Magnetic sensor device

JP2025027823APending Publication Date: 2025-02-28HIROSE ELECTRIC CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2023132972
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-08-17
Publication Date
2025-02-28

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

【0013】 本発明によれば、例えば磁気センサを用いて回転シャフトの回転を検出する回転検出装置を形成する場合に、回転シャフトに対する磁気センサの位置が設計上の位置となるように磁気センサを容易に配置することができる。

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Abstract

To easily arrange a magnetic sensor so that a position of the magnetic sensor with respect to a rotary shaft comes to a designed position.SOLUTION: A magnetic sensor device 3 includes a magnetic sensor 4 having a magnetic wire material exhibiting a large Barkhausen effect, a yoke 21, a casing 22 housing the magnetic sensor 4 and the yoke 21, and a sensor fixing part 28 fixing the casing 22 to a substrate. A terminal 15 of the magnetic sensor 4 is a compression terminal, and when the casing 22 is fixed to the substrate by the sensor fixing part 28, the terminal 15 is pressed against the conductor part of the substrate and electrically connected to the conductor part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a magnetic sensor device utilizing the large Barkhausen effect. [Background technology]

[0002] A magnetic sensor using the Great Barkhausen effect includes a magnetic wire that produces the Great Barkhausen effect, a bobbin in which the magnetic wire is disposed, a coil formed by winding an electric wire around the bobbin, and two terminals for connecting the coil to an external detection circuit. The two terminals are fixed to both ends of the bobbin. One of the two terminals is connected to one end of the electric wire that forms the coil, and the other end of the electric wire that forms the coil is connected to the other terminal. The magnetic sensor is electrically connected to a circuit on a board, for example, by soldering the respective ends of the two terminals to a conductor such as a pad provided on the board. In addition, the magnetic sensor is fixed to the board by soldering each terminal to the conductor, and the position of the magnetic sensor on the board is determined. International Publication No. WO 2016 / 021074 (Patent Document 1) describes an example of such a magnetic sensor.

[0003] For example, as described in International Publication No. 2016 / 021074, when a magnetic sensor is used to detect the rotation of a rotating shaft, a magnet is fixed to the outer periphery of the rotating shaft so that a rotating magnetic field is formed on the outer periphery of the rotating shaft when the rotating shaft rotates. In addition, a plurality of magnetic sensors are provided on a substrate, and the substrate is provided on the outer periphery of the rotating shaft so as not to come into contact with either the rotating shaft or the magnet. The plurality of magnetic sensors are disposed near the rotation orbit of the magnet, at different positions in the rotation direction of the magnet. This allows the rotating magnetic field formed by the rotation of the rotating shaft to be detected by the plurality of magnetic sensors, and the amount of rotation and the direction of rotation of the rotating shaft can be detected based on the detection signal output from the coil of each magnetic sensor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2016 / 021074 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] For example, when forming a rotation detection device that detects the rotation of a rotating shaft using a magnetic sensor, a substrate on which the magnetic sensor is mounted is provided on the outer periphery of the rotating shaft. Conventionally, in manufacturing such a rotation detection device, the magnetic sensor is first fixed to the substrate by soldering, and then the substrate on which the magnetic sensor is fixed is fixed, for example, via a bracket to a housing or the like in which the rotating shaft is rotatably supported.

[0006] In order to improve the accuracy of detection of the rotation of the rotating shaft by the magnetic sensor, it is necessary to arrange the magnetic sensor so that the position of the magnetic sensor relative to the rotating shaft is the designed position, including the distance between the axis of the rotating shaft and the magnetic sensor. However, during the process of manufacturing the rotation detection device, the position of the magnetic sensor relative to the rotating shaft may deviate from the designed position.

[0007] One of the causes of the magnetic sensor being misaligned with respect to the rotating shaft is that the magnetic sensor is misaligned with respect to the board during the soldering process in which the magnetic sensor is soldered to the board. Another cause of the magnetic sensor being misaligned with respect to the rotating shaft is that the board is misaligned with respect to the housing during the board attachment process in which the board to which the magnetic sensor is soldered is attached to a housing or the like in which the rotating shaft is rotatably supported. Therefore, in order to position the magnetic sensor so that the position of the magnetic sensor with respect to the rotating shaft is the designed position, both the positioning of the magnetic sensor with respect to the board during the soldering process and the positioning of the board with respect to the housing or the like during the board attachment process must be performed strictly. Therefore, it is not easy to position the magnetic sensor so that the position of the magnetic sensor with respect to the rotating shaft is the designed position.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of problems such as those described above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic sensor device that can easily position a magnetic sensor so that the position of the magnetic sensor relative to a rotating shaft is the designed position, for example, when forming a rotation detection device that detects the rotation of a rotating shaft using a magnetic sensor. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, the magnetic sensor device of the present invention comprises a magnetic wire that exhibits a large Barkhausen effect, a bobbin inside which the magnetic wire is arranged, a coil formed by winding an electric wire around the bobbin, and a magnetic sensor provided on the bobbin and having two terminals for electrically connecting one end and the other end of the electric wire to two conductor portions provided on a substrate, and a sensor fixing part that fixes the magnetic sensor to the substrate using a fixing device, wherein the two terminals are each compression terminals, and when the magnetic sensor is fixed to the substrate by the sensor fixing part and the fixing device, the two terminals are pressed against the two conductor portions, respectively, and are electrically connected to the two conductor portions, respectively.

[0010] For example, when manufacturing a rotation detection device that detects the rotation of a rotating shaft using a magnetic sensor, a soldering process for soldering the magnetic sensor to a board and a board mounting process for mounting the board with the soldered magnetic sensor to a case or the like in which the rotating shaft is rotatably supported are conventionally performed, so that an operator must strictly position the magnetic sensor relative to the board in the soldering process and position the board relative to the case or the like in the board mounting process in order to arrange the magnetic sensor so that the position of the magnetic sensor relative to the rotating shaft is the designed position. In contrast, in the magnetic sensor device of the present invention, the magnetic sensor is fixed to the board by a sensor fixing part and a fixing tool, and thus the two terminals of the magnetic sensor can be pressed against the two conductor parts of the board, respectively, for electrical connection, so that an operator can fix the magnetic sensor to the board after mounting the board to the case or the like. Therefore, when fixing the magnetic sensor to the board, the worker can position the magnetic sensor relative to the rotating shaft using, for example, a positioning device equipped with an imaging means and an image processing means, or a dedicated jig, etc., and can easily arrange the magnetic sensor so that the position of the magnetic sensor relative to the rotating shaft is the designed position. In the magnetic sensor device of the present invention, since there is no soldering process for soldering the magnetic sensor to the board in the first place, the magnetic sensor does not become misaligned relative to the board during the soldering process. Furthermore, even if the board becomes misaligned relative to the housing when a board on which a magnetic sensor is not yet provided is attached to a housing, etc., the position of the magnetic sensor relative to the board can be adjusted so that the position of the magnetic sensor relative to the rotating shaft is the designed position when the magnetic sensor is subsequently provided on the board, and this adjustment can absorb the misalignment of the board relative to the housing, etc.

