Transmission system for tire state quantities

• US 8,091,418 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Acker, Heinrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENKINS, JERMAINE L
• Application Number:
  US11/793,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20090013773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,223 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 73/146.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0413 Wireless charging of active radio frequency circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/043 using transformer type signal transducers, e.g. rotary transformers
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/171 Detecting parameters used in the regulation; Measuring values used in the regulation

Abstract

A transmission device for motor vehicles for transmitting signals about tire condition variables from a wheel to an electronic evaluating or control unit arranged in the area of the vehicle body, wherein the tire condition variables can be detected especially by one or a plurality of sensor subassemblies (14) which are arranged in a wheel rotatably mounted at the body above the wheel hub (3), characterized in that a coupling device is integrated into the wheel hub, which is composed of a rotor (6a) and a non-rotating stator (6b) to generate a field coupling, and whose one or more field coupling elements (20, 22, 27a, 27b, 29a, 29b, 30a, 30b, 34a, 34b, 39a, 39b, 42, 43) are opposite each other, separated by a narrow air slot (24), and an energy and/or signal coupling takes place by way of electric fields and/or magnetic fields, and/or electromagnetic fields, is meant to determine the rotational speed of the wheel. To this end, the rotor (6a) and/or the stator (6b) is subdivided in a circumferential direction into two or more sectors, with the sectors having a differing permeability for a rotational-speed-responsive field coupling of rotor (6a) and stator (6b).

Claims

1. A transmission device for a motor vehicle for transmitting signals about tire condition variables from a wheel to an electronic unit arranged in the vehicle body, wherein the tire condition variables can be detected especially by one or a plurality of sensor subassemblies (14) which are arranged in a wheel rotatably mounted at the body above the wheel hub (3), the device comprising:

a coupling device is integrated into a wheel hub, which is composed of a rotor (6a) and a non-rotating stator (6b) to generate a field coupling, and whose one or more field coupling elements (20, 22, 34a, 34b, 39a, 39b) are opposite each other, separated by a narrow air slot (24), and a signal coupling takes place by at least one of electric fields, magnetic fields, and electromagnetic fields, and least one of the rotor (6a) and the stator (6b) is subdivided in a circumferential direction into two or more sectors, with the sectors including a differing magnetic coupling for a rotational-speed-responsive field coupling of rotor (6a) and stator (6b); and

wherein the two or more sectors are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction such that the field coupling has an alternating output resulting from the differing magnetic coupling.

2. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein the two or more sectors that are consecutive to each other in a circumferential direction of the rotor (6a) or stator (6b) have a permeability alternating in magnitude.

3. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein the two or more sectors have a different shape or a different material in one of the radial and axial direction.

4. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein ferromagnetic material is provided in a number of sectors.

5. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the rotor (6a) and the stator (6b) is composed of a composite material, and the composition of the composite material differs sector wise.

6. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein electronic access to the device on the rotor side and the stator side is realized by plug connectors.

7. The transmission device of claim 6, wherein a cable-shaped electric signal plug connector (7a, 11, 12) from the wheel hub to the detection device for measured values is provided.

8. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein the wheel hub (3) comprises an integrated coupling device (6a, 6b).

9. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein a cable plug connector (7b, 9) is provided, which is configured to connect to a cased electronic component (8) or a cable connection (10) to an electronic control unit (ECU).

10. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein the coupling device comprises flat coils composed of a rotor with rotor winding (20) and a stator with stator winding (22).

11. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein that the coupling device is composed of embracing cylindrical coils, comprising a rotor with integrated rotor winding and a stator with integrated stator winding.

12. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the rotor winding (20) and the stator winding (22) has a different number of windings in the sectors.

13. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the rotor winding (20) and the stator winding (22) is designed sector wise in different axial or radial position.

14. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the stator (6a) and the rotor (6b) of the device is mechanically connected to parts of one or a plurality of ball bearings (19) mounting into the wheel hub.

15. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein base members of rotor (6a) and stator (6b) are composed of a magnetically and electrically non-conductive material.

16. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein the coupling device is designed with two or more single-layer windings, which are embedded in ferrite shells.

17. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein the coupling device is designed with multi-layer windings, which are embedded directly into the associated base members.

18. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein the coupling device is designed with two-layer windings, which are embedded into shielding metal plates.

19. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein the coupling device is designed with two or more windings (32a, 32b), embedded in shielding metal plates (33a, 33b), and additional two or more windings (34a, 34b), embedded in ferrite shells (35a, 35b).

20. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein a dynamo to produce a supply voltage for operation of the electronic circuit in the sensor subassembly is integrated into the coupling device.

21. The transmission device of claim 20, wherein the dynamo is made up of a ring of permanent-magnetic segments on the stator side and coil arrangements (38a) with iron cores (38b) on the rotor side.

