Position detection device
The position detection device uses a spiral coil design with overlapping metal pieces to cancel out strong magnetic fields, addressing detection errors and preventing substrate enlargement, thus maintaining accuracy.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- DENSO CORP
- Filing Date
- 2026-04-01
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-18
AI Technical Summary
Position detection devices using coils suffer from detection errors due to magnetic field concentration at the ends of the transmitting coil, leading to offset errors and a potential increase in circuit board size when trying to mitigate these errors.
A position detection device with a spiral-shaped transmitting coil and receiving coils, accompanied by a metal piece positioned to overlap with the coil ends, generates eddy currents that cancel out the strong magnetic fields, reducing detection errors without increasing the substrate size.
The configuration effectively suppresses detection errors by canceling out strong magnetic fields at coil ends, maintaining accuracy while preventing substrate enlargement.
Smart Images

Figure 2026099859000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a position detection device.
Background Art
[0002] Conventionally, Patent Document 1 has proposed a position detection device that arranges a coil on a substrate and detects the position of a detection object based on a change in magnetic flux passing therethrough.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] By the way, in the position detection device using such a coil as described above, the inventors are considering the following position detection device. That is, the inventors have a substrate provided with a transmission coil and a reception coil arranged inside the transmission coil in the normal direction with respect to the plane direction of the substrate, and are considering a position detection device that detects the displacement of a detection object using a change in magnetic flux passing through the reception coil. The transmission coil is in a spiral shape with one direction as the longitudinal direction in the normal direction with respect to the plane direction of the substrate.
[0005] When detecting the position of a detection object using this position detection device, the detection object is arranged so as to face the reception coil, and when the detection object is displaced, the facing area between the detection object and the reception coil changes. As a result, the magnetic field passing through the reception coil is canceled by the eddy current generated in the detection object, so that the canceled magnetic field changes depending on the position of the detection object. Therefore, the position of the detection object can be detected based on the voltage value of the reception coil. However, in such position detection devices, the magnetic field tends to concentrate at both ends of the transmitting coil in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the magnetic field tends to be stronger at both ends of the transmitting coil in the longitudinal direction than at the center. Consequently, the voltage value from the receiving coil is more likely to contain an offset error.
[0006] In this case, one could consider a configuration in which the receiving coil is positioned far away from both ends of the transmitting coil in the longitudinal direction. However, this configuration requires a larger transmitting coil, which tends to increase the size of the circuit board.
[0007] In view of the above points, the present invention aims to provide a position detection device that can reduce detection errors while suppressing an increase in the size of the substrate. [Means for solving the problem]
[0008] Claim 1, for achieving the above objective, is a position detection device comprising: a substrate (100) positioned opposite a displaceable detection body (30, 37); a transmitting coil (110) formed on the substrate; and receiving coils (120, 130) positioned inside the transmitting coil in the direction normal to the surface direction of the substrate, wherein the transmitting coil is spiral-shaped with one direction as its longitudinal direction in the direction normal to the surface direction of the substrate, and a metal piece (180) is positioned at a location that overlaps with the longitudinal end of the transmitting coil in the normal direction.
[0009] According to this design, the metal piece is positioned so as to overlap with the end of the transmitting coil in the normal direction. As a result, eddy currents are generated inside the metal piece by the magnetic field generated at the end of the transmitting coil, and the magnetic field caused by these eddy currents cancels out the magnetic field generated at the end of the transmitting coil. In other words, the magnetic field in the part where the magnetic field tends to be large due to the transmitting coil is canceled out. Therefore, a decrease in detection accuracy can be suppressed. Furthermore, with this configuration, it is not necessary to position the receiving coil far away from both ends in the longitudinal direction of the transmitting coil, thus preventing the substrate from becoming larger.
[0010] The reference numerals in parentheses attached to each component indicate an example of the correspondence between that component and the specific components described in the embodiments described later. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0011] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram of an electrification system configured using the position detection device of the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the relationship between the position detection device and the drive unit. [Figure 3] This is a plan view of the rotating plate and position detection device. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view of the position detection device. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view of the position detection device along the VV line in Figure 4. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram showing the shapes of the transmitting coil, the first receiving coil, and the second receiving coil. [Figure 7] This is a block diagram of the position detection device. [Figure 8A] This figure shows the first voltage value generated in the first receiving coil. [Figure 8B] This figure shows the second voltage value generated in the second receiving coil. [Figure 9] This diagram shows the relationship between the gap, rotation angle, first voltage value, and second voltage value. [Figure 10] This diagram shows the relationship between the gap, rotation angle, and the comparison term for the gap. [Figure 11] This diagram shows the relationship between the gap and the comparison term used for the gap. [Figure 12] This figure shows the relationship between the rotation angle and linearity error with respect to gain. [Figure 13] This figure shows the relationship between the rotation angle and linearity error related to the offset. [Figure 14] This figure shows the relationship between the rotation angle and linearity error with respect to phase. [Figure 15] This figure shows the relationship between the gap comparison term and the gain correction term with respect to the first voltage value. [Figure 16] It is a diagram showing the relationship between the comparison term for the gap and the correction term for the gain with respect to the second voltage value. [Figure 17] It is a diagram showing the relationship between the comparison term for the gap and the correction term for the offset with respect to the first voltage value. [Figure 18] It is a diagram showing the relationship between the comparison term for the gap and the correction term for the offset with respect to the second voltage value. [Figure 19] It is a diagram showing the relationship between the comparison term for the gap and the correction term for the phase. [Figure 20] It is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotation angle and the corrected rotation angle. [Figure 21] It is a diagram for explaining the first adjustment signal and the second adjustment signal. [Figure 22] It is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotation angle and the linearity error when gap correction is not performed. [Figure 23] It is a diagram showing the relationship between the rotation angle and the linearity error when gap correction is performed. [Figure 24] It is a diagram showing the relationship between the gap and the accuracy. [Figure 25] It is a diagram showing the relationship between the gap and the frequency of the transmission coil in the second embodiment. [Figure 26] It is a block diagram of the position detection device in the second embodiment. [Figure 27] It is a diagram for explaining the first adjustment signal and the second adjustment signal. [Figure 28] It is a block diagram of the position detection device in the third embodiment. [Figure 29] It is a diagram for explaining the first adjustment signal and the second adjustment signal in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 30] It is a diagram for explaining the first adjustment signal and the second adjustment signal in the fourth embodiment. [Figure 31] It is a perspective view of the rotating flat plate in the fifth embodiment. [Figure 32] It is a diagram showing the relationship between the position detection device and the linear flat plate in the sixth embodiment. [Figure 33] This is a diagram illustrating the magnetic field in the seventh embodiment. [Figure 34] This is a schematic diagram showing the shapes of the transmitting coil, the first receiving coil, and the second receiving coil in the seventh embodiment. [Figure 35] This figure shows the relationship between the rotation angle and linearity error when no metal piece is provided. [Figure 36] This figure shows the relationship between the rotation angle and linearity error when a metal piece is included. [Figure 37] This is a cross-sectional view of the printed circuit board in the eighth embodiment. [Figure 38] This is a schematic diagram showing the shapes of the transmitting coil, the first receiving coil, and the second receiving coil. [Figure 39A] This is a plan view of the fourth wiring layer. [Figure 39B] This is a plan view of the third wiring layer. [Figure 39C] This is a plan view of the second wiring layer. [Figure 39D] This is a plan view of the first wiring layer. [Figure 40] This is a schematic diagram showing the shapes of the transmitting coil, the first receiving coil, and the second receiving coil in the ninth embodiment. [Figure 41A] This is a plan view showing the fourth wiring layer. [Figure 41B] This is a plan view showing the third wiring layer. [Figure 41C] This is a plan view showing the second wiring layer. [Figure 41D] This is a plan view showing the first wiring layer. [Figure 42] This is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the terminal of the position detection device in the tenth embodiment. [Figure 43] This is a cross-sectional view of the position detection device in the 11th embodiment. [Figure 44A] This is a front view of the connector portion in the twelfth embodiment. [Figure 44B] This is a side view of the connector portion in the twelfth embodiment. [Figure 45A] This is a schematic diagram showing how a printed circuit board with connectors is placed in a mold. [Figure 45B] This diagram shows the points where the mold presses against the printed circuit board. [Figure 45C] This figure shows the pressure points on the printed circuit board from the mold in a modified example. [Figure 46A] This figure shows the pressure points from the mold on the printed circuit board in the 13th embodiment. [Figure 46B] This figure shows the pressure points on the printed circuit board from the mold in a modified example. [Figure 47] This is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the terminal of the position detection device in the 14th embodiment. [Figure 48] This is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the terminal of the position detection device in the 15th embodiment. [Figure 49A] This is a schematic diagram showing the position detection device of the 15th embodiment positioned to detect the rotation angle of a rotating plate placed in oil. [Figure 49B] This is a cross-sectional view along the XLIXB-XLIXB line in Figure 49A. [Figure 50] This is a schematic diagram showing how the position detection device of the comparative example is positioned to detect the rotation angle of a rotating plate placed in oil. [Figure 51A] This is a cross-sectional view showing the manufacturing process of the position detection device in the 16th embodiment. [Figure 51B] This is a cross-sectional view showing the manufacturing process of the position detection device, following Figure 51A. [Figure 51C] This is a cross-sectional view showing the manufacturing process of the position detection device, following Figure 51B. [Figure 52] This is a cross-sectional view of the position detection device in the 17th embodiment. [Figure 53] This is a cross-sectional view of the position detection device in the 18th embodiment. [Figure 54] This is a cross-sectional view of a position detection device in a modified example of the 18th embodiment. [Figure 55] This is a cross-sectional view of the position detection device in the 19th embodiment. [Figure 56] This is a cross-sectional view of the position detection device in the 20th embodiment. [Figure 57] This is a cross-sectional view of a position detection device in a modified example of the 20th embodiment. [Figure 58] This is a plan view of the position detection device in the 21st embodiment. [Figure 59] This is a plan view showing the printed circuit board components for the printed circuit board of the position detection device in the 21st embodiment. [Figure 60] This is a plan view showing the printed circuit board components for constructing the printed circuit board of the position detection device in the comparative example. [Figure 61] This is a cross-sectional view of the position detection device system in the 22nd embodiment. [Figure 62] This is a perspective view of the position detection device system in the 22nd embodiment. [Figure 63] This is a perspective view of the position detection device in the 23rd embodiment. [Figure 64] This is a plan view of the position detection device in the 23rd embodiment. [Figure 65] This is a plan view of a position detection device in a modified example of the 23rd embodiment. [Figure 66] This is a plan view of a position detection device in a modified example of the 23rd embodiment. [Figure 67] This figure illustrates the problems in the 24th embodiment. [Figure 68] This figure illustrates the problems in the 24th embodiment. [Figure 69] This is a plan view of the position detection device in the 24th embodiment. [Figure 70] This is a plan view illustrating the configuration of the second receiving coil shown in Figure 69. [Figure 71] This is a plan view of a position detection device in a modified example of the 24th embodiment. [Figure 72] This is a plan view illustrating the configuration of the first receiving coil shown in Figure 71. [Figure 73] This is a plan view of the printed circuit board in the 25th embodiment. [Figure 74]This diagram shows the relationship between a second receiving coil formed on a rectangular printed circuit board and a virtual second receiving coil shaped like an arc. [Figure 75A] This diagram illustrates the shapes of the first and second receiving coils formed on a rectangular printed circuit board. [Figure 75B] This diagram illustrates the shapes of the first and second receiving coils formed when the printed circuit board is modified. [Figure 76] This is a cross-sectional view of the printed circuit board in the 26th embodiment. [Figure 77] This is a schematic diagram showing examples of the shapes of the transmitting coil, the first receiving coil, and the second receiving coil in the 27th embodiment. [Figure 78] This is a perspective view of the position detection device in the 27th embodiment. [Figure 79] This is a plan view of the rotating plate and position detection device in the 27th embodiment. [Figure 80] This figure shows the relationship between the position detection device and the drive unit in the 27th embodiment. [Figure 81] This is a cross-sectional view of the position detection device along the LXXXI-LXXXI line in Figure 78. [Figure 82] This is a block diagram of the position detection device in the 27th embodiment. [Figure 83] This is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the transmitting and receiving coils in the comparative example. [Figure 84] This graph shows the amplitude of the detection signal in the receiving coil in the comparative example and the 27th embodiment. [Figure 85] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of the shape of a receiving coil in a modified example of the 27th embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0012] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, parts that are the same or equivalent to each other will be denoted by the same reference numerals.
[0013] (First Embodiment) The first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a position detection device that detects the rotation of a detection object will be described as an example of a position detection device. In this embodiment, an example in which the position detection device is applied to an electrification system mounted on a vehicle will be described.
[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the electrification system comprises an actuator 1, a gear 2, a drive unit 3, an ECU 4 (Electronic Control Unit), and a position detection device S1. This electrification system operates as follows: The actuator 1 is controlled by the ECU 4 and rotates the gear 2 according to the control of the ECU 4. The drive unit 3 includes a detection body, which will be described later, and is composed of parts that operate due to the rotation of the gear 2. The position detection device S1 detects the displacement of the detection body provided in the drive unit 3 and outputs a detection signal to the ECU 4. In this embodiment, as will be described later, the detection body is composed of a rotating plate 30, and the rotation angle of the rotating plate 30 is output to the ECU 4. The ECU 4 then controls the actuator 1 by taking into account the detection signal from the position detection device S1.
[0015] Next, the configuration of the drive unit 3 on which the position detection device S1 is located will be described. In this embodiment, an example in which the position detection device S1 is located on a motor such as a main motor or an in-wheel motor will be described.
[0016] The drive unit 3 is assumed to be a motor rotor, and as shown in Figure 2, it is equipped with a hub bearing 10 as a rotating shaft, a rotating plate 30, and a fixed base 40. These components 10, 30, and 40 are arranged coaxially around the axial direction Da of the hub bearing 10. Hereafter, the axial direction Da of the hub bearing 10 will be simply referred to as axial direction Da.
[0017] The hub bearing 10 is, for example, a drive shaft and is composed of a cylindrical member. The hub bearing 10 is positioned such that a tire is attached to one end and the other end, opposite to the one end, is attached to the vehicle body. For example, in Figure 2, the upper side of the paper is one end of the hub bearing 10, and the lower side of the paper is the other end of the hub bearing 10. The hub bearing 10, although details are omitted, is configured to include a rotating ring and bearing members, and the rotating ring is supported by the bearing members in a rotatable state.
[0018] The rotating plate 30 is made of metal and has an annular shape with a through hole 30a formed therein. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the rotating plate 30 of this embodiment has a plurality of recesses 31 formed evenly in the circumferential direction on its outer edge. In other words, the rotating plate 30 has a configuration in which a plurality of protrusions 32 are arranged along the circumferential direction on its outer edge. That is, the rotating plate 30 has a configuration in which a recessed structure 33 having recesses 31 and protrusions 32 is formed along the circumferential direction on its outer edge.
[0019] As shown in Figure 2, the rotating plate 30 is fixed to the hub bearing 10 with one end of the hub bearing 10 inserted through the through hole 30a, so that it rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the hub bearing 10. In this embodiment, the rotating plate 30 corresponds to the detection body.
[0020] The fixed base 40 is a plate-shaped structure with a through hole 40a formed therein. The hub bearing 10 is positioned such that its other end is inserted through the through hole 40a of the fixed base 40, allowing the rotating wheel to rotate. The fixed base 40 is also equipped with a position detection device S1 that faces the convex portion 32 of the rotating plate 30 in the axial direction Da. The position detection device S1 is positioned so as to have a predetermined gap (i.e., spacing) d between it and the rotating plate 30.
[0021] Next, the configuration of the position detection device S1 of this embodiment will be described.
[0022] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the position detection device S1 of this embodiment has a printed circuit board 100 having one side 100a and the other side 100b. The position detection device S1 has a circuit board 200 and terminals 400 arranged on the side 100a of the printed circuit board 100, and these are integrally sealed by a sealing member 500. Hereinafter, the direction normal to the surface direction of the printed circuit board 100 will be simply referred to as the normal direction. Note that when the position detection device S1 is mounted on the fixed base 40, the direction normal to the printed circuit board 100 coincides with the axial direction Da. In addition, although not specifically shown, various electronic components such as capacitors and resistors are appropriately arranged on the printed circuit board 100.
[0023] The printed circuit board 100 in this embodiment is shaped like an arc. More specifically, the printed circuit board 100 is configured to coincide with the arc of a virtual circle centered on the hub bearing 10. In other words, the printed circuit board 100 is shaped such that the virtual circle formed by the printed circuit board 100 coincides with the circle centered on the hub bearing 10.
[0024] As shown in Figure 6, the printed circuit board 100 has a transmitting coil 110, a first receiving coil 120, and a second receiving coil 130. Also, as shown in Figure 7, the printed circuit board 100 has connecting wiring 150 that connects the circuit board 200 to each of the coils 110, 120, and 130. Note that in Figure 5, each of the coils 110, 120, and 130 is shown in a simplified manner.
[0025] Specifically, the printed circuit board 100 of this embodiment is a multilayer substrate in which insulating films and wiring layers are alternately stacked. As shown in Figure 6, the wiring layers formed in each layer are appropriately connected via vias 140 to form the coils 110 to 130, and connecting wiring 150 is formed to connect to the coils 110 to 130. The configurations of the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 of this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 6.
[0026] The transmitting coil 110 is wound multiple times in the normal direction and is formed in the shape of an arc frame with one direction (i.e., the circumferential direction of the printed circuit board 100) as its longitudinal direction.
[0027] The first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 are positioned inside the transmitting coil 110 in the normal direction. Furthermore, the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 are configured such that they do not interfere with each other (i.e., do not overlap) by appropriately connecting different wiring layers via 140. In this embodiment, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are configured by connecting two adjacent wiring layers from sequentially stacked wiring layers via 140. More specifically, in this embodiment, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are formed by connecting the outermost wiring layer located on one side 100a of the printed circuit board 100 with the wiring layer that is the next layer after the outermost layer. In Figure 6, the wiring layer formed on the outermost layer of the printed circuit board 100 is shown with a solid line, the wiring layer formed on the layer after the outermost layer is shown with a dotted line, and the wiring layers on layers other than the outermost and next layers are shown with a dashed line. The transmitting coil 110 is constructed by connecting the wiring layer on the outermost layer and the wiring layer on the next layer after the outermost layer, but in Figure 6, all of these are shown with solid lines. The transmitting coil 110 is actually constructed in a shape that can be drawn in a single continuous line.
[0028] The first receiving coil 120 of this embodiment is formed to be a closed-loop sinusoidal wave in the normal direction. The second receiving coil 130 of this embodiment is formed to be a closed-loop cosine wave in the normal direction. The first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 are configured such that different wiring layers are appropriately connected via vias 140 so as not to interfere with each other, as described above.
[0029] Furthermore, the printed circuit board 100 has several pad sections formed thereon (not shown). As shown in Figure 5, one end of a rod-shaped terminal 400 is connected to the printed circuit board 100 so as to connect to the pad sections. In this embodiment, three terminals 400 are provided. One terminal 400 is for power, one is for ground, and one is for output. The number of terminals 400 is not particularly limited. For example, four terminals 400 may be provided, with two terminals 400 used for output. In this case, for example, one of the two output terminals 400 is used to output the corrected rotation angle θa output from the section correction unit 280 (described later) as is, and the other terminal 400 is used to output the corrected rotation angle θa output from the section correction unit 280 with its sign reversed. Furthermore, for example, the two output terminals 400 are connected to different ECUs 4 and used to output a corrected rotation angle θa to each ECU 4. In this embodiment, the corrected rotation angle θa is described below as a digital signal, but it may also be an analog signal.
[0030] The circuit board 200 is positioned on a portion of the printed circuit board 100 that is different from the portion where the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are formed, via a connecting member (not shown). The circuit board 200 is connected to the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 via connecting wiring 150 formed on the printed circuit board 100.
[0031] The circuit board 200 is composed of a microcomputer equipped with a CPU and memory units such as ROM, RAM, and non-volatile RAM, and is connected to a transmitting coil 110, a first receiving coil 120, and a second receiving coil 130. The circuit board 200 performs various control operations by having the CPU read and execute a program from the ROM or non-volatile RAM. The ROM or non-volatile RAM pre-stores various data used during program execution (e.g., initial values, lookup tables, maps, etc.). Furthermore, the storage medium such as ROM is a non-transitional substantial storage medium. CPU stands for Central Processing Unit, ROM stands for Read Only Memory, and RAM stands for Random Access Memory.
