Chassis position sensor and vehicle

Abstract

The application discloses a chassis position sensor and a vehicle. The chassis position sensor comprises a base, a body and a sensing chip. The body has a matching wall. The sensing chip is arranged in the body, and the sensing surface of the sensing chip corresponds to the matching wall along a first direction. A rocker arm comprises a ring part and a bearing bridge. The ring part is rotatably connected to the body and exposes the matching wall. The bearing bridge extends along a second direction and is connected to the ring part. A magnetic part is arranged on the bearing bridge. The magnetic part on the bearing bridge is located outside the body and is arranged in correspondence with the matching wall along the first direction. The chassis position sensor of the application does not need a sealing structure and has a simple structure and assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive sensor technology, and in particular to a chassis position sensor and a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Chassis position sensors are essential components in automobiles used to measure changes in the attitude of the front and rear suspensions. Installed on the height-adjustable suspension system, they are crucial sensing devices within the vehicle's suspension system. The chassis position sensors are used to determine changes in vehicle height (chassis position) and road conditions, allowing for timely adjustments to the chassis height to provide the driver with a safe and comfortable driving experience.

[0003] Typically, a chassis position sensor consists of a base and a rocker arm that are rotatably connected to each other. The base houses the sensor's chip, while the rocker arm is mounted on the vehicle's chassis suspension and contains a magnetic component. The chip in the base and the magnetic component in the rocker arm are positioned opposite each other. When the vehicle's height changes, the rocker arm rotates, changing the relative angle or distance between the magnetic component in the rocker arm and the chip in the base. This causes a change in the magnetic field sensed by the chip, which then converts this change into a signal and transmits it to the vehicle's control unit.

[0004] Currently, the chip in existing chassis position sensors is typically mounted in a cavity defined by a base. When the rocker arm is rotatably mounted on the base, the magnetic component inside the rocker arm is also located in the same cavity as the chip, and the two are corresponding to each other and spaced apart. However, since chassis position sensors are usually mounted on the vehicle suspension, this location is one of the areas most susceptible to water ingress in the entire vehicle, which can easily cause the chassis position sensor to fail due to water damage.

[0005] Therefore, in actual design and production, a sealing ring is usually installed inside the cavity of the base to protect the chip and magnetic components inside. However, this undoubtedly increases the production cost of the chassis position sensor, and the sealing ring also requires a certain installation accuracy; otherwise, there is a risk of misalignment that could affect the sealing performance. At the same time, the sealing ring is exposed to the high temperature and oily environment of the suspension for a long time, and its sealing performance will also decrease over time.

[0006] On the other hand, the cavity defined by the base is mainly used to assemble the chip and connect the rocker arm so that the magnetic components inside the rocker arm can be set at a certain distance from the chip. However, the existence of the cavity complicates the structure and assembly.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide a new structural design concept for chassis position sensors. While ensuring the rotational connection between the base and the rocker arm and enabling the corresponding setting of their chips and magnetic components, the invention simplifies the structure and assembly complexity of the chassis position sensor and eliminates the reliance on sealing structures such as sealing rings. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to solve the technical problem that existing chassis position sensors require a sealing ring to ensure airtightness in the base cavity, leading to increased costs and difficulty in maintaining the sealing effect over a long period. This invention provides a chassis position sensor and vehicle, where the sensor eliminates the need for a sealing structure, simplifying its structure and assembly.

[0009] To address the aforementioned technical problems, embodiments of the present invention disclose a chassis position sensor, comprising:

[0010] The base includes a body and a sensing chip, the body having a mating wall; the sensing chip is disposed inside the body, and the sensing surface of the sensing chip corresponds to the mating wall along a first direction;

[0011] A rocker arm includes an annular portion and a support bridge, the annular portion being rotatably connected to the body and exposing the mating wall; the support bridge extends along a second direction and is connected to the annular portion.

[0012] A magnetic component is disposed on the bearing bridge. The magnetic component on the bearing bridge is located outside the body and is spaced apart from and corresponding to the mating wall along a first direction.