[0011] The magnetic sensor device of the present invention may further comprise a yoke that controls a direction of a magnetic flux of an external magnetic field, and a casing that houses the magnetic sensor and the yoke, and the sensor fixing portion may be provided on the casing.

[0012] The magnetic sensor device of the present invention may further comprise a plurality of the magnetic sensors and a casing in which the magnetic sensors are housed, the plurality of magnetic sensors being arranged on a reference plane that is the same as or parallel to the bottom surface of the casing, at a predetermined interval in the circumferential direction around a reference line perpendicular to the reference plane, and with the extension direction of the magnetic wire parallel to the reference plane. In this case, the magnetic sensor device may comprise a plurality of yokes for controlling the direction of the magnetic flux of an external magnetic field, the plurality of yokes being provided in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of magnetic sensors, and the plurality of yokes being housed in the casing together with the plurality of magnetic sensors. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, for example, when forming a rotation detection device that detects the rotation of a rotating shaft using a magnetic sensor, the magnetic sensor can be easily positioned so that the position of the magnetic sensor relative to the rotating shaft is the designed position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a rotation detection device including a magnetic sensor device according to an embodiment of the present invention is viewed from above; [Diagram 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a cross section of the rotation detector taken along line II-II in FIG. 1 is viewed from the side. [Diagram 3] 1 is a perspective view showing a magnetic sensor device and a substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the magnetic sensor device according to the embodiment of the present invention is viewed from below. [Diagram 5] 1A is a perspective view showing a magnetic sensor in a magnetic sensor device according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the upper right rear, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing a bobbin in the magnetic sensor, as viewed from the upper right rear. [Figure 6] 2 is a perspective view showing a terminal of a magnetic sensor of the magnetic sensor device according to the embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the upper right rear side. FIG. [Figure 7]1A is an external view showing the right part of the bobbin in a magnetic sensor of a magnetic sensor device according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from behind, and FIG. 1B is an external view showing the right part of the bobbin in the magnetic sensor as viewed from below. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7(A) showing the right part of the bobbin and the terminal as viewed from the right. [Figure 9] 2 is a perspective view showing a magnetic sensor and a yoke in the magnetic sensor device according to the embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the upper right front side. FIG. [Figure 10] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams showing a method of attaching a magnetic sensor to a casing in the magnetic sensor device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an arrangement of a magnetic sensor and a yoke within a casing of the magnetic sensor device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 12] 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an arrangement of a magnetic sensor and a yoke within a casing of the magnetic sensor device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 13] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams showing a method for performing positioning of the magnetic sensor device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] 5A to 5C are explanatory diagrams showing a magnetic field detection operation of a magnetic sensor or the like in the magnetic sensor device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a first modified example of the magnetic sensor device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a second modified example of the magnetic sensor device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of the magnetic sensor device of the present invention. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing still another embodiment of the magnetic sensor device of the present invention. [Figure 19] 11A and 11B are explanatory diagrams showing modified examples of terminals in the magnetic sensor of the magnetic sensor device of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] (Rotation detection device) Fig. 1 shows a rotation detection device 1 including a magnetic sensor device 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above. Fig. 2 shows a cross section of the rotation detection device 1 taken along line II-II in Fig. 1 as viewed from the side (from below in Fig. 1).

[0016] 1, the rotation detection device 1 is a device that detects the rotation of a rotating body, that is, a rotating shaft 40. For example, the rotating shaft 40 is the output shaft of a motor, and the rotation detection device 1 is attached to the motor.

[0017] The rotation detection device 1 includes a magnetic field generating member 2 that generates a rotating magnetic field, a magnetic sensor device 3 that detects the rotating magnetic field, and a substrate 31.

[0018] The magnetic field forming member 2 is formed in a ring shape from a magnetic material such as ferrite. The magnetic field forming member 2 is disposed coaxially with the rotating shaft 40 on the outer periphery of the rotating shaft 40 and is fixed to the rotating shaft 40. The magnetic field forming member 2 is a magnetized with multiple poles, and on the outer periphery of the magnetic field forming member 2, four magnetic poles, N pole, S pole, N pole, S pole, are formed in that order at intervals of 90 degrees, for example, in the circumferential direction of the magnetic field forming member 2. The magnetic field forming member 2 can also be formed from four magnets that are not magnetized with multiple poles.

[0019] The substrate 31 is provided on the outer periphery of the rotating shaft 40. The substrate 31 is provided in the vicinity of the magnetic field forming member 2. The substrate 31 is arranged so that its mounting surface 31A faces upward. As shown in FIG. 2, the substrate 31 is arranged so that a plane including the mounting surface 31A is perpendicular to the rotation axis X of the rotating shaft 40. A shaft insertion hole 32 is formed in the center of the substrate 31, and the rotating shaft 40 is inserted into the shaft insertion hole 32. The center of the shaft insertion hole 32 coincides with the center of rotation of the rotating shaft 40. The diameter of the shaft insertion hole 32 is larger than the outer diameter of the rotating shaft 40, and the rotating shaft 40 does not contact the substrate 31. The substrate 31 is fixed, for example, via a bracket 42 to a housing 41 of a motor in which the rotating shaft 40 is rotatably supported.

[0020] As described later, the magnetic sensor device 3 is formed by housing and fixing three magnetic sensors 4 and three yokes 21 in one casing 22. In FIG. 1, the three magnetic sensors 4 and three yokes 21 housed in the casing 22 are indicated by dashed lines. The magnetic sensor device 3 is disposed on the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31 by placing the lower surface of the casing 22 on the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31 while aligning a reference line Q in the casing 22 with the rotation axis X of the rotating shaft 40. In addition, the magnetic sensor device 3 is fixed to the substrate 31 by a plurality of sensor fixing parts 28 provided on the casing 22, as described later.

[0021] In a state where the magnetic sensor device 3 is arranged on the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31 in this manner, three magnetic sensors 4 are arranged on the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31. The three magnetic sensors 4 are arranged on the outer periphery of the magnetic field forming member 2 at intervals of 120 degrees in the rotation direction of the magnetic field forming member 2. The magnetic sensors 4 are arranged such that the extension direction of the magnetic wire 5 is parallel to the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31. When the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31 is viewed from above, the magnetic sensors 4 are arranged such that the center of the extension direction of the magnetic wire 5 (strictly speaking, the center of the extension direction of the central axis of the magnetic wire 5) is in contact with a circle D drawn on the outer periphery of the magnetic field forming member 2 and centered on the center of rotation of the rotating shaft 40.

