Brushless DC Motor Axial Sensor Arrangement for Wiper Thickness Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Brushless DC electric motors for motor vehicle wiper systems face challenges in reducing size, particularly when incorporating position sensors, which increases spatial constraints and thickness.

Innovation Solution

The motor design features a rotor with three multipolar axial layers in the form of crowns, each with six magnetic poles, and a position determination system using three Hall effect sensors arranged in a triangle configuration, allowing for reduced thickness and precise angular position monitoring.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If position sensors are installed in the motor to determine rotor position, then electronic switching precision is improved, but the motor size and thickness increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveelectronic switching precisionVSAvoidmotor size
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from radial sensor arrangement to axial sensor arrangement, changing the spatial dimension in which sensors are positioned. The sensors are installed in an axial plane rather than radially around the rotor, allowing them to detect the position of multipolar axial layers without increasing radial dimensions, thus reducing overall motor thickness while maintaining measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The rotor is divided into multiple multipolar axial layers, each with its own position sensor. This segmentation allows each sensor to monitor a specific layer's position independently, enabling precise electronic switching while using thinner individual axial layers, thereby reducing the total thickness of the rotor assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Power

If multiple multipolar axial layers are used in the rotor, then torque and power are improved, but the complexity of the magnet structure increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotor powerVSAvoidmagnet structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple multipolar axial layers are merged into a single integrated rotor structure. The axial layers are stacked along the rotation axis to form one cohesive rotor assembly, simplifying manufacturing and assembly while maintaining the torque-enhancing benefits of multiple layers. The sensor system also merges detection of all layers into a unified position determination system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

This configuration effectively reduces the size and thickness of the motor while maintaining high precision in electronic switching of the coils, optimizing the motor's spatial efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

The position determination system uses three Hall effect sensors arranged in a triangle configuration, allowing for reduced thickness and precise angular position monitoring

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHall effect: Hall Effect

Implementation Method 2

The electric motor is configured so that, when the coils are supplied with electric current, a magnetic field is created, causing a rotational movement of the multipolar magnet around an axis of rotation

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic induction: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentEP3300232B1Brushless DC electric motor for automotive vehicle wiper system
Publication Date: 2022.05.11 VALEO SYST DESSUYAGE SAS
  • EP3300232B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3300232B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

The invention relates to a brushless DC electric motor for a motor vehicle wiper system, comprising a stator (3) and a rotor (2), the stator (3) comprising a plurality of electromagnetic excitation coils (4) of the rotor (2) and the rotor (2) comprising a multipolar magnet (5) mounted to be driven by a rotational movement about an axis of rotation (L) and provided with at least three multipolar axial layers (7), the electric motor (1) comprising a rotor position determination device (8), said rotor position determination device (8) comprising at least three position sensors (9) of one of said at least three multipolar axial layers (7), each position sensor (9) being associated respectively with one of the multipolar axial layers (7),the position sensors (9) being installed in a plane (P) containing a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the multipolar magnet (5) while being misaligned with respect to each other.