The invention relates to a throttle, in particular an electronic throttle for a motorcycle, having a hand grip and a sensor coupled to this hand grip such that rotation of the hand grip is transmitted to the sensor and acts thereon according to the features of the preamble of patent claim 1.
An electronic throttle for motorcycles is known from EP 1 464 571 that is mounted on a link element and that has at least one rotary throttle element that is mounted on the link element so as to be rotatable in an actuating direction from an idle position to a full-throttle position, a rotary position encoder that is mounted outside the axis of rotation of the rotary throttle element, and the rotary position transmitter consists of a rotor and a stator. The rotor unit is rotatable with the rotary throttle unit relative to the stator, and the rotational axes of the rotor and the throttle element extend parallel and at a spacing from each other. The rotor unit is to be adjusted by an engagement element connected to the throttle element having a first number of teeth engaged with a second number of teeth on a tooth element that is coupled to the rotor or the rotor is at least partially configured as a toothed element. At least one return element is provided that acts on the rotor counter to the actuating direction such that the engagement between the first and second teeth is substantially free of play.
In this patent application, rotation is translated to a gear with magnet and the angle of rotation is measured by a magnet. This means that in this known throttle all the elements involved execute only rotation.
The object of the invention is to improve a throttle of the type in question, in particular with regard to its manufacture, its reliability and its compactness.
This object is attained by the features of claim 1.
It is known, as explained further above, that rotation of the hand grip is converted into rotation that influences the sensor.
The invention deviates from this principle. Rotation of the hand grip is converted into linear movement that influences the sensor.
According to the invention, means are provided for the purpose of converting rotation of the hand grip into linear movement of at least part of the sensor.
Those parts that are mounted on the hand grip, as well as those parts that are mounted on a base, can be produced in a very good and compact manner in front of all things. Wear during operation of the throttle is significantly reduced since only some parts of the hand grip are engaged with a smaller part of the sensor assembly on the base. Due to the fact that the parts of the sensor that are moved linearly on the base act on a sensor element, this linear movement can be detected substantially better by the sensor element and converted into an output signal than if rotation acted on the sensor element, as is the case in the prior art.
By changing the measuring technique in which rotation is converted into linear movement, it is possible to concentrate the entire sensor system in a semicylindrical housing. This is not possible with the prior-art rotating 3-pole segment magnet. The one half-shell can be installed with the entire sensor system in order to have the second half-shell free for various further operating elements. As a result, the entire operating system for the user is more compact and user friendly.
In a development of the invention, it is provided that the means have a straight rack of a base of the throttle and an arcuate pinion that interacts therewith and is operatively connected to the hand grip. The arrays of teeth that are straight or arcuate can be constructed in an optimum and compact manner and coordinated with one another. In addition, only part of the round toothed rack on the straight toothed rack is in engagement with these parts, so that wear is significantly reduced as a result. This advantageously affects the durability of the throttle. In addition, as a result, a compact construction of the entire throttle, in particular the elements mounted on the hand grip and the elements mounted on the base are achieved
In a development of the invention, provision is made for a magnet holder that can be moved for this purpose and has at least one magnet mounted on the base. This also makes it possible to achieve a particularly compact construction of those elements that are mounted on the base or that form the base itself. The base and the magnet holder can be two separate parts that are also produced separately from one another. Alternatively, it is conceivable that the base and the magnet holder form a single one-piece part. Preferably, these parts are produced in a plastic injection-molding process. This can be automated very well, even for high production numbers.
In a development of the invention, it is provided that the magnet holder carries the straight toothed rack. As a result, it is possible for the magnet holder to be formed on the one hand for receiving the at least one magnet that acts on a sensor element. On the other hand, the magnet holder simultaneously has the straight toothed rack that converts rotation of the hand grip into linear movement of the magnet holder, so that the at least one magnet is moved past the sensor element in a straight line. In a particularly advantageous manner, the magnet holder is produced in a plastic injection-molding process, and the at least one magnet is inserted into the injection mold and is overmolded with plastic. Thus, a one-piece element is available after its manufacture, that includes on the one hand the straight toothed rack and on the other hand also the at least one magnet that acts on the sensor element. This above all facilitates mounting of this element on the base of the throttle.
