Mounting bracket for a magnet for an automotive drive shaft

Abstract

The invention relates to a mounting bracket (20) for a magnet (30) intended to be fixed to the end (12) of a motor vehicle drive shaft (10). The bracket is a single-piece unit made of a plastic material, comprising a cylindrical body (210) defining a front face (210A), from which a mounting portion (220) projects, defining a housing (222) configured to receive the magnet (30), and a rear face (210B), from which a fastening portion (230) projects parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body (210). The fastening portion (230) comprises at least one rib (236) extending along an arc of a circle. The bracket comprises at least one rotation-locking member (240) projecting from the rear face (210B) of the body (210) and configured to lock the magnet (240). The mounting bracket (20) rotates on the drive shaft (10). Figure 4

Description

Title of the invention: Magnet mounting bracket for a motor vehicle drive shaft Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to the automotive field and more particularly concerns a mounting support for a magnet for a motor vehicle drive shaft. Prior art

[0002] Nowadays, it is known to use a so-called "position" sensor in a motor vehicle in order to measure the angular position of a shaft relative to a reference position. For example, it is known to measure the angular position of a crankshaft or a camshaft of a heat engine in order to determine the injection times of fuel into the cylinders or to measure the angular position of a rotor shaft in an electric machine in order to control its angular speed.

[0003] In a known manner, a magnetic target is mounted in the center of the free end of the shaft, facing the sensor. The sensor uses the variation of the electromagnetic field of the target during rotation to generate an angle value signal giving the angular position of the shaft relative to the reference position to deduce its angular velocity.

[0004] An eccentricity tolerance is allowed when mounting the magnetic target relative to the center of the target. Similarly, the target and the electronic circuit are ideally parallel but an inclination tolerance is allowed. However, these possible deviations can lead to an error in the value of the angular position delivered by the sensor.

[0005] The more the center of the target is offset from the axis of rotation of the shaft, and therefore of the sensor, the more the angular error increases. The mounting bracket and the method of assembling the magnet must therefore be designed to minimize centering deviations.

[0006] In a prior art method, the magnet is overmolded onto an aluminum mounting support. The parallelepiped-shaped magnet is placed on shims in the lower cavity of a mold, then the aluminum mounting support is placed above. A fixing pin passing through the mounting support in its center presses on the magnet, then the upper cavity of the mold is placed to overmold the assembly. The mounting support has radial orifices in which overmolding material passes through the aluminum wall, thus ensuring the rotational and translational locking of the magnet.

[0007] Once the overmolding is complete, the aluminum mounting bracket is forced into the free end of the shaft to position the magnet.

[0008] However, this solution of a mounting bracket proves to be expensive and oxidation can occur between the aluminum of the bracket and the shaft, generally made of steel, which can shift the magnet and thus lead to erroneous measurements by the sensor.

[0009] In addition, the mounting bracket is difficult to remove for maintenance operations, requiring breaking the overmolding material caught in the radial holes.

[0010] Finally, the angular accuracy of the magnet orientation is affected by clearance errors when overmolding the mounting bracket around the magnet and the end of the shaft. This process therefore presents risks of misalignment of the magnet after overmolding.

[0011] Furthermore, this solution is not compatible with the use of hollow shafts in which a liquid circulates directly, in particular for cooling, used in certain models of electric vehicles.

[0012] There is therefore a need for a simple and effective solution to at least partially remedy these drawbacks. Statement of the invention

[0013] To this end, the invention firstly relates to a mounting support for a magnet intended to be fixed to the end of a motor vehicle drive shaft, said mounting support being in the form of a single-piece part made of a plastic material comprising a cylindrical body extending along a longitudinal axis and defining a front face, from which projects a mounting portion delimiting a housing configured to receive said magnet, and a rear face, from which projects a fixing portion parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body, said fixing portion comprising at least one rib extending along an arc of a circle in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the body,the mounting bracket comprising at least one rotation locking member extending projecting from the rear face of the body parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body and which is configured to lock the mounting bracket in rotation on the drive shaft.

