Height sensor and vehicular headlight beam axis leveling apparatus

• US 6,234,654 B1
• Filed: 04/27/1999
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kitahara, Takahide, Okuchi, Hiroaki, Asakura, Fumio
• Primary Examiner(s): CARIASO, ALAN B
• Application Number:
  US09/299,560
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• Field of Search: 362/459, 362/460, 362/464-468, 362/276, 362/802
• US Class Current: 362/466
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/144 with two lateral arms forming a parallelogram
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/116 Sensors coupled to the suspension arm
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/60 Vehicles using regenerative power
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/10 due to vehicle inclination, e.g. due to load distribution
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/114 Vehicle acceleration or deceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/116 Vehicle at a stop
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/132 Pitch
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/003 for measuring position, not involving coordinate determination coordinate measuring G01B7/004
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/2066 by movement of a single coil with respect to a single other coil

Abstract

A height sensor has an exciting coil for generating an alternating magnetic field and a pickup coil for detecting the magnetic field. The exciting coil is fixed to a suspension arm and the pickup coil is fixed to a body so as to face each other. Distance between these coils is determined by a voltage outputted from the pickup coil, and a height of the vehicle is calculated from the distance between these coils by taking the mounting position of the pickup coil on the suspension arm into account. The height sensor is readily fixed and a detection accuracy is improved by setting the mounting position of the pickup coil in a range of {fraction (1/10)} to ½ of a length of the suspension arm from a connecting portion between the suspension arm and the body.

Claims

1. A height sensor for detecting a height of a vehicle having a body and a movable member which is movably connected to the body and which is relatively movable to the body according to the height of the vehicle, said height sensor comprising:

a magnetic field generator installed in one of the body and said movable member for generating an alternating magnetic field; and

a magnetic field detector, installed in the other of the body and said movable member such that said magnetic field generator and said magnetic field detector are disposed opposite to each other, for detecting said alternating magnetic field and for outputting a detected signal indicating a distance from said magnetic field generator, wherein;

a mounting position of said one of said magnetic field generator and said magnetic field detector to be installed in said movable member is within a range of {fraction (1/10)} to ½

of a length of said movable member from a connection between the body and said movable member.

2. A height sensor as in claim 1, wherein said mounting position of said one of said magnetic field generator and said magnetic field detector to be installed in said movable member is in the proximity of {fraction (1/10)} of a length of said movable member from a connection between the body and said movable member.

3. A height sensor as in claim 1, wherein said magnetic field generator includes a permanent magnet.

4. A height sensor as in claim 1, wherein a magnetic path between said magnetic field generator and said magnetic field detector is covered by an extensible non-magnetic cover.

5. A height sensor as in claim 1, wherein said magnetic field detector, except an opposing portion facing to said magnetic field generator, is covered by an electromagnetic shielding cover.

6. A vehicular headlight beam axis leveling apparatus for controlling a headlight beam axis, comprising:

a height sensor as in claim 1;

inclination angle computing means for calculating an inclination angle of the body with reference to a road surface based on the height of the vehicle detected by said height sensor; and

an actuator for adjusting the headlight beam axis based on said inclination angle calculated by said inclination angle computing means.