Wheel Speed Sensor Housing With Adjustable Cable Outlet Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Active wheel speed sensors for utility vehicles face thermal stress issues and restricted installation space challenges, limiting their use and increasing manufacturing costs due to the need for multiple tools for different cable outlet angles.
Innovation Solution
A wheel speed sensor design featuring a housing with a form-fitting configuration allowing variable orientation of the pulse sensor and radial cable outlet, using AMR sensors and plastic components with equal thermal expansion coefficients to minimize internal tensions and enable cost-effective production, with the ability to produce sensors with different angle assignments between the detection direction and cable outlet in a single casting tool.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If AMR sensors are used to withstand thermal stress, then thermal resistance is improved, but device complexity increases due to predetermined detection direction requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is designed with an asymmetric form-fit connection between the first housing component and second housing component, creating specific orientation features (protrusions and recesses) that define predetermined angle positions. This asymmetric design enables the cable outlet to be positioned at specific angles relative to the sensor's detection direction, allowing the sensor to be installed in various orientations while maintaining proper alignment.
2Volume of moving object
If radial cable outlet is provided instead of axial, then installation space is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases due to different angle positions requiring different tools
Solution Approach 1:
The first housing component is designed with a universal form-fit connection system that can accommodate multiple cable outlet angles (e.g., 0°, 45°, 90°, 135°) through standardized orientation features. This single universal design replaces the need for multiple specialized tools and molds, allowing one housing component design to serve multiple installation configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing design incorporates flexible orientation capabilities where the cable outlet can be positioned at different angle positions relative to the sensor detection direction. This dynamic positioning capability allows the same basic housing structure to adapt to various installation space constraints without requiring completely different tooling for each angle.
3Manufacturing precision
If formfitting housing components are used with shape features, then orientation precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional structural features
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into two separate components (first housing component and second housing component) that connect through form-fit connections. This segmentation allows the orientation-defining shape features to be integrated into the connection interface between components, distributing the complexity across multiple parts rather than requiring a single complex piece.
Solution Approach 2:
The orientation-defining shape features (protrusions and recesses) are merged into the form-fit connection interface between the two housing components. This integration combines the mechanical connection function with the orientation definition function in a single structural feature, avoiding the need for separate orientation alignment mechanisms.
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 allows for the production of wheel speed sensors that can withstand higher thermal stress and are cost-effective, with high resolution and accuracy, while minimizing internal tensions and manufacturing complexity, enabling their use in utility vehicles with various installation space constraints.
Implementation Method 1
AMR sensors, which have a chip having an 'anisotropic magnetoresistive' effect
Implementation Method 2
using AMR sensors and plastic components with equal thermal expansion coefficients to minimize internal tensions
Data Source
AI summary
A wheel-speed sensor (WSS), including: an active pulse-sensor (PS) having a detection-direction (DD), and a housing for the PS; a movement of a pulse-generator in the DD is detectable by the PS; the WSS has an axis and axis direction (AD) defined to be aligned perpendicularly to the DD; the housing has first/second-components, the first-component (FC) being enclose-able and to which the FC is connectable; the PS is on the FC; the WSS has a radial-cable-outlet (RCO), aligned radially to the axis to lead a cable out; the RCO integrally formed with the second-component (SC) so that the cable is led in a different direction; the FC has a first-region (FR), and the SC has a second-region (SR), the FR-contour-circumference having a shape-feature in predetermined-angle (PA) steps around the axis, so that an FC orientation is definable in the PA steps to provide a PA around the axis.