[0014] The mounting bracket according to the invention allows a magnet to be inserted and removed in a simple manner. Similarly, the fixing portion allows the mounting bracket to be fitted without material passing through holes drilled for this purpose on the periphery of the end of the drive shaft, which facilitates maintenance operations. The at least one rib extending along an arc of a circle in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the body allows the mounting bracket to be locked in translation, and the ... at least one rotation locking member extending in projection from the rear face of the body parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body allows the rotation locking of the mounting support. The plastic material of the mounting support makes it possible to reduce the risks of oxidation forming between the mounting support and the end of the drive shaft in comparison with existing solutions which use an intermediate support made of aluminum and also allows the elements of the mounting support to deform to allow the fitting and removal of the drive shaft. In addition, the mounting support according to the invention does not undergo significant deformations during fitting, thus making it possible to significantly reduce the mounting clearances and therefore to improve the angular position of the magnet, and the possibility of removing it also by deformation makes it possible to avoid generating chips which risk polluting the motor during disassembly.

[0015] Preferably, the mounting support according to the invention comprises at least one rotation locking member having a pointed section extending towards the fixing portion parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body.

[0016] Preferably, the shape of the pointed section is pentagonal, with one face attached to the rear face of the body of the mounting bracket, two locking faces which extend in the direction of the longitudinal axis and two oblique sliding faces which meet. The rotation locking member is inserted into a locking notch of the end of the drive shaft and ensures rotation locking. By applying to the mounting bracket a rotational stress greater than those defined by its use once mounted in the vehicle, the edges of the locking notch slide on the side walls of the pointed section of the rotation locking member and transform a rotation into translation of the mounting bracket, which allows the mounting bracket to be removed from the drive shaft without directly pulling on it, which limits the risks of damage and tearing of parts during disassembly operations.Alternatively, the shape of the tip section may be rectangular or square.

[0017] Advantageously, the mounting support according to the invention comprises a plurality of locking members.

[0018] Advantageously, the mounting support according to the invention comprises three rotation locking members arranged regularly around the circumference of the rear face of the body. These three rotation locking members are arranged so that there is an angle of 120° from the center of one to the center of another in the plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis. The number of three allows a compromise between, on the one hand, the complexity of the mounting support and, on the other hand, rotation locking as well as optimized self-centering of the mounting support and the magnet by these three points. The use of an odd number of rotation locking members also induces a high / low differentiation during the assembly process which reduces the risk of an assembly error which would impact the sensor measurements.

[0019] Preferably, the at least one locking member of the mounting bracket according to the invention comprises deformable edges. The edges of the locking members are configured to be in contact with the end of the drive shaft and thus block rotation. Deformable edges make it possible to dismantle the mounting bracket by applying rotational stresses greater than those defined by its use once mounted in the vehicle.

[0020] More preferably, the fixing portion of the mounting support according to the invention comprises a plurality of ribs separated from each other two by two by a deformable portion and / or by a groove. The ribs are adapted to be housed in a locking groove hollowed out inside the end of the drive shaft, thus allowing the mounting support to be locked in translation. The foldable walls are flexible and can deform, which allows the fixing portion to bend towards the longitudinal axis during fitting and thus allows the ribs to slide inside the hollow end of the drive shaft until they reach the locking groove. At this time, the fixing portion returns to its initial shape and is locked in translation in the drive shaft.

[0021] Advantageously, the housing of the mounting portion of the mounting support according to the invention comprises fixing walls. These fixing walls extend projecting from the mounting portion and are folded by hot bending once the magnet is inserted to block it in axial translation in the housing.

[0022] Alternatively, the housing of the mounting portion of the mounting support according to the invention comprises fixing clips. These clips are opened when the magnet is inserted into the housing and, when closed, block the magnet in translation.

[0023] Preferably, the mounting portion also includes coolant passage holes drilled in the mounting bracket that allow liquid flow in the case of a hollow drive shaft. Similarly, the mounting portion also preferably includes recesses on its distal end so that liquid can flow between the end of the assembly and the sensor opposite which the assembly is placed.