[0022] Moreover, in a state where the magnetic sensor device 3 is disposed on the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31 as described above, the three yokes 21 are disposed on the mounting surface 31A of the substrate. The three yokes 21 are disposed so as to correspond one-to-one with the three magnetic sensors 4. The three yokes 21 are disposed on the outer periphery side of the magnetic field forming member 2 at intervals of 120 degrees in the rotation direction of the magnetic field forming member 2. Each yoke 21 is disposed on the inner periphery side of the magnetic sensor 4 so as to be adjacent to the magnetic sensor 4.

[0023] The magnetic field forming member 2 is not in contact with any of the three magnetic sensors or the three yokes. The magnetic field forming member 2 rotates together with the rotating shaft 40, whereas the magnetic sensor device 3 is stationary. When the magnetic field forming member 2 rotates together with the rotating shaft 40, the magnetic field formed by the magnetic field forming member 2 rotates. This forms a rotating magnetic field that rotates around the rotation axis X of the rotating shaft 40. The three magnetic sensors 4 detect this rotating magnetic field. Specifically, the direction of the magnetic field acting on each magnetic sensor 4 changes as the magnetic field formed by the magnetic field forming member 2 rotates. Each magnetic sensor 4 outputs a pulse signal corresponding to the change in the direction of the magnetic field. The amount and direction of rotation of the rotating shaft 40 can be detected based on the pulse signal output from each magnetic sensor 4.

[0024] (Magnetic sensor device) Fig. 3 shows the magnetic sensor device 3 when not mounted on the substrate 31, and the substrate 31 as viewed diagonally from above. Fig. 4 shows the magnetic sensor device 3 as viewed from below.

[0025] The magnetic sensor device 3 includes three magnetic sensors 4, three yokes 21, and one casing 22. The magnetic sensor device 3 is an integrated device in which the three magnetic sensors 4 and the three yokes 21 are integrated via the casing 22. As shown in FIG. 3, the three magnetic sensors 4 and the three yokes 21 are accommodated and fixed in the casing 22. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the three magnetic sensors 4 are attached in three sensor accommodation holes 25 provided on the lower surface of the casing 22. The three yokes 21 are embedded in the casing 22. The three magnetic sensors 4 and the three yokes 21 are arranged at predetermined positions in the casing 22. The three magnetic sensors 4 are each identical. The three yokes 21 are each identical.

[0026] (Magnetic sensor and yoke) The magnetic sensor 4 and the yoke 21 will now be described. For ease of explanation, the front (Fd), rear (Bd), top (Ud), bottom (Dd), left (Ld), and right (Rd) directions of the magnetic sensor 4 and the yoke 21 are defined as shown by the arrows drawn at the bottom right of FIGS.

[0027] Fig. 5(A) shows one of the three magnetic sensors 4 as viewed from the upper right rear. Fig. 5(B) shows the bobbin 6 of the magnetic sensor 4 as viewed from the upper right rear.

[0028] The magnetic sensor 4 is a part that detects the rotating magnetic field in the magnetic sensor device 3. The magnetic sensor 4 includes a magnetic wire 5, a bobbin 6, a coil 13, and two terminals 15, as shown in Fig. 5(A).

[0029] The magnetic wire 5 is a magnetic wire that exhibits the large Barkhausen effect, and is called a composite magnetic wire. The magnetic wire 5 is formed, for example, from a semi-hard magnetic material containing iron and cobalt, and is a wire having a diameter of, for example, about 0.1 mm to 1 mm and a length of, for example, about 10 mm to 30 mm. The magnetic wire 5 is formed, for example, by drawing the semi-hard magnetic material and twisting it several times while changing the direction. The magnetic wire 5 has uniaxial anisotropy, in which the direction in which magnetization is easily performed is the direction of the central axis of the magnetic wire 5. In addition, the magnetic wire 5 has a larger coercive force in the central part than in the outer peripheral part. The magnetic wire 5 has a property that the magnetization direction of the magnetic wire 5 (its outer peripheral part) suddenly reverses in response to a change in the direction of the external magnetic field.

[0030] The bobbin 6 is formed of a non-magnetic material such as resin. The bobbin 6 has a symmetrical shape. As shown in FIG. 5(B), the bobbin 6 includes an electric wire winding section 7, two wire support sections 8, two flange sections 9, and a wire accommodation groove 10. The electric wire winding section 7 is provided in the middle of the bobbin 6 in the left-right direction and is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the left-right direction. The wire support sections 8 are provided at the left and right ends of the bobbin 6. The flange sections 9 are provided between the electric wire winding section 7 and the left wire support section 8, and between the electric wire winding section 7 and the right wire support section 8. Each flange section 9 has a larger diameter than the electric wire winding section 7. The wire accommodation groove 10 is a groove extending from the left end to the right end of the bobbin 6.

[0031] The magnetic wire 5 is arranged inside the bobbin 6 so as to extend linearly in the left-right direction. Specifically, the magnetic wire 5 is arranged in a wire accommodating groove 10. The left end of the magnetic wire 5 is supported (fixed) to the left end of the wire accommodating groove 10 formed in the left wire support part 8 by a means such as adhesion using an adhesive. Similarly, the right end of the magnetic wire 5 is supported (fixed) to the right end of the wire accommodating groove 10 formed in the right wire support part 8. Note that instead of the wire accommodating groove 10, a wire accommodating hole that is a hole extending from the left end to the right end of the bobbin 6 may be provided, and the magnetic wire 5 may be arranged in the wire accommodating hole.

[0032] The coil 13 is provided on the outer periphery of the magnetic wire 5 arranged in the wire accommodating groove 10. Specifically, the coil 13 is formed by winding an insulated electric wire 14, such as an enameled wire, around the electric wire winding portion 7, as shown in Fig. 5(A).

[0033] Fig. 6 shows the terminal 15. Fig. 7(A) shows the wire support part 8 on the right side of the bobbin 6 as viewed from behind. Fig. 7(B) shows the wire support part 8 on the right side of the bobbin 6 as viewed from below. Fig. 8 shows a cross section of the wire support part 8 and terminal 15 cut along the cutting line VIII-VIII in Fig. 7(A) as viewed from the right (left in Fig. 7(A)).

[0034] As shown in Fig. 6, each terminal 15 is a compression terminal. Compression terminals are also called spring terminals. Each terminal 15 is made of a conductive material, for example, a metal material. Each terminal 15 includes a base portion 16, a wire connection portion 17, a spring portion 18, and a contact portion 19.

