Spring Tolerance Compensation for Sensor Component Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensors face challenges in minimizing construction effort and ease of assembly for tolerance compensation elements, which are crucial for maintaining high functional reliability and accurately transferring actuating movements between components despite axial and radial play.
Innovation Solution
A resilient spring element acts as a tolerance compensation element, connecting the components in a form-fitting, detachable manner, enabling both axial and radial tolerance compensation, and can be either a separate component or integrated with existing components, facilitating precise movement transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tolerance compensation element is used to compensate for axial and radial tolerances between components, then functional reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines both axial and radial tolerance compensation functions into a single spring element. This element simultaneously compensates for axial play through its resilient property and radial offset through its form-fitting connection with the adjustment element, eliminating the need for separate compensation mechanisms for each direction.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring element serves multiple functions: it acts as a resilient connector for axial compensation, a form-fitting interface for radial compensation, and a detachable coupling mechanism. This multi-functionality reduces the overall number of components needed in the sensor assembly.
2Measurement precision
If a complex tolerance compensation element is used to ensure precise movement transfer, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The tolerance compensation function is segmented into distinct operational aspects: axial compensation through spring resilience and radial compensation through form-fitting geometry. This segmentation allows each function to be optimized independently while being implemented through a single integrated element.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring element's physical parameters (resilience, geometry, material properties) are optimized to simultaneously achieve both axial and radial tolerance compensation. By adjusting these parameters, precise movement transfer is ensured while maintaining ease of assembly through the element's detachable design.
3Manufacturing precision
If separate tolerance compensation elements are used for axial and radial compensation, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges axial and radial tolerance compensation into a single spring element that performs both functions simultaneously. The element's resilient nature handles axial play while its form-fitting connection with the adjustment element manages radial offset, reducing component count while maintaining compensation accuracy.
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 solution minimizes construction effort while ensuring high functional reliability and precise transmission of actuating movements, even with production-induced axial and radial offsets, thereby enhancing the sensor's operational accuracy and ease of assembly.
Implementation Method 1
the tolerance compensation element has at least one spring element which is resilient in the axial direction
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a sensor with sensor components for detecting objects within a monitoring area. Two components (2, 3) of the sensor (1) are connected to each other via a tolerance compensation element (4) to allow for tolerance compensation of the relative position of the components (2, 3). The tolerance compensation element (4) has at least one spring element (6) that is resilient in the axial direction towards an axis (5) connecting the components (2, 3), and which connects the two components (2, 3) in a form-fitting manner that allows for detachable connection and radial displacement relative to each other.