Configurable non-contact position sensor

• US 8,884,612 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2011
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Williams Controls, Inc. (Curtiss-Wright Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Williams Controls, Inc. (Curtiss-Wright Corporation)
• Inventors: Hofmockel, Klaus, Miller, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Koval, Melissa
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCDONNOUGH, COURTNEY G
• Application Number:
  US13/053,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20110234208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• US Class Current: 324/207.2
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 11/106 Detection of demand or actuation
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0404 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/602 Pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/245 Housings for sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/145 influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields see G01R33/06

Abstract

Embodiments herein relate to the general art of motor vehicles, and to the particular field motor vehicle components, especially sensors for electronic throttle controls. Particular embodiments include configurable Hall-effect sensors for use in vehicle controls. In various embodiments, the configurable sensors may include a flexible over molding that may allow the sensor assemblies to achieve an environmental rating conforming International Protection Rating IP 67 and/or IP 66. Additionally, because the sensor assemblies are modular, a single assembly may be configured in any number of different ways, including direct drive and indirect drive applications and multiple different proprietary interface connections, while maintaining compliance with Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standards.

Claims

1. A configurable non-contact position sensor assembly comprising:

a housing;

a rotation indicator disposed within and rotatably coupled to the housing;

a Hall effect sensing device disposed within or adjacent to the housing and adapted to detect a change in an angle of a field generated by the rotation indicator; and

a flexible over molded shell enclosing all or part of the sensor assembly and adapted to seal at least a portion of the sensor assembly against influx of air, moisture, and/or debris;

wherein the flexible over molded shell at least partially fills an empty space within the housing; and

wherein the flexible over molded shell substantially fills a space between the Hall effect sensing device and the housing.

2. The configurable non-contact position sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the flexible over molded shell comprises a low pressure, hot melt adhesive-based polymer.

3. The configurable non-contact position sensor assembly of claim 2, wherein the flexible over molded shell comprises a thermoplastic resin.

4. The configurable non-contact position sensor assembly of claim 3, wherein the thermoplastic resin comprises a polyamide or polyester base.

5. The configurable non-contact position sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the flexible over molded shell fills substantially all empty space within the housing.

6. The configurable non-contact position sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly conforms to a standard comprising International Protection Rating IP 67 and/or IP 66.

7. The configurable non-contact position sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly comprises a partition separating the rotation indicator and the Hall effect sensing device.

8. The configurable non-contact position sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the rotation indicator comprises a bipolar disk magnet having a generally solid center portion or a magnet comprising two or more concentric rings.

9. The configurable non-contact position sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly is a direct drive sensor assembly, and the sensor assembly further comprises a direct drive pivot shaft coupled to the rotation indicator and configured to rotate relative to the housing.

10. The configurable non-contact position sensor assembly of claim 9, wherein the Hall effect sensing device is configured to detect rotation of the rotation indicator of from 0 degrees to about 20 degrees.

11. The configurable non-contact position sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly is an indirect drive sensor assembly, wherein the sensor assembly further comprises a rotor and an indirect drive shaft, wherein the indirect drive shaft is configured to rotate relative to the housing, and wherein the rotor is configured to amplify rotation of the indirect drive shaft and transmit the amplified rotation to the rotation indicator.

12. The configurable non-contact position sensor assembly of claim 11, wherein the rotor is configured to cause rotation of the rotation indicator of 50-75 degrees in response to 15-20 degrees of rotation of the indirect drive shaft.

13. The configurable non-contact position sensor assembly of claim 11, wherein the Hall effect sensing device is configured to detect from 0 degrees to 75 degrees of rotation of the rotation indicator.

14. The configurable non-contact position sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly further comprises a magnetic shield configured to shield the Hall effect sensor from external magnetic forces.

15. The configurable non-contact position sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises a connector port adapted to couple the sensor assembly to a connector module.

16. The configurable non-contact position sensor assembly of claim 15, wherein the connector module comprises a first electrical interface configured to couple to a second electrical interface, wherein the second electrical interface is a vehicle interface.

17. The configurable non-contact position sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly is adapted to conform to one or more Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standards.

18. The configurable non-contact position sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor assembly is adapted to provide a dual Accelerator Pedal sensor (APS) electrical output signal, an analog electrical output signal, a dual APS Digital Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) signal, an APS/Idle Validation Switch (IVS) signal, and/or a dual APS/IVS signal.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the application is an indirect application, and wherein the method further comprises:

selecting a rotor;

selecting a return spring;

installing the rotation indicator and the return spring on the rotor to form a rotor assembly; and

installing the rotor assembly in a rotor cavity in the sensor body.

22. The configurable non-contact position sensor of claim 15, wherein the connector port is configured to detachably couple the sensor assembly to the connector module.

23. The configurable non-contact position sensor of claim 12, wherein the connector port is configured to allow a first connector module to be removed and replaced with a second connector module.

19. A configurable non-contact position sensor assembly comprising:

a housing;

a rotation indicator disposed within and rotatably coupled to the housing;

a Hall effect sensing device disposed within or adjacent to the housing and adapted to detect a change in an angle of a field generated by the rotation indicator;

wherein the sensor assembly comprises a partition separating the rotation indicator and the Hall effect sensing device; and

a flexible over molded shell enclosing all or part of the sensor assembly and adapted to seal at least part of the sensor assembly against influx of air, moisture, and/or debris;

wherein the flexible over molded shell at least partially fills an empty space within the housing; and

wherein the flexible over molded shell substantially fills a space between the Hall effect sensing device and the housing.

20. A method for assembling a configurable non-contact sensor assembly, comprising:

selecting a direct drive or indirect drive application;

selecting a sensor body;

selecting a connector module;

installing the connector module in the sensor body;

selecting a rotation indicator;

installing the rotation indicator in the sensor body;

selecting a circuit board assembly;

installing the circuit board assembly within or adjacent to the sensor body; and

over molding the sensor body and circuit board assembly with low pressure hot melt over mold material;

wherein the over mold material at least partially fills an empty space within the sensor body; and

wherein the over mold material substantially fills a space between the rotation indicator and the sensor body.