[0032] Specifically, as shown in Figure 7, the circuit board 200 includes a signal processing unit 210 connected to a transmitting coil 110, a first receiving coil 120, and a second receiving coil 130, which performs predetermined processing. The signal processing unit 210 includes an oscillator unit 220, a demodulation unit 230, an AD conversion unit 240, a gap calculation unit 250, a gain-offset-phase correction unit 260, an angle calculation unit 270, a section correction unit 280, an output unit 290, a diagnostic unit 300, and a power supply unit 310. The operation of the signal processing unit 210 will be described later. In the following, the gain-offset-phase correction unit 260 will also simply be referred to as the GOP correction unit 260. In the following, an example of a digital signal will be described, but if an analog signal is processed, the AD conversion unit 240, etc., may not be provided. Also, in this embodiment, it is described as a diagnostic unit 300, but the diagnostic unit 300 may be a test circuit unit, etc. In this embodiment, the diagnostic unit 300 or the test circuit unit corresponds to the verification unit.
[0033] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the sealing member 500 is arranged to integrally seal the printed circuit board 100, the circuit board 200, and the terminal 400 such that one end of the terminal 400 connected to the printed circuit board 100 and the other end opposite to it are exposed. In the following description, the sealing member 500 will be described as having a main portion 510, which is an arc-shaped plate that follows the shape of the printed circuit board 100, and a connector portion 520, which seals the terminal 400 and connects to an external connector. The main portion 510 is formed to follow the shape of the printed circuit board 100, and in this embodiment, at least the inner edge portion is formed to coincide with the arc of a virtual circle centered on the hub bearing 10. Furthermore, the connector portion 520 in this embodiment is a substantially cylindrical shape that extends along the normal direction and is formed to expose the other end of the terminal 400. For this reason, it can also be said that the connector portion 520 has an opening 520a on the opposite side of the main portion 510 that exposes the other end of the terminal 400. Furthermore, the sealing member 500 in this embodiment is made of a thermosetting resin or a thermoplastic resin.
[0034] The sealing member 500 has a main portion 510 that is shaped like an arc plate, and collar portions 530 are formed at the stepped portions at both ends in the circumferential direction through which fastening members for fixing to the fixing base 40 are inserted. The collar portion 530 is constructed by placing a metal collar 532 in a through hole 531 that penetrates the main portion 510 in the thickness direction. Note that the stepped portions do not necessarily have to be formed in the circumferential direction of the main portion 510, and the shape of both ends of the main portion 510 can be appropriately changed to match the shape of the side to which it is fixed.
[0035] The above describes the configuration of the position detection device S1 in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the position detection device S1 is positioned on the fixed base 40 so as to face the rotating plate 30 in the axial direction Da. Specifically, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the position detection device S1 is positioned such that when the rotating plate 30 rotates, the coils 110, 120, and 130 and the protrusions 32 of the rotating plate 30 alternately face each other and do not face each other in the axial direction Da. The position detection device S1 is also positioned on the fixed base 40 such that a predetermined gap d is formed between it and the rotating plate 30.
[0036] Next, we will explain the first voltage value V1 of the first receiving coil 120 and the second voltage value V2 of the second receiving coil 130 when the rotating plate 30 is rotated.
[0037] First, the transmitting coil 110 is subjected to an alternating current of a predetermined frequency from the oscillator 220, as will be described in more detail later. This generates a magnetic field with an axial direction Da that passes through the region enclosed by the first receiving coil 120 and the region enclosed by the second receiving coil 130. Furthermore, because the magnetic field changes due to the alternating current, the first voltage value V1 generated in the first receiving coil 120 and the second voltage value V2 generated in the second receiving coil 130 change due to electromagnetic induction.
[0038] When the convex portion 32 of the rotating plate 30 faces each of the coils 110, 120, and 130, eddy currents are generated in the convex portion 32, and a magnetic field is generated due to these eddy currents. As a result, the magnetic field passing through the portion of the axial magnetic field Da that passes through the region enclosed by the first receiving coil 120 and the region enclosed by the second receiving coil 130 that faces the convex portion 32 is canceled out by the magnetic field caused by the eddy currents.
[0039] As described above, the convex portions 32 are arranged in a row with spacing in the circumferential direction, and recesses 31 are formed between adjacent convex portions 32. As a result, the area facing the convex portions 32 changes as the rotating plate 30 rotates, and the size of the portion of the magnetic field in the axial direction Da that passes through the region enclosed by the first receiving coil 120 and the region enclosed by the second receiving coil 130 that faces the convex portions 32 changes periodically. Therefore, as the rotating plate 30 rotates, the first voltage value V1 generated in the first receiving coil 120 and the second voltage value V2 generated in the second receiving coil 130 change periodically. In this embodiment, the first voltage value V1 generated in the first receiving coil 120 is sinusoidal, as shown in Figure 8A, because the first receiving coil 120 is formed in a sinusoidal shape. The second voltage value V2 generated in the second receiving coil 130 is cosine-shaped, as shown in Figure 8B, because the second receiving coil 130 is formed in a cosine wave shape.
[0040] Next, the operation of the signal processing unit 210 in the circuit board 200 described above will be explained.
[0041] As shown in Figure 7, the oscillator 220 is connected to both ends of the transmitting coil 110 and applies an alternating current of a predetermined frequency. Two capacitors 161 and 162 are connected in series between both ends of the transmitting coil 110 and the oscillator 220, and the part connecting each of the capacitors 161 and 162 is connected to ground. The transmitting coil 110 generates a magnetic field with an axial direction Da that passes through the region enclosed by the first receiving coil 120 and the region enclosed by the second receiving coil 130. However, the way in which the transmitting coil 110 and the oscillator 220 are connected can be changed as appropriate; for example, a single capacitor may be placed between both ends of the transmitting coil 110 and the oscillator 220.
[0042] The demodulation unit 230 is connected to both ends of the first receiving coil 120 and both ends of the second receiving coil 130. The demodulation unit 230 generates a first demodulated signal by demodulating the first voltage value V1 of the first receiving coil 120, and also generates a second demodulated signal by demodulating the second voltage value V2 of the second receiving coil 130.
[0043] The AD conversion unit 240 is connected to the demodulation unit 230, the gap calculation unit 250, and the GOP correction unit 260. The AD conversion unit 240 outputs the first converted signal S, obtained by AD conversion of the first demodulated signal, and the second converted signal C, obtained by AD conversion of the second demodulated signal, to the gap calculation unit 250 and the GOP correction unit 260.
[0044] The gap calculation unit 250 calculates a gap comparison term δ related to the gap d using the first conversion signal S and the second conversion signal C. That is, the amplitude of the first voltage value V1 of the first receiving coil 120 and the second voltage value V2 of the second receiving coil 130 changes because the magnetic flux passing through changes based on the gap d between the rotating plate 30 and the position detection device S1, as shown in Figure 9. Specifically, the amplitude of the first voltage value V1 of the first receiving coil 120 and the second voltage value V2 of the second receiving coil 130 decreases as the gap d increases, and increases as the gap d decreases. For this reason, in this embodiment, the gap calculation unit 250 first derives a gap comparison term δ related to the gap d. In this embodiment, the first voltage value V1 corresponds to the first characteristic value, and the second voltage value V2 corresponds to the second characteristic value.
[0045] In this embodiment, sin 2 θ+cos 2 Using the relationship θ=1, the gap comparison term δ is calculated based on the sum of the squares of the first transformed signal S and the second transformed signal C. More specifically, the gap calculation unit 250 calculates the gap comparison term δ by performing the following equation 1.
[0046] (Math 1) δ=(S-S0) 2 +(C-C0) 2 ...(Equation 1) Note that S0 and C0 in Equation 1 are offset values that result from misalignment when forming the coils 110, 120, and 130 on the printed circuit board 100, and from stress when sealing the printed circuit board 100 with the sealing member 500, and are known values.
[0047] Furthermore, the gap calculation unit 250 may be configured to derive the gap d from the gap comparison term δ as needed. In this embodiment, the gap d is derived as follows. That is, when deriving the gap d based on the gap comparison term δ, gap correction data is derived in advance by experiment or the like. For example, by experiment or the like, the value of the gap comparison term δ for each gap d is derived from the average value, as shown in Figure 10, and gap correction data showing the relationship between the gap d and the gap comparison term δ is derived in advance, as shown in Figure 11. Then, when the gap calculation unit 250 derives the gap d, it compares the calculated gap comparison term δ with the gap correction data to derive the gap d.
[0048] The GOP correction unit 260 derives correction terms for gain (G), offset (O), and phase (P) used when calculating the angle using the first conversion signal S and the second conversion signal C. Specifically, as will be described later, when calculating the angle, the rotation angle θ is calculated by calculating the inverse tangent function using the first voltage value V1 and the second voltage value V2. In this case, as shown in Figures 12 to 14, when the gap d changes, the gain, offset, and phase change.
[0049] Therefore, the GOP correction unit 260 uses the correction term data and the calculated gap comparison term δ to derive the correction terms to be used when the angle calculation unit 270, described later, executes. In this embodiment, the correction terms derived are gain, offset, and phase correction terms. The correction term data in this embodiment is data relating to the gain correction term, offset correction term, and phase correction term, and is derived in advance through experiments or the like in relation to the gap comparison term δ. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 15, the relationship between the sinusoidal gain correction term A1 and the gap comparison term δ is derived in advance. As shown in Figure 16, the relationship between the cosine wave gain correction term A2 and the gap comparison term δ is derived in advance. As shown in Figure 17, the relationship between the sinusoidal offset correction term B1 and the gap comparison term δ is derived in advance. As shown in Figure 18, the relationship between the cosine wave offset correction term B2 and the gap comparison term δ is derived in advance. As shown in Figure 19, the relationship between the phase correction term C and the gap comparison term δ is derived in advance. The GOP correction unit 260 then compares the gap comparison term δ with the data for each correction term and derives the gain correction terms A1 and A2, the offset correction terms B1 and B2, and the phase correction term C, which will be used when the angle calculation unit 270, described later, performs the calculation. Note that the formulas shown in Figures 15 to 19 are formulas in which the correction term is y and the gap comparison term δ is x.
[0050] Furthermore, when the GOP correction unit 260 receives a confirmation signal from the diagnostic unit 300, it outputs a first adjustment signal Sa, which is obtained by adjusting the first conversion signal S based on the gap comparison term δ, and a second adjustment signal Ca, which is obtained by adjusting the second conversion signal C based on the gap comparison term δ, to the diagnostic unit 300. The first adjustment signal Sa and the second adjustment signal Ca will be described later.
[0051] The angle calculation unit 270 calculates the rotation angle θ of the rotating plate 30 by calculating an inverse tangent function using the first conversion signal S and the second conversion signal C. In this case, as described above, the gain, offset, and phase are shifted due to the gap d. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to suppress these shifts, the rotation angle θ is calculated by calculating an inverse tangent function using the following formula 2.
[0052]
number
[0053] The section correction unit 280 is connected to the angle calculation unit 270 and outputs a corrected rotation angle θa obtained by correcting the rotation angle θ calculated by the angle calculation unit 270. In this embodiment, the corrected rotation angle θa corresponds to the corrected inverse tangent signal.
[0054] In other words, in this embodiment, as described above, corrections are made for gain, offset, and phase, but in reality, errors due to the magnetic field of the transmitting coil 110 can also occur. Specifically, the magnetic field caused by the transmitting coil 110 is determined according to the current flowing through the transmitting coil 110. Furthermore, the transmitting coil 110 has a shape in which one direction in the normal direction is the longitudinal direction, and at both ends in the longitudinal direction, the wiring layer formed on the inner edge side and the wiring layer formed on the outer edge side of the printed circuit board 100 are connected. For this reason, the magnetic field generated at both ends in the longitudinal direction tends to be larger than that at the center side inside the transmitting coil 110. In addition, the effect of this magnetic field also changes depending on the gap d. For this reason, the section correction unit 280 performs corrections to correct this error.
[0055] In this embodiment, the section correction unit 280 performs section correction using section correction data and the calculated rotation angle θ to calculate the corrected rotation angle θa. As shown in Figure 20, the section correction data in this embodiment is correction data to make the corrected rotation angle θa, calculated based on the calculated rotation angle θ, approximately a straight line. In this embodiment, the slope correction value and offset correction value for each of the multiple sections (i.e., rotation angle ranges) are derived in advance through experiments or other means. In the example in Figure 20, the data is divided into five sections, and the slope correction value and offset correction value are derived for each section. In the example in Figure 20, the solid line shows the calculated rotation angle θ, and the dotted line shows the corrected rotation angle θa after correction.
[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the interval correction data is derived in advance for each gap comparison term δ (i.e., gap d). The interval correction unit 280 first selects the interval correction data to be applied according to the gap comparison term δ. Then, the interval correction unit 280 calculates the corrected rotation angle θa by correcting the rotation angle θ, with the output (i.e., corrected rotation angle θa) as y, the calculated rotation angle θ as x, the tilt correction value as a, and the offset correction value as b, and performing the following equation 3.
[0057] (Mathematics 3) y = aX + b ... (Equation 3) Note that formula 3 above is just one example; the corrected rotation angle θa may also be calculated using a higher-order equation of degree two or higher.
[0058] The output unit 290 is connected to the interval correction unit 280 and the diagnostic unit 300, and outputs the corrected rotation angle θa corrected by the interval correction unit 280 and the diagnostic results from the diagnostic unit 300.
[0059] The diagnostic unit 300 is connected to the GOP correction unit 260 and outputs a confirmation signal to the GOP correction unit 260 at a predetermined timing. The diagnostic unit 300 then performs a diagnosis based on the first adjustment signal Sa and the second adjustment signal Ca input from the GOP correction unit 260.
[0060] Here, as shown in Figure 21, for ease of understanding, the demodulation unit 230, AD conversion unit 240, gap calculation unit 250, GOP correction unit 260, etc. are grouped together as the ASIC unit 320. Furthermore, the first and second voltage values V1 and V2 are input to the ASIC unit 320 from the first and second receiving coils 120 and 130. Then, at time T1, the gap d approaches, and the first voltage value V1 increases. In reality, when the gap d approaches at time T1, the second voltage value V2 also increases, but here, for ease of understanding, we will explain it as if the second voltage value V2 remains constant even when the gap d approaches.
[0061] In this case, the gap comparison term δ increases at time T1 because the first voltage value V1 increases at time T1. When the confirmation signal is input, the ASIC unit 320 inputs the first adjustment signal Sa and the second adjustment signal Ca, based on the first voltage value V1 and the second voltage value V2, with the effect of gap d reduced, to the diagnostic unit 300. In the example in Figure 21, since the gap d approaches at time T1, the first adjustment signal Sa and the second adjustment signal Ca with a reduced gain correction term are output to the diagnostic unit 300. As a result, the first adjustment signal Sa and the second adjustment signal Ca become signals with smaller amplitudes than the first voltage value V1 and the second voltage value V2 after time T1. Also, in this embodiment, since the gap comparison term δ is calculated and corrected as described above, the same gain correction term is applied to the first adjustment signal Sa and the second adjustment signal Ca. Therefore, in the example in Figure 21, the amplitude of the second adjustment signal Ca is smaller after time T1 than before time T1.
[0062] The diagnostic unit 300 then determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the ASIC unit 320 by determining whether or not the first adjustment signal Sa and the second adjustment signal Ca are within a predetermined range. The predetermined range here is derived in advance based on the range of the gap d that can be expected depending on the usage conditions, etc.
[0063] The power supply unit 310 is connected to each of the signal processing units 220 to 300 of the signal processing unit 210 and supplies power to each of the units 220 to 300.
[0064] The above describes the configuration of the position detection device S1 in this embodiment.
[0065] Next, the operation of the position detection device S1 described above will be explained.
[0066] As described above, the position detection device S1 is mounted on the fixed base 40 so as to face the convex portion 32 of the rotating plate 30 in the axial direction Da. When the rotating plate 30 rotates while an AC current is applied to the transmitting coil 110, the first voltage value V1 of the first receiving coil 120 and the second voltage value V2 of the second receiving coil 130 change periodically. For this reason, the position detection device S1 calculates a gap comparison term δ in the gap calculation unit 250 and derives each correction term in the GOP correction unit 260 based on the gap comparison term δ. Then, the position detection device S1 calculates the rotation angle θ in the angle calculation unit 270 using each correction term and outputs a corrected rotation angle θa by correcting the calculated rotation angle θ in the interval correction unit 280. In other words, the position detection device S1 outputs a corrected rotation angle θa taking into account the gap d between the rotating plate 30 and the position detection device S1. In other words, the position detection device S1 outputs a corrected rotation angle θa that takes into account the gap d between the rotating plate 30 and the position detection device S1. To put it another way, the position detection device S1 outputs a corrected rotation angle θa that reflects the effect of the gap d between the rotating plate 30 and the position detection device S1.
[0067] In this case, the inventors' investigations confirmed that when no correction for gap d is made, the relationship between the rotation angle and the linearity error is as shown in Figure 22. On the other hand, when a correction for gap d is made, as in this embodiment, the relationship between the rotation angle and the linearity error is as shown in Figure 23. Furthermore, if the accuracy is defined as half the difference between the maximum value Pa and the minimum value Pb of the linearity error, it was confirmed that this embodiment can achieve better overall accuracy, as shown in Figure 24.
[0068] In this embodiment described above, the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa of the rotating plate 30 are calculated using the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a correction term for calculating the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa is derived using the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130. In other words, in this embodiment, the requirements for calculating the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa, and the requirements for deriving the correction term, are composed of common components. Therefore, the number of components can be reduced.
[0069] (1) In this embodiment, the rotation angle θ is calculated using a gap comparison term δ. Therefore, the rotation angle θ can be calculated with reduced influence of the gap d, thereby improving detection accuracy.
[0070] (2) In this embodiment, the corrected rotation angle θa is calculated using a gap comparison term δ. Therefore, the corrected rotation angle θa can be calculated with reduced influence from the gap d and the transmitting coil 110, thereby improving detection accuracy.
[0071] (3) In this embodiment, the gap comparison term δ is calculated based on the first voltage value of the first receiving coil 120 and the second voltage value of the second receiving coil 130. Therefore, there is no need to newly arrange a separate component to calculate the gap comparison term δ, and the number of components can be reduced.
[0072] (4) In this embodiment, a rotating plate 30 is placed on the hub bearing 10, and a position detection device S1 is placed opposite the rotating plate 30. Therefore, compared to, for example, the case in which the position detection device S1 is placed opposite the hub bearing 10 without a rotating plate 30, the amount of displacement (i.e., the amount of rotation) is increased, and the detection accuracy can be improved.
[0073] (Modification of the first embodiment) A modified version of the first embodiment described above will now be explained. In the first embodiment, the GOP correction unit 260 is not provided, and the angle calculation unit 270 calculates the rotation angle θ based on the first conversion signal S and the second conversion signal C, and the correction using the gap comparison term δ is performed only by the interval correction unit 280. Alternatively, in the first embodiment, the interval correction unit 280 is not provided, and the correction using the gap comparison term δ is performed only by the angle calculation unit 270. Note that if the interval correction unit 280 is not provided, the rotation angle θ is output.
[0074] (Second Embodiment) A second embodiment will now be described. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the method for deriving the gap comparison term δ in the gap calculation unit 250 is modified. Other aspects are the same as in the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation will be omitted here.
[0075] First, the magnetic flux originating from the transmitting coil 110 is determined by the product of its inductance and the current applied to the transmitting coil 110. The magnetic flux then changes with the change in the gap d between the rotating plate 30 and the position detection device S1. Specifically, when the gap d between the rotating plate 30 and the position detection device S1 changes, the inductance changes if the current applied to the transmitting coil 110 remains constant, and the frequency of the transmitting coil 110 changes as shown in Figure 25. More specifically, the frequency of the transmitting coil 110 decreases as the gap d increases and increases as the gap d decreases. Therefore, in this embodiment, the gap d is derived based on the frequency of the transmitting coil 110.
[0076] Specifically, in this embodiment, the signal processing unit 210, as shown in Figure 26, has a gap calculation unit 250 that is also connected to the oscillation unit 220. The gap calculation unit 250 derives a gap comparison term δ as 1 / τ, where τ is the frequency of the transmitting coil 110, because the frequency of the transmitting coil 110 changes depending on the gap d.
[0077] Furthermore, when the gap calculation unit 250 derives the gap d, it compares the gap comparison term δ, which is expressed as 1 / τ, with the gap correction data to derive the gap d. In this embodiment, the gap correction data is data relating the gap comparison term δ, which depends on the frequency τ, and the gap d, and is derived in advance through experiments or other means.
[0078] The GOP correction unit 260 and the interval correction unit 280 of this embodiment perform corrections using a gap comparison term δ that depends on frequency τ. While details are omitted, the GOP correction unit 260 derives each correction term by referring to correction term data that depends on frequency τ. The interval correction unit 280 derives each correction value by referring to interval correction data that depends on frequency τ.
[0079] The diagnostic unit 300 of this embodiment performs a diagnosis based on the frequency τ of the transmitting coil 110. Here, as shown in Figure 27, similar to the first embodiment described above, for ease of understanding, the oscillator unit 220, demodulation unit 230, AD conversion unit 240, gap calculation unit 250, GOP correction unit 260, etc. are combined into an ASIC unit 320. Then, at time T1, the gap d approaches, the frequency τ increases, and the first voltage value V1 increases. In reality, when the gap d approaches at time T1, the second voltage value V2 also increases, but here, for ease of understanding, it is explained that the second voltage value V2 remains constant even when the gap d approaches.