[0024] More preferably, the housing of the mounting portion comprises crushable ridges on its lateral surfaces, parallel to the longitudinal axis. The advantage of placing such crushable ridges allows for precise adjustment of the position of the magnet due to their slight deformation during insertion. These crushable ridges are intended to be crushed when placing the magnet in the housing and to maintain and self-center the magnet in place by friction. The housing also has on its bottom a groove hollowed out around the periphery of the bottom in order to reduce the risk that molding defects on the edges of the housing will cause a positioning and alignment defect of the magnet when it is inserted. This groove also helps to trap potential plastic residues resulting from the crushing of the crushable ridges and prevent them from blocking the magnet during its insertion.

[0025] More preferably, the fixing portion comprises one or a plurality of stabilizing ridges which extend in the direction of the longitudinal axis X from the at least one rib. The at least one stabilizing ridge makes it possible to reinforce the stabilization of the mounting support in the drive shaft.

[0026] The invention also relates to an assembly comprising a drive shaft and a mounting bracket as presented previously.

[0027] The invention also relates to a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, comprising at least one assembly comprising a drive shaft and a mounting support, as presented previously, and a magnet mounted in the housing of said mounting support.

[0028] The invention also relates to a mold in at least three parts suitable for molding the mounting bracket presented above.

[0029] The invention also relates to a method of assembling the mounting bracket as presented previously and the drive shaft, comprising a step of fitting into a guide part of the mounting bracket, a step of orienting the mounting bracket relative to the drive shaft, and a step of fitting the mounting bracket to the end of the drive shaft.

[0030] Advantageously, the assembly method also comprises a step of inserting the magnet which takes place before or after the method of assembling the mounting support and the drive shaft presented previously.

[0031] The invention also relates to a method for disassembling an assembly, said assembly comprising the assembly of the drive shaft and the mounting bracket as presented previously, said method comprising a step of locking the assembly, a step of fitting it into a guide part of the mounting bracket, a step of forced rotation of the mounting bracket, a step of removing the mounting bracket and a step of separating the mounting bracket from the guide part.

[0032] Advantageously, the disassembly method also comprises a step of removing the magnet which takes place before or after the method of disassembling the mounting support and the drive shaft presented previously. The removal of the magnet makes it possible to completely isolate the mounting support and thus allows its recycling. Brief description of the drawings

[0033] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading of the description which follows. This is purely illustrative and must be read in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

[0034] [Fig. 1] [Fig.l] schematically illustrates an assembly formed by a drive shaft on which is fitted a mounting support according to the invention in which a magnet is inserted.

[0035] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] schematically illustrates a perspective view of a section in a radial plane of the drive shaft adapted to the mounting bracket according to the invention.

[0036] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] schematically illustrates a first perspective view of a mounting bracket according to the invention.

[0037] [Fig.4] [Fig.4] schematically illustrates a second perspective view of a mounting bracket according to the invention.

[0038] [Fig.5] [Fig.5] schematically illustrates a front view of the mounting bracket according to the invention.

[0039] [Fig.6] [Fig.6] schematically illustrates a rear view of a support of assembly according to the invention.

[0040] [Fig.7] [Fig.7] schematically illustrates a side view of a mounting bracket according to the invention.

[0041] [Fig.8] [Fig.8] schematically illustrates a partial view of a locking member in rotation of the mounting bracket according to the invention.

[0042] [Fig.9] [Fig.9] schematically represents an embodiment of the method assembly of the mounting bracket on the drive shaft according to the invention.

[0043] [Fig. 10] [Fig. 10] schematically represents an embodiment of the method of dismantling the mounting bracket on the drive shaft according to the invention. Description of the embodiments

[0044] [Fig.l] shows an example of an assembly 1 according to the invention.

[0045] Set 1

[0046] The assembly 1 is formed of a drive shaft 10, a mounting bracket 20 and a magnet 30.

[0047] Drive shaft 10

[0048] The drive shaft 10 comprises a trunk 11 and an end 12.

[0049] Preferably, the trunk 11 is hollow to allow the flow of liquids through the assembly 1.

[0050] The end 12 is adapted to receive the mounting bracket 20 and has three locking notches 122 and a locking groove 124.

[0051] The locking notches 122 are distributed regularly around the circumference of the end 12 to improve rotational locking.

[0052] The locking groove 124 is hollowed out inside the end 12 in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis X of the body 210 of the mounting support 20.

