Sensor assembly for determining the angle of rotation of a rotating vehicle component, control system and vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a sensor assembly (100) for determining the angle of rotation of a rotating component of a vehicle, having an inductive coil system (10) that has a primary coil (12) for generating a magnetic flux and a secondary coil (14) for providing an electrical voltage, which can be induced in the secondary coil (14) by the magnetic flux, and having an electrical conductor (20) for modifying the electrical voltage, said electrical conductor being positioned adjacently to the inductive coil system (10) and being movable relative to the inductive coil system (10) on the basis of a rotation of the rotating component, said primary coil (12) and secondary coil (14) being axially offset with respect to the axis of rotation (3) of the rotating component and radially overlapping with each other. The invention additionally relates to a control system for controlling a vehicle component of a vehicle, said control system having the sensor assembly (100), and to a vehicle having such a control system.

Description

[0001] Sensor arrangement for determining a rotation angle of a rotating vehicle component, control system and vehicle

[0002] The present invention relates to a sensor arrangement for determining the angle of rotation of a rotating component of a vehicle using an inductive coil system. The present invention also relates to a control system for controlling a vehicle component using such a sensor arrangement, and to a vehicle.

[0003] It is known from the prior art to use sensors to detect the speed of a rotating vehicle component for controlling a vehicle's electric drive. It is also known from the prior art to use inductive sensors to detect such a speed. Inductive sensors installed in a vehicle require radial space relative to the rotational axis of the rotating vehicle component, which can limit the arrangement of other vehicle components.

[0004] Based on the prior art, the object of the present invention is to provide a sensor arrangement that is improved, among other things, with regard to installation space. This object is achieved by the subject matter having the features of the independent patent claims. Advantageous further developments are evident from the subclaims.

[0005] In one aspect, the present invention relates to a sensor arrangement for determining a rotation angle of a rotating component of a vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor arrangement can be configured to determine a rotational speed of the rotating component.

[0006] The vehicle can be a motorized vehicle or a human-powered vehicle. According to one embodiment, the motorized vehicle can be a motor vehicle. According to another embodiment, the human-powered vehicle can be a bicycle, which can be an electrically powered bicycle. The bicycle can therefore be an e-bike, an (S-)Pedelec, a cargo bike, or a velomobile. The bicycle can be a two-wheeler, a three-wheeler, or a four-wheeler. The vehicle can therefore also be a hybrid of a motorized and human-powered vehicle.

[0007] According to one embodiment, the rotating component can be a rotor shaft of an electric machine of the vehicle. According to this embodiment, the vehicle can be the motorized vehicle. The electric machine can be an electric servomotor, for example a servomotor for a vehicle steering system. The vehicle steering system can be a front-axle steering system or a rear-axle steering system. The angle of rotation can therefore be a rotor position of the rotor shaft. According to a further embodiment, the rotating component can be a rotationally drivable actuator of the vehicle. According to this embodiment, the vehicle can be the motorized vehicle. The actuator can be, for example, a rotationally drivable parking lock actuator for holding the vehicle. The angle of rotation can therefore also be a setting angle of the actuator.

[0008] According to a further embodiment, the rotating component can be a pedal crankshaft of the human-powered vehicle. According to this embodiment, the human-powered vehicle can be the e-bike. The angle of rotation can therefore also be a pedal crank angle of the pedal crank shaft. If the sensor arrangement is configured to determine the rotational speed of the rotating component, the rotational speed of the pedal crankshaft can be a rotational speed at which the pedal crankshaft is operated during operation of the human-powered vehicle. The rotational speed of the pedal crankshaft can be a pedaling frequency or a cadence at which the pedal crankshaft is actuated during operation. The sensor arrangement can have the pedal crank shaft.