[0035] The base 16 is formed in a plate shape that is wide in the front-rear and left-right directions and is long in the front-rear direction. The electric wire connection part 17 is a part to which an end of the insulated electric wire 14 of the coil 13 from which the insulating coating has been removed is connected. Although not shown in the figure, one end of the insulated electric wire 14 is connected to the electric wire connection part 17 of one of the two terminals 15, and the other end of the insulated electric wire 14 is connected to the electric wire connection part 17 of the other terminal 15. The electric wire connection part 17 extends slightly rearward from the rear end of the base 16, then bends upward, then extends upward, then bends backward, and then extends backward. The spring part 18 is a leaf spring for displacing the contact part 19 in the up-down direction. The spring part 18 bends downward from the front end of the base 16, then bends backward, and then extends backward while inclining downward. The contact portion 19 is a portion that comes into contact with a conductor portion 34 (e.g., a pad) provided on the substrate 31 when the magnetic sensor device 3 is fixed to the substrate 31. The contact portion 19 is provided at the lowermost and rearmost end of the spring portion 18. The contact portion 19 bends upward from the end of the spring portion 18, and then extends slightly upward.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 5(A), the two terminals 15 are provided at the lower parts of the two wire support parts 8 of the bobbin 6. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, a terminal fixing part 11 is provided at the lower part of the wire support part 8 on the right side of the bobbin 6. A terminal fixing part 11 is also provided at the lower part of the wire support part 8 on the left side of the bobbin 6, similar to the lower part of the wire support part 8 on the right side of the bobbin 6. The two terminals 15 are fixed to these terminal fixing parts 11. In this embodiment, the terminal fixing part 11 is a hole that extends forward from the rear surface of the lower part of each wire support part 8, has an open rear end, and a closed front end. A notch 11A is formed at the lower part of the rear side of the terminal fixing part 11. The terminal 15 is fixed to the lower part of the wire support part 8 by inserting the base part 16 into the terminal fixing part 11 from the rear. In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, a locking protrusion 20 is provided on each of the left and right ends of the base 16, and these locking protrusions 20 bite into the inner surfaces of the left and right sides of the terminal fixing portion 11, respectively, thereby preventing the base 16 from slipping out of the terminal fixing portion 11.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 8, when the base 16 of the terminal 15 is fixed in the terminal fixing part 11, the electric wire connection part 17 protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the wire support part 8. When the magnetic sensor device 3 is separated from the substrate 31, the front end of the spring part 18 is located in the terminal fixing part 11, but the rear part of the spring part 18 passes through the notch 11A and comes out of the terminal fixing part 11, protruding downward from the lower surface of the wire support part 8. When the magnetic sensor device 3 is separated from the substrate 31, the contact part 19 is located below the lower surface of the wire support part 8. On the other hand, when the magnetic sensor device 3 is fixed to the substrate 31, the contact part 19 is pressed against the upper surface of the conductor part 34 on the substrate 31, and is displaced upward against the elastic force of the spring part 18, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 8. As a result, the position of the lower end of the contact part 19 coincides with the position of the lower surface of the wire support part 8 in the vertical direction. At this time, the contact portion 19 is pressed against the conductor portion 34 by the elastic force of the spring portion 18, and comes into strong contact with the conductor portion 34. As a result, the contact portion 19 is electrically connected to the conductor portion 34 reliably.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 7(B), two guard parts 12 are provided on the lower part of the rear surface of each wire support part 8 of the bobbin 6. The two guard parts 12 each protrude rearward and are arranged side by side at a distance in the left-right direction. The upper end of the contact part 19 of the terminal 15 is disposed between the two guard parts 12. This allows the contact part 19 to be protected by the guard parts 12. The guard parts 12 prevent the contact part 19 from being misaligned to the left or right.

[0039] FIG. 9 shows the magnetic sensor 4 and the yoke 21 corresponding to the magnetic sensor 4 as viewed from the upper right front. The yoke 21 has a function of controlling the direction of the magnetic flux of an external magnetic field. Specifically, the yoke 21 controls the direction of the magnetic flux of the magnetic field formed by the magnetic field forming member 2. As shown in FIG. 9, the yoke 21 has two yoke pieces 21A. Each yoke piece 21A is formed of a soft magnetic material such as iron. A part of one yoke piece 21A is disposed in front of the left part of the magnetic sensor 4, and another part of the one yoke piece 21A is disposed above the left end part of the magnetic sensor 4. In addition, a part of the other yoke piece 21A is disposed in front of the right part of the magnetic sensor 4, and another part of the other yoke piece 21A is disposed above the right end part of the magnetic sensor 4.

[0040] (Casing) The casing 22 is formed of a non-magnetic material such as resin. As shown in Fig. 3, the casing 22 has a structure in which three sensor holding parts 23 are connected via connecting parts 24. As shown in Fig. 4, one magnetic sensor 4 and one yoke 21 are housed and fixed in each sensor holding part 23. The three sensor holding parts 23 have the same shape.

[0041] 10 shows one sensor holding portion 23 in casing 22 as viewed obliquely from below. For ease of explanation, the front (Fd), rear (Bd), top (Ud), bottom (Dd), left (Ld), and right (Rd) directions of sensor holding portion 23 are defined as shown by arrows drawn at the bottom right in FIG.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 10, a sensor accommodating hole 25 is formed in the sensor holding portion 23. The magnetic sensor 4 is accommodated in the sensor accommodating hole 25. The sensor accommodating hole 25 is formed on the lower surface of the sensor holding portion 23, opens downward, and is closed at the top. The opening shape of the sensor accommodating hole 25 is a rectangle according to the outer shape and size of the magnetic sensor 4 so that the magnetic sensor 4 is inserted snugly into the sensor accommodating hole 25. The left-right dimension of the sensor accommodating hole 25 is approximately equal to the left-right dimension of the magnetic sensor 4, and the front-rear dimension of the sensor accommodating hole 25 is approximately equal to the front-rear dimension of each wire support portion 8 of the bobbin 6 of the magnetic sensor 4 excluding the guard portion 12.

[0043] Further, cutouts 26 are formed in the left and right rear parts of the sensor holding part 23. When the magnetic sensor 4 is inserted into the sensor accommodating hole 25, the two guard parts 12 provided at the rear of the left wire support part 8 of the bobbin 6 of the magnetic sensor 4 and a part of the terminal 15 are disposed inside the left cutout 26, and the two guard parts 12 provided at the rear of the right wire support part 8 of the bobbin 6 of the magnetic sensor 4 and a part of the terminal 15 are disposed inside the right cutout 26.

[0044] In addition, a plurality of protrusions 27 protruding forward are formed on the rear surface of the sensor accommodating hole 25. When the magnetic sensor 4 is inserted into the sensor accommodating hole 25, each protrusion 27 hits the bobbin 6 hard. This fixes the magnetic sensor 4 in the sensor accommodating hole 25. When attaching the magnetic sensor 4 to the sensor holding portion 23, the worker presses the magnetic sensor 4 into the sensor accommodating hole 25. In addition, when the magnetic sensor 4 is inserted deep into the sensor accommodating hole 25 and attached to the sensor holding portion 23, the lower surface of the bobbin 6 of the magnetic sensor 4 (the lower surface of each wire support portion 8) is disposed in the same plane as the lower surface of the sensor holding portion 23, i.e., the lower surface of the casing 22.

