Actuator, particularly for a motor vehicle parking brake

• US 9,873,411 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2015
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft Wuerzburg
• Original Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft Wuerzburg
• Inventors: Deutloff, Norbert, Kraft, Ekkehard, Roos, Stephan, Sauer, Armin
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Bradley
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hsiao, James
• Application Number:
  US14/803,903
• Publication Number:
  US 20150321647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 188 111, 188 2 D, 188162, 188 728, 188156, 188265
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/746 and mechanical transmission of the braking action
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 7/085 by electrical means, e.g. travel, force sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2121/24 using motors
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 65/28 arranged apart from the brake

Abstract

An actuator (1), especially for a motor vehicle parking brake has a telescopic device (2) that actuates a brake cable (6), and a drive unit which is equipped with an electromechanical drive for actuating the telescopic device (2). The actuator (1) further has a displacement sensor unit for detecting the actuating travel of the telescopic device (2) as well as a force sensor unit for detecting the force applied to the brake cable (6) by the drive unit. The displacement sensor unit and the force sensor unit are disposed next to each other in or on the housing (3) of the telescopic device (2) while being separated from the brake cable (6). The assembly has a particularly simple and compact design while reducing the constructive and mounting effort required during the production of the actuator.

Claims

1. An actuator comprising

a drive device comprising an electromechanical drive;

a telescopic device that actuates a brake cable;

wherein the telescopic device is drivingly-connected to the drive device,

and wherein the telescopic device is mounted in a housing;

a displacement sensor unit for detecting an adjustment travel of the telescopic device,

comprising a displacement signal sensor and a displacement signal receiver; and

a force sensor unit for detecting a force applied to the brake cable by means of the telescopic device,

comprising a force signal sensor and a force signal receiver;

wherein the displacement sensor unit and the force sensor unit are disposed separate from the brake cable;

wherein the force signal receiver comprises a Hall element and the displacement signal receiver comprises a Hall element;

wherein the force signal sensor is a translation displacement sensor and the force signal receiver is fixed and stationary, the force signal receiver and the force signal sensor being arranged such that a travel covered by a translator movement of the force signal sensor is detectable by interaction of the force signal sensor and the force signal receiver and using the Hall element of the force signal receiver;

wherein the displacement signal sensor is a rotational travel sensor and is connected to a rotating functional part, wherein the number of revolutions of the functional part is proportional to a stroke of the telescopic device, the displacement signal sensor being arranged so as to rotate when the actuator is activated, and the displacement signal receiver and the displacement signal sensor being arranged such that a rotational travel of the displacement signal sensor is detectable by interaction of the displacement signal sensor and the displacement signal receiver using the Hall element of the displacement signal receiver;

wherein the displacement signal receiver and the force signal receiver are disposed on a common support unit in or on the housing of the telescopic device in such a way that they can pick up the sensor signals from the displacement signal sensor and the force signal sensor, the support unit being a circuit board or a lead frame; and

wherein the displacement sensor unit and the force sensor unit are arranged in such a manner that, by evaluating and processing the sensor signals picked up from the displacement signal sensor and the force signal sensor, the actuation force applied to the brake cable by means of the telescopic device and the adjustment travel of the brake cable can be obtained.

2. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the displacement sensor unit and the force sensor unit are disposed spatially adjacent to each other in the housing of the telescopic device.

3. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the displacement signal receiver and the force signal receiver are disposed adjacent to each other on the common support unit.

4. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the support unit is a circuit support, on which further components of an electronic control unit of the actuator are disposed.

5. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the displacement signal sensor transmits one or several signals proportional to the rotational travel of a drive element to the displacement signal receiver or generates said signals with the help thereof.

6. The actuator according to claim 5, wherein the rotating functional part to which the displacement signal sensor is connected is a rotating functional part of the drive unit or of a gear transmission.

7. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the telescopic device is mounted in its housing in an axially movable fashion and is supported against the housing by means of a spring element.

8. The actuator according to claim 7, wherein the force signal sensor transmits one or more signals proportional to a translational movement of the telescopic device against the spring element to the force signal receiver or generates said signals with the help thereof.

9. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the displacement signal sensor and the force signal sensor are combined in one assembly or in one single component.

10. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the telescopic device comprises a rotatable hollow shaft and a spindle shaft connected to said hollow shaft in such a manner that the spindle shaft is axially advanced by rotation of the hollow shaft, and wherein the telescopic device further comprises a drive gear wheel, which in respect of rotation and axial displacement is fixed to the hollow shaft in a defined fashion and which is drivingly-connected to the electromechanical drive.

11. The actuator according to claim 10, wherein the force signal sensor and/or the displacement signal sensor are/is disposed on the hollow shaft.

12. The actuator according to claim 1, wherein the actuator is part of a motor vehicle parking brake system.

13. A method for operating an actuator comprising the steps of:

providing a drive device comprising an electromechanical drive;

actuating a brake cable by a telescopic device, wherein

the telescopic device is drivingly-connected to the drive device,

the telescopic device being mounted in a housing;

detecting an adjustment travel of the telescopic device by a displacement sensor unit comprising a displacement signal sensor and a displacement signal receiver; and

detecting a force applied to the brake cable by means of the telescopic device by a force sensor unit comprising a force signal sensor and a force signal receiver;

wherein the displacement sensor unit and the force sensor unit are disposed separate from the brake cable;

wherein the force signal receiver comprises a Hall element and the displacement signal receiver comprises a Hall element;

wherein the force signal sensor is a translation displacement sensor and the force signal receiver is fixed and stationary, a travel covered by a translatory movement of the force signal sensor being detected by interaction of the force signal sensor and the force signal receiver and using the Hall element of the force signal receiver;

wherein the displacement signal sensor is a rotational travel sensor and is connected to a rotating functional part, wherein the number of revolutions of the functional part is proportional to the adjustment travel of the telescopic device, the displacement signal sensor rotating when the actuator is activated, and a rotational travel of the displacement signal sensor being detected by interaction of the displacement signal sensor and the displacement signal receiver using the Hall element of the displacement signal receiver;

wherein the displacement signal receiver and the force signal receiver are disposed on a common support unit in or on the housing of the telescopic device in such a way that they can pick up the sensor signals from the displacement signal sensor and the force signal sensor, the support unit being a circuit board or a lead frame; and

wherein the displacement sensor unit and the force sensor unit are arranged in such a manner that, by evaluating and processing the sensor signals picked up from the displacement signal sensor and the force signal sensor, the actuation force applied to the brake cable by means of the telescopic device and the adjustment travel of the brake cable can be obtained.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the displacement signal sensor transmits one or several signals proportional to the rotational travel of a drive element to the displacement signal receiver or generates said signals with the help thereof.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the telescopic device is mounted in its housing in an axially movable fashion and is supported against the housing by means of a spring element, wherein the force signal sensor transmits one or several signals proportional to a translational movement of the telescopic device against the spring element to the force signal receiver or generates said signals with the help thereof.