[0053] Mounting bracket 20

[0054] The mounting bracket 20 is in the form of a single piece made of a plastic material.

[0055] The mounting bracket 20 comprises a body 210, a mounting portion 220, a fixing portion 230 and rotation locking members 240.

[0056] Body 210

[0057] The body 210 has a cylindrical shape and extends along a longitudinal axis X.

[0058] The body 210 comprises a front face 210A and a rear face 210B.

[0059] The body 210 is crossed by two conduits 212 which also pass right through the mounting portion 220 and which open onto a single conduit which also passes right through the fixing portion 230.

[0060] The pipes 212 are used for the flow of a liquid, in particular cooling liquid, which circulates in the hollow drive shaft 10.

[0061] Preferably the shape of the two conduits 212 is different and allows a top / bottom differentiation when fitting the mounting support 20 onto the drive shaft 10.

[0062] The body 210 is crossed by an extraction orifice 214 of circular section centered on the longitudinal axis X which also passes right through the mounting portion 220 and the fixing portion 230 and configured to allow a rod to pass during the extraction of the magnet 30 from the housing 222.

[0063] Mounting portion 220

[0064] The mounting portion 220 projects from the front face 210A of the body 210, parallel to the longitudinal axis X of said body 210, and delimits a housing 222 configured to receive the magnet 30.

[0065] The mounting portion 220 has two straight side walls 220A, a first curved wall 220B and a second curved wall 220C.

[0066] The extension parallel to the longitudinal axis X of the first curved wall 220B and the second curved wall 220C is less than that of the two side walls 220A. A hollow is therefore formed at the distal end of the first curved wall 220B and the second curved wall 220C relative to the two side walls 220A.

[0067] The first curved wall 220B is uniform, the second curved wall 220C has a protrusion 221 which allows a top / bottom differentiation when fitting the mounting support 20 onto the drive shaft 10.

[0068] In addition, the hollow formed at the distal end of the first curved wall 220B and those formed on either side of the protuberance 221 at the distal end of the second curved wall 220C facilitate the circulation of the liquid flowing in the shaft. 10 hollow drive for sensor cooling, the latter being very close to the end of assembly 1.

[0069] The second curved wall 220C also includes a notch 229 on its outer periphery serving as a reference for a mounting tool when fitting the mounting support 20.

[0070] The housing 222 has on its mounting walls 223 crushable ridges 226 which extend parallel to the longitudinal axis X and which are intended to be crushed when the magnet 30 is placed in the housing 222 and to center and then maintain by friction the orientation of the magnet 30 along the longitudinal axis X and in the plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis X before the folding of the fixing walls 228 by hot folding.

[0071] The chamfer shape of the crushable ridges 226 at the entrance to the housing 222 also makes it possible to ensure the pre-insertion of the magnet 30 into the housing 222 and its self-centering.

[0072] The housing 222 has on its bottom 225 a groove 224 hollowed out around the periphery of the bottom 225 in order to trap any residual chips and burrs from the crushable ridges 226 generated during the insertion of the magnet 30 which could alter the correct position of the magnet 30 at the end of insertion.

[0073] The housing 222 has two fixing walls 228 extending from the end of two opposite faces of the housing 222. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the fixing walls 228 initially extend from the mounting portion 220 in the longitudinal axis X of the sensor 1. Once the magnet 30 is inserted into the housing 222, these fixing walls 228 are folded by hot bending to block the magnet 30 in translation along the longitudinal axis X once it is in place.

[0074] In another embodiment, these fixing walls 228 can be replaced by two clips making it possible to block the magnet 30 after its insertion into the housing 222, or to unlock the magnet 30 in order to easily extract the magnet 30 from the housing 222 without generating chips.

[0075] Fixing portion 230

[0076] The fixing portion 230 makes it possible to fix the mounting bracket 20 on the end 12 of the drive shaft 10.

[0077] The fixing portion 230 projects from the rear face 210B of the body 210, parallel to the longitudinal axis X of said body 210.