[0045] In this embodiment, the three yokes 21 are integrated with the casing 22 by insert molding. The three yokes 21 are embedded in the three sensor holding portions 23, respectively, as shown in Fig. 4. In each sensor holding portion 23, the yoke 21 is located in front of the sensor accommodating hole 25.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 3, the three sensor holding parts 23 are integrated by connecting their front parts by a connecting part 24. The three sensor holding parts 23 are arranged so that their lower surfaces are located in the same plane. When the casing 22 is viewed from above, the three sensor holding parts 23 are arranged around the reference line Q at intervals of 120 degrees with the reference line Q as the center. The three sensor holding parts 23 are arranged so that their respective front parts face toward the reference line Q. The three sensor holding parts 23 are arranged so that the distances between the sensor holding parts 23 and the reference line Q are equal to each other. When viewed from above, the casing 22 has a shape that is rotationally symmetric (three-fold symmetric) with the reference line Q as the center.

[0047] Furthermore, the connecting part 24 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and the center of the connecting part 24 is located on the reference line Q. Furthermore, the inner diameter of the connecting part 24 is set to a value larger than the outer diameter of the magnetic field forming member 2. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the diameter of the shaft insertion hole 32 of the substrate 31 is set to a value larger than the outer diameter of the magnetic field forming member 2, and the inner diameter of the connecting part 24 is set to a value equal to the diameter of the shaft insertion hole 32 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0048] As shown in FIG. 3, the casing 22 is provided with a plurality of sensor fixing parts 28 for fixing the casing 22 (magnetic sensor device 3) to the substrate 31 using fixing devices. In this embodiment, the fixing devices are bolts 29 and nuts 30. In the casing 22 of this embodiment, three sensor fixing parts 28 are arranged around the reference line Q at intervals of 120 degrees with the reference line Q as the center on the outer circumferential side part of the casing 22. Each sensor fixing part 28 is arranged between two sensor holding parts 23 adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction. Each sensor fixing part 28 is formed in a plate shape and is integrated with the two sensor holding parts 23 adjacent to each other. Furthermore, the lower surface of each sensor fixing part 28 is located in the same plane as the lower surfaces of the three sensor holding parts 23 (the lower surface of the casing 22) as shown in FIG. 4.

[0049] Further, a bolt insertion hole 28A is provided in each sensor fixing portion 28. Further, as shown in Fig. 3, the outer peripheral portion of the substrate 31 is provided with the same number of sensor fixing holes 33 as the sensor fixing portions 28, that is, three sensor fixing holes 33. In the substrate 31, the positions of the three sensor fixing holes 33 are set so as to coincide with the positions of the bolt insertion holes 28A of the three sensor fixing portions 28 when the casing 22 and the substrate 31 are arranged so that the center of the casing 22 (the position through which the reference line Q passes) and the center of the shaft insertion hole 32 of the substrate 31 coincide with each other.

[0050] The magnetic sensor device 3 is fixed to the substrate 31 by inserting bolts 29 into the bolt insertion holes 28A of each sensor fixing portion 28 and the corresponding sensor fixing holes 33, and fastening nuts 30 to the tip of each bolt 29. The diameter of each sensor fixing hole 33 is set to a value slightly larger than the diameter of the shaft of the bolt 29 so that the position of the magnetic sensor device 3 with respect to the substrate 31 can be adjusted.

[0051] (Arrangement of magnetic sensors, etc. inside the casing) Fig. 11 shows the arrangement of the three magnetic sensors 4 and the three yokes 21 inside the casing 22 as viewed from above. Fig. 12 shows the arrangement of the three magnetic sensors 4 and the three yokes 21 inside the casing 22 as viewed diagonally from above. In Figs. 11 and 12, S indicates a reference plane located in the same plane as the bottom surface of the casing 22. For convenience of illustration, a lattice pattern is applied to the reference plane S.

[0052] As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, in the casing 22, the three magnetic sensors 4 are arranged on a reference plane S located in the same plane as the lower surface of the casing 22. Specifically, the lower surface of each wire support portion 8 of the bobbin 6 of each magnetic sensor 4 is placed on the reference plane S. In addition, in the casing 22, the three magnetic sensors 4 are arranged at intervals of 120 degrees around a reference line Q perpendicular to the reference plane S. In addition, in the casing 22, the three magnetic sensors 4 are arranged so that the extension direction of the magnetic wire 5 is parallel to the reference plane S. In addition, in this embodiment, in the casing 22, the three magnetic sensors 4 are arranged so that the center part in the extension direction of the magnetic wire 5 (strictly speaking, the center part in the extension direction of the central axis of the magnetic wire 5) is tangent to the reference circle C when the casing 22 is viewed from above. The reference circle C is a circle drawn on the reference plane S and its center is located on the reference line Q. The three magnetic sensors 4 are arranged such that their front portions face the reference line Q and the distances between the magnetic sensors 4 and the reference line Q are equal to each other. When the three magnetic sensors 4 are attached to the three sensor accommodating holes 25 of the casing 22, the three magnetic sensors 4 are arranged in this manner.

[0053] Furthermore, within the casing 22, the three yokes are arranged on the inner circumferential side of the three magnetic sensors 4 arranged around the reference line Q so as to be adjacent to each of the three magnetic sensors 4. Specifically, the three yokes 21 are arranged on the reference plane S at intervals of 120 degrees so that their front parts face toward the reference line Q and the distances between the yokes 21 and the reference line Q are equal to each other. The three yokes 21 are embedded within the casing 22 so as to be arranged in this manner.

[0054] (Assembly of the circuit board and magnetic sensor device) To form the rotation detection device 1, the substrate 31 and the magnetic sensor device 3 are assembled to the housing 41 of the motor as follows.

[0055] First, the electric and electronic components other than the magnetic sensor device 3 are soldered to the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31 and the like.

[0056] Next, the substrate 31 to which the electric and electronic components other than the magnetic sensor device 3 are soldered is placed on the outer periphery of the rotating shaft 40. At this time, the substrate 31 is placed so that the center of the shaft insertion hole 32 of the substrate 31 coincides with the rotation center of the rotating shaft 40. Then, the substrate 31 is attached and fixed to the motor housing 41 via the bracket 42.

[0057] Next, the magnetic sensor device 3 in which the three yokes 21 are embedded in the casing 22 and the three magnetic sensors 4 are accommodated in the three sensor accommodating holes 25 of the casing 22 is attached and fixed on the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31.