In a development of the invention, it is provided that the base has a sensor element that interacts with the at least one magnet. The at least one magnet thus forms the sensor in conjunction with the sensor element, and the at least one magnet is moved linearly past the sensor element. As a result, rotation of the hand grip can be detected very accurately and without error by the sensor element by conversion of rotation of the hand grip into linear movement of the at least one magnet.
In a development of the invention, it is provided that the base comprises a printed-circuit board supporting at least the sensor element. As a result, a compact construction of the base can be achieved. Either the printed circuit board forms the base or is integrated in the base. This integration can be achieved, for example, by overmolding the printed circuit board with the parts located thereon, in particular the sensor element. As a result, the parts including the sensor element and the printed circuit board themselves are protected from external influences and such a base can be mounted very easily.
In a development of the invention, it is provided that the hand grip forms a guide groove for guiding a part of the magnet holder. As a result, the interaction of the rotationally moved parts of the hand grip with the linearly moved part of the base is improved and precision of the sensor is increased. Alternatively, it is conceivable that the guide groove of the hand grip interacts only with a fixed element of the base (without a linearly moved part on the base, such as for example the magnet holder), so that guidance of the hand grip on the base is ensured thereby. In addition, it is also conceivable that the guide groove guides both the hand grip on the base and the linearly movable part of the base, in particular the magnet holder, in a defined manner during their movements as a result of rotation on the hand grip.
In a development of the invention, it is provided that the hand grip has a tube and the tube with the arcuate pinion rack and/or the magnet holder with the straight toothed rack consists of plastic material. The use of a tube for the hand grip has the advantage that it can be produced in a plastic injection-molding process, and the arcuate array of pinion teeth is preferably formed at the same time on an end of the tube. This tube can be provided with a casing that is, for example, ergonomically shaped or consists of a grippable material. This at least two-part embodiment of the hand grip has the advantage that it can be optimally adapted to its tasks (on the one hand grip and on the other hand to form the round toothed rack). The same applies to the magnet holder that can also be produced in a plastic injection-molding process during which the holder for the at least one magnet and the straight toothed rack can be formed. If a holder for the at least one magnet is formed, it can subsequently be inserted as a separate part in this holder and fixed, for example glued, pressed or latched. As an alternative to this, it can be envisaged to insert the at least one magnet into a mold already during manufacture of the magnet holder in the plastic injection molding process and then to encapsulate it. In this way, a subsequent assembly process of the at least one magnet is advantageously dispensed with.
In a development of the invention, it is provided that the same poles or the different poles of the two magnets face each other. As a result, the output characteristic of the sensor can specifically set or extend the linear path of the magnet holder from one end point to its other end point on the base. In a particularly advantageous manner, the sensor element, in particular a Hall element, is always acted upon by an almost homogeneous magnetic field when the magnet holder is linearly guided past the sensor element between its two end points. A two-part magnet system is thus installed since the resulting magnetic field can be better evaluated by a Hall sensor than in the case of a simple bar magnet. As a result, a greater signal strength can be realized over the measuring range, which results in a lower signal deviation and the system also makes more robust comparison with external interference fields.
In one embodiment, the hand grip (tube) has at its one end a circumferential gear formation. This arcuate toothed rack acts on a linearly displaceable block (rack) of the sensor (or part of the sensor), in which at least one magnet (specifically two magnets with magnetization directions aligned with respect to one another) is arranged. A corresponding sensor upon which the magnet acts is disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB) located below the slidable block. The rotation of the hand grip causes a linear displacement of the block, so that the at least one magnet is thereby moved linearly with respect to the sensor, so that this sensor can generate a corresponding signal
This means the translation from rotation into linear movement with an integrated magnet.
The sensor operates without contact, preferably on a magnetic basis, and the linear movement of the at least one magnet acts on a corresponding sensor element, in particular a Hall element, so that an output signal representing the position of the hand grip can be generated by the sensor element.
With regard to further details, reference is made to the drawing.
A throttle 1, in particular an electronic throttle, in particular for motorcycles, is shown in various views in
In
Further individual parts of the throttle 1 are shown in
While the one angular end position of the hand grip 2 (represented by the tube 7) is shown in
It can also be seen in
In the embodiment shown in
In addition, it can be seen in
Preferably, the tooth width of the straight toothed rack 12 corresponds to the tooth width of the arcuate array of pinion teeth 13. Different widths are also conceivable depending on the installation space.
Analogously to the various positions shown in
In
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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102020133942.9 | Dec 2020 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2021/086523 | 12/17/2021 | WO |