[0078] The circumference of the fixing portion 230 comprises an alternation of three rigid walls 232 and three semi-rigid walls 233. The circumference of the fixing portion 230 also comprises six foldable walls 234, each foldable wall 234 being framed by a rigid wall 232 and a semi-rigid wall 233.

[0079] Each of the rigid walls 232 and each of the semi-rigid walls 233 comprises a rib 236 extending along an arc of a circle in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis X of the body 210 which allows the fixing of the mounting support 20 and the locking in translation by insertion into the locking groove 124 after fitting onto the drive shaft 10.

[0080] The rigid walls 232 are less deformable than the semi-rigid walls 233. As shown in [Fig.7], stabilizing ridges 238 extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis X can be added to the rigid walls 232.

[0081] These stabilizing ridges 238 make it possible to reinforce the stabilization of the mounting support 20 in the drive shaft at the points furthest from the rear face 210B, by filling the functional clearance intended for its insertion, between the rigid 232 and semi-rigid 233 walls and the internal cylindrical housing of the drive shaft 10.

[0082] The foldable walls 234 are flexible and can deform, which allows the rigid walls 232 and the semi-rigid walls 233 to bend towards the longitudinal axis X during fitting. When the ribs 236 reach the locking groove 124 of the drive shaft 10, the foldable walls 234 return to their initial shape and lock the rigid walls 232 and the semi-rigid walls 233 inside the drive shaft 10.

[0083] The stabilizing ridges 238 bear against the inner wall of the end 12 of the drive shaft 10 and increase the translational and rotational locking of the mounting support 20 by friction.

[0084] In the embodiment shown in [Fig.7], there are three stabilizing ridges 238, each aligned with a rotation locking member 240.

[0085] Rotation locking member 240

[0086] The rotation locking members 240 extend projecting from the rear face 210B of the body 210 parallel to the longitudinal axis X of the body 210.

[0087] The rotation locking members 240 are configured to lock the mounting bracket 20 in rotation on the drive shaft 10 by inserting without play into the three locking notches 122.

[0088] As shown in [Fig.8], a rotation locking member 240 is formed of a notch extending in projection from the rear face 210B of the body 210 and extended in the longitudinal axis X by a triangle.

[0089] A rotation locking member 240 defines an outer surface 241, two locking faces 242, two sliding faces 244 and a flat face 246.

[0090] The outer surface 241 is in the extension of the outer wall of the body 210.

[0091] The two locking faces 242 extend from the rear face 210B of the body 210 on either side of the rotation locking member 240. The two faces of locking 242 extend from the outer surface 241 to the fixing portion 230.

[0092] Each locking face 242 has an interruption 243 hollowed out in the middle of the face serving to release the insertion forces by reducing the contact areas. Indeed, to eliminate any play between the mounting support 20 and the drive shaft 10, it is necessary to have a slight interference of these locking faces 242 with the locking notches 122.

[0093] The two locking faces 242 lock against the walls of the corresponding locking notch 122 on the end 12 of the drive shaft 10 during fitting and allow the mounting support 20 to be locked in rotation.

[0094] The two sliding faces 244 extend from the outer surface 241 to the fixing portion 230 and from a locking face 242 to the flat face 246.

[0095] Preferably, the edges of the rotation locking members 240 are chamfered in order to facilitate the rotation of the mounting support 20.

[0096] The two sliding faces 244 are configured to slide on the walls of the locking notches 122 of the end 12 of the drive shaft 10 during the operation of dismantling the mounting support 20 by rotating the mounting support 20, for example by + / - 20° relative to the drive shaft 10.

[0097] The flat face 246 extends between the two sliding faces 244 and the fixing portion 230. The flat face 246 is included in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis X.

[0098] The flat face 246 is in contact with the end 12 of the drive shaft 10 throughout the rotation of the mounting support 20. It ensures that the alignment of the mounting support 20 is maintained relative to the longitudinal axis X of the drive shaft 10 in order to facilitate the extraction of the mounting support 20, for example manually.

[0099] In this embodiment, the locking faces 242 and the sliding faces 244 do not extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X.

[0100] Each rotation locking member 240 is framed by two recesses 248 hollowed out in the rear face 210B of the body 210. These recesses 248 serve to trap any shavings or plastic materials which would be pushed back during the insertion of the mounting support 20 into the drive shaft 10, and thus avoid any trace of parasitic material between the rear face 210B and the end face of the drive shaft 10.