[0080] In this case, the gap comparison term δ becomes larger at time T1 because the frequency τ is higher at time T1. When the confirmation signal is input, the ASIC unit 320 inputs the first adjustment signal Sa and the second adjustment signal Ca, based on the first voltage value V1 and the second voltage value V2, with the effect of gap d reduced, to the diagnostic unit 300. In the example in Figure 27, since the gap d approaches at time T1, the first adjustment signal Sa and the second adjustment signal Ca with a reduced gain correction term are output to the diagnostic unit 300. As a result, the first adjustment signal Sa and the second adjustment signal Ca become signals with smaller amplitudes than the first voltage value V1 and the second voltage value V2 after time T1. Also, in this embodiment, since the gap comparison term δ is calculated and corrected as described above, the same gain correction term is applied to the first adjustment signal Sa and the second adjustment signal Ca. Therefore, in the example in Figure 27, the amplitude of the second adjustment signal Ca becomes smaller after time T1 than before time T1.
[0081] Then, the diagnostic unit 300 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the ASIC unit 320 based on the first adjustment signal Sa and the second adjustment signal Ca, similar to the first embodiment described above.
[0082] As described above in this embodiment, even if corrections and the like are performed based on the frequency τ of the transmitting coil 110, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0083] (Third embodiment) A third embodiment will now be described. This embodiment adds a third receiving coil to the first embodiment. Other aspects are the same as the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation will be omitted here.
[0084] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 28, the printed circuit board 100 has a third receiving coil 170 in addition to the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130. The demodulation unit 230 is connected to the third receiving coil 170 in addition to the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130. In this embodiment, the first to third receiving coils 120, 130, and 170 are formed such that the first receiving coil 120 is formed in a sinusoidal shape, and the first to third receiving coils 120, 130, and 170 are formed with a phase difference of 120° each.
[0085] The demodulation unit 230 generates first to third demodulated signals from the voltage values of the first to third receiving coils 120, 130, and 170, respectively, and outputs them to the AD conversion unit 240. In this embodiment, the third voltage value output from the third receiving coil 170 corresponds to the third characteristic value.
[0086] The AD conversion unit 240 generates the first to third converted signals S1 to S3 from the first to third demodulated signals.
[0087] The gap calculation unit 250 derives a gap comparison term δ based on the first to third conversion signals S1 to S3. In this embodiment, the first receiving coil 120 is formed in a sinusoidal shape, and the first to third receiving coils 120, 130, and 170 are formed with a phase difference of 120° each. Therefore, S in the above equation 1 is shown in the following equation 4, and C is shown in the following equation 5.
[0088] (Math 4)S=(S1-CM) 1 / 2 ...(Equation 4)
[0089] (Formula 5)C=S2-S3...(Formula 5) Furthermore, CM is represented by the following formula 6.
[0090] (Equation 6) CM = (S1 + S2 + S3) / 3 ... (Equation 6) Then, S and C derived from equations 4 and 5 above are substituted into equation 1 above to derive the gap comparison term δ. After that, each correction is performed using the gap comparison term δ, as in the first embodiment above.
[0091] As described above in this embodiment, even if corrections and the like are performed using the first to third receiving coils 120, 130, and 170, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0092] (Fourth Embodiment) A fourth embodiment will now be described. This embodiment modifies the processing of the gap calculation unit 250 compared to the first embodiment. Other aspects are the same as in the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation will be omitted here.
[0093] The gap calculation unit 250 of this embodiment derives a gap comparison term δ using the first conversion signal S and the second conversion signal C, similar to the first embodiment described above. However, the gap calculation unit 250 of this embodiment determines the minimum peak value and the maximum peak value from the first conversion signal S and the second conversion signal C. The gap calculation unit 250 then uses the difference between the minimum peak value and the maximum peak value of the first conversion signal S as the first gap comparison term δ1. The gap calculation unit 250 uses the difference between the minimum peak value and the maximum peak value of the second conversion signal C as the second gap comparison term δ2. In other words, the gap calculation unit 250 of this embodiment calculates the first gap comparison term δ1 and the second gap comparison term δ2 as the gap comparison term δ.
[0094] Subsequently, corrections are performed using the gap comparison terms δ1 and δ2, similar to the first embodiment described above. In this embodiment, two gap comparison terms δ1 and δ2 are calculated. Therefore, the gap correction data, correction term correction data, and interval correction data are prepared in advance to correspond to each of the gap comparison terms δ1 and δ2. In other words, in this embodiment, the first converted signal S and the second converted signal C are corrected using different gap comparison terms δ1 and δ2.
[0095] The diagnostic unit 300 of this embodiment performs a diagnosis based on the minimum and maximum peak values of the first converted signal S and the second converted signal C. Here, as shown in Figure 29, similar to the first embodiment described above, for ease of understanding, the demodulation unit 230, AD conversion unit 240, gap calculation unit 250, GOP correction unit 260, etc. are combined into an ASIC unit 320. Furthermore, the first and second voltage values V1 and V2 are input to the ASIC unit 320 from the first and second receiving coils 120 and 130. Then, at time T1, the gap d approaches, and the first voltage value V1 increases. In reality, when the gap d approaches at time T1, the second voltage value V2 also increases, but here, for ease of understanding, it is explained that the second voltage value V2 remains constant even when the gap d approaches.
[0096] In this case, the comparison term δ1 for the first gap increases at time T1, but the comparison term δ2 for the second gap remains constant. In other words, in this embodiment, since the comparison term δ1 for the first gap and the comparison term δ2 for the second gap are derived separately, they can have different values.
[0097] When the confirmation signal is input, the ASIC unit 320 inputs a first adjustment signal Sa and a second adjustment signal Ca to the diagnostic unit 300, based on a first voltage value V1 and a second voltage value V2, with the influence of gap d reduced. In the example in Figure 29, gap d is approaching at time T1. In this embodiment, the comparison term δ1 for the first gap and the comparison term δ2 for the second gap are derived separately, and the gains added to the first adjustment signal Sa and the second adjustment signal Ca can be adjusted separately. For this reason, the ASIC unit 320 outputs a first adjustment signal Sa with a reduced gain correction term to the diagnostic unit 300. Also, since the example in Figure 29 shows an example where the second voltage value V2 does not change before and after time T1, the ASIC unit 320 outputs a second adjustment signal Ca calculated without changing the gain correction term to the diagnostic unit 300.
[0098] Then, the diagnostic unit 300 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the ASIC unit 320 based on the first adjustment signal Sa and the second adjustment signal Ca, similar to the first embodiment described above.
[0099] Furthermore, when the position detection device S1 is placed on the fixed base 40 as described above, it is conceivable that the gap d may change while the rotating plate 30 is not rotating. In this case, for example, as shown in Figure 30, suppose that at time T2 the gap d becomes smaller and the amplitudes of the first voltage value V1 and the second voltage value V2 increase. However, since the rotating plate 30 is not rotating, the waveform of the first voltage value V1 is linear rather than sinusoidal, and the waveform of the second voltage value V2 is linear rather than cosine. In other words, when the rotating plate 30 is not rotating, it becomes difficult to properly detect the minimum and maximum peak values.
[0100] When the ASIC unit 320 receives a confirmation signal, it inputs a first adjustment signal Sa and a second adjustment signal Ca, which reduce the influence of gap d, to the diagnostic unit 300. However, in the example shown in Figure 30, even if the gap d approaches at time T2 and the amplitudes of the first voltage value V1 and the second voltage value V2 increase, it may not be possible to determine whether the difference between the minimum peak value and the maximum peak value is due to a change in the waveform or a change due to gap d. For this reason, in the position detection device S1 of this embodiment, even if the gap d approaches at time T2, as shown in Figure 30, the first gain correction term added to the first adjustment signal Sa and the second gain correction term added to the second adjustment signal Ca may remain constant. Consequently, in the position detection device S1 of this embodiment, the detection accuracy may decrease if the rotating plate 30 is not rotating.
[0101] As described above in this embodiment, even if corrections are made based on the minimum and maximum peak values, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained when the rotating plate 30 is rotating.
[0102] (1) In this embodiment, each correction is performed based on two gap comparison terms δ1 and δ2. Therefore, optimal corrections can be made to the first voltage value V1 and the second voltage value V2, and detection accuracy can be further improved when the rotating plate 30 is rotating.
[0103] (Fifth embodiment) A fifth embodiment will now be described. This embodiment is a modification of the configuration of the rotating plate 30 compared to the first embodiment. Other aspects are the same as in the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation will be omitted here.
[0104] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 31, when the rotating plate 30 rotates, a circumferential uneven structure 34 is formed on the plate at a position facing the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 of the printed circuit board 100. However, in this embodiment, the uneven structure 34 is configured such that recesses 36 that are recessed in the thickness direction of the rotating plate 30 are periodically formed along the circumferential direction, and the portions located between the recesses 36 are configured as protrusions 35.
[0105] When such a rotating plate 30 is used, eddy currents are generated in the protrusions 32, and a magnetic field is generated due to these eddy currents. When the rotating plate 30 rotates, the magnetic field passing through the portion of the axial magnetic field Da that passes through the region enclosed by the first receiving coil 120 and the region enclosed by the second receiving coil 130 that is opposite to the protrusions 32 is canceled out by the magnetic field caused by the eddy currents. For this reason, the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa of the rotating plate 30 are calculated, similar to the first embodiment described above.
[0106] As described above in this embodiment, the uneven structure 34 may be formed by recesses 36 that are recessed in the thickness direction of the rotating plate 30. Even with such a position detection device S1, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained by providing each coil 110 to 130 and the signal processing unit 210.
[0107] (Sixth Embodiment) A sixth embodiment will now be described. This embodiment is a modification of the detection body configuration compared to the first embodiment. Other aspects are the same as in the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation will be omitted here.
[0108] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 32, the detection body is a linear-moving plate 37. This linear-moving plate 37 is displaced to move in a straight line or reciprocate along the direction of the arrow in Figure 32.
[0109] The position detection device S1 has a rectangular printed circuit board 100 whose longitudinal direction is aligned with the displacement direction of the linear motion plate 37. The position detection device S1 is positioned opposite the linear motion plate 37 in the normal direction. Although the position detection device S1 is shown in a simplified manner in Figure 32, in reality, a terminal 400 is provided and the device is sealed with a sealing member.
[0110] When the linear motion plate 37 and the position detection device S1 are arranged in this manner, the displacement of the linear motion plate 37 changes the opposing positions of the linear motion plate 37 and the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130. Then, the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 output a first voltage value V1 and a second voltage value V2 in accordance with the amount of displacement (i.e., stroke amount) of the linear motion plate 37, similar to the first embodiment. Therefore, in this embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, a gap comparison term δ is derived based on the first voltage value V1 and the second voltage value V2, and the amount of displacement of the linear motion plate 37 is calculated by performing various corrections using the gap comparison term δ.
[0111] In this embodiment, the signal processing unit 210, although not specifically shown in the figures, has an angle calculation unit 270 which also functions as a displacement calculation unit. The displacement calculation unit calculates the displacement of the linear plate 37 by calculating an inverse tangent function using the first conversion signal S and the second conversion signal C. The section correction unit 280 then performs section correction on the calculated displacement and calculates the corrected displacement. However, the section correction unit 280 uses correction data to bring the calculated displacement closer to a nearly straight line as section data.
[0112] As described above in this embodiment, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained even when the position detection device S1 detects the amount of displacement of the linear motion plate 37.
[0113] (Seventh Embodiment) A seventh embodiment will now be described. In this embodiment, a metal piece is placed at the end of the transmitting coil 110, compared to the first embodiment. Other aspects are the same as in the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation will be omitted here.
[0114] First, as previously reported in Japanese Patent Publication No. 5226694, a position detection device has been proposed that uses a coil placed on a substrate to detect the position of a detection object based on changes in the magnetic flux passing through it.
[0115] Incidentally, in a position detection device using the coil described above, the present inventors are considering the following position detection device. Specifically, the present inventors are considering a position detection device that includes a transmitting coil on a substrate, and a first receiving coil and a second receiving coil arranged inside the transmitting coil in the direction normal to the surface direction of the substrate, and that detects the displacement of a detection object using the change in magnetic flux passing through the first receiving coil and the second receiving coil. The transmitting coil is spiral-shaped with one direction being the longitudinal direction in the direction normal to the surface direction of the substrate. The first receiving coil is formed in a sinusoidal shape, and the second receiving coil is formed in a cosine shape.
[0116] When using this position detection device to detect the position of a detection object, the detection object is positioned to face the first and second receiving coils, so that when the detection object is displaced, the area of contact between the detection object and the first and second receiving coils changes. As a result, the eddy currents generated in the detection object cancel out the magnetic fields passing through the first and second receiving coils, so that the canceled magnetic field changes depending on the position of the detection object. Therefore, the position of the detection object can be detected based on the voltage values of the first and second receiving coils.
[0117] However, in such a position detection device, the magnetic field tends to concentrate at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the transmitting coil. Therefore, inside the transmitting coil, the magnetic field tends to be stronger at both ends in the longitudinal direction than at the center. For example, in the section along the line XXXIII-XXXIII in Figure 6, as shown in Figure 33, the magnetic field at the ends in the longitudinal direction tends to be stronger than the magnetic field at the center. Consequently, offset errors are likely to be introduced into the first voltage value from the first receiving coil and the second voltage value from the second receiving coil.
[0118] In this case, a configuration in which the first and second receiving coils are positioned far apart from both ends of the transmitting coil in the longitudinal direction is also conceivable. However, this configuration requires a larger transmitting coil, which tends to increase the size of the circuit board.
[0119] Therefore, this embodiment provides a position detection device that can reduce detection errors while suppressing an increase in the size of the substrate.
[0120] Specifically, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 34, metal pieces 180 are arranged at both ends of the transmission coil 110 in the longitudinal direction in the normal direction, so as to overlap with the transmission coil 110.
[0121] Furthermore, the metal piece 180 is not positioned to be connected to the transmitting coil 110. In other words, since the printed circuit board 100 in this embodiment is a multilayer board, the metal piece 180 is positioned on a different layer from the layer on which the transmitting coil 110 is formed. In addition, although this embodiment describes an example in which the metal piece 180 is positioned so as to overlap both ends of the transmitting coil 110 in the longitudinal direction in the normal direction, the metal piece 180 may also be positioned so as to overlap one end of the transmitting coil 110 located in the longitudinal direction.
[0122] According to the embodiment described above, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are used, and the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa are calculated by performing a correction based on the gap comparison term δ. Therefore, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0123] (1) In this embodiment, the metal piece 180 is positioned so as to overlap with both ends of the transmitting coil 110 in the normal direction. As a result, eddy currents are generated inside the metal piece 180 by the magnetic field generated at both ends of the transmitting coil 110, and the magnetic field caused by these eddy currents cancels out the magnetic field generated at both ends of the transmitting coil 110. In other words, the magnetic field in the part where the magnetic field tends to be large due to the transmitting coil 110 is canceled out. Therefore, a decrease in detection accuracy can be suppressed. Specifically, if the metal piece 180 is not positioned, a reality error occurs as shown in Figure 35. On the other hand, by positioning the metal piece 180 as in this embodiment, the reality error can be reduced as shown in Figure 36. In Figures 35 and 36, the linearity error when the gap d is narrow is shown as a solid line, and the linearity error when the gap is wide is shown as a dashed line. Also, in Figures 35 and 36, the gap d in the case of a narrow gap d is the same as the gap d in Figures 35 and 36, and the gap d in the case of a wide gap d is the same as the gap d in Figures 35 and 36.
[0124] (Summary of the 7th embodiment) The seventh embodiment is configured as described above. Therefore, in summary, it can be said to possess the following features.
[0125] (Perspective 1) A position detection device, A substrate (100) is positioned opposite to the displaceable detection elements (30, 37), A transmitting coil (110) formed on the substrate, The substrate comprises a receiving coil (120, 130) positioned inside the transmitting coil in the direction normal to the surface direction of the substrate, The transmitting coil is spiral-shaped with one direction being the longitudinal direction in the direction normal to the surface direction of the substrate. A position detection device in which a metal piece (180) is positioned in the normal direction such that it overlaps with the longitudinal end of the transmitting coil.
[0126] (Eighth embodiment) The eighth embodiment will now be described. This embodiment specifies the configuration of the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 compared to the first embodiment. Other aspects are the same as in the first embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted here.
[0127] First, as previously reported in Japanese Patent Publication No. 5226694, a position detection device has been proposed that uses a coil placed on a substrate to detect the position of a detection object based on changes in the magnetic flux passing through it.
[0128] Incidentally, in a position detection device using the coil described above, the present inventors are considering the following position detection device. Specifically, the present inventors are considering a position detection device in which a transmitting coil and a first receiving coil and a second receiving coil are formed on a substrate, and these are arranged inside the transmitting coil in the direction normal to the surface direction of the substrate. The transmitting coil is spiral-shaped with one direction being the longitudinal direction in the direction normal to the surface direction of the substrate. The first receiving coil is formed in a sinusoidal shape, and the second receiving coil is formed in a cosine shape.
[0129] When using this position detection device to detect the position of a detection object, the detection object is positioned to face the first and second receiving coils, so that when the detection object is displaced, the area of contact between the detection object and the first and second receiving coils changes. As a result, the eddy currents generated in the detection object cancel out the magnetic fields passing through the first and second receiving coils, so that the canceled magnetic field changes depending on the position of the detection object. Therefore, the position of the detection object can be detected based on the voltage values of the first and second receiving coils.
[0130] In such position detection devices, it is desirable to improve detection accuracy. For example, in the first embodiment described above, an example was described in which the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 are arranged as shown in Figure 6. However, in this configuration, in particular, the portions of the second receiving coil 130 located at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the printed circuit board 100 are provided with bulges to avoid the first receiving coil 120. For this reason, in the above configuration, it becomes difficult to configure the second receiving coil 130 in an ideal cosine wave shape, and a decrease in detection accuracy is a concern.
[0131] Therefore, this embodiment provides a position detection device that can suppress a decrease in detection accuracy.
[0132] Specifically, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 37, the printed circuit board 100 is constructed by alternately stacking first to fourth insulating films 101a to 101d and first to fourth wiring layers 102a to 102b.
[0133] Then, as shown in Figures 38 and 39A to 39D, each wiring layer 102a to 102d is appropriately patterned to form each coil 110 to 130 and connected via vias 140. In Figure 38, the fourth wiring layer 102d is shown as a solid line, the third wiring layer 102c as a dotted line, the second wiring layer 102b as a dashed-dotted line, and the first wiring layer 102a as a double-dotted-dotted line. However, the transmitting coil 110 and the connecting wiring 150 connected to the transmitting coil 110 are all shown as solid lines for ease of understanding.
[0134] Specifically, the fourth wiring layer 102d is formed to include a portion of the transmitting coil 110, a portion of the first receiving coil 120, a portion of the second receiving coil 130, and a connecting wire 150 connected to one end of the transmitting coil 110, as shown in Figure 39A. The third wiring layer 102c is formed to include a portion of the transmitting coil 110, a portion of the first receiving coil 120, a portion of the second receiving coil 130, and a connecting wire 150 connected to the other end of the transmitting coil 110, as shown in Figure 39B. The second wiring layer 102b is formed to include a connecting wire 150 connected to one end of the first receiving coil 120 and one end of the second receiving coil 130, as shown in Figure 39C. The first wiring layer 102a is formed to include a connecting wire 150 connected to the other end of the first receiving coil 120 and the other end of the second receiving coil 130. Furthermore, the first wiring layer 102a is formed to include a closed wiring 131 for making the second receiving coil 130 a closed-loop cosine wave. The closed wiring 131 is a wiring that is connected to the end of one period of cosine wave in the normal direction.
[0135] Furthermore, a lead wire 121 is formed between the first receiving coil 120 and the via 140 for connecting the connecting wire 150, as shown in Figures 39A and 39B. The via 140 for connecting the first receiving coil 120 and the connecting wire 150 is formed outside the region enclosed by the sine wave. Similarly, a lead wire 132 is formed between the second receiving coil 130 and the via 140 for connecting the connecting wire 150. The via 140 for connecting the second receiving coil 130 and the connecting wire 150 is formed outside the region enclosed by the cosine wave.
[0136] Furthermore, in this embodiment, each via 140 that is not connected to the connecting wiring 150 is also formed outside the region enclosed by the sine wave and the region enclosed by the cosine wave.
[0137] According to the embodiment described above, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are used, and the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa are calculated by performing a correction based on the gap comparison term δ. Therefore, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0138] (1) In this embodiment, the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 are arranged such that the via 140 connected to the connecting wiring 150 is located outside the region enclosed by the first receiving coil 120 and the region enclosed by the second receiving coil 130. This makes it easier to make the first receiving coil 120 into an ideal sinusoidal shape, and also makes it easier to make the second receiving coil 130 into an ideal cosine shape. Consequently, variations in the magnetic flux passing through the region enclosed by the first receiving coil 120 and the magnetic flux passing through the region enclosed by the second receiving coil 130 can be suppressed, and a decrease in detection accuracy can be suppressed.