[0013] Using the above technical solution, in this embodiment, the sensing chip is embedded in the body of the base (e.g., the sensing chip and the body are injection molded together), so that the sensing surface of the sensing chip faces and is spaced apart from a specific area (i.e., the mating wall) on the outer surface of the body along a first direction (e.g., the vertical direction). Simultaneously, the rocker arm is rotatably connected to the body via its annular portion. A bearing bridge is connected to the annular portion, extending along a second direction (e.g., the radial direction of the annular portion), and a magnetic component is disposed on the bearing bridge. The magnetic component mounted on the bearing bridge is located outside the body and is spaced apart from the mating wall along the first direction. Based on this structure, when the vehicle height changes, driving the rocker arm to rotate, the magnetic component on the bearing bridge undergoes an angular or positional change relative to the mating wall of the body in the space outside the body. At this time, the magnetic field generated by the magnetic component penetrates the mating wall and is sensed by the sensing chip inside the body, thereby converting mechanical displacement into an electrical signal.

[0014] Therefore, this embodiment of the application designs the portion of the rocker arm that is rotatably connected to the base as an annular portion that exposes the mating wall of the main body. A bearing bridge, positioned externally to the annular portion, is provided on the bearing bridge to mount the magnetic component. This places the magnetic component outside the mating wall and the main body, thereby achieving a rotatable connection between the rocker arm and the base, and sensing between the magnetic component in the rocker arm and the sensing chip in the base. This eliminates the traditional shared cavity in the base used to house the magnetic component and the sensing chip, simplifying the structure of the chassis position sensor and reducing assembly complexity. Furthermore, it effectively avoids the sealing risks associated with traditional cavities. That is, the chassis position sensor of this embodiment does not require sealing rings or other sealing structures, effectively avoiding risks such as increased cost, installation failure, and aging failure associated with sealing rings and other sealing structures.

[0015] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the bearing bridge has an assembly portion on the side facing the mating wall along the first direction, the assembly portion defining an assembly cavity, and the magnetic component is assembled into the assembly cavity.

[0016] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the annular portion, the load-bearing bridge, and the assembly portion are integrally formed.

[0017] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the body includes a chip receiving portion for receiving a sensing chip, the top wall of the chip receiving portion being the mating wall; the inner wall of the annular portion is rotatably connected to the outer wall of the chip receiving portion.

[0018] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the body further includes a chip receiving portion for receiving a chip soldered to the pins of the sensing chip, the chip receiving portion being angularly connected to the bottom wall of the chip receiving portion.

[0019] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the chassis position sensor further includes an elastic limiting member, the elastic limiting member including an arc segment and two corrugated segments, the two corrugated segments being connected to both ends of the arc segment;

[0020] The outer wall of the chip receiving portion is provided with an annular groove; the inner wall of the annular portion is provided with two arc-shaped through grooves, the two arc-shaped through grooves are arranged circumferentially, and each arc-shaped through groove is connected to the annular groove of the chip receiving portion;

[0021] The two corrugated segments correspond to the two arc-shaped through slots, and each corrugated segment is engaged with the corresponding arc-shaped through slot and the annular slot communicating with the arc-shaped through slot; the arc-shaped segment is wrapped around the outer wall between the two arc-shaped through slots of the annular portion.

[0022] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the rocker arm further includes an arm body, one end of which is connected to the annular portion, and the other end of which is provided with a ball head for mounting to the vehicle's suspension.

[0023] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the arm body, the ball head, and the annular portion are integrally formed.

[0024] According to another specific embodiment of the present invention, the arm body is provided with an opening.

[0025] Embodiments of the present invention also disclose a vehicle including a suspension and a chassis position sensor as described in any of the above embodiments, the chassis position sensor being connected to the suspension. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 A perspective view of a chassis position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0027] Figure 2 A side view of a chassis position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0028] Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of a chassis position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the sensing chip in the chassis position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 5 This diagram illustrates the three-dimensional arrangement of the rocker arm in the chassis position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 .

[0031] Figure 6 This diagram illustrates the three-dimensional arrangement of the rocker arm in the chassis position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 .

[0032] Figure 7 This image shows a perspective view of the base in the chassis position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 8 A perspective view of the elastic limiting member in the chassis position sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention is presented in conjunction with preferred embodiments, this does not mean that the features of the invention are limited to these embodiments. On the contrary, the purpose of describing the invention in conjunction with embodiments is to cover other options or modifications that may be derived based on the claims of the present invention. To provide a deep understanding of the invention, many specific details will be included in the following description. The invention may also be implemented without using these details. Furthermore, to avoid confusion or obscuring the focus of the invention, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0035] It should be noted that in this specification, similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0036] In the description of this embodiment, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "bottom", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship that the product of the invention is usually placed in during use. They are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0037] The terms “first”, “second”, etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be interpreted as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0038] In the description of this embodiment, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set up," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this embodiment based on the specific circumstances.

