HANDLE CONTROL PROVIDED WITH AN ANGULAR POSITION SENSOR

• US 20100126299A1
• Filed: 08/28/2009
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marelli Europe SPA
• Original Assignee: Magneti Marelli S.p.A.
• Inventors: Cannone, Domenico, Xella, Maurizio, BALDASSARI, ANDREA, Piciotti, Roberto
• Granted Patent: US 8,353,111 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/491
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 23/04 Twist grips
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/02 characterised by hand, foot, or like operator controlled initiation means
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/10 of the electric type
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20396 Hand operated

Abstract

A handle control provided with: a supporting body, which is provided with a central through hole and is adapted to be fitted about a handlebar to be rigidly fixed to the handlebar; a twist grip, which has a tubular shape, is rotationally carried by the supporting body and is centrally perforated to be fitted about the handlebar so as to rotate with respect to the handlebar; and an angular position sensor, which is adapted to read the angular position of the twist grip; the angular position sensor has at least one rotor, which is supported by the twist grip to rotate along with the twist grip and is adapted to influence an electric field; and at least one reader, which is carried in a stationary position by the supporting body, is arranged close to the rotor, and is suitable for a contactless and remote reading of the orientation of the rotor.

Claims

1. A handle control provided with an angular position sensor;

the handle control comprises;

a supporting body, which is provided with a central through hole and is adapted to be fitted about a handlebar to be rigidly fixed to the handlebar;

a twist grip, which has a tubular shape, is rotationally carried by the supporting body and is centrally perforated to be fitted about the handlebar so as to rotate with respect to the handlebar; and

an angular position sensor adapted to read the angular position of the twist grip and comprising at least one rotor, which is supported by the twist grip to rotate along with the twist grip, and at least one reader, which is carried in a stationary position by the supporting body, is arranged close to the rotor, and is suitable for a contactless and remote reading of the orientation of the rotor;

the handle control is characterized in that the rotor of the angular position sensor is magnetless, is adapted to influence an electric field, and comprises at least one closed turn made of an electrically conductive material and having a number of lobes distributed about a rotation axis of the twist grip; and

the reader of the angular position sensor generates an electric field, which is reflected by the turn of the rotor and then the reader reads the electric field reflected by the turn.

2. A handle control according to claim 1, wherein the reader of the angular position sensor comprises at least two electronic querying devices, which are reciprocally independent and are adapted to read the orientation of the rotor to provide at least two reciprocally redundant measurements.

3. A handle control according to claim 2, wherein the reader comprises a number of antennas, each of which is electrically coupled to the rotor and is connected to the electronic querying devices.

4. A handle control according to claim 3, wherein the reader comprises a common printed circuit, which is arranged inside the supporting body and carries the antennas and the electronic querying devices.

5. A handle control according to claim 2, wherein the rotor of the angular position sensor comprises a single common closed turn, the orientation of which is read by the two electronic querying devices.

6. A handle control according to claim 1 and comprising at least one elastic recalling element, which is arranged inside the supporting body and has a first end coupled to the twist grip and a second end secured to the supporting body to exert an elastic thrust on the twist grip, which tends to rotate the twist grip towards a rest position corresponding to a zero driving torque;

the rotor supporting the closed turn is divided into two parts which are mechanically coupled to each other;

an elastic element is inserted between the two parts of the rotor, which elastic element is axially contained between the two parts themselves.

7. A handle control according to claim 1, wherein:

the rotor has at least one axial rib, which radially protrudes towards a rotation axis and axially extends for a certain length; and

the grip internally has an axial seat which is engaged by the axial rib of the part of the rotor to make the rotor angularly integral with the grip and, at the same time, to allow an axial sliding between the grip and the rotor without varying the distance between the rotor and the reader.

8. A handle control according to claim 7, wherein the axial rib of the rotor is thinner than the internal dimension of the seat of the grip so as to present a certain clearance within the seat itself.

9. A handle control according to claim 1, wherein the rotor comprises an angular cursor, which is inserted into a seat, which is circumference arc-shaped and defines the two stroke ends of the rotation of the rotor.

10. A handle control according to claim 1 and comprising a braking device, which serves the function of increasing the force needed to rotate the grip.

11. A handle control according to claim 10, wherein the braking device increases the force needed to rotate the grip by means of friction.

12. A handle control according to claim 11, wherein the braking device comprises:

at least one shoe;

a friction surface integral with the rotor; and

an elastic element which biases the shoe against the friction surface.

13. A handle control according to claim 12, wherein the friction surface has undulations so that the braking action of the shoe varies according to the angular position of the grip.

14. A handle control according to claim 12, wherein the shoe has an eccentric so as to exert a braking force which varies according to the variations of the rotation speed of the rotor.

15. A handle control according to claim 11, wherein the braking system is carried by the handlebar and acts on the grip.

16. A handle control according to claim 15, wherein the braking device comprises:

a cylindrical insert which is blocked inside the handlebar and partially protrudes from the handlebar; and

at least one annular elastic band which is supported by the insert and creeps against an internal surface of the grip to generate a certain friction.

17. A handle control provided with an angular position sensor;

the handle control comprises;

a supporting body, which is provided with a through central hole and is adapted to be fitted about a handlebar to be rigidly fixed to the handlebar itself;

a twist grip, which has a tubular shape, is rotationally carried by the supporting body and is centrally perforated to be fitted about the handlebar so as to rotate with respect to the handlebar itself; and

an angular position sensor which is adapted to read the angular position of the twist grip and comprises at least one rotor, which is supported by the twist grip to rotate along with the twist grip itself, and at least one reader, which is carried in a fixed position by the supporting body, is arranged close to the rotor, and is adapted for a contactless and remote reading of the orientation of the rotor itself;

the handle control is characterized in that;

the rotor has at least one axial rib, which radially protrudes towards a rotation axis and axially extends for a certain length; and

the grip internally has an axial seat which is engaged by the axial rib of the part of the rotor to make the rotor angularly integral with the grip and, at the same time, to allow an axial sliding between the grip and the rotor without varying the distance between the rotor and the reader.

18. A handle control provided with an angular position sensor;

the handle control comprises;

a supporting body, which is provided with a through central hole and is adapted to be fitted about a handlebar to be rigidly fixed to the handlebar itself;

a twist grip, which has a tubular shape, is rotationally carried by the supporting body and is centrally perforated to be fitted about the handlebar so as to rotate with respect to the handlebar itself; and

an angular position sensor which is adapted to read the angular position of the twist grip and comprises at least one rotor, which is supported by the twist grip in order to rotate along with the twist grip itself, and at least one reader, which is carried in a fixed position by the supporting body, is arranged close to the rotor, and is adapted for a contactless and remote reading of the orientation of the rotor itself;

the handle control is characterized in that it comprises a braking device, which serves the function of increasing the force needed to rotate the grip.