Angle Sensor Scanning Unit With Elastic Centering and Rigid PCB Mount
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inductive angle measuring devices without bearings face challenges in achieving precise manufacturing with minimal effort, requiring careful fixation of component groups to ensure correct axial distance and rotational alignment.
Innovation Solution
A scanning unit design featuring a circuit board with a detector arrangement, evaluation electronics, and a contact carrier with elastic elements, housed in a torsionally rigid and radially flexible housing body, allowing for precise centering and axial positioning without external bearings, enabling efficient plug connection and mechanical protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If bearingless design is used to reduce mechanical complexity, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision becomes more difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The contact carrier serves itself by using the elastic element's prestress to automatically center itself within the housing body opening. The radial prestress of the elastic element continuously pushes the contact carrier against the inner wall, creating a self-centering mechanism that eliminates the need for external bearing support and ensures precise positioning during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The elastic element changes the positional parameter of the contact carrier dynamically. By utilizing the radial prestress force, the contact carrier can adapt its position to maintain optimal alignment with the angular scale, compensating for manufacturing tolerances and ensuring precise measurement without requiring extremely tight manufacturing tolerances.
2Ease of manufacture
If contact carrier is centered using elastic element with radial prestress, then ease of manufacture is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic element performs multiple functions simultaneously: it centers the contact carrier radially, provides continuous contact pressure for stable electrical connection, compensates for manufacturing tolerances, and acts as a mechanical spring for vibration damping. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, simplifying the overall device despite the added centering mechanism.
3Reliability
If printed circuit board is connected torsionally rigidly to housing body, then reliability is improved, but ease of manufacture worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The connection between the printed circuit board and housing body is segmented into two distinct functional zones: a torsionally rigid connection area that ensures stable electrical and mechanical connection, and a radially flexible gap area that allows for thermal expansion and assembly tolerance compensation. This segmentation enables the rigid connection to be achieved without requiring complex manufacturing processes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables precise, cost-effective manufacturing of bearing-free inductive angle measuring devices with improved axial and rotational alignment, ensuring accurate angle-dependent signal generation and processing.
Implementation Method 1
a first elastic element with radial prestress being arranged between the inner wall of the opening and the outer wall of the contact carrier, so that the contact carrier is arranged centered with respect to the inner wall of the opening
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a scanning unit for determining the relative angular position of an angle scale (7) rotatable about an axis (A). The scanning unit comprises: a printed circuit board (1) having a first surface (1.1) and a second surface (1.2), at least one detector arrangement (2) arranged such that the angle scale (7) opposite the first surface (1.1) of the printed circuit board (1) can be scanned, evaluation electronics (3), a contact carrier (4) which encloses electrical contacts (4.1) for forming a plug connection and has an outer wall (4.2) and which is mounted on the second surface (1.2) of the printed circuit board (1) such that the contacts (4.1) extend in a direction having an axial component, and a housing body (5; 5') with an opening (H) having an inner wall (5.111). The contact carrier (4) protrudes into the opening (H), with a gap between the inner wall (5.111) of the opening (H) and the outer wall (4.2) a first elastic element (6) with radial preload is arranged on the contact carrier (4) so that the contact carrier (4) is centered with respect to the inner wall (5.111) of the opening (H). The circuit board (1) is torsionally rigidly connected to the housing body (5; 5') by a first gap (Gr) radially spaced from the housing body (5; 5').