[0039] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] refer to Figures 1 to 4This application provides a chassis position sensor 100 and a vehicle (not shown in the figure). The vehicle includes a suspension (not shown in the figure) and the chassis position sensor 100. It can be understood that the chassis position sensor 100 is connected to the suspension. In this application embodiment, the chassis position sensor 100 includes: a base 110, a rocker arm 120, and a magnetic element 130.

[0041] In this embodiment of the application, the base 110 includes a body 111 and a sensing chip 112 (e.g., Figure 3 and Figure 4 (As shown). The body 111 of the base 110 can be understood as the skeleton of the sensor, which is used to mount and protect the sensing chip 112.

[0042] The sensing chip 112 and the body 111 are injection molded together. For example, the sensing chip 112 is placed in the mold of the body 111, and the sensing chip 112 is injection molded into the interior of the body 111. However, this application embodiment does not impose specific limitations on this, and any process that can assemble the sensing chip 112 into the interior of the body 111 is within the protection scope of this application embodiment.

[0043] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the sensor chip 112 includes a chip body 1121, chip pins 1122, and a connector 1123. It can be understood that the connector 1123 is a metal connection wire electrically connected to the chip body 1121. Specifically, the connector 1123 and the chip pins 1122 are in surface-to-surface contact and connected using a soldering process.

[0044] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, exemplarily, the body 111 of the base 110 includes a chip receiving portion 1111 and a die receiving portion 1112. The chip receiving portion 1111 has a circular structure and is used to receive the chip body 1121 and chip pins 1122 of the sensing chip 112. The die receiving portion 1112 has a rectangular structure and is used to receive a die 1123 soldered to the chip pins 1122 of the sensing chip 112. Furthermore, the chip receiving portion 1111 and the die receiving portion 1112 are angled together and are integrally formed.

[0045] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, along the first direction (such as...) Figure 1 The Z direction shown can be understood as the direction perpendicular to the sensing surface in the sensing chip, and can also be understood as the thickness direction of the chip housing 1111. The chip housing 1111 has a top wall 1111a and a bottom wall 1111b located on opposite sides thereon, as shown below. Figure 3As shown, the sensing surface 114 of the sensing chip 112 is along the first direction (e.g., Figure 3 The Z-direction shown corresponds to the top wall 1111a of the chip receiving portion 1111, and the sensing surface 114 is spaced apart from the top wall 1111a. The insert receiving portion 1112 is connected to the bottom wall of the chip receiving portion 1111 at a 90° angle. Exemplarily, the present application embodiment does not specifically limit the angle between the insert receiving portion 1112 and the chip receiving portion 1111, and the angle between them can be, for example, 30°, 45°, 56°, 95°, etc.

[0046] refer to Figures 1 to 3 In this embodiment, the rocker arm 120 includes an annular portion 121 and a support bridge 122. The annular portion 121 is rotatably connected to the chip receiving portion 1111 of the body 111. More specifically, the inner wall of the annular portion 121 is rotatably connected to the outer wall of the chip receiving portion 1111. In other words, in this embodiment, the annular portion 121 of the rocker arm 120 is mounted on the body 111 of the base 110 and can rotate relative to the body 111, so that the sensing chip 112 inside the body 111 obtains the position variable according to the rotation variable. Specifically, by detecting the mechanical position signal and converting it into an electrical signal, precise control of the braking, suspension, steering, and other systems can be achieved.

[0047] Furthermore, it can be seen that when the annular portion 121 is rotatably connected to the chip receiving portion 1111, the top wall 1111a of the chip receiving portion 1111 is exposed. In this embodiment, the top wall 1111a of the chip receiving portion 1111 is configured as a mating wall 113, that is, the sensing surface 114 of the sensing chip 112 is correspondingly disposed with the mating wall 113, and the sensing surface 114 of the sensing chip 112 senses the magnetic field change generated by the external magnetic component 130 through the mating wall 113.

[0048] In this embodiment of the application, the load-bearing bridge 122 is along the second direction (e.g. Figures 1 to 3 The Y direction shown can be understood as the radial direction of the annular portion 121, extending and connecting to the annular portion 121. As can be seen in this embodiment, the support bridge 122 spans across the annular portion 121 along the second direction. Exemplarily, the support bridge 122 and the annular portion 121 are integrally molded using an injection molding process. However, this embodiment does not impose specific limitations on this; any process that can assemble the support bridge 122 to the annular portion 121 falls within the protection scope of this embodiment.