[0009] A drive or drivetrain of the vehicle can have the rotating component. The rotating component can be rotatably mounted on a frame of the vehicle. If the rotating component is the pedal crankshaft, a drivetrain of the muscle-powered vehicle can have the pedal crankshaft. The pedal crankshaft can be a shaft of the muscle-powered vehicle, which can be rotatably mounted on a frame of the muscle-powered vehicle. The pedal crankshaft can be mounted on a bottom bracket of the muscle-powered vehicle. The pedal crankshaft can be configured to introduce a drive torque into the drivetrain of the muscle-powered vehicle. The drive torque can be based on muscular drive force, with which a driver of the muscle-powered vehicle can rotate the pedal crankshaft using their muscle power.For this purpose, pedal cranks can be connected to the pedal crankshaft in a rotationally fixed manner to apply the muscular drive force to the pedal crankshaft. Alternatively or in addition to the muscular drive force, the drive torque can be based on a drive force with which an electric drive of the muscle-powered vehicle can rotate the pedal crankshaft. For this purpose, the pedal crankshaft can be operatively connected to an electric motor of the muscle-powered vehicle via a transmission.

[0010] The driving force can be a driving force that supports the muscular driving force in the operation of the muscle-powered vehicle.

[0011] The sensor arrangement has an inductive coil system comprising a primary coil for generating a magnetic flux and a secondary coil for providing an electrical voltage. The electrical voltage is induced by the magnetic flux in the secondary coil. The inductive coil system can be connected or connected to the rotating component in a rotationally fixed manner. The inductive coil system can be arranged on a common coil carrier, which can be a printed circuit board. The coil carrier can be connected or connected to the rotating component in a rotationally fixed manner. The inductive coil system can therefore be configured as a coil system that rotates or co-rotates with the rotating component.

[0012] The primary coil can be an excitation coil, which can be configured to generate the magnetic flux. The primary coil can be connected to a voltage source. The primary coil can also be a transmitting coil, which generates the magnetic flux in order to cause the voltage induced in the secondary coil. The primary coil can be supplied with high-frequency current to generate the magnetic flux. The secondary coil can be an induction coil, which can be configured to provide the electrical voltage. The secondary coil can be arranged adjacent to the primary coil such that the magnetic flux generated by it flows through the secondary coil. The secondary coil can be connected to a voltmeter, which can be configured to determine the electrical voltage.The secondary coil can also be a receiving coil that provides the induced voltage in response to the generated magnetic flux. The secondary coil can have a plurality of secondary coil windings, which, according to one embodiment, can be sinusoidal secondary coil windings. If the secondary coil has, for example, two sinusoidal secondary coil windings, these can be arranged with a phase shift of 90° from one another, for example. If the secondary coil has, for example, three sinusoidal secondary coil windings, these can be arranged with a phase shift of 120° from one another, for example.

[0013] The sensor arrangement has an electrical conductor for modifying the electrical voltage, which is arranged adjacent to the inductive coil system. The modification of the electrical voltage can be based on the fact that an eddy current is inducing in the electrical conductor by the generated magnetic flux, which eddy current influences and modifies the electrical voltage. The electrical conductor is movable based on a rotation of the rotating component relative to the inductive coil system. The electrical voltage can therefore be a modulated electrical voltage, which can be a sinusoidally modulated electrical voltage. If the secondary coil has a large number of secondary coil windings, sinusoidally modulated electrical voltages can be induced in the secondary coil windings, wherein the electrical voltages can be induced with a phase shift analogous to the phase shift of the secondary coil windings.If the secondary coil has secondary coil windings with opposite magnetic orientations, the electrical voltages induced in the secondary coil windings can compensate each other without the electrical conductor. The electrical voltages induced out of phase by the electrical conductor can be used to calculate the relative angular position of the inductive coil system to the electrical conductor. If the rotating component is the pedal crank, the voltage can be used to calculate the relative angular position of the pedal crankshaft to the frame of the muscle-powered vehicle. For this purpose, the angle of rotation can be derived from a trigonometric relationship. The speed can then be determined from the change in the angle of rotation over time. If the rotating component is the pedal crank, the cadence generated at the pedal crankshaft can also be determined from the angle of rotation.