[0139] (2) In this embodiment, the vias 140 connecting each wiring layer 102a to 104d are also located outside the area enclosed by the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130. Therefore, it is easier to make the first receiving coil 120 into an ideal sinusoidal shape and the second receiving coil 130 into an ideal cosine shape, thereby suppressing a decrease in detection accuracy.
[0140] (Ninth Embodiment) The ninth embodiment will now be described. This embodiment specifies the configuration of the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 compared to the eighth embodiment. Other aspects are the same as in the eighth embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted here.
[0141] In this embodiment, a transmitting coil 110, a first receiving coil 120, and a second receiving coil 130 are formed as shown in Figures 40 and 41A to 41D. In Figure 40, the fourth wiring layer 102d is shown as a solid line, the third wiring layer 102c as a dotted line, the second wiring layer 102b as a dashed-dotted line, and the first wiring layer 102a as a double-dotted-dotted line. However, the transmitting coil 110 and the connecting wiring 150 connected to the transmitting coil 110 are all shown as solid lines for ease of understanding.
[0142] Specifically, the fourth wiring layer 102d is formed to include a portion of the transmitting coil 110, a portion of the first receiving coil 120, a portion of the second receiving coil 130, and a connecting wire 150 connected to one end of the transmitting coil 110, as shown in Figure 41A. The third wiring layer 102c is formed to include a portion of the transmitting coil 110, a portion of the first receiving coil 120, a portion of the second receiving coil 130, and a connecting wire 150 connected to the other end of the transmitting coil 110. The second wiring layer 102b is formed to include a connecting wire 150 connected to one end of the first receiving coil 120 and one end of the second receiving coil 130. The first wiring layer 102a is formed to include a connecting wire 150 connected to the other end of the first receiving coil 120 and the other end of the second receiving coil 130. Furthermore, the first wiring layer 102a is formed to include a closed wiring 131 for making the second receiving coil 130 a closed-loop cosine wave.
[0143] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 41A and 41B, a lead wire 121 is formed between the first receiving coil 120 and the via 140 for connecting the connecting wire 150. The via 140 for connecting the first receiving coil 120 and the connecting wire 150 is formed outside the region enclosed by the sine wave.
[0144] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the position of the vias 140 for configuring the first receiving coil 120 is adjusted so that the closed wiring 131 and the vias 140 do not overlap. Specifically, at the end of the first receiving coil 120 opposite to the side connected to the connecting wiring 150, a lead wiring 121 connected to the first receiving coil 120 is formed, and vias 140 for connecting each wiring layer 102a to 120d are formed outside the area surrounded by the second receiving coil 130.
[0145] According to the embodiment described above, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are used, and the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa are calculated by performing a correction based on the gap comparison term δ. Therefore, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0146] (1) In this embodiment, the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 are positioned such that at least a portion of the via 140 connected to the connecting wiring 150 is located outside the area enclosed by the first receiving coil 120 and the area enclosed by the second receiving coil 130. Therefore, the same effects as in the eighth embodiment can be obtained.
[0147] (Summary of the 8th and 9th embodiments) The eighth and ninth embodiments are configured as described above. Therefore, the eighth and ninth embodiments can be summarized as having the following features.
[0148] (Perspective 1) A position detection device, A substrate (100) is positioned opposite to the displaceable detection elements (30, 37), A transmitting coil (110) formed on the substrate, The substrate comprises a first receiving coil (120) and a second receiving coil (130) arranged inside the transmitting coil in the direction normal to the surface direction of the substrate, The substrate is constructed by laminating a plurality of insulating films (101a to 101d) and a plurality of wiring layers (102a to 102d). The first receiving coil is configured such that the plurality of wiring layers are connected via (140) and form a sinusoidal wave that forms a closed loop in the direction normal to the plane direction of the substrate. The second receiving coil is configured in a cosine wave shape, with the plurality of wiring layers connected via (140), forming a closed loop in the normal direction, and is positioned so as to partially overlap with the first receiving coil. A position detection device in which at least one of the vias connecting the first receiving coil and the connecting wiring (150) formed on the substrate, and the vias connecting the second receiving coil and the connecting wiring (150) formed on the substrate, is located outside the region enclosed by the first receiving coil and the region enclosed by the second receiving coil in the normal direction.
[0149] (Perspective 2) The position detection device according to viewpoint 1, wherein the vias connecting the plurality of wiring layers such that the first receiving coil is sinusoidal, and the vias connecting the plurality of wiring layers such that the second receiving coil is cosine, are arranged outside the region surrounded by the first receiving coil and the region surrounded by the second receiving coil.
[0150] (Tenth embodiment) A tenth embodiment will now be described. In this embodiment, a recess is formed in the terminal 400 compared to the first embodiment. Other aspects are the same as in the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation will be omitted here.
[0151] First, Japanese Patent Publication No. 5226694 proposes an electronic device in which various electronic components are mounted on a substrate. In such an electronic device, one end of a rod-shaped terminal is typically connected to the substrate. The electronic device is then used with the substrate and terminal sealed with a sealing member so that the other end of the terminal is exposed. In this case, the sealing member has a connector portion formed in the part that seals the terminal in order to connect to an external connector portion.
[0152] Incidentally, in the electronic devices described above, it is desirable to suppress damage to the substrate when sealing it with a sealing material. For this reason, the sealing material is made of a thermosetting resin, for example, which can be formed at a lower temperature than thermoplastic resin. However, because thermosetting resins have low viscosity, burrs may form at the interface between the terminal and the sealing material. If burrs form, a connection failure may occur between the connector part of the electronic device and the external connector part.
[0153] Therefore, this embodiment provides an electronic device that can suppress the occurrence of connection failures.
[0154] Specifically, the electronic device of this embodiment constitutes the position detection device S1, and its basic configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment described above. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 42, a recess 400a is formed in the terminal 400 in the portion exposed from the sealing member 500. In this embodiment, the recess 400a is formed to encircle the terminal 400 in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, the recess 400a is formed in the portion of the terminal 400 that is exposed from the sealing member 500, and is located on the sealing member 500 side (i.e., the opening 520a). Here, the sealing member 500 side refers, for example, to the portion of the terminal 400 that is exposed from the sealing member 500, and is located on the sealing member 500 side of the center in the longitudinal direction of the exposed portion.
[0155] According to the embodiment described above, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are used, and the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa are calculated by performing a correction based on the gap comparison term δ. Therefore, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0156] (1) In this embodiment, the terminal 400 has a recess 400a formed in the portion exposed from the sealing member 500 and located on the sealing member 500 side. Therefore, even if burrs are generated at the interface between the terminal 400 and the sealing member 500, the propagation of these burrs is inhibited by the recess 400a. Thus, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of connection failures between the connector portion 520 of the position detection device S1 and the external connector portion.
[0157] (Modified version of the 10th embodiment) In the tenth embodiment described above, the recess 400a does not have to be formed to encircle the terminal 400 in a circumferential direction. Even with this configuration, the progression of burrs is suppressed in the area where the recess 400a is formed, so that the occurrence of connection failures with the external connector can be suppressed compared to the case where the recess 400a is not formed.
[0158] Furthermore, in the above-described tenth embodiment, an example was given in which a recess 400a is formed in the terminal 400. However, even if a protrusion is formed in the terminal 400, the same configuration as in the above-described tenth embodiment can be obtained.
[0159] (Summary of the 10th embodiment) The tenth embodiment is configured as described above. Furthermore, the configuration of the tenth embodiment is also useful when sealing a printed circuit board 100 without the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 with the sealing member 500. Therefore, the tenth embodiment can be summarized as having the following advantages.
[0160] (Perspective 1) An electronic device, Circuit board (100) and A rod-shaped terminal (400) is provided, with one end electrically connected to the substrate. The substrate is sealed by a sealing member (500) that seals the substrate in such a state that the other end of the terminal opposite to the one end is exposed. The terminal is an electronic device in which a recess or protrusion is formed on the portion exposed from the sealing member.
[0161] (Perspective 2) The electronic device according to viewpoint 1, wherein the recess or the protrusion is formed so as to encircle the terminal in a circumferential direction.
[0162] (Perspective 3) The electronic device according to viewpoint 1 or 2, wherein the recess or the protrusion of the terminal is located on the side of the sealing member that is closer to the sealing member than the longitudinal center of the exposed portion.
[0163] (11th embodiment) The eleventh embodiment will now be described. In this embodiment, the connector portion 520 is made of thermoplastic resin, compared to the tenth embodiment. Other aspects are the same as in the tenth embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted here.
[0164] First, Japanese Patent Publication No. 5226694 proposes an electronic device in which various electronic components are mounted on a substrate. In such an electronic device, one end of a rod-shaped terminal is typically connected to the substrate. The electronic device is then used with the substrate and terminal sealed with a sealing member so that the other end of the terminal is exposed. In this case, the sealing member has a connector portion formed in the part that seals the terminal in order to connect to an external connector portion.
[0165] Incidentally, in the electronic devices described above, it is desirable to suppress damage to the substrate when sealing it with a sealing material. For this reason, the sealing material is made of a thermosetting resin, for example, which can be formed at a lower temperature than thermoplastic resin. However, because thermosetting resins have low viscosity, burrs may form at the interface between the terminal and the sealing material. If burrs form, a connection failure may occur between the connector part of the electronic device and the external connector part.
[0166] Therefore, this embodiment provides an electronic device that can suppress the occurrence of connection failures.
[0167] Specifically, the electronic device of this embodiment constitutes a position detection device S1, and its basic configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment described above. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 43, the connector portion 520 is made of thermoplastic resin so that one end and the other end of the terminal 400 are exposed. The position detection device S1 is configured such that, after connecting one end of the terminal 400 to the printed circuit board 100, the main portion 510 is formed of thermosetting resin to integrally seal the printed circuit board 100, the circuit board 200, and the connector portion 520. In other words, in this embodiment, the sealing member 500 has a main portion 510 that seals the printed circuit board 100 made of thermosetting resin, and the connector portion 520 is made of thermoplastic resin.
[0168] According to the embodiment described above, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are used, and the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa are calculated by performing a correction based on the gap comparison term δ. Therefore, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0169] (1) In this embodiment, the connector portion 520 is made of thermoplastic resin. Since thermoplastic resin has a higher viscosity than thermosetting resin, it is possible to suppress the generation of burrs at the interface between the terminal 400 and the thermoplastic resin. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of connection failures between the connector portion 520 of the position detection device S1 and the external connector portion.
[0170] (Summary of the 11th embodiment) The 11th embodiment is configured as described above. Furthermore, the configuration of the 11th embodiment is also useful when sealing a printed circuit board 100 without the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 with the sealing member 500. Therefore, the 11th embodiment can be summarized as having the following advantages.
[0171] (Perspective 1) An electronic device, Circuit board (100) and A rod-shaped terminal (400) is provided, with one end electrically connected to the substrate. The substrate is sealed by a sealing member (500) that seals the substrate in such a state that the other end of the terminal opposite to the one end is exposed. The sealing member comprises a connector portion (520) made of thermoplastic resin that seals the terminal, and a main portion (510) made of thermosetting resin that integrally seals the substrate and the connector portion, in an electronic device.
[0172] (12th embodiment) The twelfth embodiment will now be described. This embodiment specifies a method for manufacturing the sealing member 500, compared to the eleventh embodiment. Other aspects are the same as in the eleventh embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted here.
[0173] First, as described in the 11th embodiment above, Japanese Patent Publication No. 5226694 proposes an electronic device in which various electronic components are mounted on a substrate. In such an electronic device, one end of a rod-shaped terminal is usually connected to the substrate. The electronic device is then used with the substrate and terminal sealed with a sealing member so that the other end of the terminal is exposed. In this case, the sealing member has a connector portion configured in the part that seals the terminal in order to connect to an external connector portion.
[0174] Incidentally, in the electronic devices described above, it is desirable to suppress damage to the substrate when sealing it with a sealing material. For this reason, the sealing material is made of a thermosetting resin, for example, which can be formed at a lower temperature than thermoplastic resin. However, because thermosetting resins have low viscosity, burrs may form at the interface between the terminal and the sealing material. If burrs form, a connection failure may occur between the connector part of the electronic device and the external connector part.
[0175] Therefore, the inventors are considering constructing the connector portion from a thermoplastic resin and the main portion from a thermosetting resin, as in the 11th embodiment described above. In this case, the electronic device is manufactured as follows: First, a connector portion is prepared in which both ends of the terminal are exposed. Next, one end of the terminal is connected to a substrate. A mold is also prepared in which a cavity is formed inside when the first and second types are fitted together. After that, these are placed in the cavity of the mold, and the main portion is formed by pouring molten resin into the cavity, thereby manufacturing the electronic device described above.
[0176] In this case, depending on the mounting environment, it may be desirable to position the connector portion along the normal direction of the substrate, as in the first embodiment described above. In this case, the main portion is formed while pressing the connector portion with the first mold, but pressing the connector portion with the first mold may cause the substrate to bend (i.e., warp).
[0177] Therefore, this embodiment provides a method for manufacturing an electronic device that can suppress bending of the substrate.
[0178] Specifically, in this embodiment, the position detection device is manufactured as follows.
[0179] First, as shown in Figures 44A and 44B, a connector section 520 is prepared, which includes a terminal 400 and a peg 410. In this embodiment, the portion of the connector section 520 that seals the terminal 400 and the peg 410 will be described as the resin section 521.
[0180] The resin portion 521 is substantially cylindrical in shape and is equipped with a terminal 400 and a peg 410, having one end 521a and the other end 521b, with an opening 520a formed on the other end 521b side. In this embodiment, the resin portion 521 is provided with a stepped portion 522 between the one end 521a and the other end 521b, which narrows the other end 521b side, and an annular rib portion 523 is provided on the stepped portion 522.
[0181] Similar to the first embodiment described above, the terminal 400 is arranged so that one end and the other end are exposed from the resin portion 521. On the one end side of the terminal 400, a curved portion 401 is formed by bending the portion that is exposed from the resin portion 521. The curved portion 401 is positioned below the one end 521a of the resin portion 521.
[0182] The pegs 410 are plate-shaped and made of metal or the like, and two are provided so as to sandwich each terminal 400. In this embodiment, the pegs 410 are arranged so as to sandwich the terminals 400 in the direction of arrangement of the terminals 400. The pegs 410 are placed on the resin part 521 so as to be exposed from one end 521a of the resin part 521, and the exposed portion is bent to form a curved portion 411. The curved portion 411 is also positioned below the end 521a of the resin part 521. The pegs 410 may be provided on the resin part 521 by insert molding or by outsert molding.
[0183] In this embodiment, the terminal 400 and peg 410 are positioned on the resin portion 521 such that the curved portion 411 of the peg 410 is further away from one end 521a of the resin portion 521 than the curved portion 401 of the terminal 400. In other words, the terminal 400 and peg 410 are positioned such that when the connector portion 520 is pressed by the mold 600, the terminal 400 has difficulty pressing against the printed circuit board 100. More specifically, the position of the curved portion 401 of the terminal 400 is adjusted so that when the connector portion 520 is pressed by the mold 600, the position of the curved portion 401 is maintained at a position that is lifted by the thickness of the land 1002 and the joining member 1012, which will be described later.
[0184] Next, as shown in Figure 45A, the connector portion 520 is placed on the printed circuit board 100, and then placed inside the mold 600. In Figure 45A, the mold 600 is shown in a cross-sectional view, and the connector portion 520 is shown in a side view.
[0185] Specifically, first, the curved portion 411 of the peg 410 is joined to the land 1001 of the printed circuit board 100 via a bonding member 1011 such as solder, and the curved portion 401 of the terminal 400 is joined to the land 1002 of the printed circuit board 100 via a bonding member 1012 such as solder. In this case, by lengthening the portion of the terminal 400 that is exposed from the resin portion 521, the spring characteristics of the terminal 400 are reduced, and the repulsive force against the land 1002 is weakened. Furthermore, by lengthening the portion of the terminal 400 that is exposed from the resin portion 521, the contact between the curved portion 401 of the terminal 400 and the land 1002 can be improved, and the contact area can be easily increased. Therefore, within the design range, it is preferable that the length of the portion of the terminal 400 that is exposed from the resin portion 521 be increased.
[0186] Next, a mold 600 is prepared in which a cavity 600a is formed by fitting together a first mold 610 and a second mold 620, and a printed circuit board 100 with a connector portion 520 is placed inside the cavity 600a. In this case, the first mold 610 is prepared in which a recess 611a is formed in the base portion 611 to match the shape of the connector portion 520. As will be described later, in this embodiment, the connector portion 520 is placed in the recess 611a and pressed, so the recess 611a corresponds to the pressing portion of the first mold 610.
[0187] Furthermore, a second type 620 is provided, which has a base 622 equipped with a pressing portion 621. Specifically, a pressing force is applied to one side 100a of the printed circuit board 100 as the connector portion 520 is pressed by the first type 610. For this reason, the second type 620 is configured to have a pressing portion 621 that can press the portion of the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100 that faces the connector portion 520, in order to counteract this pressing force.
[0188] More specifically, in this embodiment, the connector portion 520 is configured as described above, with the curved portion 411 of the peg 410 located below the curved portion 401 of the terminal 400. Therefore, when the connector portion 520 is pressed with the first type 610, one side 100a of the printed circuit board 100 is mainly pressed by the curved portion 411 of the peg 410. The pressing portion 621 of the second type 620 in this embodiment is composed of four rod-shaped members, as shown in Figures 45A and 45B, and is configured to press the portion of the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100 between the portion directly pressed by the connector portion 520 (i.e., the portion pressed by the peg 410) in the normal direction. In other words, the pressing portion 621 of the second type 620 is configured to have scattered portions that contact the portion of the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100 between the portion directly pressed by the connector portion 520.
[0189] When placing the printed circuit board 100 with the connector portion 520 inside the cavity 600a, the following procedure is followed: The printed circuit board 100 is placed inside the cavity 600a such that the connector portion 520 is pressed by the first mold 610 while the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100 is pressed by the pressing portion 621 of the second mold 620.
[0190] Although not specifically shown in the diagram, the molten resin is poured into the mold 600 and solidified to form the main part 510 that integrally seals the printed circuit board 100 and the connector part 520, thereby constituting the sealing member 500. In this embodiment, the pressing part 621 of the second mold 620 presses the portion of the other surface 100b of the printed circuit board 100 between the portion pressed by the connector part 520. This prevents the printed circuit board 100 from bending. In this embodiment, the pressing part 621 is composed of four rod-shaped members, and the portion of the other surface 100b of the printed circuit board 100 facing the connector part 520 has a portion that is pressed by the pressing part 621 and a portion that is not pressed by the pressing part 621. Molten resin flows into the portion that is not pressed by the pressing part 621 to form the main part 510. Therefore, compared to the case where the pressing portion 621 presses all of the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100 that faces the connector portion 520, the portion exposed from the main portion 510 of the printed circuit board 100 (i.e., the sealing member 500) can be reduced, thereby suppressing a decrease in environmental resistance.
[0191] In this embodiment, an example was described in which the pressing portion 621 is provided to press the portion of the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100 that is pressed by the connector portion 520. However, as shown in Figure 45C, the pressing portion 621 may be provided to press the portion of the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100 that is pressed by the connector portion 520. Also, the two pegs 410 may be arranged so as to sandwich each terminal 400 in a direction intersecting the arrangement direction of the terminals 400.
[0192] According to the embodiment described above, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are used, and the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa are calculated by performing a correction based on the gap comparison term δ. Therefore, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0193] (1) In this embodiment, when forming the main part 510, the connector part 520 is pressed against one side 100a of the printed circuit board 100 with the first mold 610, while the portion of the printed circuit board 100 facing the connector part 520 is pressed with the second mold 620. Therefore, when forming the main part 510, warping of the printed circuit board 100 can be suppressed.
[0194] (2) In this embodiment, a second type 620 is provided in which the pressing portion 621 is made of a rod-shaped member. Therefore, on the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100, the portion facing the connector portion 520 has both a portion that is pressed by the pressing portion 621 and a portion that is not pressed by the pressing portion 621. Accordingly, when forming the main portion 510, for example, compared to the case where the entire portion of the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100 facing the connector portion 520 is pressed by the pressing portion 621, the portion exposed from the main portion 510 of the printed circuit board 100 can be reduced, and a decrease in environmental resistance can be suppressed.
[0195] (13th embodiment) The 13th embodiment will now be described. This embodiment is a modification of the 12th embodiment in which the shape of the pressing portion 621 provided in the second type 620 is changed. Other aspects are the same as in the 12th embodiment, so a detailed explanation will be omitted here.
[0196] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 46A, when preparing the mold 600, the pressing portion 621 of the second mold 620 is prepared as a frame-shaped portion that contacts the other surface 100b of the printed circuit board 100, while being partially divided into a roughly C-shape in planar form. In other words, the pressing portion 621 of the second mold 620 is prepared as a frame-shaped portion 621a with a notch portion 621b formed therein. However, similar to the twelfth embodiment described above, the pressing portion 621 is provided to press the portion of the other surface 100b of the printed circuit board 100 between the portion that is directly pressed by the connector portion 520, in the normal direction.
