Set of position and temperature sensors

Abstract

The present invention relates to a sensor assembly comprising an inductive sensor (30, 31) and at least one temperature sensor (40, 41) for an electrical machine. The sensor assembly is arranged in a housing (10, 51, 52, 53, 54), and a single set of connections (21) extends from the housing (10, 20) to establish the connection with an inverter of the electrical machine. Figure 2 is shown in the abstract.

Description

Title of the invention: Position and temperature sensor assembly

[0001] The present invention relates to a sensor assembly comprising an inductive position sensor and a temperature sensor. This assembly is intended to measure the position and temperature of an inverter in an electrical machine used in a mobility device such as an electric vehicle or an electric bicycle.

[0002] Typically, this type of assembly consists of an inductive sensor housed within a casing and a temperature sensor located outside the casing. Such an assembly requires either two independent wiring harnesses or a single complex wiring harness with at least one connector for the temperature sensor, at least one connector for the position sensor, and at least one connector for the inverter. The use of this harness system increases the cost of the sensor assembly.

[0003] Moreover, in vehicle engines, these sensor assemblies are required to be positioned near an electrical component or element of the engine generating a significant magnetic field such as an alternator, a motor, a reducer, or high-current electrical cables used for example for hybrid vehicles, and the presence of two harnesses increases the overall size, making its integration difficult.

[0004] The present invention therefore aims to overcome one or more of the drawbacks of prior art assemblies by proposing an improved position and temperature sensor assembly.

[0005] For this purpose, the present invention proposes a sensor assembly comprising a position sensor with so-called inductive technology and at least one temperature sensor for an electrical machine; the sensor assembly is arranged in a housing and a single group of connections comes out of the housing to make the connection with an inverter of the electrical machine.

[0006] The connection group reduces costs and also optimizes the compactness of the assembly, which is thus less bulky.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the invention, the position sensor with so-called inductive technology is disposed in the housing and connected to a first set of conductive outputs and at least one temperature sensor is disposed in the housing and connected to a second set of conductive outputs, these two sets are connected together inside the housing, to form a single group of connections which comes out of the housing and allows connection to the inverter.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the invention, the connection group comprises conductive wires.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the invention, the casing is made of plastic.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the invention, at least one temperature sensor is a CTN.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the invention, at least one temperature sensor is a thermocouple.

[0012] The invention also relates to an electrical machine comprising a sensor assembly according to the invention.

[0013] The invention also relates to the use of the sensor assembly according to the invention in a water-cooled electrical machine.

[0014] The invention also relates to the use of the sensor assembly according to the invention in an air-cooled electrical machine.

[0015] The invention also relates to the use of the sensor assembly according to the invention in an oil-cooled electrical machine.

[0016] The invention also relates to the use of the sensor assembly according to the invention in a gearbox.

[0017] Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be better understood and will become more apparent upon reading the description given below, with reference to the accompanying figures, given by way of example and in which:

[0018] - [Fig. 1] is an external view of a sensor assembly according to the invention,

[0019] - [Fig. 2] is a view of the inside of the housing comprising an assembly according to a method of embodiment of the invention.

[0020] The invention relates to a sensor assembly intended for use with an electrical machine or a transmission element of a mobility device. More specifically, the sensor assembly comprises an inductive technology sensor 30, for measuring the position of a rotating element, for example a rotor relative to a stator, and a temperature sensor 40 for measuring, for example, the temperature of the air and / or the winding of an electrical machine.

[0021] As illustrated [Fig.1], the sensor assembly is arranged in a housing 10.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the invention, the housing 10 illustrated [Fig. 2] is a housing 10 made of plastic. According to another embodiment of the invention, the housing 10 is made of any material allowing its integration into an engine or gearbox environment, that is to say, into an environment with high temperatures and harsh conditions.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the invention, the case 10 includes a cover 11.

[0024] The housing 10 thus comprises an inductive position sensor 30 and a temperature sensor Temperature 40. Placing the two sensors in the same housing optimizes the overall compactness.

[0025] In the context of the invention, the inductive technology sensor 30 is disposed in the housing 10 and connected to a first conductive output 31 u. The temperature sensor 40 is disposed in the housing and connected to a second conductive output 41.

[0026] According to a variant of the invention, the inductive technology sensor 30 is disposed in the housing 10 and connected to a first set 31 of conductive outputs and the temperature sensor 40 is disposed in the housing and connected to a second set 41 of conductive outputs.

[0027] These two outputs or sets of outputs 31, 41 are connected inside the housing 10, to form a single group of connections 21, comprising conductive wires, which emerges from the housing through a connector 20 or a set of conductive wires and allows connection to the inverter.

[0028] The assemblies 31, 41 of conductive outputs each have at least 2 outputs.

[0029] According to one embodiment of the invention, the group of connections 21 is formed by conductive outputs 41 of the temperature sensor 40 and conductive outputs 31 of the position sensor 31.

[0030] According to one embodiment of the invention, the connection group 21 is composed of conductive metal tabs intended to be connected to the inverter.

[0031] According to another embodiment of the invention, the connection group 21 is composed of the association of metal tabs and conductive wires, intended to be connected to the inverter.

[0032] The connection group21 reduces costs and also optimizes the compactness of the assembly, which is thus less bulky.

[0033] According to one embodiment of the invention, the housing 10 comprises elements enabling its attachment. These elements are in the form of ears having an opening 51, 52, 53, 54.

[0034] According to one embodiment of the invention, the temperature sensor 40 is an NTC.

[0035] According to one embodiment of the invention, the temperature sensor 40 is a thermocouple.

[0036] According to one embodiment of the invention, the temperature sensor 40 measures the temperature of the surrounding air. This type of configuration is used, for example, in an electrical machine that is water-cooled.

[0037] According to another embodiment of the invention, the temperature sensor 40 measures the temperature of the winding. This measurement is performed via contact with a thermally conductive blade. This type of configuration is used, for example, in an electrical machine cooled by air or oil.

[0038] According to another embodiment of the invention, the temperature sensor 40 is used to measure the temperature of the bus bar of the electric machine.

[0039] The scope of the present invention is not limited to the details given above and allows for embodiments in many other specific forms without departing from the field of application of the invention. Therefore, the present embodiments should be considered by way of illustration and may be modified without, however, departing from the scope defined by the claims.

Claims

Demands

1. Sensor assembly comprising a position sensor with so-called inductive technology (30) and at least one temperature sensor (40) for an electric machine, characterized in that the sensor assembly is arranged in a housing (10) and in that a single group of connections (21) comes out of the housing (10) to make the connection with an inverter of the electric machine.

2. Sensor assembly according to claim 1, wherein the position sensor with so-called inductive technology (30) is disposed in the housing (10) and connected to a first (31) conductive output and at least one temperature sensor (40) is disposed in the housing and connected to a second (41) conductive output, these two outputs are connected together inside the housing, to form a single group of connections (21) which comes out of the housing and allows connection to an inverter.

3. Sensor assembly according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the housing (10) is made of plastic.

4. Sensor assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one temperature sensor (40°C) is an NTC thermistor.

5. A sensor assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one temperature sensor (40°C) is a thermocouple.

6. An electrical machine comprising a sensor assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. Use of the sensor assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5 in a water-cooled electrical machine.

8. Use of the sensor assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5 in an air-cooled electrical machine.

9. Use of the sensor assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5 in an oil-cooled electrical machine.

10. Use of the sensor assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 5 in a gearbox.

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