[0049] refer to Figures 1 to 3 In this embodiment, the magnetic element 130 is disposed on the bearing bridge 122, such as... Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the magnetic element 130 on the bearing bridge 122 is located outside the body 111 and along the first direction (e.g., Figures 1 to 3 The Z-direction shown in the diagram is spaced apart from and correspondingly disposed with the mating wall 113. Exemplarily, the magnetic component 130 of this embodiment includes a magnet, but is not limited thereto. Exemplarily, the magnet of this embodiment has a circular structure, but is not limited to this shape; for example, it can also be configured as a square, elliptical, triangular, or other shapes.

[0050] refer to Figures 1 to 4 In this embodiment, the sensing chip 112 is embedded in the body 111 of the base 110 (e.g., the sensing chip 112 and the body 111 are injection molded together), so that the sensing surface of the sensing chip 112 faces and is spaced along a first direction (e.g., the vertical direction) toward a specific area (i.e., the mating wall 113) corresponding to the outer surface of the body 111. At the same time, the rocker arm 120 is rotatably connected to the body 111 through its annular portion 121. A bearing bridge 122 is connected to the annular portion 121. The bearing bridge 122 extends along a second direction (e.g., the radial direction of the annular portion 121), and a magnetic element 130 is provided on the bearing bridge 122. The magnetic element 130 assembled on the bearing bridge 122 is located outside the body 111 and is spaced and aligned with the mating wall 113 along the first direction. Based on this structure, when the vehicle height changes and drives the rocker arm 120 to rotate, the magnetic component 130 on the bearing bridge 122 changes angle or position relative to the mating wall 113 of the body 111 in the space outside the body 111. At this time, the magnetic field generated by the magnetic component 130 penetrates the mating wall 113 and is sensed by the sensing chip 112 inside the body 111, thereby realizing the conversion of mechanical displacement into electrical signal.

[0051] Therefore, in this embodiment, the portion of the rocker arm 120 that is rotatably connected to the base 110 is designed as an annular portion 121 that exposes the mating wall 113 of the body 111. A bearing bridge 122, external to the annular portion 121, is provided on the bearing bridge 122 to mount the magnetic component 130. This places the magnetic component 130 outside the mating wall 113 and the body 111, thereby achieving the rotatable connection between the rocker arm 120 and the base 110, and the sensing between the magnetic component 130 in the rocker arm 120 and the sensing chip 112 in the base 110. This eliminates the common cavity in the traditional base 110 used to house the magnetic component 130 and the sensing chip 112, simplifying the structure of the chassis position sensor and reducing assembly complexity. Furthermore, it effectively avoids the sealing risks associated with traditional cavities. That is, the chassis position sensor in this embodiment does not require sealing rings or other sealing structures, effectively avoiding risks such as increased cost, installation failure, and aging failure associated with sealing rings or other sealing structures.

[0052] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 and combined Figure 1 and Figure 3In some possible implementations, the load-bearing bridge 122 is along the first direction (e.g. Figure 1 An assembly portion 123 is provided on the side facing the mating wall 113 (shown in the Z direction). The assembly portion 123 defines an assembly cavity 1231, and the magnetic component 130 is assembled into the assembly cavity 1231. Exemplarily, the load-bearing bridge 122 and the assembly portion 123 are integrally formed by injection molding. However, this application embodiment does not impose specific limitations on this, and any process that can assemble the assembly portion 123 to the load-bearing bridge 122 is within the protection scope of this application embodiment.

[0053] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 In some possible implementations, the rocker arm 120 of this application embodiment further includes an arm body 124, one end of which is connected to the annular portion 121, and the other end of which is provided with a ball head 125 for mounting to the vehicle's suspension. Exemplarily, the arm body 124 has an opening 1241. Exemplarily, the arm body 124 and the annular portion 121, as well as the arm body 124 and the ball head 125, are integrally formed using an injection molding process. However, this application embodiment does not impose specific limitations on this.

[0054] refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 In some possible implementations, the chassis position sensor 100 of this application embodiment further includes an elastic limiting member 140, which is used to fix the body 111 of the base 110 and the annular portion 121 of the rocker arm 120 along a first direction, so that the body 111 and the annular portion 121 can only rotate circumferentially and cannot separate along the first direction. In this application embodiment, the elastic limiting member 140 includes an arc-shaped segment 141 and two corrugated segments 142, with the two corrugated segments 142 connected to both ends of the arc-shaped segment 141.

