wherein at least one of the primary winding (4a; 12) and the at least one secondary winding (4b; 14) is at least partially formed by the bendable conductor wire on the surface of the device body (2), and A printed circuit board (6) is provided, which is mounted to the device body (2) and is connected to at least one of the primary winding (4a; 12) and the at least one secondary winding (4b; 14).

Images