PCB Gear-Toothing Structure for Compact Steering Angle Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printed circuit board solutions for determining steering angles require a large number of components and installation space, making them complex and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A printed circuit board with a toothing surface that forms a gear wheel in one piece, reducing the need for additional components and processing steps, and can be used to create a compact sensor unit for measuring rotation states by integrating gear mechanisms directly onto the board.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional gear wheel mechanisms are used to determine steering angles, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to a large number of components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the gear wheel mechanism and the printed circuit board into a single integrated component. The gear wheel is formed directly from the printed circuit board material, eliminating the need for separate gear wheel components and reducing the overall number of parts while maintaining the functional requirements for precise angular measurement
2Measurement precision
If traditional gear wheel mechanisms are used to determine steering angles, then measurement precision is improved, but the area of installation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gear wheel and printed circuit board are merged into one component, significantly reducing the installation space required. The integrated design eliminates gaps and mounting requirements between separate parts, allowing the sensor unit to be compact while still achieving high angular resolution through the gear mechanism
3Measurement precision
If multiple gear wheel mechanisms are combined to improve angular resolution, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The printed circuit board is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the structural carrier for electronic components, provides the gear wheel mechanism for mechanical motion transmission, and enables precise angular measurement. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional components while achieving high angular resolution
Data Source
AI summary
A printed circuit board may include a top side, a bottom side, and a circumferential surface that connects the top side to the bottom side. The circumferential surface may have a toothing for forming a gear wheel. The toothing may be circumferentially closed and may be arranged over an entire surface area of the circumferential surface. The toothing may be configured as an involute toothing, an epicycloid toothing, a hypocycloid toothing, or a lantern gear toothing. The printed circuit board may be formed of fiber-reinforced plastic. Further, the printed circuit board may include a track, a surface structure, and/or a conductor track configured for inductive sampling, capacitive sampling, optical sampling, and/or acoustic sampling.