[0197] Thereafter, similar to the 12th embodiment described above, the molten resin is poured into the mold 600 and solidified to form a main part 510 that integrally seals the printed circuit board 100 and the connector part 520, thereby constituting the sealing member 500. In this embodiment, the pressing part 621 has a shape in which a notch 621b is formed in the frame part 621a, and the portion of the other surface 100b of the printed circuit board 100 facing the connector part 520 has a portion that is pressed by the pressing part 621 and a portion that is not pressed by the pressing part 621. Then, the molten resin flows into the portion that is not pressed by the pressing part 621 to form the main part 510. For this reason, similar to the 12th embodiment described above, the portion of the printed circuit board 100 that is exposed from the main part 510 can be reduced, and a decrease in environmental resistance can be suppressed.
[0198] In this embodiment, an example was described in which the pressing portion 621 is provided to press the portion of the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100 that is pressed by the connector portion 520. However, as shown in Figure 46B, the pressing portion 621 may be provided to press the portion of the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100 that is pressed by the connector portion 520.
[0199] According to the embodiment described above, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are used, and the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa are calculated by performing a correction based on the gap comparison term δ. Therefore, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0200] (1) In this embodiment, the second type 620 is configured such that the pressing portion 621 has a frame-shaped frame portion 621a with a notch portion 621b formed therein. Therefore, on the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100, the portion facing the connector portion 520 has a portion that is pressed by the pressing portion 621 and a portion that is not pressed by the pressing portion 621. Thus, the same effects as in the twelfth embodiment can be obtained.
[0201] (Summary of the 12th and 13th embodiments) The 12th and 13th embodiments are configured as described above. Furthermore, the manufacturing method described in the 12th and 13th embodiments is also useful when sealing a printed circuit board 100 without the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 with the sealing member 500. In addition, in the 12th and 13th embodiments, the pressing portion 621 may be positioned to press the entire portion of the other surface 100b of the printed circuit board 100 that is pressed by the connector portion 520. Even with such a pressing portion 621, the pressing portion 621 of the second type 620 presses the portion of the other surface 100b of the printed circuit board 100 that faces the connector portion 520, thus suppressing warping of the printed circuit board 100 when forming the main portion 510. Furthermore, the connector portion 520 does not necessarily have a peg 410, and when forming the main portion 510, one end 521a of the resin portion 521 may be configured to press against one surface 100a of the printed circuit board 100. Therefore, the 12th embodiment described above can be said to have the following features.
[0202] (Perspective 1) A method for manufacturing an electronic device, To prepare a mold (600) in which the first type (610) and the second type (620) are fitted together to form a cavity (600a), A connector section (520) is provided with both ends of the terminal (400) exposed, A substrate (100) having one side (100a) and the other side (100b) opposite to the said side, The connector portion is arranged on one surface of the substrate, The circuit board on which the connector portion is arranged is placed inside the cavity, The main part (510) that seals the substrate and the connector part is formed by pouring molten resin into the cavity and allowing it to solidify. In preparing the mold, a mold is prepared that includes a first mold having a pressing portion (611a) that presses the connector portion against one surface side of the substrate, and a second mold having a pressing portion (621) that presses a portion of the other surface of the substrate that faces the connector portion. In forming the main portion, while pressing the connector portion against one surface side of the substrate with the pressing portion of the first mold, a method for manufacturing an electronic device that forms the main portion while pressing the other surface side of the substrate with the pressing portion of the second mold.
[0203] (Aspect 2) The method for manufacturing an electronic device according to Aspect 1, wherein in preparing the mold, a second mold having a pressing portion that presses a part of a portion facing the connector portion when forming the main portion is prepared.
[0204] (Aspect 3) The method for manufacturing an electronic device according to Aspect 2, wherein in preparing the mold, a second mold having a pressing portion composed of a plurality of rod-shaped members is prepared.
[0205] (Aspect 4) The method for manufacturing an electronic device according to Aspect 2, wherein in preparing the mold, a second mold having a pressing portion in which a notch portion (621b) is formed in a frame portion (621a) is prepared.
[0206] (Aspect 5) In preparing the connector portion, when forming the main portion, a connector portion is prepared in which two separated locations on one surface of the substrate are pressed by the first mold. The method for manufacturing an electronic device according to any one of Aspects 1 to 4, wherein in preparing the mold, a second mold having a pressing portion that presses a portion of the other surface of the substrate that faces the two separated locations or a portion located between the two separated locations when forming the main portion is prepared.
[0207] (14th Embodiment) The 14th embodiment will now be described. In this embodiment, a stress-relieving layer is placed at the interface between the main part 510 and the connector part 520, compared to the 11th embodiment. Other aspects are the same as in the 11th embodiment, so a detailed explanation will be omitted here.
[0208] First, as described in the 11th embodiment above, Japanese Patent Publication No. 5226694 proposes an electronic device in which various electronic components are mounted on a substrate. In such an electronic device, one end of a rod-shaped terminal is usually connected to the substrate. The electronic device is then used with the substrate and terminal sealed with a sealing member so that the other end of the terminal is exposed. In this case, the sealing member has a connector portion configured in the part that seals the terminal in order to connect to an external connector portion.
[0209] Incidentally, in the electronic devices described above, it is desirable to suppress damage to the substrate when sealing it with a sealing material. For this reason, the sealing material is made of a thermosetting resin, for example, which can be formed at a lower temperature than thermoplastic resin. However, because thermosetting resins have low viscosity, burrs may form at the interface between the terminal and the sealing material. If burrs form, a connection failure may occur between the connector part of the electronic device and the external connector part.
[0210] Therefore, the inventors are considering constructing the connector portion from a thermoplastic resin and the main portion from a thermosetting resin, as in the 11th embodiment described above. However, when the connector portion is made from a thermoplastic resin and the main portion from a thermosetting resin, as in the 11th embodiment described above, the following phenomenon may occur. That is, because the coefficients of linear expansion of the thermoplastic resin and the thermosetting resin are different, delamination may occur at the interface between the connector portion and the main portion when the temperature of the operating environment changes.
[0211] Therefore, this embodiment provides an electronic device that can suppress the occurrence of delamination between the connector portion and the main portion.
[0212] Specifically, the electronic device of this embodiment constitutes a position detection device S1, and its basic configuration is the same as that of the 11th embodiment described above. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 47, a stress relaxation layer 540 made of a low-elasticity resin is placed between a connector portion 520 made of a thermoplastic resin and a main portion 510 made of a thermosetting resin. The stress relaxation layer 540 is made of a material with a lower elastic modulus than the resins that make up the main portion 510 and the connector portion 520.
[0213] According to the embodiment described above, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are used, and the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa are calculated by performing a correction based on the gap comparison term δ. Therefore, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0214] (1) In this embodiment, a stress-relieving layer 540 made of a low-elasticity resin is placed between the connector portion 520 made of a thermoplastic resin and the main portion 510 made of a thermosetting resin. Therefore, even if different stresses occur between the main portion 510 and the connector portion 520 depending on the usage environment, the stress-relieving layer 540 can relieve these stresses. Thus, peeling and breakage at the interface between the main portion 510 and the connector portion 520 can be suppressed, and foreign matter such as moisture can be prevented from entering the interior from the interface between the main portion 510 and the connector portion 520.
[0215] (Summary of the 14th embodiment) The 14th embodiment is configured as described above. Furthermore, an electronic device like the 14th embodiment is also useful when sealing a printed circuit board 100 without the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 with a sealing member 500. Therefore, the 14th embodiment can be summarized as having the following advantages.
[0216] (Perspective 1) Circuit board (100) and A rod-shaped terminal (400) is provided, with one end electrically connected to the substrate. The substrate is sealed by a sealing member (500) that seals the substrate in such a state that the other end of the terminal opposite to the one end is exposed. The sealing member has a connector portion (520) made of thermoplastic resin that seals the terminal, and a main portion (510) made of thermosetting resin that integrally seals the substrate and the connector portion. An electronic device wherein a stress-relieving layer (540) with a lower elastic modulus than the connector portion and the main portion is disposed between the connector portion and the main portion.
[0217] (15th Embodiment) The 15th embodiment will now be described. In this embodiment, a protective member is placed between the connector portion 520 and the terminal 400, compared to the 11th embodiment. Other aspects are the same as in the 11th embodiment, so a detailed explanation will be omitted here.
[0218] First, as described in the 11th embodiment above, Japanese Patent Publication No. 5226694 proposes an electronic device in which various electronic components are mounted on a substrate. In such an electronic device, one end of a rod-shaped terminal is usually connected to the substrate. The electronic device is then used with the substrate and terminal sealed with a sealing member so that the other end of the terminal is exposed. In this case, the sealing member has a connector portion configured in the part that seals the terminal in order to connect to an external connector portion.
[0219] Incidentally, in the case of the electronic devices described above, when they are placed in locations requiring environmental resistance, such as underwater, it is desirable to prevent foreign matter from entering through the interface between the connector and the terminal.
[0220] Therefore, this embodiment provides an electronic device that can prevent foreign matter from entering through the interface between the connector and the terminal.
[0221] Specifically, the electronic device of this embodiment constitutes a position detection device S1, and its basic configuration is the same as that of the 11th embodiment. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 48, at the interface between the exposed portion of the connector portion 520 of the terminal 400 and the connector portion 520, a protective member 550 with higher environmental resistance such as chemical resistance than the connector portion 520 is arranged. In other words, the protective member 550 is arranged on the bottom surface of the opening 520a. The protective member 550 is made of, for example, silicone resin or the like.
[0222] As a result, the position detection device S1 of this embodiment can be directly arranged, for example, as shown in FIGS. 49A and 49B, in a box-shaped fixing base 40 formed to be filled with oil 41 such as automatic transmission fluid. Specifically, when the rotating flat plate 30 is arranged inside the fixing base 40 filled with oil 41, the position detection device S1 of this embodiment is directly fixed at a position facing the rotating flat plate 30 via a fastening member 42. Although not shown in detail, actually, in the fixing base 40, an assembling member for sealing the inside of the fixing base 40 while taking out the wiring connected to the connector portion 520 is arranged. And the position detection device S1 arranged inside the fixing base 40 is connected to an external circuit via the assembling member.
[0223] On the other hand, if a position detection device without the protective member 550 is taken as the position detection device J1 of the comparative example, in the position detection device J1 of the comparative example, the interface between the terminal 400 and the connector portion 520 is exposed. Therefore, when the rotating flat plate 30 is arranged at a place filled with oil 41 and the position detection device J1 of the comparative example is arranged to detect the rotation angle of the rotating flat plate 30, the position detection device J1 is arranged as shown in FIG. 50.
[0224] Specifically, as shown in Figure 50, a through hole 43 is formed in the fixed base 40. The position detection device J1 is made of resin and has a base J500 with a recess J501 formed so that it can be inserted into the through hole 43. A printed circuit board 100 with a connector portion 520 is placed inside the recess J501 of the base J500. In this position detection device J1, a potting material J503 is placed at the bottom of the recess J501 to fix the printed circuit board 100.
[0225] When positioning the position detection device J1 on the fixed base 40, the recess J501 is inserted into the through hole 43, and a sealing member J504 such as an O-ring is placed between the fixed base 40 and the base J500, while the base J500 is fixed to the fixed base 40 with a fastening member J505. For this reason, in the comparative example position detection device J1, it is necessary to form the recess J501 in the base J500, which tends to make it larger. Therefore, the position detection device S1 of this embodiment can be miniaturized.
[0226] According to the embodiment described above, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are used, and the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa are calculated by performing a correction based on the gap comparison term δ. Therefore, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0227] (1) In this embodiment, a protective member 550 is placed at the interface between the terminal 400 and the connector portion 520. This prevents foreign matter from entering through the interface between the terminal 400 and the connector portion 520. Furthermore, because the protective member 550 is placed, the selectivity of its placement location can be improved, and an increase in size can be suppressed.
[0228] (Modified version of the 15th embodiment) In the 15th embodiment described above, an example was described in which the main part 510 is made of thermosetting resin and the connector part 520 is made of thermoplastic resin. However, the sealing member 500 may be made entirely of thermosetting resin, similar to the first embodiment described above.
[0229] (Summary of the 15th embodiment) The 15th embodiment is configured as described above. Furthermore, an electronic device like the 15th embodiment is also useful when sealing a printed circuit board 100 without the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 with a sealing member 500. Therefore, the 15th embodiment can be summarized as having the following advantages.
[0230] (Perspective 1) Circuit board (100) and A rod-shaped terminal (400) is provided, with one end electrically connected to the substrate. The substrate is sealed by a sealing member (500) that seals the substrate in such a state that the other end of the terminal opposite to the one end is exposed. An electronic device wherein a protective member (550) with higher environmental resistance than the sealing member is placed at the interface between the portion of the terminal exposed from the sealing member and the sealing member.
[0231] (16th Embodiment) The 16th embodiment will now be described. This embodiment specifies a method for manufacturing the position detection device S1, compared to the 11th embodiment. Other aspects are the same as in the 11th embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted here.
[0232] First, Japanese Patent Publication No. 5226694 proposes an electronic device in which various electronic components are mounted on a substrate. Such electronic devices are typically used with the substrate sealed with a sealing member.
[0233] However, in electronic devices like those described above, the substrate may bend when it is sealed with the sealing material.
[0234] Therefore, this embodiment provides an electronic device that can suppress bending when sealing the substrate with a sealing member.
[0235] Specifically, the electronic device of this embodiment constitutes a position detection device S1, and its basic configuration is the same as that of the 11th embodiment described above. In this embodiment, the process shown in Figures 51A to 51C is performed when manufacturing the position detection device S1. Note that in Figures 51A to 51C, coils 110 to 130 and the circuit board 200 are omitted.
[0236] First, as shown in Figure 51A, a mold 600 is prepared in which a cavity 600a is formed by fitting together a first type 610 and a second type 620, and a printed circuit board 100 with a connector portion 520 is placed inside the cavity 600a. Specifically, in this embodiment, first, a mold 600 is prepared in which a first type force pin 612 is provided on the base 611 of the first type 610, and a second type force pin 623 is provided on the base 622 of the second type 620. The first type force pin 612 is slidably mounted relative to the base 611, and the second type force pin 623 is slidably mounted relative to the base 622. The printed circuit board 100 is then placed inside the mold 600, sandwiched between the first type force pin 612 and the second type force pin 623.
[0237] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 51B, the molten resin is poured into the mold 600 and solidified to form a sealing member 500 that seals the printed circuit board 100, etc. In this embodiment, the printed circuit board 100 is sandwiched between the first mold-forcing pin 612 and the second mold-forcing pin 623. Therefore, bending of the position detection device S1 can be suppressed when forming the sealing member 500.
[0238] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 51C, the position detection device S1 is removed from the mold 600. In this case, in this embodiment, the portion of the printed circuit board 100 that was in contact with the first mold force pin 612 and the second mold force pin 623 is exposed from the sealing member 500. In other words, the sealing member 500 has a recess 560 formed therein that exposes the printed circuit board 100. The recess 560 is formed at a different position from each wiring layer formed on the printed circuit board 100 in the normal direction. In other words, the recess 560 is formed at a position that does not overlap with each wiring layer formed on the printed circuit board 100 in the normal direction. In this case, it is preferable that the distance of the recess 560 from each wiring layer is adjusted, taking into consideration the environment in which the position detection device S1 is used and the material of the resin it is made of, so that each wiring layer does not corrode. Also, similar to the 15th embodiment described above, a protective member 550 may be placed in the recess 560.
[0239] According to the embodiment described above, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are used, and the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa are calculated by performing a correction based on the gap comparison term δ. Therefore, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0240] (1) In this embodiment, the sealing member 500 is constructed by clamping the printed circuit board 100 with the first type of force pin 612 and the second type of force pin 623. This prevents the position detection device S1 from bending during manufacturing. Therefore, when the position detection device S1 is placed facing the rotating plate 30, it is possible to prevent the gap d between the position detection device S1 and the rotating plate 30 from being different in different parts. In particular, it tends to become difficult to maintain flatness as the size of the position detection device S1 (i.e., the printed circuit board 100) increases, but according to the manufacturing method of this embodiment, bending of the position detection device S1 is forcibly suppressed, making it easier to accommodate larger sizes of the position detection device S1.
[0241] (Modified version of the 16th embodiment) In the sixteenth embodiment described above, an example was described in which the main part 510 is made of thermosetting resin and the connector part 520 is made of thermoplastic resin. However, the sealing member 500 may be made entirely of thermosetting resin, similar to the first embodiment.
[0242] (Summary of Embodiment 16) The 16th embodiment is configured as described above. Furthermore, an electronic device like the 16th embodiment is also useful when sealing a printed circuit board 100 without the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 with a sealing member 500. Therefore, the 16th embodiment can be summarized as having the following advantages.
[0243] (Perspective 1) A method for manufacturing an electronic device, To prepare a mold (600) in which the first type (610) and the second type (620) are fitted together to form a cavity (600a), Placing the substrate (10) inside the cavity, The sealing member (500) that seals the substrate is formed by pouring molten resin into the cavity and allowing it to solidify. By preparing the aforementioned molds, the first mold and the second mold are provided with force pins (612, 623) that can contact the substrate, A method for manufacturing an electronic device, wherein the sealing member is formed while the substrate is held between the first and second type of force pins.
[0244] (17th Embodiment) The 17th embodiment will now be described. This embodiment specifies the thickness of the main part 510 of the position detection device S1 compared to the 11th embodiment. Other aspects are the same as in the 11th embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted here.
[0245] First, Japanese Patent Publication No. 5226694 proposes an electronic device in which various electronic components are mounted on a substrate. In such an electronic device, one end of a rod-shaped terminal is typically connected to the substrate. The electronic device is then used with the substrate and terminal sealed with a sealing member so that the other end of the terminal is exposed. In this case, the sealing member has a connector portion formed in the part that seals the terminal in order to connect to an external connector portion.
[0246] However, electronic devices like those described above may bend if the operating environment changes.
[0247] Therefore, this embodiment provides an electronic device that can suppress bending of the substrate during use.
[0248] Specifically, the electronic device of this embodiment constitutes the position detection device S1, and its basic configuration is the same as that of the 11th embodiment described above. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 52, the main part 510 has a portion where the thickness d1 of the part located on one side 100a of the printed circuit board 100 is equal to the thickness d2 of the part located on the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100. Note that Figure 52 corresponds to the cross-section along the VV line in Figure 4. In this embodiment, the relationship between thickness d1 and thickness d2 corresponds to the suppression structure. In this embodiment, having a portion where thickness d1 and thickness d2 are equal includes not only cases where they are perfectly equal, but also cases where there is a slight error that may occur during manufacturing.
[0249] According to the embodiment described above, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are used, and the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa are calculated by performing a correction based on the gap comparison term δ. Therefore, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0250] (1) In this embodiment, the sealing member 500 has a portion where the first thickness d1 of the portion located on one side 100a of the printed circuit board 100 and the second thickness d2 of the portion located on the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100 are equal. Therefore, the position detection device S1 can suppress both ends located in the longitudinal direction with respect to a virtual line extending in the radial direction as an axis from bending toward either the one side 100a or the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100.
[0251] (18th embodiment) The 18th embodiment will now be described. This embodiment specifies the thickness of the main part 510 of the position detection device S1 compared to the 17th embodiment. Other aspects are the same as in the 17th embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted here.
[0252] Similar to the 17th embodiment described above, this embodiment provides an electronic device that can suppress bending of the substrate during use.
[0253] Specifically, the electronic device of this embodiment constitutes the position detection device S1, and its basic configuration is the same as that of the 11th embodiment described above. For this reason, the main part 510 is shaped like an arc plate that conforms to the shape of the printed circuit board 100. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 53, the main part 510 of the sealing member 500 has a thickness d1a in the inner edge region RI on the inner edge side that is thicker than the thickness d1b in the outer edge region RO on the outer edge side. In other words, the main part 510 is configured such that the difference in the amount of resin between the inner edge region RI side and the outer edge region RO side is small. In this embodiment, the main part 510 is configured such that its thickness gradually decreases from the inner edge region RI towards the outer edge region RO. Note that Figure 53 corresponds to a cross-section along the line LIII-LIII in Figure 4. Also, in this embodiment, the relationship between the thickness d1a and the thickness d1b corresponds to the suppression structure.
[0254] Furthermore, in such a configuration, a stepped portion 511 may be formed such that the thickness gradually decreases from the inner edge region RI to the outer edge region RO, as shown in Figure 54. Also, Figures 53 and 54 show an example of adjusting the thickness of the portion of the main part 510 located on one side 100a of the printed circuit board 100. However, in such a configuration, the thickness of the portion of the main part 510 located on the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100 may be adjusted, or the thickness of the portions of the main part 510 located on one side 100a and the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100 may be adjusted, respectively.