[0101] Magnet 30

[0102] The magnet 30 is inserted into the housing 222 of the mounting portion 220 of the mounting bracket 20.

[0103] The assembly 1 thus formed is placed in front of a sensor (not shown in the figures) which records the variation of the magnetic field caused by the rotation of the drive shaft 10, which turns the magnet 30.

[0104] In another embodiment, the magnet 30 is replaced by a set of integrated circuits.

[0105] Example of implementation

[0106] The mounting bracket 20 is formed by a molding process, in which a mold is assembled and a material, preferably a plastic material, is injected. After the material has solidified, the mold is disassembled and the mounting bracket 20 is ready for use.

[0107] Preferably, the mold is composed of three pieces.

[0108] A first part is a core for producing the interior of the fixing portion 230, which can be demolded first.

[0109] A second part makes it possible to mold the external shapes, in particular to be able to unmold the ribs 236. This shape can be in two parts if the rigid walls 232, the semi-rigid walls 233 and the foldable walls 234 do not deform enough to be able to unmold the ribs 236 properly.

[0110] A third part is a second core for demolding the interior of the mounting portion 220.

[0111] The geometric simplicity of the mounting support 20 makes it possible to have a mold of relatively simple design.

[0112] Alternatively, the mold has an additional part for molding the notch 229.

[0113] Once the mounting bracket 20 is molded, an assembly process mounts the mounting bracket 20 to the end 12 of the drive shaft 10. A disassembly process rotates the mounting bracket 20 away from the end 12 of the drive shaft 10.

[0114] Assembly method

[0115] The first step Eal of the assembly method is to place the mounting portion 220 of the mounting bracket 20 on a guide piece. This guide piece defines a hollow in the shape of the mounting portion 220, with two opposite planar walls corresponding to the straight side walls 220A, a curved wall corresponding to the first curved wall 220B and a curved wall corresponding to the second curved wall 220C.

[0116] The curved wall of the guide piece corresponding to the second curved wall 220C has a hollow corresponding to the protuberance 221, thus making it possible to ensure the top / bottom orientation of the mounting support 20 during assembly, and therefore the magnetic orientation of the magnet 30 relative to the drive shaft 10.

[0117] The notch 229 present on the curved wall 220C allows the use of a mounting tool equipped with a means for holding the mounting support 20 at the time of mounting.

[0118] The second step Ea2 of the assembly method is to align the mounting support 20 fitted into the guide part with the drive shaft 10 in such a way that the fixing portion 230 faces the end 12 and the three rotation locking members 240 face the three locking notches 122 of the end 12.

[0119] The odd number of rotation locking members 240 and locking notches 122 makes it possible to create an additional top / bottom distinction which makes it possible to ensure the top / bottom orientation of the mounting support 20 during assembly and therefore the magnetic orientation of the magnet 30 relative to the drive shaft 10.

[0120] The third step Ea3 of the assembly method is to fit the mounting support 20 into the drive shaft 10 by bringing the guide piece closer to the drive shaft 10. The fixing portion 230 is inserted into the end 12 whose internal diameter is adjusted to that of the fixing portion 230. When the ribs 236 come into contact with the edge of the end 12, the translation of the mounting support 20 causes the edge of the end 12 to press on the ribs 236, which causes stress on the fixing portion 230.

[0121] Under the effect of this constraint, the foldable walls 234 deform, which causes the rigid walls 232 and the semi-rigid walls 233 to bend towards the longitudinal axis X and the ribs 236 to pass inside the end 12.

[0122] During translation, the rotation locking members 240 are inserted into the locking notches 122 of the end 12.

[0123] At the end of translation, the ribs 236 are in correspondence with the locking groove 124 and the stress on the fixing portion 230 decreases. The foldable walls 234 return to their initial shape and the rigid walls 232 and the semi-rigid walls 233 rise, thus inserting the ribs 236 into the locking groove 124, which blocks the mounting support 20 in translation.

[0124] Once the fitting step is completed, the guide piece is removed.