[0014] The electrical conductor can be permanently connected to the frame of the vehicle or the human-powered vehicle. A rotation of the inductive coil system, which can be connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the rotating component, can cause a relative rotation of the electrical conductor to the inductive coil system. Due to the relative rotation of the electrical conductor to the inductive coil system, the electrical voltage induced in the secondary coil can be varied over time. The angle of rotation can be determined from the changing electrical voltage. If the rotating component is the pedal crankshaft, the angle of rotation or the speed of the pedal crankshaft can be determined. The electrical conductor can be arranged on a carrier, which can be connectable to the frame. The carrier can be a circuit board on which the electrical conductor can be arranged.The electrical conductor can, for example, be an area formed on the carrier which comprises an electrically conductive material, for example copper.

[0015] The primary coil and the secondary coil are arranged axially offset with respect to a rotational axis of the rotating component. The primary coil and the secondary coil can be arranged axially spaced with respect to the rotational axis. The circuit board on which the primary coil and the secondary coil can be arranged can be a multi-layer circuit board, wherein the primary coil and the secondary coil can be arranged axially offset on different layers of the circuit board with respect to the rotational axis. The primary coil and the secondary coil can be arranged axially spaced on the different layers of the circuit board with respect to the rotational axis. The electrical conductor can have a plurality of regions, each of which can comprise an electrically conductive material, for example copper, wherein the regions can be arranged angularly offset with respect to the rotational axis.The secondary coil can span an angular range with respect to the axis of rotation which, according to one embodiment, corresponds to twice the angular range spanned by the electrical conductor.

[0016] According to a further embodiment of the sensor arrangement, the coil carrier, on which the inductive coil system can be arranged, and the carrier on which the electrical conductor can be arranged are arranged coaxially to one another with respect to the axis of rotation. The arrangement of the primary coil, the secondary coil and the electrical conductor can therefore be arranged coaxially to one another with respect to the axis of rotation. The primary coil, the secondary coil and the electrical conductor can furthermore be arranged radially symmetrically with respect to the axis of rotation, at least in sections. The coil carrier, on which the inductive coil system can be arranged, and the carrier on which the electrical conductor can be arranged can extend radially with respect to the axis of rotation and have a constant axial distance, which can be only one millimeter, for example.

[0017] The primary coil and the secondary coil are arranged radially overlapping with respect to the axis of rotation. The primary coil and the secondary coil can be arranged radially overlapping with respect to the axis of rotation. The primary coil is therefore not arranged surrounding the secondary coil in a radial direction of extension of the secondary coil with respect to the axis of rotation and is arranged at a distance from it. The primary coil can therefore cover or overlap the secondary coil in the radial direction of extension of the secondary coil with respect to the axis of rotation. The radial installation space of the sensor arrangement can be designed in a radially compact manner due to the radial overlap of the primary coil and the secondary coil. The installation space radially occupied by the sensor arrangement can therefore advantageously be reduced in comparison to an arrangement in which the primary coil and the secondary coil surround each other in a radial plane with respect to the axis of rotation.The sensor arrangement can therefore create radial installation space for the arrangement of additional components of the vehicle. According to a further embodiment of the sensor arrangement, a radial primary coil extension of the primary coil can be less than or equal to a radial secondary coil extension of the secondary coil. The radial primary coil extension can be formed by the radial extension of the primary coil windings of the primary coil. The radial secondary coil extension can be formed by the radial extension of the secondary coil windings. The primary coil windings and the secondary coil windings can be arranged radially overlapping with respect to the axis of rotation. A radial extension of the inductive coil system with respect to the axis of rotation can therefore be limited by the radial secondary coil extension.The radial installation space of the sensor arrangement can therefore be defined by the secondary coil extension without the primary coil extension requiring additional radial installation space.

[0018] According to a further developing embodiment of the sensor arrangement, the primary coil can have at least one radially symmetrical primary coil winding with respect to the axis of rotation. The radially symmetrical primary coil winding can be designed to extend fully around 360°. The radially symmetrical primary coil winding can be designed in an overlap region in which the primary coil and the secondary coil are arranged to radially overlap with respect to the axis of rotation. The overlap region can be an angular range predefined with respect to the axis of rotation in which the radially symmetrical primary coil winding can be designed. The radially symmetrical primary coil winding can therefore have a circular segment which radially overlaps the secondary coil. The primary coil or the radially symmetrical primary coil winding can therefore be designed without a section of a primary coil winding extending radially with respect to the axis of rotation.A magnetic flux generated by such a radially extending section, which can superimpose the magnetic flux generated by the radially symmetric primary coil winding and thus have a disruptive effect on the voltage induced in the secondary coil, can thus be avoided.