[0255] According to the embodiment described above, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are used, and the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa are calculated by performing a correction based on the gap comparison term δ. Therefore, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0256] (1) In this embodiment, the sealing member 500 has a thickness d1a on the inner edge region RI side that is thicker than the thickness d1b on the outer edge region RO side. In other words, the sealing member 500 is configured such that the difference in the amount of resin between the portion on the inner edge region RI side and the portion on the outer edge region RO side is small. As a result, the position detection device S1 can suppress the bending of the inner edge region RI and the outer edge region RO towards one side 100a or the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100, with respect to a virtual line extending in the circumferential direction.
[0257] (19th embodiment) The 19th embodiment will now be described. This embodiment specifies the thickness of the main part 510 of the position detection device S1 compared to the 17th embodiment. Other aspects are the same as in the 17th embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted here.
[0258] Similar to the 17th embodiment described above, this embodiment provides an electronic device that can suppress bending of the substrate during use.
[0259] Specifically, the electronic device of this embodiment constitutes the position detection device S1, and its basic configuration is the same as that of the 11th embodiment described above. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 55, the thickness d1d of the portion of the main part 510 located on one side 100a of the printed circuit board 100, specifically the portion located around the connector part 520, is thinner than the thickness d1c of the other portions. In other words, in the sealing member 500, where the connector part 520 is located and the amount of resin increases, a recess 512 is formed in the portion of the main part 510 located on one side 100a of the printed circuit board 100 to reduce the amount of resin in the portion located around the connector part 520. In this embodiment, the recess 512 corresponds to a suppression structure.
[0260] According to the embodiment described above, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are used, and the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa are calculated by performing a correction based on the gap comparison term δ. Therefore, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0261] (1) In this embodiment, in the portion of the main part 510 located on one side 100a of the printed circuit board 100, the thickness d1d of the portion located around the connector part 520 is thinner than the thickness d1c of the other portion. Therefore, the position detection device S1 can suppress the bending of both ends located in the longitudinal direction with respect to a virtual line extending in the radial direction as an axis, towards either the one side 100a or the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100.
[0262] (20th embodiment) The 20th embodiment will now be described. This embodiment specifies the thickness of the main part 510 of the position detection device S1 compared to the 17th embodiment. Other aspects are the same as in the 17th embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted here.
[0263] Similar to the 17th embodiment described above, this embodiment provides an electronic device that can suppress bending of the substrate during use.
[0264] Specifically, in the position detection device S1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 56, the thickness d2b of the portion of the main part 510 located on the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100, specifically the portion located around the connector part 520, is thinner than the thickness d2a of the other portion. In other words, in the sealing member 500, where the connector part 520 is located and the amount of resin increases, a recess 513 is formed in the portion of the main part 510 located on the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100 to reduce the amount of resin in the portion located around the connector part 520. In this embodiment, the recess 513 corresponds to a suppression structure.
[0265] In this case, as shown in Figure 57, the recess 513 may be formed to reach the printed circuit board 100. In addition, in the 19th embodiment described above, the recess 512 may also be formed to reach the printed circuit board 100.
[0266] According to the embodiment described above, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are used, and the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa are calculated by performing a correction based on the gap comparison term δ. Therefore, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0267] (1) In this embodiment, in the portion of the main part 510 located on the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100, the thickness d2b of the portion located around the connector part 520 is made thinner than the thickness d2a of the other portion. Therefore, the position detection device S1 can suppress the bending of both ends located in the longitudinal direction with respect to the imaginary line extending in the radial direction as an axis, towards either the side 100a or the other side 100b of the printed circuit board 100.
[0268] (Variations of the 17th to 20th embodiments) In the 17th to 20th embodiments described above, an example was described in which the main part 510 is made of thermosetting resin and the connector part 520 is made of thermoplastic resin. However, the sealing member 500 may be made entirely of thermosetting resin, similar to the first embodiment.
[0269] (Summary of Embodiments 17-20) Embodiments 17 to 20 are configured as described above. Furthermore, electronic devices like those in Embodiments 17 to 20 are also useful when sealing a printed circuit board 100 without the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 with a sealing member 500. Also, Embodiments 17 to 20 can be combined as appropriate. Therefore, Embodiments 17 to 20 can be summarized as having the following features.
[0270] (Perspective 1) An electronic device, A substrate (100) having one surface (100a) and another surface (100b) opposite to the said surface, The substrate is enclosed by a sealing member (500), The sealing member is an electronic device having a suppression structure for preventing the substrate from bending about one direction in the planar direction.
[0271] (Perspective 2) The electronic device according to viewpoint 1, wherein the sealing member has a portion where the thickness (d1, d2) of the portion disposed on one side of the substrate and the portion disposed on the other side of the substrate are equal.
[0272] (Perspective 3) The aforementioned substrate is shaped like an arc plate, The electronic device according to viewpoint 1 or 2, wherein the sealing member is in the shape of an arc-shaped plate arranged along the substrate, and the thickness (d1a) of the inner edge region (RI) on the inner edge side is greater than the thickness (R1b) of the portion located in the outer edge region (RO) on the outer edge side.
[0273] (Perspective 4) It is rod-shaped and has a terminal (400) at one end that is electrically connected to the substrate, The sealing member has a connector portion (520) that seals the terminal with the other end opposite to the one end exposed, and a main portion (510) that integrally seals the substrate and the connector portion. The electronic device according to any one of viewpoints 1 to 3, wherein the main part is an electronic device in which recesses (512, 513) are formed around the connector part.
[0274] (21st Embodiment) The 21st embodiment will now be described. This embodiment is a modification of the shape of the printed circuit board 100 compared to the first embodiment. Other aspects are the same as in the first embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted here.
[0275] First, Japanese Patent Publication No. 5226694 proposes a position detection device as an electronic device that detects the position of a detection object based on changes in the magnetic flux passing through it, by arranging a coil on a substrate. In this position detection device, the substrate is formed in a roughly C shape. Furthermore, in this position detection device, when arranging the substrate around the rotation axis, forming the substrate in a roughly C shape makes it easier to cancel out positional misalignment between the rotation axis and the substrate.
[0276] Such a substrate can be formed, for example, as follows: A rectangular substrate component board is prepared. Then, a substrate that is roughly C-shaped is cut out from this substrate component board to create the substrate.
[0277] However, when cutting a roughly C-shaped circuit board directly from a circuit board component, there tends to be a lot of unnecessary material.
[0278] Therefore, this embodiment provides an electronic device that can minimize waste of components.
[0279] Specifically, the electronic device of this embodiment constitutes a position detection device S1, and its basic configuration is the same as that of the 11th embodiment described above. However, in the position detection device S1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 58, the printed circuit board 100 is substantially circular in the normal direction. In this embodiment, arc-shaped printed circuit boards 181 to 184 are arranged in a substantially circular shape, and each printed circuit board 181 to 184 is electrically connected by connecting members 191 to 194 such as bonding wires, thereby constituting one printed circuit board 100. In this embodiment, each printed circuit board 181 to 184 corresponds to a component board.
[0280] Although not shown in Figure 58, the position detection device S1 is constructed by sealing each printed circuit board 181 to 184 integrally with a sealing member 500. However, the position detection device S1 may also be constructed by sealing each printed circuit board 181 to 184 with a separate sealing member 500 and then mechanically fixing them together. Also, although not shown in Figure 58, terminals 400 and the like are appropriately provided on the printed circuit board 100.
[0281] Such a printed circuit board 100 is constructed by preparing a printed circuit board component board 1000 and removing each printed circuit board 181 to 184 from the printed circuit board component board 1000, as shown in Figure 59. In this case, for example, when removing a roughly O-shaped printed circuit board from the printed circuit board component board 1000, it is removed as shown in Figure 60, resulting in a large amount of wasted material. However, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 59, each printed circuit board 181 to 184 is cut out, so each printed circuit board 181 to 184 can be made narrower, and the wasted portion of the printed circuit board component board 1000 can be reduced.
[0282] According to the embodiment described above, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are used, and the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa are calculated by performing a correction based on the gap comparison term δ. Therefore, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0283] (1) In this embodiment, the printed circuit board 100 is an annular shape formed by connecting multiple printed circuit boards 181 to 184. Therefore, the amount of unnecessary parts of the printed circuit board component board 1000 used to cut out the printed circuit boards 181 to 184 can be reduced, and material waste can be reduced.
[0284] (2) In this embodiment, the printed circuit board 100 is circular in shape. Therefore, compared to the case where the printed circuit board 100 is arc-shaped, it is easier to suppress warping.
[0285] (3) In this embodiment, the printed circuit board 100 is circular in shape. Therefore, when the position detection device S1 is configured, it is easier to cancel out the misalignment with the rotating plate 30 (i.e., the hub bearing 10), and the detection accuracy can be improved.
[0286] (Modified version of the 21st embodiment) In the 21st embodiment described above, the printed circuit board 100 may not be a perfect circle, but rather a roughly C-shape with a portion missing. Furthermore, although the 21st embodiment described an example in which one printed circuit board 100 is composed of four printed circuit boards 181 to 184, one printed circuit board 100 may be composed of three or fewer printed circuit boards, or five or more printed circuit boards.
[0287] (Summary of the 21st embodiment) The 21st embodiment is configured as described above. Furthermore, an electronic device like the 21st embodiment is also useful when sealing a printed circuit board 100, which does not have a transmitting coil 110, a first receiving coil 120, or a second receiving coil 130, with a sealing member 500. Therefore, the 21st embodiment can be summarized as having the following advantages.
[0288] (Perspective 1) An electronic device, Circuit board (100) and The substrate is enclosed by a sealing member (500), The aforementioned substrate is an electronic device composed of multiple arc-shaped component substrates (181-184) connected together.
[0289] (Perspective 2) The electronic device according to viewpoint 1, wherein the substrate is formed by connecting the plurality of component substrates to form a circle.
[0290] (22nd Embodiment) The 22nd embodiment will now be described. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the location of the position detection device S1 is changed. Other aspects are the same as in the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation will be omitted here.
[0291] First, Japanese Patent Publication No. 5226694 proposes a position detection device that detects the position of a detection object based on changes in the magnetic flux passing through it, by arranging a coil on a substrate. Specifically, this position detection device has a substrate that is roughly C-shaped, which is arc-shaped. The position detection device is fixed to a fixed base arranged around the rotation axis so as to face the rotation axis, via fastening members such as screws.
[0292] However, when positioning the position detection device via fastening members, the holes formed in the mounting base are made slightly larger than the fastening members to facilitate assembly. As a result, the rotation axis and the axis of the position detection device may be misaligned, potentially reducing detection accuracy. The axis of the position detection device refers to the central axis of the circle that forms part of the arc of the substrate.
[0293] Therefore, this embodiment provides a rotation detection device system that can suppress axial misalignment of the rotation axis and the position detection device.
[0294] Specifically, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 61 and 62, a support portion 44 is formed on the fixed base 40. More specifically, the support portion 44 in this embodiment is configured with a circular recess centered on the hub bearing 10 (i.e., the through hole 40a), and has a side surface that coincides with a circle centered on the hub bearing 10. The support portion 44 may also be composed of a convex portion formed by placing a separate member on the fixed base 40. Furthermore, the support portion 44 is used when the position detection device S1 is positioned, as will be described later. For this reason, the support portion 44 may be formed only in the area where the position detection device S1 is positioned, and may be arc-shaped.
[0295] The position detection device S1 has the same configuration as in the first embodiment described above, and the inner edge side surface of the main part 510 is configured to coincide with the arc of a virtual circle centered on the hub bearing 10. In other words, the inner edge side surface of the main part 510 has a shape corresponding to the side surface of the support part 44. In this embodiment, the position detection device S1 is mounted on the fixed base 40 with the inner edge side surface of the main part 510 pressed against the support part 44, and a fastening member (not shown) is inserted through the collar part 530. In this case, since the collar part 530 is formed to be larger than the fastening member, there is a possibility that the position detection device S1 may be misaligned when it is mounted on the fixed base 40. However, in this embodiment, the inner edge side surface of the position detection device S1 (i.e., the main part 510) is fixed in a state where it is pressed against the support part 44. Therefore, when the position detection device S1 is placed on the fixed base 40, there is a possibility that misalignment may occur along the circumferential direction, but the positional relationship between the axis of the position detection device S1 and the axis of the hub bearing 10 is less likely to be misaligned. Therefore, a decrease in detection accuracy can be suppressed.
[0296] According to the embodiment described above, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are used, and the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa are calculated by performing a correction based on the gap comparison term δ. Therefore, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0297] (1) In this embodiment, the fixed base 40 has a support portion 44 having a side surface that coincides with a circle centered on the hub bearing 10. The position detection device S1 is mounted on the fixed base 40 with its inner edge side surface pressed against the support portion 44. Therefore, when position detection device S1 is placed on the fixed base 40, there is a possibility of positional misalignment along the circumferential direction, but the positional relationship between the axis of the position detection device S1 and the axis of the hub bearing 10 is less likely to shift. Thus, a decrease in detection accuracy can be suppressed.
[0298] In this embodiment, when the position detection device S1 is mounted on the fixed base 40 in a state where it is pressed against the support part 44, the position detection device S1 may be misaligned in the circumferential direction. In this case, the first voltage value V1 generated in the first receiving coil 120 and the second voltage value V2 generated in the second receiving coil 130 will mainly be out of phase. Therefore, by correcting the phase shift due to the circumferential axis misalignment in the signal processing unit 210, the decrease in detection accuracy can be further suppressed. In this case, since the correction for the circumferential axis misalignment in the signal processing unit 210 is only the phase shift, the processing for correction can be simplified compared to, for example, when the axis of the hub bearing 10 and the axis of the position detection device S1 are misaligned and correction is performed.
[0299] (Modified version of the 22nd embodiment) In the 22nd embodiment described above, an example was described in which the inner edge side of the position detection device S1 is pressed against the support portion 44. However, although not specifically shown, the support portion 44 on the fixed base 40 may be configured so that the outer edge side of the position detection device S1 is pressed against it. The position detection device S1 may then be mounted on the fixed base 40 with its outer edge side pressed against the support portion 44.
[0300] (Summary of the 22nd embodiment) The 22nd embodiment is configured as described above. Therefore, the 22nd embodiment can be summarized as having the following aspects.
[0301] (Perspective 1) A position detection device system, A position detection device (S1) having a substrate (100) positioned opposite a displaceable detection body (30), a transmitting coil (110) formed on the substrate, receiving coils (120, 130) positioned inside the transmitting coil in the direction normal to the surface direction of the substrate, and a sealing member (500) that seals the substrate and is shaped like an arc plate, A fixed base (40) on which the position detection device is placed, The detection body is provided with a rotating shaft (10) which is rotatably positioned on the fixed base, The aforementioned fixed base has a support portion (44) formed thereon, which has a side surface that coincides with a circle centered on the rotation axis. The sealing member of the position detection device has an arc-shaped portion with a side surface along the support portion, and the position detection device system is fixed to the fixed base with the side surface pressed against the support portion.
[0302] (23rd embodiment) A 23rd embodiment will now be described. This embodiment is modified from the first embodiment by adding a component to the position detection device S1. Other aspects are the same as in the first embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted here.
[0303] First, as previously reported in Japanese Patent Publication No. 5226694, a position detection device has been proposed that uses a coil placed on a substrate to detect the position of a detection object based on changes in the magnetic flux passing through it.
[0304] Incidentally, the inventors are considering how to effectively utilize the space on the substrate in the position detection device described above.
[0305] Therefore, this embodiment provides a position detection device that can effectively utilize the space on the substrate.
[0306] Specifically, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 63 and 64, a collar portion 530a is also formed in the central part of the position detection device S1 in the circumferential direction. Similar to the collar portions 530 formed at both ends in the circumferential direction, this collar portion 530a is constructed by placing a metal collar 532a in a through hole 531a, through which a fastening member is inserted. Hereinafter, the collar portion 530a formed in the central part of the position detection device S1 in the circumferential direction will also be referred to as the central collar portion 530a. In this embodiment, the central collar portion 530a corresponds to a component.
[0307] The central color section 530a is located within the region enclosed by the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130. Furthermore, the portions of the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 that surround the central color section 530a are shaped to be widened on the opposite side of the central color section 530a from the ideal waveform. Figure 64 is a diagram corresponding to Figure 6, and the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are all shown with solid lines. Also, in Figure 64, the ideal waveform corresponding to the widened portions of the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 is shown with dotted lines.
[0308] The signal processing unit 210 then performs a correction process to correct the waveform shift of the first voltage value V1 and the second voltage value V2 caused by widening the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130. This correction process is performed, for example, by pre-deriving the gain, offset, and phase shifts caused by widening the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130, and using each of these terms for correction. Furthermore, this correction process is performed, for example, by pre-deriving the difference from the ideal output due to widening the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 as a slope correction value and an offset correction value, and using the slope correction value and the offset value for correction. In addition, this correction process is performed, for example, by multi-point correction of the obtained output according to the difference from the ideal output.
[0309] According to the embodiment described above, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are used, and the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa are calculated by performing a correction based on the gap comparison term δ. Therefore, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0310] (1) In this embodiment, the central color portion 530a is formed at a position different from that of each coil 110, 120, and 130 on the printed circuit board 100. Therefore, compared to, for example, a case in which a protrusion is provided on the outer edge of the printed circuit board 100 and the central color portion 530a is placed on this protrusion, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the printed circuit board 100 and make effective use of the space of the printed circuit board 100.
[0311] (2) In this embodiment, a central color portion 530a having a metal color 532a is formed at a position different from each of the coils 110, 120, and 130 on the printed circuit board 100. Therefore, the central color portion 530a functions as a restraining structure that suppresses bending when the position detection device S1 is manufactured or during use, thereby preventing the position detection device S1 from bending. Consequently, a decrease in detection accuracy can be suppressed.
[0312] (3) In this embodiment, the portion of the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 that surrounds the central collar portion 530a is shaped to be wider on the opposite side of the central collar portion 530a with respect to the ideal waveform. Therefore, it is easy to change the size of the central collar portion 530a to be larger, improving the degree of design freedom. In addition, it is possible to prevent the placement of the metal collar 532 from being too close to the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130, thereby reducing the influence of metal (i.e., noise) on the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130.
[0313] (4) In this embodiment, the signal processing unit 210 performs correction processing to correct the waveform shift of the first voltage value V1 and the second voltage value V2 caused by widening the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130. This suppresses a decrease in detection accuracy.
[0314] (Modified version of the 23rd embodiment) A modified version of the 23rd embodiment described above will now be explained. In the 23rd embodiment described above, an example was described in which a central color portion 530a is provided. However, as shown in Figure 65, the position detection device S1 may have an electronic component 533 such as a capacitor arranged in the area surrounded by the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130. This eliminates the need for mounting members and mounting space when the electronic component 533 is placed elsewhere, and allows for effective use of the space on the printed circuit board 100. In this configuration, the electronic component 533 corresponds to a component.
[0315] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 66, the position detection device S1 may have connecting vias 141 for connecting the wiring layers of each layer of the printed circuit board 100 in the area surrounded by the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130. This prevents the printed circuit board 100 from becoming larger compared to the case where the connecting vias 141 are placed in an area different from the area surrounded by the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130, and allows for effective use of the space on the printed circuit board 100. In this configuration, the connecting vias 141 correspond to a component. In addition, the position detection device S1 may have only a through hole 531a, and the central collar portion 530a may be provided on the fixed base 40 side to which the position detection device S1 is assembled. In this configuration, the through hole 531a corresponds to a component.
[0316] (Summary of the 23rd embodiment) The 23rd embodiment is configured as described above. Therefore, in summary, it can be said to possess the following features.
[0317] (Perspective 1) A position detection device, A substrate (100) is positioned opposite to the displaceable detection elements (30, 37), A transmitting coil (110) formed on the substrate, The substrate comprises a first receiving coil (120) and a second receiving coil (130) arranged inside the transmitting coil in the direction normal to the surface direction of the substrate, In the direction normal to the surface direction of the substrate, the region enclosed by the first receiving coil and the second receiving coil has components (141, 530a, 531a, 533) arranged therein. A position detection device in which the portion of the first receiving coil and the second receiving coil that surrounds the component is extended to the opposite side from the component.
[0318] (Perspective 2) The position detection device according to viewpoint 1, wherein the aforementioned component includes a through hole (531a) through which a fastening member is inserted.
[0319] (Perspective 3) The system includes a signal processing unit (210) that performs predetermined processing based on the first characteristic value of the first receiving coil and the second characteristic value of the second receiving coil, The position detection device according to viewpoint 1 or 2, wherein the signal processing unit performs correction by widening the first receiving coil and the second receiving coil.
[0320] (24th embodiment) A 24th embodiment will now be described. This embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment in which the shapes of the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 are changed. Other aspects are the same as in the first embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted here.
[0321] First, as previously reported in Japanese Patent Publication No. 5226694, a position detection device has been proposed that uses a coil placed on a substrate to detect the position of a detection object based on changes in the magnetic flux passing through it.
