Ball-and-socket joint with an angle sensor

• US 7,405,557 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2004
• Issued: 07/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sensitec GmbH, ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: Sensitec GmbH, ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Spratte, Joachim, Loreit, Uwe
• Primary Examiner(s): LEDYNH, BOT L
• Application Number:
  US10/568,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20070040355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,440 Days
• Field of Search: 324/207.22, 324/207.25, 324/261, 735/141.6, 735/143.1, 735/143.9, 403/122, 280/511
• US Class Current: 324/207.22
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 17/015 the regulating means comprising electric or electronic elements B60G17/002, B60G17/005 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/11 Mounting of sensors thereon
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/1162 directly mounted on the suspension arm
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/416 Ball or spherical joints
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2400/00 Indexing codes relating to detected, measured or calculated conditions or factors
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 7/005 Ball joints B60G7/006 takes precedence; for steering linkage B62D7/16; ball joints per se F16C11/06
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/0604 Construction of the male part
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/0633 the linings being made of plastics
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 11/0642 Special features of the plug or cover on the blind end of the socket
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2233/00 Monitoring condition, e.g. temperature, load, vibration
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2326/05 Vehicle suspensions, e.g. bearings, pivots or connecting rods used therein
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 41/00 Other accessories, e.g. devices integrated in the bearing not relating to the bearing function as such
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 41/007 Encoders, e.g. parts with a plurality of alternating magnetic poles

Abstract

A ball and socket joint with integrated angle sensor, especially for use as a vehicle level control in the chassis of a motor vehicle. The ball and socket joint has a ball and socket joint housing (1), a ball pivot (2) mounted in the ball and socket joint housing (1), a bipolar field transducer (4) arranged at the joint ball (3) of the ball pivot (2), and at least one magnetic field direction sensor (5), which is arranged at the ball and socket joint housing (1) and interacts with the magnetic field generated by the field transducer (4), wherein only one pole of the bipolar field transducer (4) is arranged on the surface of the ball.

Claims

1. A ball and socket joint comprising:

a ball and socket joint housing;

a ball pivot mounted in the ball and socket joint housing, said ball pivot having a joint ball with a surface;

a bipolar field transducer arranged at the joint ball of the ball pivot; and

a magnetic field direction sensor, which is arranged at the ball and socket joint housing and interacts with the magnetic field generated by the field transducer, wherein only one pole of the bipolar field transducer is arranged on the surface of the ball.

2. A ball and socket joint in accordance with claim 1, wherein the two poles of the field transducer are arranged in the axis of symmetry of the ball pivot.

3. A ball and socket joint in accordance with claim 1, wherein the field transducer is a bar magnet.

4. A ball and socket joint in accordance with claim 1, wherein the joint ball consists essentially of a ferromagnetic material and the field transducer is embedded in the joint ball in a layer consisting of a nonmagnetic material.

5. A ball and socket joint in accordance with claim 4, wherein the pole of the field transducer located in the joint ball is in contact with the ferromagnetic joint ball.

6. A ball and socket joint in accordance with claim 1, further comprising another magnetic field direction sensor, said magnetic field direction sensor and said another magnetic field direction sensor interacting with the field generated by the field transducer, said magnetic field direction sensor and said another magnetic field direction sensor being arranged at the ball and socket joint housing, wherein the measuring reference axes of the magnetic field direction sensors (5) are located in one plane and do not extend in parallel to one another.

7. A ball and socket joint in accordance with claim 6, wherein the two magnetic field direction sensors are arranged on a plate at an angle of 90°

in relation to one another.

8. A ball and socket joint in accordance with claim 7, wherein the plate is arranged at a closing cover of the ball and socket joint housing.

9. A ball and socket joint in accordance with claim 7, wherein the plate is arranged at right angles to the central axis of the ball pivot.

10. A ball and socket joint in accordance with claim 1, wherein the ball and socket joint is used as a vehicle level control in a chassis of a vehicle, wherein the ball and socket joint housing and the ball pivot are arranged between the chassis of the vehicle and the wheel suspension of the vehicle.

20. A ball and socket joint in accordance with claim 10, wherein the ball and socket joint is used as a vehicle level control in a chassis of a vehicle, wherein the ball and socket joint housing and the ball pivot are arranged between the chassis of the vehicle and a wheel suspension of the vehicle.

11. A ball and socket joint comprising:

a ball and socket joint housing;

a ball pivot mounted in the ball and socket joint housing, said ball pivot having a joint pin and a joint ball with a surface opposite said joint pin;

a bipolar field transducer arranged within the joint ball of the ball pivot with one pole of the bipolar field transducer arranged on said surface of the ball, said bipolar field transducer generating a magnetic field; and

a magnetic field direction sensor arranged at the ball and socket joint housing for sensing a position and direction of said magnetic field generated by said field transducer.

12. A ball and socket joint in accordance with claim 11, wherein each of two poles of the bipolar field transducer are arranged adjacent to or passing through an axis of symmetry of the ball pivot.

13. A ball and socket joint in accordance with claim 11, wherein the field transducer is a bar magnet.

14. A ball and socket joint in accordance with claim 11, further comprising a non magnetic layer formed in an end of said joint ball, wherein a main portion of the joint ball consists essentially of a ferromagnetic material and the field transducer is embedded in the joint ball in said non magnetic layer.

15. A ball and socket joint in accordance with claim 14, wherein the other pole of the field transducer is located in the joint ball and is in contact with the main portion of the joint ball.

16. A ball and socket joint in accordance with claim 11, further comprising another magnetic field direction sensor, said magnetic field direction sensor and said another magnetic field direction sensor interacting with the field generated by the field transducer, said magnetic field direction sensor and said another magnetic field direction sensor being arranged at the ball and socket joint housing, wherein the measuring reference axes of the magnetic field direction sensors are located in one plane and do not extend in parallel to one another.

17. A ball and socket joint in accordance with claim 16, wherein each of said magnetic field direction sensor and said another magnetic field direction sensor are arranged on a plate at an angle of 90°

in relation to one another.

18. A ball and socket joint in accordance with claim 17, wherein the plate is arranged at a closing cover of the ball and socket joint housing.

19. A ball and socket joint in accordance with claim 17, wherein the plate is arranged at right angles to a central axis of the ball pivot.