[0019] According to a further embodiment of the sensor arrangement, the secondary coil can have at least one radially symmetrical secondary coil winding relative to the rotation axis. The secondary coil can have at least one sinusoidal secondary coil winding. The secondary coil can have secondary coil windings arranged at an offset angle relative to the rotation axis.

[0020] According to a further refinement of the sensor arrangement, the primary coil can have primary coil sections arranged at a rotational angle offset relative to the rotational axis and spaced apart from one another. The primary coil sections can be electrically connected in series. According to this embodiment, the secondary coil can have secondary coil sections arranged at a rotational angle offset relative to the rotational axis and spaced apart from one another. The primary coil sections and the secondary coil sections can be arranged in pairs, radially overlapping relative to the rotational axis.By means of such a redundant arrangement of primary coil sections and secondary coil sections that radially overlap in pairs, additional installation space can be kept free for further components of the drive train in angular ranges related to the axis of rotation between the spaced-apart primary coil sections and secondary coil sections, whereby the radial installation space of the sensor arrangement is not increased.

[0021] According to a further embodiment of the sensor arrangement, the primary coil can be arranged axially between the electrical conductor and the secondary coil. According to an alternative embodiment of the sensor arrangement, the secondary coil can be arranged axially between the electrical conductor and the primary coil. The electrical conductor can have a structure of electrically conductive regions arranged at an angle offset relative to the rotation axis.

[0022] According to a further further embodiment of the sensor arrangement, the electrical conductor can have a structure of electrically conductive regions that are radially offset with respect to the axis of rotation. The electrical conductor can therefore also have a structure of electrically conductive regions that are offset in terms of rotation angle and radially offset with respect to the axis of rotation. The radially offset structure can cover corresponding regions of the secondary coil with successive and radially offset electrically conductive regions. The radially offset structure can have an uneven or checkerboard-like distribution of electrically conductive regions directed radially outwards and radially inwards. According to a further embodiment of the sensor arrangement, the electrical conductor can have at least one electrically conductive coil.If the electrical conductor has a large number of electrically conductive coils, these can be connected in series. In addition to the electrically conductive coils, capacitors can be connected to the electrically conductive coils to increase the induced voltage.

[0023] In another aspect, the present invention relates to a control system for controlling a vehicle component of a vehicle. The control system comprises the sensor arrangement according to the previous aspect for determining a rotation angle of a rotating component of the vehicle. The control system also comprises a control device configured to control the vehicle component based on the determined rotation angle. In yet another aspect, the present invention relates to a vehicle having the control system.

[0024] Figure 1 schematically shows a vehicle with a control system according to respective embodiments of the invention.

[0025] Figure 2 shows a schematic view of a sensor arrangement in an axial sectional view through a pedal crank of a muscle-powered vehicle.

[0026] Figure 3 shows the sensor arrangement with an inductive coil system and an electrical conductor according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0027] Figure 1 schematically shows a vehicle 300, which in one embodiment is a human-powered vehicle 200, for example, an e-bike. The vehicle 300 has a rotating component 310, which in this embodiment is a pedal crankshaft 2 of the human-powered vehicle 200. The human-powered vehicle 200 has a drive train 210 for driving the human-powered vehicle 200. The drive train 210 has the pedal crankshaft 2, which introduces a drive torque into the drive train 210 for driving the human-powered vehicle 200. The drive torque is based on at least one of a muscular drive force of a driver of the muscle-powered vehicle 200 and a drive force provided by an electric motor 212 of the muscle-powered vehicle 200.