[0055] Further integration Figure 5 and Figure 6 For the rocker arm 120, the inner wall 1211 of its annular portion 121 has two arc-shaped through grooves 1212, which are spaced apart circumferentially, and the two arc-shaped through grooves 1212 correspond to the two corrugated segments 142.

[0056] like Figure 7 As shown, for the base 110, the outer wall 1113 of its chip receiving portion 1111 has an annular groove 1114, and the annular groove 1114 is circumferentially (e.g., ...). Figure 7 (as shown in the R direction) surrounds, and is radial (as shown in the image) Figure 7 The Y direction shown in the figure does not penetrate the outer wall 1113 of the chip accommodating portion 1111.

[0057] like Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, each arc-shaped through groove 1212 of the annular portion 121 is radially aligned with the annular groove 1114 of the chip receiving portion 1111 (e.g., ...). Figure 7 (The Y direction shown in the figure) is connected.

[0058] Further integration Figure 1 In this embodiment, each corrugated segment 142 of the elastic limiting member 140 is engaged with the arcuate through groove 1212 of the corresponding annular portion 121 and the annular groove 1114 of the chip receiving portion 1111 communicating with the arcuate through groove 1212. Simultaneously, the arcuate segment 141 of the elastic limiting member 140 is wrapped around the outer wall between the two arcuate through grooves 1212 of the annular portion 121 to ensure that the elastic limiting member 140 does not detach.

[0059] While the present invention has been illustrated and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the above description is a further detailed explanation of the invention in conjunction with specific embodiments, and should not be construed as limiting the specific implementation of the invention to these descriptions. Various changes in form and detail can be made by those skilled in the art, including several simple deductions or substitutions, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A chassis position sensor, characterized in that, include: The base includes a body and a sensing chip, the body having a mating wall; the sensing chip is disposed inside the body, and the sensing surface of the sensing chip corresponds to the mating wall along a first direction; A rocker arm includes an annular portion and a support bridge, the annular portion being rotatably connected to the body and exposing the mating wall; the support bridge extends along a second direction and is connected to the annular portion. A magnetic component is disposed on the bearing bridge. The magnetic component on the bearing bridge is located outside the body and is spaced apart from and corresponding to the mating wall along a first direction.

2. The chassis position sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bearing bridge has an assembly part on one side of the side facing the mating wall along the first direction, the assembly part defining an assembly cavity, and the magnetic component is assembled into the assembly cavity.

3. The chassis position sensor according to claim 2, characterized in that, The circular part, the load-bearing bridge, and the assembly part are integrally formed.

4. The chassis position sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The body includes a chip receiving portion for accommodating a sensing chip, and the top wall of the chip receiving portion is the mating wall; the inner wall of the annular portion is rotatably connected to the outer wall of the chip receiving portion.

5. The chassis position sensor according to claim 4, characterized in that, The body also includes a chip receiving portion for accommodating chips soldered to the pins of the sensing chip, and the chip receiving portion is angularly connected to the bottom wall of the chip receiving portion.

6. The chassis position sensor according to claim 4, characterized in that, The chassis position sensor also includes an elastic limiting component, which includes an arc-shaped segment and two corrugated segments, the two corrugated segments being connected to both ends of the arc-shaped segment; The outer wall of the chip receiving portion is provided with an annular groove; the inner wall of the annular portion is provided with two arc-shaped through grooves, the two arc-shaped through grooves are arranged circumferentially, and each arc-shaped through groove is connected to the annular groove of the chip receiving portion; The two corrugated segments correspond to the two arc-shaped through slots, and each corrugated segment is engaged with the corresponding arc-shaped through slot and the annular slot communicating with the arc-shaped through slot; the arc-shaped segment is wrapped around the outer wall between the two arc-shaped through slots of the annular portion.

7. The chassis position sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rocker arm also includes an arm body, one end of which is connected to the annular portion, and the other end of which is provided with a ball head for mounting to the vehicle's suspension.

8. The chassis position sensor according to claim 7, characterized in that, The arm body, the ball head, and the annular portion are integrally formed.

9. The chassis position sensor according to claim 8, characterized in that, The arm body has an opening.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that, It includes a suspension and a chassis position sensor as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, the chassis position sensor being connected to the suspension.

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