Linear displacement detection apparatus

• US 7,915,889 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2008
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawashima, Takashi, Kono, Yoshiyuki, Okado, Hisataka, Ikeda, Shinji, Kubota, Takamitsu, Shintani, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): TANG, MINH NHUT
• Application Number:
  US12/207,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20090066322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 324/207.24
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 2205/14 by converting the linear movement into a rotary movement
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/04 using levers; using cams; using gearing
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/145 influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields see G01R33/06

Abstract

A linear displacement detection apparatus is configured to convert a linear displacement of a shaft into a rotary displacement of a sensor rotor of a rotary displacement sensor so as to detect the linear displacement. A sensor lever is fixed to the sensor rotor and rotatable about an axis of the sensor rotor. A sensor rod is located closer to the shaft than the sensor lever and configured to transmit the linear displacement of the shaft to the sensor lever. A bearing member is located closer to the shaft than the sensor rod and configured to release rocking of the shaft.

Claims

1. A linear displacement detection apparatus for converting a linear displacement of a shaft into a rotary displacement of a sensor rotor of a rotary displacement sensor so as to detect the linear displacement, the linear displacement detection apparatus comprising:

a sensor lever connected to the sensor rotor and rotatable about an axis of the sensor rotor;

a sensor rod located closer to the shaft than the sensor lever and configured to transmit the linear displacement of the shaft to the sensor lever; and

a bearing member located closer to the shaft than the sensor rod and configured to release rocking of the shaft.

2. The linear displacement detection apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the sensor rod and the sensor lever are discrete components, and

the sensor rod and the sensor lever are configured as a linear-to-rotary displacement converting mechanism for converting the linear displacement of the shaft into the rotary displacement of the sensor rotor.

3. The linear displacement detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bearing member is located between the shaft and the sensor rod.

4. The linear displacement detection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an actuator for linearly actuating the shaft in an axial direction and configured to cause the linear displacement,

wherein the shaft has a fitted portion at a side of the actuator, and

the bearing member is fitted to an outer circumferential periphery of the fitted portion.

5. The linear displacement detection apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the bearing member is substantially in an annular shape, and

the sensor rod has a holding portion, which is substantially in an annular shape and configured to hold the bearing member.

6. The linear displacement detection apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the sensor rod has a first contact portion configured to be in contact with the sensor lever, and

the sensor lever has a second contact portion configured to be in contact with the first contact portion of the sensor rod.

7. The linear displacement detection apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the second contact portion of the sensor lever is a cylinder portion integrally formed with the sensor lever,

the cylinder portion is configured to be inserted with the sensor rod, and

the cylinder portion has an inner wall surface defining a contact surface configured to be in contact with a contact face of the first contact portion of the sensor rod.

8. The linear displacement detection apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the first contact portion of the sensor rod is a fitting head integrally formed with the sensor rod, and

the fitting head is substantially in a spherical shape.

9. The linear displacement detection apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the first contact portion of the sensor rod is a cylinder roller rotatable about an outer circumferential periphery of the sensor rod, and

the cylinder roller is substantially in a paunch shape.

10. The linear displacement detection apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the rotary displacement sensor includes a magnet, which is fixed to the sensor rotor, and a magnetism detection element, which is configured to detect a magnetic flux generated from the magnet in a non-contact manner, and

the rotary displacement sensor is configured to detect a rotation angle of one of the sensor rotor and the sensor lever in accordance with an output change characteristic of the magnetism detection element with respect to the rotation angle of the magnet.

11. The linear displacement detection apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the sensor lever has a contact portion configured to be in contact with the sensor rod,

the contact portion of the sensor lever is movable along a rotation locus,

the rotation locus and a tangent of the rotation locus therebetween define an intersection, the tangent being in parallel with a direction of the linear displacement of the shaft, and

the intersection is an intermediate point of a maximum linear displacement of the shaft in the rotary displacement sensor.

12. The linear displacement detection apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the intermediate point of the maximum linear displacement of the shaft is located at a center between a start point of a measurement of the rotary displacement sensor and an end point of the measurement of the rotary displacement sensor.

13. The linear displacement detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bearing member is configured to restrict transmission of torsion of the shaft about a center axis of the shaft to the sensor rod and the sensor lever.

14. The linear displacement detection apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the sensor rod is rotatable about the center axis of the shaft via the bearing member.

15. The linear displacement detection apparatus according to claim 14,

wherein the sensor rod is connected with the sensor lever, and

the sensor rod is rotatable about a center axis of the sensor rod.

16. The linear displacement detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor rotor has a rotation axis being substantially perpendicular to a center axis of the shaft.

17. The linear displacement detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bearing member is a radial bearing configured to support the shaft in a radial direction of the shaft.