[0125] For the complete assembly of the assembly 1, it is necessary to place the magnet 30 in the housing 222 of the mounting portion 220 of the mounting support 20 and then carry out the hot bending operation to bend the fixing walls 228.

[0126] Preferably, the insertion of the magnet 30 into the mounting portion 220 is done before the process of assembling the drive shaft 10 and the mounting bracket 20, but alternatively it could take place after or during.

[0127] The magnet 30 is inserted by holding the mounting support 20 on the side walls 220A and the first curved wall 220B and the second curved wall 220C, as well as on the protrusion 221 and the notch 229 which serve as top / bottom keying devices, while an insertion piece comes to bear on the opposite face of the magnet 30 to insert it into the housing 222.

[0128] The magnet 30, thus held in the insert and pre-centered by the crushable ridges 226 of the mounting walls 223 of the housing 222, is translated in the direction of the mounting support 20.

[0129] As it is inserted into the housing 222, the magnet 30 deforms the crushable ridges 226 without directly touching the mounting walls 223. Once the magnet 30 has come into contact with the bottom 225, the fixing walls 228 are folded back by hot bending, thus locking the magnet 30 in translation in the housing 222.

[0130] The deformation of the crushable ridges 226 between the mounting walls 223 of the housing 222 and the magnet 30 ensures the lateral locking of the magnet 30 as well as its rotational locking relative to the mounting support 20 and reduces the assembly clearances, improving the self-centering of the magnet in the housing 222.

[0131] In another embodiment, the fixing walls 228 are replaced by clips. When the magnet 30 comes into contact with the clips, it deforms them by moving them apart and is inserted into the housing 222.

[0132] Once the magnet 30 has come into contact with the bottom of the housing 222, it is no longer in contact with the upper face of the clips 228 and these return to their initial position, thus blocking the magnet 30 in translation in the housing 222.

[0133] Once the assembly 1 is assembled, liquid, for example coolant, can circulate in the assembly 1 placed in the vehicle due to the hollow trunk 11 of the drive shaft 10 and the two pipes 212 which pass through the mounting support 20 and flow between the mounting portion 220 and the sensor placed opposite by the hollow formed at the distal end of the first curved wall 220B and those formed on either side of the protuberance 221 at the distal end of the second curved wall 220C.

[0134] At the end of the assembly process, the assembly 1 is assembled and the drive shaft 10, the mounting support 20 and the magnet 30 are secured.

[0135] Disassembly method

[0136] The first step Edi of the method of dismantling the assembly 1 is to place a dismantling part on the mounting portion 220 of the mounting support 20 fitted onto the end 12 of the drive shaft 10 and to immobilize the drive shaft 10.

[0137] The disassembly part is adapted to be attached to the side walls 220A of the mounting portion 220.

[0138] Once the disassembly part is placed, the second step Ed2 is the rotation of the disassembly part to force a rotation of the mounting support 20 relative to the drive shaft 10.

[0139] Preferably, the angle of rotation of the disassembly part is 20° clockwise or counterclockwise.

[0140] During this step, the forces exerted on the rotation locking members 240 cause the deformation of the locking faces 242 by the angles of the locking notches 122. Once the locking faces 242 are sufficiently deformed, the angles of the locking notches 122 are in contact with a sliding face 244 for each rotation locking member 240.

[0141] From this moment, the angles of the locking notches 122 slide during the rotation imposed on the sliding faces 244 and due to their inclination, the rotation force is doubled by a translation force on the fixing portion 230.

[0142] The translational force on the fixing portion 230 forces the ribs 236 to come out of the locking groove 124. Due to this force, the foldable walls 234 deform, and cause the rigid walls 232 and the semi-rigid walls 233 to bend towards the longitudinal axis X.

[0143] With rotation, the rotation locking members 240 also translate in the direction of the longitudinal axis X, until they are no longer engaged in the locking notches 122.

[0144] Once the ribs 236 are no longer inserted into the locking groove 124 and the rotation locking members 240 are no longer engaged in the locking notches 122, the mounting support 20 is no longer locked in translation and in rotation.

[0145] The third step Ed3 is the retraction of the mounting bracket 20 from the drive shaft 10. This step can be carried out manually.