[0058] When mounting and fixing the magnetic sensor device 3 on the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31, first, the position of the magnetic sensor device 3 with respect to the rotating shaft 40 is determined. Specifically, the lower surface of the casing 22 and the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31 are opposed to each other so that they are parallel to each other, and the position of the magnetic sensor device 3 is determined so that the reference line Q of the casing 22 coincides with the rotation axis X of the rotating shaft 40. In addition, at this time, the position of the magnetic sensor device 3 is determined so that the positions of the bolt insertion holes 28A of the three sensor fixing parts 28 of the casing 22 coincide with the positions of the three sensor fixing holes 33 of the substrate 31. These positionings can be easily performed using, for example, a positioning device equipped with an imaging means and an image processing means, or a dedicated jig, etc.

[0059] 13(A) to 13(D) show a method for positioning the magnetic sensor device 3 using a dedicated jig. As shown in FIG. 13(A), a jig 45 is made for positioning the magnetic sensor device 3. On the lower surface of the jig 45, recesses 45A and 45B are formed that are shaped like the outer shapes of the upper parts of the magnetic sensor device 3 and the rotating shaft 40, which are arranged so that the reference line Q of the casing 22 and the rotation axis X of the rotating shaft 40 coincide with each other. When performing the positioning, as shown in FIG. 13(B), the upper part of the magnetic sensor device 3 is inserted into the recess 45A of the jig 45. Then, as shown in FIGS. 13(C) and 13(D), the jig 45 with the upper part of the magnetic sensor device 3 inserted therein is placed on the upper end of the rotating shaft 40 from above the rotating shaft 40. The recess 45B of the jig 45 is shaped like the upper end of the rotating shaft 40, and by placing the jig 45 on the upper end of the rotating shaft 40, the upper end of the rotating shaft 40 is inserted snugly into the recess 45B, thereby determining the position of the jig 45 with respect to the rotating shaft 40. As a result, the position of the magnetic sensor device 3 inserted into the jig 45 with respect to the rotating shaft 40 is determined.

[0060] After positioning the magnetic sensor device 3, the bolts 29 are inserted into the bolt insertion holes 28A of the sensor fixing parts 28 and the corresponding sensor fixing holes 33, and the nuts 30 are fastened to the tips of the bolts 29. By fastening the nuts 30 to the bolts 29, the magnetic sensor device 3 is fixed on the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31, and as a result, the three magnetic sensors 4 and the three yokes 21 are fixed on the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31. In this state, the lower surface of the casing 22 contacts the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31. In addition, the lower surfaces of the wire support parts 8 of the bobbins 6 of the magnetic sensors 4 contact the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31. In addition, the contact parts 19 of the terminals 15 of the magnetic sensors 4 contact the conductor parts 34 of the substrate 31, the contact parts 19 are pressed by the conductor parts 34, the spring parts 18 are elastically deformed, and the contact parts 19 are displaced upward. This causes the contact portion 19 to come into strong contact with the conductor portion 34, so that the contact portion 19 is reliably electrically connected to the conductor portion 34.

[0061] By mounting the casing 22 on the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31 in this manner, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the magnetic field forming member 2 is disposed inside the connecting portion 24 of the casing 22 in a non-contact state with the connecting portion 24. The position of the reference plane S shown in FIG. 11 is the same as the position of the mounting surface 31A, and the three magnetic sensors 4 and the three yokes 21 are disposed on the outer periphery of the magnetic field forming member 2 on the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31 while maintaining their positional relationship formed on the reference plane S. That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the three magnetic sensors 4 are disposed on the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31. The three magnetic sensors 4 are disposed on the outer periphery of the magnetic field forming member 2 at intervals of 120 degrees in the rotation direction of the magnetic field forming member 2. Also, each magnetic sensor 4 is disposed so that the extension direction of the magnetic wire 5 is parallel to the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31. Also, when the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31 is viewed from above, each magnetic sensor 4 is arranged so that the center of the extension direction of the magnetic wire 5 (strictly speaking, the center in the extension direction of the central axis of the magnetic wire 5) is in contact with a circle D drawn on the outer periphery of the magnetic field forming member 2 and centered on the center of rotation of the rotating shaft 40. When the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31 on which the casing 22 is mounted is viewed from above, this circle D overlaps with the reference circle C. Also, three yokes 21 are arranged on the mounting surface 31A of the substrate. The three yokes 21 are arranged on the outer periphery of the magnetic field forming member 2 at intervals of 120 degrees in the rotation direction of the magnetic field forming member 2. Also, each yoke 21 is arranged on the inner periphery of the magnetic sensor 4 so as to be adjacent to the magnetic sensor 4. In this way, by simply mounting the casing 22 on the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31, a predetermined positional relationship between the magnetic field forming member 2, the three magnetic sensors 4, and the three yokes 21 for detecting the rotation of the rotating shaft 40 is determined at once.

[0062] (Magnetic field detection operation of magnetic sensors, etc.) 14(A) shows the positional relationship between the magnetic field forming member 2, three magnetic sensors 4, and three yokes 21 when the magnetic sensor device 3 is mounted on the substrate 31. Below, the magnetic field detection operation of the magnetic sensor 4 and the yoke 21 will be described, focusing on one magnetic sensor 4 and one yoke 21 arranged on the upper side among the three magnetic sensors 4 and three yokes 21 in FIG.

[0063] In FIG. 14(A), the S pole of the magnetic field forming member 2 approaches the left front of one of the upper magnetic sensors 4, and the N pole of the magnetic field forming member 2 approaches the right front of the magnetic sensor 4. When the rotating shaft 40 rotates 90 degrees clockwise from this state, as shown in FIG. 14(B), the N pole of the magnetic field forming member 2 approaches the left front of the magnetic sensor 4, and the S pole of the magnetic field forming member 2 approaches the right front of the magnetic sensor 4. At this time, the direction of the magnetic field acting on the magnetic wire 5 of the magnetic sensor 4 becomes rightward. As a result, the magnetization direction of the magnetic wire 5, which was leftward until just before, is suddenly reversed to the right. As a result, as shown in FIG. 14(D), for example, a positive current pulse P1 is generated in the coil 13.

[0064] After that, when the rotating shaft 40 rotates further clockwise by 90 degrees, the S pole of the magnetic field generating member 2 approaches the left front side of the magnetic sensor 4, and the N pole of the magnetic field generating member 2 approaches the right front side of the magnetic sensor 4, as shown in Fig. 14(C). At this time, the direction of the magnetic field acting on the magnetic wire 5 of the magnetic sensor 4 becomes leftward. As a result, the magnetization direction of the magnetic wire 5, which was rightward until just before, is suddenly reversed to leftward. As a result, a current pulse P2, for example, in the negative direction, is generated in the coil 13, as shown in Fig. 14(D).