[0028] The vehicle 300 has a sensor arrangement 100. In the muscle-powered vehicle 200, the sensor arrangement 100 is arranged on the drive train 210. The sensor arrangement 100, further shown in Figures 2 and 3, is configured to determine a rotation angle of the rotating component 310 during operation of the vehicle 300. The sensor arrangement is further configured to determine a rotation angle of the pedal crankshaft 2 during operation of the muscle-powered vehicle 200.

[0029] The vehicle 300 also includes a control system 400 configured to control a vehicle component 330 of the vehicle 300. The control system 400 includes the sensor arrangement 100. The control system 400 also includes a control device 340 configured to control the vehicle component 330 based on the determined angle of rotation. According to one embodiment, the vehicle component 330 is a component of the drive train 210.

[0030] Figure 2 shows a schematic view of the sensor arrangement 100 in an axial sectional view through the rotating component 310, which has an axis of rotation 3 and which, in the embodiment shown in Figure 2, is the pedal crankshaft 2. The pedal crankshaft 2 has the axis of rotation 3, about which the pedal crankshaft 2 rotates relative to a housing 6, which is arranged on a frame, not shown in the figures, of the muscle-powered vehicle 200. The sensor arrangement 100 has an inductive coil system 10, which is arranged on a coil carrier 11. The coil carrier 11 is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to the pedal crankshaft 2 via a shaft connection 4. The sensor arrangement 100 also has an electrical conductor 20, which is arranged on a carrier 21. The carrier 21 is fixedly connected to the housing 6 via a carrier holder 8.A rotation of the pedal crank shaft 2 causes a rotation of the electrical conductor 20 relative to the inductive coil system 10. Conversely, the rotation of the pedal crank shaft 2 also causes a rotation of the inductive coil system 10 relative to the electrical conductor 20. The coil system 10 is arranged axially spaced from the electrical conductor 20 with respect to the axis of rotation 3, whereby the inductive coil system 10 is arranged axially offset from the electrical conductor 20 with respect to the axis of rotation 3. The inductive coil system 10 and the electrical conductor 20 are also arranged radially overlapping with respect to the axis of rotation 3.

[0031] Figure 3 shows the sensor arrangement 100 in a radial representation plane relative to the axis of rotation 3 of the rotating component 310, which, according to one embodiment, is the pedal crankshaft 2 shown in Figure 2. The inductive coil system 10 has a primary coil 12, which generates a magnetic flux. The inductive coil system 10 also has a secondary coil 14, which has an electrical voltage that can be induced by the magnetic flux in the secondary coil 14. The primary coil 12 and the secondary coil 14 are arranged radially overlapping with respect to the axis of rotation 3. The electrical conductor 20 has a structure 24, which has electrically conductive regions 22. The electrically conductive regions 22 are formed by coils 26 in one embodiment. The electrical conductor 20, which is arranged relative to the inductive coil system

[0032] 10, causes a sinusoidal modulation of the electrical voltage induced in the secondary coil 14. Based on such a sinusoidally modulated voltage, the cadence of the pedal crankshaft 2 can be determined as described below.

[0033] The primary coil 12 has at least two primary coil windings 13, which are radially symmetrical with respect to the rotational axis 3. The primary coil windings 13 are arranged as circular arc-shaped primary coil windings on the coil carrier

[0034] 11. The primary coil windings 13 are arranged radially equidistant from the rotation axis 3, wherein the primary coil windings 13 form parallel primary coil windings 13. The coil carrier 11 is a printed circuit board, wherein the primary coil windings 13 are arranged in one layer of the printed circuit board. The primary coil 12 has at least two primary coil sections 16 arranged radially symmetrically on the coil carrier 11 with respect to the rotation axis 3, which, according to one embodiment, form separate primary coils 12. The primary coil sections 16 are electrically connected to one another. The primary coil windings 13 span a radial primary coil extension 17, which defines the radial extension of the primary coil 12 with respect to the rotation axis 3. The secondary coil 14 has a plurality of sinusoidal secondary coil windings 15, which are arranged at an angle offset with respect to the rotation axis 3.The secondary coil windings 15 are arranged as phase-offset secondary coil windings 15 on the coil carrier 11. The secondary coil windings 15 are arranged in a further layer of the circuit board and thus axially offset from the primary coil windings 13 in the circuit board. Analogous to the primary coil 12, the secondary coil 14 has at least two secondary coil sections 18 arranged radially symmetrically on the coil carrier 11 with respect to the rotation axis 3, which, according to one embodiment, form separate secondary coils 14. The secondary coil windings 15 span a radial secondary coil extension 19, which defines the radial extension of the secondary coil 14 with respect to the rotation axis 3. The radial secondary coil extension 19 is greater than the radial primary coil extension 17.