[0146] Once the mounting bracket 20 is completely removed, the foldable walls 234 and the rigid walls 232 return to their initial position. The locking faces 242 also return to their initial configuration.

[0147] Once the mounting bracket 20 has been completely removed, the fourth step Ed4 is the extraction of the magnet 30 for the recycling of the magnet 30 and the plastic material of the mounting bracket 20. The mounting bracket 20 is held in a separate room, and a removal rod is inserted into the extraction hole 214. The removal rod presses on the magnet 30 to extract it from the housing 222. During the step of extracting the magnet 30, the folded fixing walls 228 are broken to remove the magnet 30 and the mounting bracket 20 is recycled.

[0148] At the end of this step, the assembly 1 is dismantled and the drive shaft 10, the mounting support 20 and the magnet 30 are separated.

[0149] In the embodiment where the fixing walls 228 are replaced by clips, during the extraction step Ed4 the mounting support 20 is held fixed while a suitable tool opens the clips 228 to unlock the magnet 30. A disassembly rod is inserted into the extraction orifice 214 and presses on the magnet 30 to extract it from the housing 222. At the end of this step, the assembly 1 is disassembled and the drive shaft 10, the mounting support 20 and the magnet 30 are dis- united.

[0150] The mounting support according to the invention therefore allows easy insertion and removal of the magnet. The example of support described above is in no way limiting of the scope of the present invention which is defined by the claims below. Other embodiments not described but comprising the claimed technical characteristics are therefore also protected.

Claims

Claims

1. Mounting support (20) for a magnet (30) intended to be fixed on the end (12) of a drive shaft (10) of a motor vehicle, said mounting support (20) being in the form of a single piece made of a plastic material comprising a cylindrical body (210) extending along a longitudinal axis X and defining a front face (210A), from which projects a mounting portion (220) delimiting a housing (222) configured to receive said magnet (30), and a rear face (210B), from which projects parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body (210) a fixing portion (230), said fixing portion (230) comprising at least one rib (236) extending along an arc of a circle in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis X of the body (210),the mounting bracket (20) comprising at least one rotation locking member (240) extending in a projecting manner from the rear face (210B) of the body (210) parallel to the longitudinal axis X of the body (210) and which is configured to lock the mounting bracket (20) in rotation on the drive shaft (10), the at least one rotation locking member (240) having a pointed section extending towards the fixing portion (230) and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body (210), the locking member being formed of a notch extending in a projecting manner from the rear face 210B of the body 210 and extended in the longitudinal axis X by a triangle.,

2. Mounting bracket (20) according to the preceding claim, comprising a plurality of rotation locking members (240).

3. Mounting bracket (20) according to the preceding claim, wherein the rotation locking members (240) are three in number and are arranged regularly on the circumference of the rear face (210B) of the body (210).

4. A mounting bracket (20) according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one rotation locking member (240) comprises deformable ridges.

5. Mounting bracket (20) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fixing portion (230) comprises a plurality of ribs (236) separated from each other two by two by a foldable wall (234) and / or by a groove.

6. A mounting bracket (20) according to any preceding claim, wherein the housing (222) of the mounting portion (220) includes fixing walls (228).

7. Vehicle comprising at least one assembly (1) comprising a drive shaft (10), a mounting bracket (20) according to any one of the preceding claims and a magnet (30) mounted in the housing (222) of said mounting bracket (20).

8. A method of assembling the mounting bracket (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and the drive shaft (10), comprising a step of fitting (Eal) into a guide part of the mounting bracket (20), a step of orienting (Ea2) the mounting bracket (20) relative to the drive shaft (10), and a step of fitting (Ea3) the mounting bracket (20) to the end (12) of the drive shaft (10).

9. A method of disassembling an assembly (1) comprising the assembly of the drive shaft (10) and the mounting bracket (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising a step of locking (Edi) the assembly (1), a step of fitting (Ed2) into a guide piece of the mounting bracket (20), a step of forcibly rotating (Ed3) the mounting bracket (20), a step of removing the mounting bracket (20) and a step of separating (Ed4) the mounting bracket (20) from the guide piece.

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