[0065] One end of the insulated wire 14 forming the coil 13 is connected to, for example, a detection circuit provided on the substrate 31 via one terminal 15 of the magnetic sensor 4 and one conductor 34 provided on the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31. The other end of the insulated wire 14 forming the coil 13 is connected to the detection circuit via the other terminal 15 of the magnetic sensor 4 and the other conductor 34 provided on the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31. With this configuration, the current pulses P1 and P2 generated in the coil 13 are output to the detection circuit as pulse signals.

[0066] The detection circuit detects the amount and direction of rotation of the rotating shaft 40 based on pulse signals output from the coils 13 of the three magnetic sensors 4 arranged on the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31. Note that the method of detecting the amount and direction of rotation of the rotating shaft 40 in the rotation detection device 1 may be, for example, the method described in International Publication No. WO 2016 / 002437.

[0067] In order to increase the level of the current pulse generated in the coil 13 or to sharpen the waveform of the current pulse, it is preferable to concentrate the magnetic flux of the magnetic field formed by the two magnetic poles of the magnetic field forming member 2 close to the left front and right front of the magnetic sensor 4 on the magnetic wire 5. As shown in FIG. 14(B) or 14(C), a yoke 21 is disposed between the magnetic sensor 4 and the magnetic field forming member 2. The yoke 21 controls the direction of the magnetic flux so that the magnetic flux of the magnetic field formed by the two magnetic poles of the magnetic field forming member 2 close to the left front and right front of the magnetic sensor 4 is concentrated on the magnetic wire 5. The arrows F in FIG. 14(B) and 14(C) indicate the flow of the magnetic flux whose direction is controlled by the yoke 21. By concentrating the magnetic flux on the magnetic wire 5 by the yoke 21, the magnetic flux flows along the extension direction of the magnetic wire 5, and the magnetic flux is surely passed through the magnetic wire 5.

[0068] As described above, the magnetic sensor device 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the casing 22 in which the three magnetic sensors 4 are fixed at predetermined positions for detecting the rotation of the rotating shaft 40, and the sensor fixing portion 28 that fixes the casing 22 to the substrate 31 using fasteners (bolts 29 and nuts 39), and each terminal 15 of each magnetic sensor 4 is a compression terminal. With the magnetic sensor device 3 having this configuration, when the substrate 31 and the magnetic sensor device 3 are assembled into the motor housing 41 to form the rotation detection device 1, each magnetic sensor 4 can be easily disposed on the substrate 31 so that the positions of each magnetic sensor 4 relative to the rotating shaft 40 are respectively designed positions.

[0069] That is, each terminal 15 of each magnetic sensor 4 is a compression terminal, and by fixing the casing 22 to the board 31 by the sensor fixing portion 28 and the fixture, each terminal 15 is pressed against the conductor portion 34 of the board 31 and electrically connected to the conductor portion 34. Therefore, soldering is not required to connect each terminal 15 to the conductor portion 34. Also, since each magnetic sensor 4 is fixed to the board 31 by fixing the casing 22 to the board 31 by the sensor fixing portion 28 and the fixture, soldering for fixing the casing 22 and each magnetic sensor 4 to the board 31 is also not required. In the conventional technology, since it is necessary to solder the terminal of the magnetic sensor to the pad of the board, the magnetic sensor must be soldered to the board and mounted on the board, and then the board on which the magnetic sensor is mounted must be assembled to the rotation detection device. In contrast, in the embodiment of the present invention, since neither soldering for electrically connecting each terminal 15 of each magnetic sensor 4 to the conductor portion 34 of the substrate 31 nor soldering for fixing the casing 22 and each magnetic sensor 4 to the substrate 31 is required, the substrate 31 on which the magnetic sensor device 3 is not mounted can be assembled to the housing 41 of the motor. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, after the substrate 31 is assembled to the housing 41 of the motor, the magnetic sensor device 3 can be mounted on the substrate 31, and when the magnetic sensor device 3 is mounted on the substrate 31, the magnetic sensor device 3 can be positioned relative to the rotating shaft 40. According to the embodiment of the present invention, since the casing 22 and each magnetic sensor 4 are not soldered to the substrate 31, the positions of the casing 22 and each magnetic sensor 4 relative to the substrate 31 do not deviate from the designed positions during soldering. Furthermore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the magnetic sensor device 3 is mounted on the substrate 31 after the substrate 31 is assembled to the motor housing 41, and the magnetic sensor device 3 is positioned relative to the rotating shaft 40 when the magnetic sensor device 3 is mounted on the substrate 31. Therefore, even if the substrate 31 becomes misaligned relative to the housing 41 when the substrate 31 is assembled to the motor housing 41, the misalignment of the substrate 31 relative to the housing 41 can be absorbed by adjusting the position of the magnetic sensor device 3 relative to the substrate 31 when the magnetic sensor device 3 is mounted on the substrate 31.That is, even if the substrate 31 is misaligned with respect to the housing 41, the magnetic sensor device 3 can be disposed so that the position of the magnetic sensor device 3 with respect to the rotating shaft 40 is the designed position. That is, even if the substrate 31 is misaligned with respect to the housing 41, the magnetic sensors 4 can be disposed so that the position of each magnetic sensor 4 with respect to the rotating shaft 40 is the designed position.

[0070] Furthermore, according to the magnetic sensor device 3 of the embodiment of the present invention, even after the magnetic sensor device 3 is fixed to the substrate 31, the position of the magnetic sensor device 3 can be easily adjusted by loosening or removing the fasteners, and the magnetic sensor device 3 can be removed from the motor and reattached to the motor without removing the substrate 31 from the housing 41.

[0071] In the magnetic sensor device 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the three magnetic sensors 4 are housed in the casing 22, and the three magnetic sensors 4 are arranged and fixed in the casing 22 at predetermined positions for detecting the rotation of the rotating shaft 40. That is, in the casing 22, the three magnetic sensors 4 are arranged on a single reference plane S, which is the same as the lower surface of the casing 22, at intervals of 120 degrees in the circumferential direction around a reference line Q perpendicular to the reference plane S, and the extension direction of the magnetic wire 5 is parallel to the reference plane S. Therefore, by simply mounting the casing 22 on the substrate 31, the predetermined positional relationship between the magnetic field forming member 2 and the three magnetic sensors 4 for detecting the rotation of the rotating shaft 40 can be determined at once and with high accuracy. As a result, the three magnetic sensors 4 can be easily and accurately mounted on the substrate 31, compared to the case where the position of the magnetic sensor 4 relative to the rotating shaft 40 is determined individually for each magnetic sensor 4.

