DRIVE BY WIRE CONTACTLESS THROTTLE CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20100038166A1
• Filed: 08/12/2008
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Chandran, Anand, Cable, Al, Holzmacher, Rick, Moonamkandy, Shakil, Hasan, Nurul I, Reddy, Gangi Rajula, Gudi, Ravindra
• Application Number:
  US12/190,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20100038166A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/335
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 26/02 of initiating means or elements
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/02 characterised by hand, foot, or like operator controlled initiation means
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/106 Detection of demand or actuation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2011/102 at least one throttle being moved only by an electric actuator

Abstract

A drive by wire contactless throttle control which includes a contactless Hall-effect magnetic sensor. The Hall-effect magnetic sensor can be located in a mounting bracket in contactless association with a thumb lever on a handle bar. A magnet can be placed in a slot inside the thumb lever with a bonder and filled with an epoxy. The Hall-effect magnetic sensor senses the magnetic field produced by the magnet as the thumb lever rotates and determines position of the thumb lever and generates a signal based on the sensed position. The signal can be sent to an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) utilizing electrical wires in the form of varying voltage, which in turn controls throttle of a vehicle, such as an all terrain vehicle, snowmobile, etc.

Claims

1. A contactless throttle control apparatus, comprising:

a mounting bracket comprising at least one magnetic position sensor in contactless association with a thumb lever, wherein said at least one magnetic position sensor detects a position of said thumb lever on a handle bar at any point of time with respect to said mounting bracket; and

an electronic control unit associated with said at least one magnetic position sensor utilizing a plurality of electrical wires in order to generate a signal in a form of a varying voltage based on a sensed position in order to control a throttle of a vehicle and thereby eliminating the need for throttle cables.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one position sensing magnet having a magnetic field wherein said at least one magnetic position sensor is configured to detect said magnetic field and to sense said position of said thumb lever.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one position sensing magnet is in magnetic communication with said at least one magnetic position sensor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one position sensing magnet is placed in a slot within said thumb lever via a bonder and filled with an epoxy.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said at least one magnetic position sensor comprises a Hall-effect sensor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a locking member configured for locking said at least one magnetic position sensor and said at least one position sensing magnet in a predetermined position.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said vehicle comprises an all terrain vehicle.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said vehicle comprises a snowmobile.

9. A contactless throttle control apparatus for an all terrain vehicle, comprising:

a mounting bracket comprising at least one magnetic position sensor in contactless association with a thumb lever, wherein said at least one magnetic position sensor detects a position of said thumb lever on a handle bar at any point of time with respect to said mounting bracket;

an electronic control unit associated with said at least one magnetic position sensor utilizing a plurality of electrical wires in order to generate a signal in a form of a varying voltage based on a sensed position in order to control a throttle of an all terrain vehicle and thereby eliminating the need for throttle cables with respect to said all terrain vehicle; and

at least one position sensing magnet having a magnetic field wherein said at least one magnetic position sensor is configured to detect said magnetic field and to sense said position of said thumb lever.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said at least one position sensing magnet is in magnetic communication with said at least one magnetic position sensor.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said at least one position sensing magnet is placed in a slot within said thumb lever via a bonder and filled with an epoxy.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said at least one magnetic position sensor comprises a Hall-effect sensor.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

a locking member configured for locking said at least one magnetic position sensor and said at least one position sensing magnet in a predetermined position.

14. A method of configuring a contactless throttle control apparatus:

providing a mounting bracket comprising at least one magnetic position sensor in contactless association with a thumb lever, wherein said at least one magnetic position sensor detects a position of said thumb lever on a handle bar at any point of time with respect to said mounting bracket; and

associating an electronic control unit with said at least one magnetic position sensor utilizing a plurality of electrical wires in order to generate a signal in a form of a varying voltage based on a sensed position in order to control a throttle of a vehicle and thereby eliminating the need for throttle cables.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

providing in association with said mounting bracket, said at least one magnetic position sensor and said electronic control unit, at least one position sensing magnet having a magnetic field; and

configuring said at least one magnetic position sensor to detect said magnetic field and said position of said thumb lever.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

providing said at least one position sensing magnet in magnetic communication with said at least one magnetic position sensor.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

locating said at least one position sensing magnet in a slot within said thumb lever via a bonder and filled with an epoxy.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising providing said at least one magnetic position sensor as a Hall-effect sensor.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

locating in a predetermined position, a locking member for locking said at least one magnetic position sensor and said at least one position sensing magnet.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein said vehicle comprises at least one of the following:

an all terrain vehicle or a snowmobile.