[0035] Reference symbol

[0036] 2 crankshaft

[0037] 3 axis of rotation

[0038] 4 Shaft connection

[0039] 6 housings

[0040] 8 Carrier bracket

[0041] 10 inductive coil system

[0042] 11 coil carriers

[0043] 12 Primary coil

[0044] 13 primary coil turns

[0045] 14 Secondary coil

[0046] 15 secondary coil turns

[0047] 16 Primary coil section

[0048] 17 radial primary coil expansion

[0049] 18 Secondary coil section

[0050] 19 radial secondary coil expansion

[0051] 20 electrical conductors

[0052] 21 carriers

[0053] 22 areas

[0054] 24 Structure

[0055] 26 coil

[0056] 100 sensor arrangement

[0057] 200 muscle-powered vehicle

[0058] 210 Drivetrain

[0059] 212 electric motor

[0060] 300 vehicles

[0061] 310 rotating component

[0062] 330 vehicle components

[0063] 340 Control device

[0064] 400 tax system

Claims

Patent claims 1. Sensor arrangement (100) for determining an angle of rotation of a rotating component (310) of a vehicle (300), with an inductive coil system (10) which has a primary coil (12) for generating a magnetic flux and a secondary coil (14) for providing an electrical voltage which can be induced by the magnetic flux in the secondary coil (14), and an electrical conductor (20) for modifying the electrical voltage, which is arranged adjacent to the inductive coil system (10) and is movable relative to the inductive coil system (10) based on a rotation of the rotating component (310), wherein the primary coil (12) and the secondary coil (14) are arranged axially offset with respect to an axis of rotation (3) of the rotating component (310) and radially overlapping.

2. Sensor arrangement (100) according to claim 1, wherein a radial primary coil extension (17) of the primary coil (12) is less than or equal to a radial secondary coil extension (19) of the secondary coil (14).

3. Sensor arrangement (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the primary coil (12) has at least one radially symmetrical primary coil winding (13) with respect to the axis of rotation (3).

4. Sensor arrangement (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the secondary coil (14) has at least one radially symmetrical secondary coil winding (15) relative to the axis of rotation (3).

5. Sensor arrangement (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the primary coil (12) has primary coil sections (16) arranged at a rotational angle offset with respect to the rotation axis (3) and spaced from one another, and the secondary coil (14) has secondary coil sections (18) arranged at a rotational angle offset with respect to the rotation axis (3) and spaced from one another.

6. Sensor arrangement (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the primary coil (12) is arranged axially between the electrical conductor (20) and the secondary coil (14).

7. Sensor arrangement (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the electrical conductor (20) has a structure (24) of electrically conductive regions (22) arranged radially offset with respect to the axis of rotation (3).

8. Sensor arrangement (100) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the electrical conductor (20) has at least one electrically conductive coil (26).

9. Sensor arrangement (100) according to claim 8, wherein the electrical conductor (20) has, in addition to the at least one electrically conductive coil (26), at least one capacitor which is connected to the at least one electrically conductive coil (26).

10. A control system (400) for controlling a vehicle component (330) of a vehicle (300), wherein the control system (400) comprises a sensor arrangement (100) according to any one of the preceding claims for determining an angle of rotation of a rotating component (310) of the vehicle (300), and wherein the control system (400) comprises a control device (340) which is configured to control the vehicle component (330) based on the determined angle of rotation.

11. A vehicle (300) comprising a control system (400) according to claim 10.

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