[0072] Furthermore, in the magnetic sensor device 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the three magnetic sensors 4, the three yokes 21 are housed in the casing 22, and within the casing 22, the three magnetic sensors 4 and the three yokes 21 are arranged and fixed at predetermined positions for detecting the rotation of the rotating shaft 40. Therefore, simply by mounting the casing 22 on the substrate 31, the predetermined positional relationship among the magnetic field generating member 2, the three magnetic sensors 4, and the three yokes 21 for detecting the rotation of the rotating shaft 40 can be determined at once with high accuracy.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the three magnetic sensors 4 are arranged at 120 degree intervals in the casing 22 of the magnetic sensor device 3, and the three yokes 21 are arranged at 120 degree intervals, but the arrangement of the three magnetic sensors 4 and the three yokes 21 is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Fig. 15, the three magnetic sensors 4 may be arranged at 60 degree intervals in the casing 52 of the magnetic sensor device 51, and the three yokes 21 may be arranged at 60 degree intervals. In this case, the casing 52 is provided with a plurality of sensor fixing portions 53, and each sensor fixing portion 53 is provided with a bolt insertion hole 53A.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the three magnetic sensors 4 are arranged in the casing 22 so that the center of the magnetic wire 5 in the extension direction is in contact with the reference circle C when the casing 22 is viewed from above. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, the three magnetic sensors 4 may be arranged so that the magnetic wire 5 of each magnetic sensor 4 intersects with the circumference of the reference circle C. In this arrangement, the arrangement of the magnetic field forming member (magnetic pole or magnet for forming a rotating magnetic field) in the rotation detection device will also be different. For the arrangement of the magnetic field forming member, refer to JP 2019-200098 A. In addition, other aspects can be adopted for the arrangement of the multiple magnetic sensors in the magnetic sensor device of the present invention.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the reference surface S is a surface located in the same plane as the bottom surface of the casing 22, but the present invention is not limited to this. The reference surface S may be a surface that is parallel to the bottom surface of the casing 22 and located above or below the bottom surface of the casing 22. In this case, in order to ensure the stability of the fixation on the mounting surface 31A of the substrate 31 of the magnetic sensor device 3 and the contact between each terminal 15 and the conductor portion 34, the height position of the bottom surface of each sensor fixing portion 28 or the height position of the contact portion 19 of each terminal 15 is adjusted.

[0076] Furthermore, the number of magnetic sensors provided in the casing of the magnetic sensor device of the present invention is not limited to three, and may be one, two, four or more. The same applies to the yoke. For example, in a magnetic sensor device 61 shown in Fig. 17, one magnetic sensor 4 and one yoke 21 consisting of two yoke pieces 21A are housed in a casing 62. Furthermore, sensor fixing parts 63 are provided at both ends of the casing 62, and each sensor fixing part 63 is provided with a bolt insertion hole 63A.

[0077] It is also possible to configure the magnetic sensor device of the present invention without providing a yoke inside the casing. Furthermore, the magnetic sensor device of the present invention may be configured without a casing. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, a magnetic sensor device 71 may be configured with a magnetic sensor 4 and sensor fixing parts 72 provided at both ends of a bobbin 6 of the magnetic sensor 4.

[0078] Furthermore, fasteners for fastening the magnetic sensor or the casing to the substrate are not limited to bolts and nuts, but may be, for example, rivets, clips, etc. Furthermore, the present invention can be used for purposes other than detecting the rotation of a rotating shaft.

[0079] In addition, in the present invention, the terminal of the magnetic sensor is not limited to the terminal 15 shown in FIG. 6. Instead of the terminal 15, for example, a terminal 81 shown in FIG. 19 may be used. The terminal 81 is a compression terminal and includes a base 82, an electric wire connection portion 83, two spring portions 84, and two contact portions 85. The base 82 is formed in a plate shape that expands in the front-rear and left-right directions and is long in the front-rear direction. In addition, the front end portion of the base 82 is bent 180 degrees downward and then extends rearward. The electric wire connection portion 83 extends rearward from the upper rear end portion of the base 82. Each spring portion 84 extends rearward while inclining downward from the end of the front end portion bent 180 degrees of the base 82, i.e., from the lower rear end portion of the base 82. Of the two spring parts 84, one spring part 84 extends from the left end of the lower rear end of the base part 82, and the other spring part 84 extends from the right end of the lower rear end of the base part 82. The contact part 85 is provided at the lowermost and rearmost end of each spring part 84. Also, each contact part 85 is bent upward from the corresponding end of the spring part 84. Also, a locking protrusion 86 is provided at each of the left end and the right end of the base part 82. The terminal 81 has two spring parts 84 and two contact parts 85, and the two contact parts 85 are structured so that each of the two contact parts 85 contacts one conductor part 34 provided on the board 31. That is, the terminal 81 has two contact points for one conductor part 34. Also, the two spring parts 84 can be elastically deformed independently of each other, and therefore, the two contact parts 85 can be displaced independently in the vertical direction. According to the terminal 81 having such a configuration, the reliability of contact with the conductor portion 34 can be increased.

[0080] Furthermore, the present invention can be modified as appropriate within the scope that does not contradict the gist or concept of the invention that can be read from the claims and the entire specification, and magnetic sensor devices involving such modifications are also included in the technical concept of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 3, 51, 61, 71 Magnetic sensor device 4 Magnetic Sensor 5 Magnetic wire 6 Bobbin 15, 81 terminals 21 York 22, 52, 62 Casing 28, 53, 63, 72 Sensor fixing part 29 Bolts (fixtures) 30 Nut (fixing device) S reference plane Q Reference Line

Claims

1. a magnetic sensor including a magnetic wire that exhibits a large Barkhausen effect, a bobbin in which the magnetic wire is disposed, a coil formed by winding an electric wire around the bobbin, and two terminals provided on the bobbin for electrically connecting one end and the other end of the electric wire to two conductor portions provided on a substrate, respectively; a sensor fixing portion that fixes the magnetic sensor to the substrate using a fixing device, A magnetic sensor device characterized in that the two terminals are each compression terminals, and when the magnetic sensor is fixed to the substrate by the sensor fixing portion and the fixing device, the two terminals are pressed against the two conductor portions, respectively, and electrically connected to the two conductor portions, respectively.

2. A yoke for controlling the direction of the magnetic flux of an external magnetic field; a casing in which the magnetic sensor and the yoke are housed, The magnetic sensor device according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor fixing portion is provided on the casing.

3. A plurality of the magnetic sensors; a casing that houses the plurality of magnetic sensors; The magnetic sensor device of claim 1, characterized in that the multiple magnetic sensors are arranged on a single reference plane that is the same as or parallel to the underside of the casing, at a predetermined interval circumferentially around a reference line perpendicular to the reference plane, and such that the extension direction of the magnetic wire is parallel to the reference plane.

4. A plurality of yokes are provided for controlling the direction of the magnetic flux of an external magnetic field; the plurality of yokes are provided in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of magnetic sensors, 4. The magnetic sensor device according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of yokes are accommodated in the casing together with the plurality of magnetic sensors.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Rotation detection device

    WO2016021074A1