Instrumented roller bearing, in particular for control wheel

• US 6,908,229 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2001
• Issued: 06/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Skf France (ABet SKF)
• Original Assignee: Skf France (ABet SKF)
• Inventors: Landrieve, Franck, Duits, Johannes Adrianus Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): Footland, Lenard A.
• Application Number:
  US10/363,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20040013334A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,385 Days
• Field of Search: 384/448, 384/446, 324/207.25, 324/207.15, 324/173, 324/174
• US Class Current: 384/448
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/022 on or near the connection between the steering wheel and steering column
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/001 Mechanical components or aspects of steer-by-wire systems, not otherwise provided for in this maingroup
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/06 with a single row or balls
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/24 Steering systems, e.g. steering rods or columns
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/723 Shaft end sealing means, e.g. cup-shaped caps or covers
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 41/007 Encoders, e.g. parts with a plurality of alternating magnetic poles
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/145 influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields see G01R33/06

Abstract

An instrumented roller bearing, in particular for an electrical steering wheel (12), comprises an outer component (1) and an inner component (6) whereof one is mobile in rotation relative to the other which is fixed, through at least a row of rolling elements (14) arranged between the components, and elements for detecting (22, 23, 31) the rotating parameters of the rotary component. The bearing further comprises electronic members (34) for processing signals emitted by the detecting elements and electronic elements (35) for controlling at least an actuator electrically connected to the device, advantageously arranged on a printed circuit wafer (33) fixed in rotation.

Claims

1. Instrumented roller bearing, in particular for a control wheel comprising an external element and an internal element, one of which rotates while the other is fixed, by means of at least one row of rollers disposed between the said elements, and a means of detection of the rotation parameters of the rotating element, and electronic means for processing the signals emitted by the detection means, which comprises electronic means for driving at least one actuator electrically linked to the device, the electronic driving means being provided to transmit the driving orders directly to the actuator.

2. Device of claim 1, wherein the electronic means for processing the signals and the electronic steering means are mounted on a printed circuit board fixed in rotation.

3. Device of claim 1, characterized in that a connector is directly linked to the electronic steering means and can co-operate with a connector cable linked to the actuator.

4. Device of claim 1, which further comprises a cover that encloses the device on the side where the printed circuit board is situated.

5. Device of claim 4, wherein the cover comprises a connector that is directly linked to the electronic steering means and can co-operate with a connector cable linked to the actuator.

6. Device of claim 1, which further comprises two bearing bushes one of which is attached to the rotating element and the other is attached to the non-rotating element, and between them are disposed rolling elements.

7. Device of claim 6, wherein the detection means of the rotation parameters comprise at least one sensor attached to the non- rotating race co-operating with an encoder attached to the rotating bush.

8. Device of claim 7, wherein each sensor comprises a connection output directly linked to the electronic signal processing means.

9. Device of claim 6, wherein the detection mean of the rotation parameters comprise at least one sensor attached to the non- rotating element co-operating with an encoder attached to the rotating element.

10. Device of claim 1, wherein the fixed element comprises a tubular portion and a radial portion equipped with means for attaching the device to a support.

11. Device of claim 1, wherein the rotating element comprises a tubular portion and a radial portion equipped with means for attaching a drive part such as a control wheel.