[0322] Incidentally, in a position detection device using the coil described above, the present inventors are considering the following position detection device. Specifically, the present inventors are considering a position detection device that includes a transmitting coil on a substrate, and a first receiving coil and a second receiving coil arranged inside the transmitting coil in the direction normal to the surface direction of the substrate, and that detects the displacement of a detection object using the change in magnetic flux passing through the first receiving coil and the second receiving coil. The transmitting coil is spiral-shaped with one direction being the longitudinal direction in the direction normal to the surface direction of the substrate. The first receiving coil is formed in a sinusoidal shape, and the second receiving coil is formed in a cosine shape.
[0323] When using this position detection device to detect the position of a detection object, the detection object is positioned to face the first and second receiving coils, so that when the detection object is displaced, the area of contact between the detection object and the first and second receiving coils changes. As a result, the eddy currents generated in the detection object cancel out the magnetic fields passing through the first and second receiving coils, so that the canceled magnetic field changes depending on the position of the detection object. Therefore, the position of the detection object can be detected based on the voltage values of the first and second receiving coils.
[0324] However, in such a position detection device, if the first and second receiving coils are positioned close to the transmitting coil, the magnetic field of the transmitting coil may not affect the first and second receiving coils equally. In other words, certain points on the first and second receiving coils may be more affected by the transmitting coil's magnetic field than other points. Specifically, since the magnetic field of the transmitting coil tends to concentrate at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the transmitting coil, the first and second receiving coils positioned near both ends in the longitudinal direction of the transmitting coil may be greatly affected by the transmitting coil's magnetic field. In this case, if the first receiving coil is formed to be an ideal closed-loop sinusoidal wave and the second receiving coil is formed to be an ideal closed-loop cosine wave, the influence of the transmitting coil on the first and second receiving coils may differ significantly. Therefore, the detection accuracy of such a position detection device may decrease.
[0325] Therefore, this embodiment provides a position detection device that can suppress a decrease in detection accuracy.
[0326] First, the reasons for the decrease in detection accuracy will be explained in detail with reference to Figures 67 and 68. Figure 67 corresponds to Figure 6, and the first receiving coil 120 is shown entirely with solid lines, while vias 140 and connecting wires 150 connected to the wiring layers constituting the first receiving coil 120, as well as the second receiving coil 130, etc., are omitted. Figure 68 also corresponds to Figure 6, and the second receiving coil 130 is shown entirely with solid lines, while vias 140 and connecting wires 150 connected to the wiring layers constituting the second receiving coil 130, as well as the first receiving coil 120, are omitted.
[0327] As shown in Figure 67, when the first receiving coil 120 is formed to be an ideal closed-loop sinusoidal shape, two regions are formed. Hereinafter, one region will be referred to as the first region 120Ra and the other as the second region 120Rb. In this case, the current generated in the first receiving coil 120 by the magnetic field originating from the transmitting coil 110 will be in opposite directions in the portion constituting the first region 120Ra and the portion constituting the second region 120Rb. In Figure 67, to make it easier to understand the direction of the current, the first region 120Ra is indicated by a + symbol and the second region 120Rb is indicated by a - symbol. Furthermore, as described above, the magnetic field of the transmitting coil 110 tends to concentrate at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the transmitting coil 110, so the region that is easily affected by the magnetic field concentration of the transmitting coil 110 will be referred to as the change region HR. In other words, the change region HR is the region that includes the ends in the longitudinal direction of the transmitting coil 110 and in which the magnetic field is larger than that of the center inside the transmitting coil 110. In addition, in Figure 67 and the corresponding figures that follow, the region susceptible to the effects of magnetic field concentration in the transmitting coil 110 is shown as the change region HR.
[0328] In this case, the overlap between the first region 120Ra and the second region 120Rb with the change region HR is approximately equal. Furthermore, the current generated in the first receiving coil 120 is in opposite directions in the portion constituting the first region 120Ra and the portion constituting the second region 120Rb. For this reason, the influence of the change region HR is easily canceled out in the first receiving coil 120.
[0329] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 68, when the second receiving coil 130 is formed to be an ideal closed-loop cosine wave, three regions are formed. Hereinafter, the region located at the end of the three regions will be called the third region 130Ra, the region adjacent to the third region 130Ra will be called the fourth region 130Rb, and the region located on the opposite side of the fourth region 130Rb from the third region 130Ra will be called the fifth region 130Rc. In this case, the current generated in the second receiving coil 130 by the magnetic field originating from the transmitting coil 110 will have the same direction in the portion constituting the third region 130Ra and the portion constituting the fifth region 130Rc, and the opposite direction in the portion constituting the fourth region 130Rb. In Figure 68, the third region 130Ra and the fifth region 130Rc are indicated by a + sign, and the fourth region 130Rb is indicated by a - sign, in order to make the direction of the current easier to understand.
[0330] In this case, the third region 130Ra and the fifth region 130Rc overlap with the change region HR, but the fourth region 130Rb does not overlap with the change region HR. In other words, the third region 130Ra and the fifth region 130Rc, where current is generated in the same direction, are affected by the change region HR, while the fourth region 130Rb, where current flows in the opposite direction to the third region 130Ra and the fifth region 130Rc, is not affected by the change region HR. Therefore, the second receiving coil 130 is less likely to have the effect of the change region HR canceled out and will be greatly affected by the magnetic field of the transmitting coil 110. For this reason, if the first receiving coil 120 is an ideal sinusoidal wave and the second receiving coil 130 is an ideal cosine wave, the effect of the change region HR on the second receiving coil 130 will be much larger than the effect of the change region HR on the first receiving coil 120, which may reduce the detection accuracy.
[0331] Therefore, in this embodiment, the following configuration is adopted. First, as shown in Figure 69, the first receiving coil 120 is an ideal closed-loop sinusoidal shape, and as described above, the influence of the change region HR is reduced.
[0332] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 69 and 70, the second receiving coil 130 of this embodiment has a waveform that is phase-shifted by a predetermined amount (but less than 90°) from an ideal sine wave so that the influence of the change region HR is applied not only to the third region 130Ra and the fifth region 130Rc but also to the fourth region 130Rb. In other words, the second receiving coil 130 is formed such that at least two regions in which the direction of current flow is opposite overlap with the change region HR. As a result, the current generated in the second receiving coil 130 flows in the same direction in the third region 130Ra and the fifth region 130Rc, and in the opposite direction in the fourth region 130Rb. Therefore, the influence of the change region HR on the second receiving coil 130 is more easily canceled out, and a decrease in detection accuracy can be suppressed.
[0333] According to the embodiment described above, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are used, and the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa are calculated by performing a correction based on the gap comparison term δ. Therefore, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0334] (1) In this embodiment, the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 are formed such that at least two regions in the normal direction, where the direction of current flow is opposite, overlap with the change region HR. Therefore, the influence of the magnetic field of the change region HR on the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 can be reduced, and a decrease in detection accuracy can be suppressed.
[0335] (2) In this embodiment, the first receiving coil 120 is sinusoidal, and the second receiving coil 130 has a waveform that is phase-shifted from the sine wave by a predetermined amount (but less than 90°). Therefore, only the shape of the second receiving coil 130 needs to be changed, making it easy to reuse conventional designs.
[0336] (Modified version of the 24th embodiment) A modified version of the 24th embodiment described above will now be explained. In the 24th embodiment, an example was described in which the first receiving coil 120 is an ideal sinusoidal wave, and the second receiving coil 130 is a wave that is shifted in phase by a predetermined amount from the ideal sinusoidal wave. In this case, as shown in Figures 71 and 72, the first receiving coil 120 may be a wave that is shifted in the positive direction by a predetermined amount from the ideal sinusoidal wave, and the second receiving coil 130 may be a wave that is shifted in the negative direction by a predetermined amount from the ideal sinusoidal wave. This makes it possible to reduce the difference in the magnitude of the influence received by the change region HR between the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130. For this reason, for example, it is possible to design the processing side when it is desired to improve the accuracy when the rotating plate 30 is rotated by a predetermined angle, that is, when it is desired to improve the detection accuracy for a specific angle of the rotating plate 30. In this configuration, the positive direction is the first direction, and the negative direction is the second direction.
[0337] (Summary of the 24th embodiment) The 24th embodiment is configured as described above. Therefore, in summary, it can be said to possess the following features.
[0338] (Perspective 1) A position detection device, A substrate (100) is positioned opposite to the displaceable detection elements (30, 37), A transmitting coil (110) formed on the substrate, The substrate comprises a first receiving coil (120) and a second receiving coil (130) arranged inside the transmitting coil in the direction normal to the surface direction of the substrate, The transmitting coil is spiral-shaped with one direction being the longitudinal direction in the direction normal to the surface direction of the substrate. If the region including the longitudinal end of the transmitting coil, where the magnetic field is greater than that of the center inside the transmitting coil, is defined as the variation region (HR), The first receiving coil and the second receiving coil have closed-loop waveforms having at least two regions in which the current generated by the influence of the magnetic field of the transmitting coil is in opposite directions, and are out of phase with respect to each other. Furthermore, the position detection device is formed such that the at least two regions in opposite directions overlap with the change region in the direction normal to the plane direction of the substrate.
[0339] (Perspective 2) The first receiving coil is a closed-loop sinusoidal coil, The position detection device according to viewpoint 1, wherein the second receiving coil has a waveform obtained by shifting the first receiving coil's waveform by a predetermined phase amount within a range of less than 90°.
[0340] (Perspective 3) The first receiving coil is configured to produce a waveform obtained by shifting a closed-loop sine wave by a predetermined phase amount in the first direction within a range of less than 90°. The position detection device according to viewpoint 1, wherein the second receiving coil has a waveform obtained by shifting a closed-loop sine wave by a predetermined phase amount in a second direction opposite to the first direction by a range of less than 90°.
[0341] (25th Embodiment) A 25th embodiment will now be described. This embodiment is a modification of the shape of the printed circuit board 100 compared to the first embodiment. Other aspects are the same as in the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation will be omitted here.
[0342] First, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-507348 proposes a position detection device that detects the position of a detection object based on changes in the magnetic flux passing through it, by arranging a coil on a substrate. In this position detection device, the substrate is formed in a circular shape with an arc.
[0343] Incidentally, it is desirable that such position detection devices (i.e., circuit boards) be shaped to fit the space in which they are placed.
[0344] Furthermore, when changing the shape of the position detection device, it is desirable to also change the shape of the coil to match the shape of the position detection device (i.e., the circuit board).
[0345] This embodiment provides a position detection device that can improve the degree of freedom in placement.
[0346] Specifically, in this embodiment, the position detection device S1 has a rectangular printed circuit board 100, as shown in Figure 73. By making the printed circuit board 100 rectangular in shape, for example, when cutting out the portion that becomes the printed circuit board 100 from a rectangular substrate board, it is possible to suppress the amount of unnecessary material and reduce material waste.
[0347] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the shapes of the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 are adjusted so that the same detection accuracy as when the printed circuit board 100 is arc-shaped (i.e., roughly C-shaped) can be obtained when the printed circuit board 100 is rectangular. In other words, even if the printed circuit board 100 is rectangular, the area enclosed by the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 is not reduced.
[0348] For example, when a second receiving coil 130 formed on an arc-shaped printed circuit board 100 is formed on a rectangular printed circuit board 100, the relationship is as shown in Figure 74. In Figure 74, the central axis of the rotating plate 30 is taken as reference C, and the second receiving coil 130 formed along the circumferential direction of a virtual circle with radius r centered on reference C is referred to as a virtual second receiving coil J130. Figure 74 then shows the relationship between this virtual second receiving coil J130 and the second receiving coil 130 formed on the rectangular printed circuit board 100.
[0349] First, the position of the virtual second receiving coil J130 from reference C is shown by equations 7 and 8 below. Note that in the following equations, the horizontal axis in Figure 74 is the x-axis, the vertical axis is the y-axis, and the angle in the circumferential direction is θ.
[0350] (Equation 7) x cos = (r + w × cosθ) × cosθ ... (Equation 7)
[0351] (Equation 8) ycos = (r + w × cosθ) × sinθ ... (Equation 8) Furthermore, although not specifically shown in the diagram, if we consider the first receiving coil 120 formed along the circumferential direction of a virtual circle with radius r centered at reference C as the virtual first receiving coil, the position of the virtual first receiving coil from reference C is shown by the following equations 9 and 10.
[0352] (Equation 9) xsin=(r+w×sinθ)×cosθ···(Equation 9)
[0353] (Equation 10) ysin=(r+w×sinθ)×sinθ···(Equation 10) In order to make the arc-shaped virtual first receiving coil and the arc-shaped second receiving coil 130 rectangular, as shown in Figure 75A, if R is the length from the reference C to the center of the waveform of the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 formed on the rectangular printed circuit board 100, then the following equation 11 should be satisfied.
[0354] (Formula 11)r(θ)×cosθ=R...(Formula 11) Then, if we denote the small area where the rotating plate 30 overlaps with the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 as ds, and the amplitude along the imaginary line K extending radially from the reference C of the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 as w, then the small area ds is given by the following equation 12.
[0355] (Equation 12) ds = {(r+w) × dθ + (rw) × ds} × (2W / 2) ... (Equation 12) Performing this calculation yields equation 13 below.
[0356] (Equation 13) ds = 2wrdθ ... (Equation 13) From equation 13 above, it can be confirmed that the infinitesimal area ds is proportional to r. Furthermore, in order to keep the area of the overlapping region between the rotating plate 30 and the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 constant regardless of the angle, it is sufficient to satisfy equation 14 below.
[0357] (Equation 14) w(θ)∝1 / r···(Equation 14) Therefore, in this embodiment, the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 are configured such that the area enclosed by the virtual first receiving coil and the virtual second receiving coil J130, which are formed along the arc of a virtual circle with radius r with the central axis of the rotating plate 30 as the reference C, is the same as the area enclosed by the virtual first receiving coil and the virtual second receiving coil J130, where the amplitude of the portion intersecting the virtual line K extending radially from the reference C is inversely proportional to the radius r.
[0358] According to the embodiment described above, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are used, and the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa are calculated by performing a correction based on the gap comparison term δ. Therefore, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0359] (1) In this embodiment, the printed circuit board 100 is rectangular in shape. Therefore, for example, if a rectangular plate is prepared as the printed circuit board component that makes up the printed circuit board 100, and the rectangular printed circuit board 100 is cut out from this printed circuit board component, the amount of unnecessary material can be reduced. Thus, material waste can be reduced.
[0360] (2) In this embodiment, the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 are configured such that the amplitude of the portion intersecting the virtual line K extending radially from the reference C is inversely proportional to the radius r, so that the area enclosed by the virtual first receiving coil and virtual second receiving coil J130, which are formed along the arc of a virtual circle with radius r with the central axis of the rotating plate 30 as the reference C, is the same as the area enclosed by the virtual first receiving coil and virtual second receiving coil J130. Therefore, compared to the case where the virtual first receiving coil and virtual second receiving coil J130 are formed, a decrease in detection accuracy can be suppressed. Furthermore, in a configuration like this embodiment, if the amplitude of the portion intersecting the virtual line K extending radially from the reference C is inversely proportional to the radius r, the length R can be an arbitrary function, not just a constant. For example, if the arbitrary function is denoted as f(θ), the relationship shown in Figure 75B holds. Therefore, the printed circuit board 100 (i.e., the position detection device S1) does not have to be a rectangular shape in planar form. For example, as shown in Figure 75B, it may have a shape in which a substantially rectangular portion and a substantially arc-shaped portion are connected. In other words, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the shape of the position detection device S1 (i.e., the printed circuit board 100) can be freely changed to suit the space on which it is to be placed, thereby improving the degree of freedom in placement.
[0361] (Summary of the 25th embodiment) The 25th embodiment is configured as described above. Therefore, in summary, it can be said to possess the following features.
[0362] (Perspective 1) A position detection device, A substrate (100) is positioned opposite a displaceable detection body (30), A transmitting coil (110) formed on the substrate, The substrate comprises a first receiving coil (120) and a second receiving coil (130) arranged inside the transmitting coil in the direction normal to the surface direction of the substrate, The detection body is a disc, and a radially recessed recess (31) is periodically formed along the circumferential direction at a position facing the substrate, and is rotatably arranged about the central axis of the disc. A position detection device in which the first and second receiving coils are configured such that the area enclosed by the virtual first and second receiving coils (J130), which are formed along the arc of a virtual circle with radius (r) and the central axis of the disk as the reference (C), is the same as the area enclosed by the virtual first and second receiving coils (J130), and the amplitude of the portion intersecting with a virtual line (K) extending radially from the reference is inversely proportional to the radius.
[0363] (26th embodiment) The 26th embodiment will now be described. This embodiment specifies the shape of the printed circuit board 100 compared to the 16th embodiment. Other aspects are the same as in the 16th embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted here.
[0364] First, Japanese Patent Publication No. 5226694 proposes an electronic device in which various electronic components are mounted on a substrate. Such electronic devices are typically used with the substrate sealed with a sealing member. The substrate used includes a base material, a wiring layer formed on the base material, and a solder resist arranged to cover the wiring layer. The solder resist is typically made of a general material having a glass transition temperature of around 120°C.
[0365] However, in electronic devices like those described above, the substrate may bend when it is sealed with the sealing member. For this reason, it is conceivable to seal the substrate with the sealing member while clamping it with force pins, for example, forming the sealing member as in the 16th embodiment described above.
[0366] In this case, the portion of the substrate held by the forced pins is in contact with the forced pins and will therefore be exposed when the sealing material is formed. When the solder resist covering the wiring layer formed on the substrate is exposed from the sealing material, depending on the operating environment, the stress due to the difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion between the sealing material and the solder resist will increase. In this case, cracks may occur in the solder resist, and if the cracks reach the wiring layer, the wiring layer may become exposed. In this case, for example, if the electronic device is placed in an area filled with oil such as automatic transmission fluid, the oil may reach the wiring layer and corrode it.
[0367] Therefore, this embodiment provides an electronic device that can suppress the exposure of the wiring layer.
[0368] Specifically, the electronic device of this embodiment constitutes a position detection device S1, and its basic configuration is the same as that of the 16th embodiment described above. The printed circuit board 100 of this embodiment has a configuration that includes a base material 1100, a wiring layer 1200 formed on the base material 1100, and a solder resist 1300 that covers the wiring layer 1200 formed on the outermost surface.
[0369] The substrate 1100 is constructed by impregnating glass fibers with epoxy resin, and is configured to have a higher glass transition temperature than the solder resist 1300. For example, the substrate 1100 is configured to have a glass transition temperature above the ambient temperature. Figure 76 shows a printed circuit board 100 having two layers of substrate 1100 and a wiring layer 1200. In this case, the substrate 1100 on the solder resist 1300 side is also called a prepreg, and the substrate 1100 located on the opposite side of the prepreg from the solder resist 1300 is also called a core material. Although a printed circuit board 100 having two layers of substrate 1100 and a wiring layer 1200 is shown here, for example, if four wiring layers are provided as in the first embodiment described above, at least four wiring layers 1200 will be provided.
[0370] The position detection device S1 is manufactured as in the 16th embodiment described above, and the sealing member 500 has a recess 560 formed therein that exposes the printed circuit board 100. In this embodiment, the portion of the printed circuit board 100 that is exposed from the sealing member 500 is made of a substrate 1100 with a higher glass transition point than the solder resist 1300. In other words, the solder resist 1300 is patterned so that it is not exposed from the recess 560. Such a solder resist 1300 can be easily formed by patterning using a mask.
[0371] According to the embodiment described above, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are used, and the rotation angle θ and the corrected rotation angle θa are calculated by performing a correction based on the gap comparison term δ. Therefore, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.
[0372] (1) In this embodiment, the portion of the printed circuit board 100 that is exposed from the sealing member 500 is made of a substrate 1100 with a higher glass transition point than the solder resist 1300. Therefore, it is possible to use it at a temperature higher than the glass transition point of the solder resist 1300, and it is possible to suppress the occurrence of cracks caused by the difference in thermal expansion coefficients with the sealing member 500 due to the thermal cycle. Thus, it is possible to suppress the exposure of the wiring layer 1200 from the sealing member 500, and thus suppress the corrosion of the wiring layer 1200. For example, even if the position detection device S1 is placed in a portion filled with oil 41 such as automatic transmission fluid, as in the 15th embodiment, it is possible to suppress the corrosion of the wiring layer 1200. Therefore, according to the electronic device of this embodiment, the degree of freedom of placement can also be improved.
[0373] (Modified version of the 26th embodiment) A modified example of the 26th embodiment will now be described. In the 26th embodiment, an example was described in which the printed circuit board 100 is composed of a multilayer board having a plurality of wiring layers 1200, but the printed circuit board 100 may be a single-layer board having a single wiring layer 1200.
[0374] (Summary of the 26th embodiment) The 26th embodiment is configured as described above. Furthermore, an electronic device like the 26th embodiment is also useful when sealing a printed circuit board 100, which does not have a transmitting coil 110, a first receiving coil 120, or a second receiving coil 130, with a sealing member 500. Therefore, the 26th embodiment can be summarized as having the following advantages.