22. A vehicle wheel equipped with sensors, the vehicle wheel comprising:

a wheel rim (1);

a tire (2);

one or more sensor subassemblies (13) rotating with the wheel,

a coupling device is integrated into a wheel hub, which is composed of a rotor (6a) and a non-rotating stator (6b) to generate a field coupling, and whose one or more field coupling elements (20, 22, 34a, 34b, 39a, 39b) are opposite each other, separated by a narrow air slot (24), and a signal coupling takes place by at least one of electric fields, magnetic fields, and electromagnetic fields, and least one of the rotor (6a) and the stator (6b) is subdivided in a circumferential direction into two or more sectors, with the sectors including a differing magnetic coupling for a rotational-speed-responsive field coupling of rotor (6a) and stator (6b); and

wherein the two or more sectors are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction such that the field coupling has an alternating output resulting from the differing magnetic coupling.

23. The vehicle wheel of claim 22, wherein the sensor subassembly comprises a sensor element (14) and a signal transmitting subassembly (13), with the sensor element and the signal transmitting subassembly being integrated in a common component.

24. The vehicle wheel of claim 22, wherein the sensor subassembly comprises one or more sensors with an electronic circuit for conditioning the sensor signal(s).

25. The vehicle wheel of claim 22, wherein a sensor subassembly is integrated into the tire.

26. The vehicle wheel of claim 22, wherein an energy transmission subassembly is provided for the energy supply to a sensor subassembly.

27. The vehicle wheel of claim 22, wherein the electric connection to the transmission device comprises a plug connector.

28. The vehicle wheel of claim 22, wherein the sensor subassembly is supplied with direct current energy by a battery integrated into the sensor subassembly.

29. The vehicle wheel of claim 22, wherein an energy supply and signal transmission subassembly cooperates with a sensorial measuring device that is anchored in an area of a tire cover by way of field coupling for the signal transmission of the measuring device, and the energy transfer takes place by a transponder.

30. The vehicle wheel of claim 29, wherein the field coupling takes place electrically, magnetically, or electromagnetically.

31. The vehicle wheel of claim 29, wherein the field coupling takes place optically, acoustically, or through thermal radiation.

32. The vehicle wheel of claim 22, wherein a sensorial measuring device (15) is supplied with direct current energy by a generator integrated into the measuring device.

33. The vehicle wheel of claim 22, wherein a cable is integrated into the wheel rim, which includes a plug as output to the coupling device and a wheel rim plug receptacle on the tire side, which allows an electromechanical plug connection to the tire interior and into which the sensor subassembly can be plugged and anchored in an electromechanically stationary fashion.

34. The vehicle wheel of claim 33, wherein the wheel rim plug receptacle is integrated stationarily into the wheel rim body in such a fashion that it projects into the tire space in an airtight manner.

35. The vehicle wheel of claim 22, wherein the sensor subassembly has a device for generating electric tire condition signals connected via the coupling device to a cased electronic subassembly or an electronic control unit (ECU).

36. The vehicle wheel of claim 35, wherein the tire condition signals includes a variable for at least one of a cover inflation pressure, air temperature, tire temperature, a wheel contact force, a brake torque, and a wheel rotational speed.

37. The vehicle wheel of claim 35, wherein the tire condition signal includes variables that cover parameters of a type of tire or its operating condition.

38. A system for transmitting tire condition variables, the system comprising:

a vehicle wheel comprising;

a wheel rim (1);

a tire (2);

one or more sensor subassemblies (13) rotating with the wheel;

a transmission device for a motor vehicle for transmitting signals about tire condition variables from a wheel to an electronic unit arranged in the vehicle body, wherein the tire condition variables can be detected especially by one or a plurality of sensor subassemblies (14) which are arranged in a wheel rotatably mounted at the body above the wheel hub (3), the device comprising;

a coupling device is integrated into the vehicle wheel, which is composed of a rotor (6a) and a non-rotating stator (6b) to generate a field coupling, and whose one or more field coupling elements (20, 22, 34a, 34b, 39a, 39b) are opposite each other, separated by a narrow air slot (24), and a signal coupling takes place by at least one of electric fields, magnetic fields, and electromagnetic fields, and least one of the rotor (6a) and the stator (6b) is subdivided in a circumferential direction into two or more sectors, with the sectors including a differing magnetic coupling for a rotational-speed-responsive field coupling of rotor (6a) and stator (6b); and

wherein the two or more sectors are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction such that the field coupling has an alternating output resulting from the differing magnetic coupling.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the sensor subassembly is supplied with alternating current energy from a cased electronic subassembly or an electronic control unit (ECU) through the coupling device.

40. The system of claim 38, wherein the sensor subassembly is supplied with alternating current energy, which is produced by the transmission device from rotational energy of the wheel.

41. The system of claim 38, wherein the system comprises a cable-shaped electric signal connection to a cased electric brake control unit (ECU).