[0375] (Perspective 1) An electronic device, Circuit board (100) and The system comprises a sealing member (50) for sealing the substrate, The sealing member has a recess (560) that exposes a part of the substrate, The substrate comprises a base material (1100), a wiring layer (1200) disposed on the base material, and a solder resist (1300) that covers the wiring layer and is sealed with the sealing member. The substrate has a configuration that has a higher glass transition temperature than the solder resist. The portion of the substrate exposed from the recess is the electronic device that serves as the substrate.
[0376] (27th embodiment) The 27th embodiment will now be described. This embodiment modifies the configuration of the transmitting coil 110 and the receiving coil 120 compared to the first embodiment, and changes the shape of the printed circuit board 100 and the sealing member 500 accordingly. Other aspects are the same as in the first embodiment, so their explanation will be omitted here.
[0377] First, German Patent Application Publication No. 102008012922 describes a position detection device comprising a transmitting coil and a plurality of receiving coils, which are positioned opposite a rotor, a detection body made of a conductive material.
[0378] In recent years, there has been a need for miniaturization of this type of position detection device, requiring both miniaturization and the assurance of position detection accuracy. However, when the entire position detection device is miniaturized, the size of the transmitting and receiving coils decreases, which reduces the magnetic field generated between the detected object and the position detection device, as well as the detection signal from the position detection device, making it difficult to ensure position detection accuracy.
[0379] Therefore, this embodiment provides a position detection device that can achieve both miniaturization and accuracy in position detection.
[0380] In this embodiment, the transmitting coil 110 is composed of two coils 111 and 112 with different outer diameters in the normal direction, as shown in Figure 77, for example, and is formed by drawing a single continuous line such that these two coils 111 and 112 do not overlap each other. The transmitting coil 110 has an outer coil 111 with a larger outer diameter and an inner coil 112 which is positioned inside the outer coil 111 and has a smaller outer diameter than the outer coil 111. The outer coil 111 and the inner coil 112 are each wound in a substantially annular shape and are positioned at a distance from each other, except for the connecting portion. For the sake of explanation, the region located in the gap between the outer coil 111 and the inner coil 112 will be referred to as the "gap region R2". The outer coil 111 and the inner coil 112 are wound in opposite directions to increase the strength of the magnetic field in the gap region R2 when an AC voltage is applied, by aligning the direction of the magnetic field. For example, as shown by the arrows in Figure 77, if the outer coil 111 is wound clockwise, the inner coil 112 is wound counterclockwise. The winding directions of the outer coil 111 and the inner coil 112 may be reversed. Thus, the number of turns and winding direction of the outer coil 111 and the inner coil 112 are not limited to the example shown in Figure 77 and can be changed as appropriate.
[0381] In this embodiment, the receiving coils 120 and 130 are arranged in the normal direction within the gap region R2 surrounded by the transmitting coil 110. In this embodiment, the receiving coils 120 and 130 have a pattern shape that draws a closed-loop sinusoidal curve and are substantially annular in shape along the transmitting coil 110.
[0382] In Figure 77, the connection wiring 150 connected to the transmitting coil 110 and the first receiving coil 120 are shown with solid lines, the second receiving coil 130 with a dashed line, and the connection wiring 150 connected to the receiving coils 120 and 130 with dashed lines. Also, for clarity, the vias 140 that make up part of the receiving coils 120 and 130 are omitted in Figure 77.
[0383] For example, the printed circuit board 100 of this embodiment has a substantially annular shape, as shown in Figure 78, having an annular portion and a protruding portion that extends from the annular portion. The printed circuit board 100 is configured such that the outer circumference of the annular portion coincides with the circumference of a virtual circle centered on the axial direction Da. A transmitting coil 110, a first receiving coil 120, and a second receiving coil 130 are formed on the printed circuit board 100, as shown in Figure 79. Note that in Figure 79, the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 in the position detection device S1 are shown in a simplified form for clarity. In this embodiment, the position detection device S1 is positioned opposite the entire outer circumference of the rotating plate 30, separated by a gap d, as shown in Figures 79 and 80, for example.
[0384] In this embodiment, the circuit board 200 is positioned in a location on the printed circuit board 100 that is different from the area where each coil 110 to 130 is formed (for example, a protruding portion), as shown in Figure 81.
[0385] In this embodiment, the sealing member 500 is formed such that, for example, the main portion 510 covers the annular portion of the printed circuit board 100, and the connector portion 520 covers the protruding portion. In Figure 78, the fixing structure for fixing the position detection device S1 to the fixing base 40 is omitted, but the fixing structure, which is not shown, is formed, for example, near the protruding portion.
[0386] In this embodiment, the signal processing unit 210 on the circuit board 200 may have a configuration including, for example, an oscillator 220, a demodulator 230, an AD conversion unit 240, an angle calculation unit 270, an output unit 290, and a power supply unit 310, as shown in Figure 82.
[0387] For example, in this embodiment, the angle calculation unit 270 receives the first conversion signal S and the second conversion signal C directly from the AD conversion unit 240, and calculates the rotation angle of the rotating plate 30 by calculating an inverse tangent function using these signals. The relationship between the electrical angle in the electrical signals of the receiving coils 120 and 130 and the rotation angle θ (mechanical angle) of the rotating plate 30 is determined, for example, according to the rotation angle required for one of the uneven structures 33 of the rotating plate 30 to pass over each receiving coil 120 and 130. Therefore, the rotation angle θ of the rotating plate 30 can be calculated based on the electrical angle. The output unit 290 then outputs the rotation angle of the rotating plate 30 calculated by the angle calculation unit 270 to the output terminal 400.
[0388] The above describes the configuration of the position detection device S1 of this embodiment.
[0389] [Effects of the transmitting coil] Next, we will explain the effects obtained by having the transmitting coil 110 composed of an outer coil 111 and an inner coil 112.
[0390] First, in the comparative example, as shown in Figure 83, where the transmitting coil 700 is positioned only outside the receiving coils 120 and 130, only a magnetic field caused by the alternating current in the transmitting coil 700 is generated in the receiving coils 120 and 130. The magnetic field generated in the receiving coils 120 and 130 then attenuates as it moves radially toward the center from the transmitting coil 700 beyond a predetermined distance. Here, "radial toward the center" refers to the side toward the center along the radial direction with the center of the virtual circle formed by the transmitting coil 700 as the axis. In the comparative example, the amplitude of the detection signal generated from the receiving coils 120 and 130 when the rotating plate 30 rotates is as shown in Figure 84, for example.
[0391] In Figure 84, the horizontal axis of the gap (unit: mm) refers to the gap d between the position detection device and the detected object shown in Figure 80. In Figure 84, the horizontal axis of the amplitude (unit: mV) refers to the amplitude of the sine wave or cosine wave detection signal output from the first receiving coil 120 or the second receiving coil 130. Furthermore, Figure 84 shows the calculation results from a simulation in which the dimensions and arrangement relationships of the common components of each coil in the comparative example and the embodiment were set to be the same.
[0392] In the comparative example, the amplitude of the detected signal was approximately 33.7 mV for a 1.5 mm gap, approximately 22.5 mV for a 2.0 mm gap, approximately 11.2 mV for a 3.0 mm gap, and approximately 3.2 mV for a 5.0 mm gap.
[0393] In contrast, in the 27th embodiment (example), in which the transmitting coil 110 is composed of an outer coil 111 and an inner coil 112, the amplitude of the detection signal generated from the receiving coils 120 and 130 was larger than that of the comparative example, as shown in Figure 84. Specifically, the amplitude of the detection signal in the example was approximately 40.5 mV at a gap of 1.5 mm, approximately 26.1 mV at a gap of 2.0 mm, approximately 12.6 mV at a gap of 3.0 mm, and approximately 3.4 mV at a gap of 5.0 mm. This is because, in the example, two magnetic fields are generated in the region surrounded by the receiving coils 120 and 130: one from the outer coil 111 and one from the inner coil 112. As a result, the change in the magnetic field accompanying the rotation of the rotating plate 30 was larger than that of the comparative example. Furthermore, the outer coil 111 and the inner coil 112 are wound in opposite directions, resulting in opposite current directions. Therefore, in the gap region R2 located inside the outer coil 111 and outside the inner coil 112, the magnetic field is strengthened by the alignment of the magnetic field directions from the outer coil 111 and the inner coil 112, and the detection signals from the receiving coils 120 and 130 also become stronger. As a result, even when the transmitting coil 110, the first receiving coil 120, and the second receiving coil 130 are miniaturized, the magnetic field strength in the gap region R2 can be ensured, and consequently, the decrease in detection signals is suppressed.
[0394] According to this embodiment, the device comprises a transmitting coil 110 composed of an outer coil 111 and an inner coil 112, and a first receiving coil 120 and a second receiving coil 130 positioned in a gap region R2 between the outer coil 111 and the inner coil 112. The position of the detected object is calculated based on the detection signals from the receiving coils 120 and 130. Furthermore, the transmitting coil 110 is configured such that when an alternating current is applied, the direction of the magnetic fields generated from the outer coil 111 and the inner coil 112 aligns in the gap region R2. Therefore, the strength of the magnetic field generated in the gap region R2 when an alternating current is applied to the transmitting coil 110 can be increased, and the amplitude of the detection signals from the receiving coils 120 and 130 can be ensured to be above a predetermined level. Thus, even when the entire set of coils 110 to 130 is miniaturized, the decrease in the strength of the detection signals from the receiving coils 120 and 130 is suppressed, resulting in a position detection device S1 that can ensure the accuracy of position detection.
[0395] (1) The outer coil 111 and the inner coil 112 are configured as a single continuous coil, that is, a single continuous line, and are wound in opposite directions. As a result, the direction of the current in the outer coil 111 and the inner coil 112 is reversed, and the direction of the magnetic field from the outer coil 111 and the inner coil 112 is aligned in the gap region R2 located between them. Therefore, the change in the magnetic field in the region surrounded by the receiving coils 120 and 130 is increased, and the strength of the detection signal from the receiving coils 120 and 130 can be ensured.
[0396] (2) The receiving coils 120 and 130 have a closed-loop pattern shape, with one coil being sinusoidal and the other cosine, and output sinusoidal and cosine electrical signals.
[0397] (Modified version of the 27th embodiment) In the position detection device S1 of the 27th embodiment, the pattern shapes of the first receiving coil 120 and the second receiving coil 130 may be spiral-shaped.
[0398] For example, the receiving coils 120 and 130 each have a spiral pattern shape, as shown in Figure 85. Specifically, for example, the receiving coils 120 and 130 have a spiral wiring pattern formed to draw a rectangle while changing the diameter. Note that the spiral shape is not limited to drawing a rectangle, but may also draw other patterns such as circles or sectors. For example, the first receiving coil 120 is configured to have spiral coils 122 and 123 arranged apart from each other in the gap region R2. The second receiving coil 130 is configured to have spiral coils 133 and 134 arranged apart from each other in the gap region R2.
[0399] This modified example also provides a position detection device S1 that achieves the same effects as the 27th embodiment described above.
[0400] (1) In this embodiment, the receiving coils 120 and 130 are spiral-shaped. This reduces the number of wiring layers formed on the printed circuit board 100 compared to the case where one of the receiving coils 120 and 130 has a sinusoidal curve pattern and the other has a cosine curve pattern, making it possible to manufacture more easily.
[0401] (Summary of the 27th embodiment) The 27th embodiment and its modifications, when configured as described above, ensure that even when the entire assembly of coils 110 to 130 is miniaturized, the strength of the detection signals from the receiving coils 120 and 130 is maintained above a predetermined level, thereby ensuring the accuracy of position detection. For this reason, the 27th embodiment can be summarized as having the following advantages.
[0402] (Perspective 1) A position detection device, A substrate (100) is positioned opposite the rotating detection body (30), A transmitting coil (110) is formed on the substrate and consists of an outer coil (111) and an inner coil (112) positioned inside the outer coil, In the direction normal to the surface direction of the substrate, a first receiving coil (120) and a second receiving coil (130) are arranged in the gap region (R2) sandwiched between the outer coil and the inner coil, The system includes a signal processing unit (210) that derives the position of the detected object based on the detection signal output by the first receiving coil and the detection signal output by the second receiving coil, A position detection device in which the direction of the magnetic field generated by the outer coil and the inner coil when an alternating current is applied to the transmitting coil is aligned in the gap region.
[0403] (Perspective 2) The position detection device according to viewpoint 1, wherein the outer coil and the inner coil constitute a single continuous coil, and are wound in opposite directions to each other.
[0404] (Perspective 3) The position detection device according to viewpoint 1 or 2, wherein the first receiving coil and the second receiving coil have a sinusoidal pattern shape and the other has a cosine pattern shape.
[0405] (Perspective 4) The position detection device according to viewpoint 1 or 2, wherein the first receiving coil and the second receiving coil are spiral-shaped.
[0406] (Other embodiments) This disclosure is described in accordance with embodiments, but it is understood that this disclosure is not limited to such embodiments or structures. This disclosure also includes various modifications and variations within the scope of equivalents. In addition, various combinations and forms, as well as other combinations and forms that include only one, more, or fewer of those elements, fall within the scope and idea of this disclosure.
[0407] For example, the position detection device S1 in each of the above embodiments may be used mounted on something other than a vehicle.
[0408] Furthermore, the position detection devices S1 in each of the above embodiments can be combined as appropriate.
[0409] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, an example was described in which the signal processing unit 210 is provided on the circuit board 200. However, the signal processing unit 210 may also be provided on the ECU 4. That is, the printed circuit board 100 may output a first voltage value V1, a second voltage value V2, etc., and the signal processing unit 210 provided on the ECU 4 may perform various calculations.
[0410] In the above embodiments, examples were described in which voltage values were used as the characteristic values of each receiving coil. However, the characteristic values of each receiving coil may also be current values or inductance values. Even with such a position detection device S1, the characteristic values change due to the gap d between the position detection device S1 and the rotating plate 30, so the same effects as in the above embodiments can be obtained.
[0411] The control unit (e.g., signal processing unit 210) and its method described herein may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied by a computer program. Alternatively, the control unit and its method described herein may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor by one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the control unit and its method described herein may be implemented by one or more dedicated computers configured by a combination of a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions and a processor configured by one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by the computer on a computer-readable non-transitional tangible recording medium.
[0412] (Features of the present invention)
[0413] [Claim 1] A position detection device, A substrate (100) is positioned opposite to the displaceable detection elements (30, 37), A transmitting coil (110) formed on the substrate, In the direction normal to the surface direction of the substrate, a first receiving coil (120) and a second receiving coil (130) are arranged inside the transmitting coil, A position detection device comprising: a signal processing unit (210) that derives the displacement amount of the detection object by taking into account the gap between the detection object and the substrate, based on the first characteristic value of the first receiving coil and the second characteristic value of the second receiving coil.
[0414] [Claim 2] The position detection device according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit derives a gap comparison term (δ) for the gap based on the voltage value of the first receiving coil as the first characteristic value and the voltage value of the second receiving coil as the second characteristic value, using the sum of squares, and derives the displacement amount of the detection body using the gap comparison term.
[0415] [Claim 3] The position detection device according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit derives a gap comparison term (δ1) for the gap based on the minimum and maximum peak values of the voltage value of the first receiving coil as the first characteristic value, and derives a gap comparison term (δ2) for the gap based on the minimum and maximum peak values of the voltage value of the second receiving coil as the second characteristic value, and detects the displacement amount of the detection body using each of the gap comparison terms.
[0416] [Claim 4] The substrate has a third receiving coil (140) in addition to the first receiving coil and the second receiving coil. The position detection device according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit derives a gap comparison term (δ) for the gap using the sum of squares, based on the voltage value of the first receiving coil as the first characteristic value, the voltage value of the second receiving coil as the second characteristic value, and the voltage value of the third receiving coil as the third characteristic value, and detects the displacement amount of the detection object using the gap comparison term.
[0417] [Claim 5] A position detection device, A substrate (100) is positioned opposite to the displaceable detection elements (30, 37), A transmitting coil (110) formed on the substrate, In the direction normal to the surface direction of the substrate, a first receiving coil (120) and a second receiving coil (130) are arranged inside the transmitting coil, A position detection device comprising a signal processing unit (210) that derives the displacement amount of the detection object by taking into account the gap between the detection object and the substrate based on the characteristic values of the transmitting coil.
[0418] [Claim 6] The position detection device according to claim 5, wherein the signal processing unit derives a gap comparison term (δ) relating to the frequency of the transmitting coil as the characteristic value, and detects the displacement amount of the detection body using the gap comparison term (δ).
[0419] [Claim 7] The first receiving coil and the second receiving coil are arranged to output voltage values with different phases. The signal processing unit includes an angle calculation unit (270) that calculates an arctangent function based on the voltage value of the first receiving coil and the voltage value of the second receiving coil to generate an arctangent signal. The position detection device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, 6, wherein the angle calculation unit generates the arctangent signal using a correction term based on the gap comparison term.
[0420] [Claim 8] The signal processing unit includes a gain-offset-phase correction unit (260) that derives the correction term by comparing the gap comparison term with correction term data relating to the correction term used in the angle calculation unit which has been derived in advance. The position detection device according to claim 7, wherein the angle calculation unit generates the arctangent signal using the correction term derived by the gain-offset-phase correction unit.
[0421] [Claim 9] The first receiving coil and the second receiving coil are arranged to output voltage values with different phases. The signal processing unit includes an angle calculation unit (270) that calculates an inverse tangent function based on the voltage value of the first receiving coil and the voltage value of the second receiving coil to generate an inverse tangent signal, and an interval correction unit (280) that generates and outputs a corrected inverse tangent signal obtained by correcting the inverse tangent signal. The position detection device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, 6, or 7, wherein the section correction unit generates the corrected inverse tangent signal using a correction value based on the gap comparison term.
[0422] [Claim 10] The position detection device according to claim 9, wherein the interval correction unit derives the correction value by comparing the gap comparison term with interval correction data relating to the relationship between the interval correction unit and the correction value used in advance.
[0423] [Claim 11] The detection body is a disc, and a radially recessed recess (31) is periodically formed along the circumferential direction at a position facing the substrate, and is rotatably arranged about the central axis of the disc. The transmitting coil is subjected to alternating current, The position detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first receiving coil and the second receiving coil output a voltage value that changes periodically with the rotation of the detection body due to eddy currents from the detection body.
[0424] [Claim 12] The detection body is a disc, and a recess (36) that is recessed in the thickness direction is periodically formed along the circumferential direction at a position facing the substrate, and is rotatably arranged about the central axis of the disc. The transmitting coil is subjected to alternating current, The position detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first receiving coil and the second receiving coil output a voltage value that changes periodically with the rotation of the detection body due to eddy currents from the detection body.
[0425] [Claim 13] The detection body is plate-shaped and is displaceable along one direction. The transmitting coil is subjected to alternating current, The position detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the first receiving coil and the second receiving coil output a voltage value that changes periodically in accordance with the displacement of the detection object due to eddy currents from the detection object. [Explanation of symbols]
[0426] 30 Rotating flat plate (detector) 100 Printed Circuit Boards 110 Transmitter coil 120 First receiving coil 130 Second receiving coil
Claims
1. A position detection device, A substrate (100) is positioned opposite to the displaceable detection elements (30, 37), A transmitting coil (110) formed on the substrate, The substrate comprises a receiving coil (120, 130) positioned inside the transmitting coil in the direction normal to the surface direction of the substrate, The transmitting coil is spiral-shaped with one direction being the longitudinal direction in the direction normal to the surface direction of the substrate. A position detection device in which a metal piece (180) is positioned at a location that overlaps with the longitudinal end of the transmitting coil in the normal direction.
2. The position detection device according to claim 1, wherein the metal piece is positioned to overlap with both ends in the longitudinal direction of the transmitting coil.
3. The aforementioned substrate is a multilayer substrate. The position detection device according to claim 1, wherein the metal piece is arranged in a layer different from the layer in which the transmitting coil is formed.
4. The position detection device according to claim 1, wherein the metal piece is not electrically connected to the transmitting coil.
5. The position detection device according to claim 1, wherein the metal piece is a conductive member in which eddy currents are generated internally by a magnetic field generated at the end of the transmitting coil.
6. The position detection device according to claim 1, wherein the metal piece is arranged such that it generates eddy currents inside due to the magnetic field generated at the end of the transmitting coil, and the magnetic field caused by the eddy currents cancels out the magnetic field generated at the end of the transmitting coil.
7. The position detection device according to claim 1, wherein the metal piece is arranged to reduce the offset error included in the voltage value output from the receiving coil.
8. The position detection device according to claim 1, wherein the metal piece is arranged to reduce the linearity error with respect to the displacement of the detection body.
9. The aforementioned substrate is curved, The position detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the longitudinal direction of the transmitting coil is in the direction along the arc shape of the substrate.
10. The aforementioned substrate is rectangular in shape. The position detection device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the longitudinal direction of the transmitting coil is along the longer side of the rectangular shape.