The present invention relates to a so-called resolver bearing, i.e., a rolling bearing arrangement including an angle sensor or a rotational speed sensor.
A generic arrangement, which includes a rolling bearing as well as an angle sensor referred to as a resolver and designed as an absolute encoder, is known, for example, from US 2006/0087315 A1. The angle sensor includes a stator, which is connected to the outer ring of the rolling bearing, as well as a rotor, which interacts with the stator, is designed as an eccentric ring and is formed by the inner ring of the rolling bearing.
Another rolling bearing, which is equipped with a sensor provided for detecting a rotation parameter, is known from EP 1 518 126 B1. In this case, transmitting microcoils and receiving microcoils of the sensor are situated on a carrier, namely a substrate of a printed circuit. A processing circuit, which includes an oscillator as well as phase demodulators, is furthermore situated on the carrier.
A resolver, which operates according to the principle of variable reluctance, is known from U.S. Pat. No. 7,135,860 B2, which includes a rotor having multiple detection areas, which is to be used, in particular, for reliable zero point detection.
A rolling bearing arrangement is known from WO 002011134955, which includes two one-part or multi-part bearing rings, concentric to its rotation axis, namely an inner ring and an outer ring, at least one series of rolling bodies being situated between the bearing rings. Furthermore, a toroidal sealing ring is present, which is connected to one of the bearing rings with one of its two edges and whose free edge extends radially in the direction of the other bearing ring and which seals a side of the annular space formed between the bearing rings, and in which the rolling bodies roll on tracks provided by the bearing rings. An angle sensor is coupled laterally on one of the front surfaces of the rolling bearing arrangement for the purpose of detecting the angular position of the first bearing ring relative to the second bearing ring. This angle sensor includes at least one etalon, which is rotatably fixedly connected to one of the two bearing rings, a transmitting coil, which is rotatably fixedly connected to the other of the two bearing rings, and at least one receiving coil, which is also rotatably fixedly connected to the other of the two bearing rings, a signal being transmittable between the transmitting coil and the receiving coil via a magnetic circuit, and a variable reluctance existing in the magnetic circuit, due to the etalon. Specifically, the magnetic circuit is provided in that the transmitting coil is situated in an annular pot core having a U-shaped cross section and is connected to one of the bearing rings via a series of adapters, and the etalon, which has an eccentric shape and is connected to the other bearing ring, essentially runs between the legs of the U-shaped cross section. The receiving coil or receiving coils is/are situated partially inside and partially outside the pot core.
If the etalon is connected to the inner ring, which is rotatable with respect to the outer ring, and if the inner ring is set into rotation, the likewise rotating, eccentric etalon overlaps another area of the annular, U-shaped cross section of the pot core, which is open in the direction of the etalon, at each point in time of a rotation around 360°, the mutual overlapping slowly increasing from a minimal partial overlapping surface to a maximum overlapping surface, due to the design of the etalon and the receiving coil or coils, to then decrease from the maximum overlapping surface to an overlapping of “zero.” Since the scope of the overlapping is moreover significant for the magnetic resistance, voltages of different levels are induced in the receiving coil or coils according to this resistance.
As is easily apparent, the structure of resolver bearings of this type is extremely complex, since a number of different parts must be provided for its implementation. In addition, it is deemed to be disadvantageous that the structural width of the rolling bearing arrangement is significantly increased in the direction of the rotation axis due to the connection of the rolling bearing arrangement and the angle sensor.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a resolver bearing which has a very simple structure and occupies very little installation space.
If the bearing rings and a component provided between the bearing rings are made of a magnetically permeable material, an additional circular ring disk is situated next to the circular ring disk at a slight axial distance A, the additional circular ring disk being rotatably fixedly connected to the other ring and also extending radially in the direction of the ring, to which this additional circular ring disk is not connected. If each circular ring disk is provided with at least one segment 15.1, 15.2 made of a magnetically permeable material, and if particular coils P1, S1 in the annular space between the two circular ring disks and the component are rotatably fixedly connected to the rings, a resolver bearing of a very simple design is created without the coils having to assume a particular position in the so-called ferromagnetic circuit with respect to the segments causing the modulation of the magnetic flux.
Only for the sake of completeness, let it be noted at this point that the term magnetically permeable materials is understood to be materials which have a significantly weaker magnetic resistance than air. In particular, ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, ferrite or even plastic-bonded iron powder, come into consideration.
If the component connected to the rings is formed by the rolling bodies rolling on the tracks, the resolver bearing largely corresponds to a conventional bearing, so that components commonly used for conventional bearings may be completely resorted to form a resolver bearing. In addition, it is not necessary to dispense with the measuring function of resolver bearings if the rolling bodies appear to be unsuitable for closing the magnetic circuit. In this case, it is only necessary to provide so-called short circuit sheets, which extend from a rotatably fixed connection to one of the bearing rings in the direction of the other bearing ring and which are suitable for closing a magnetic circuit. The use of toroidal short circuit sheets also contributes to improving the sealing of the bearing, since an additional gap seal is established by these short circuit sheets. An adequate sealing of the resolver bearing exists-if the annular space between the rings is completely sealed against the environment by circular ring disks, in that in addition to the two existing circular ring disks, two additional circular ring disks situated at a slight axial distance A from each other are provided, each of these additional circular ring disks being rotatably fixedly connected to another ring and extending radially in the direction of the particular other ring.
In addition to sinusoidal signals, cosinusoidal signals may also be generated on a resolver bearing, if each of the additional circular ring disks is provided with at least one segment made of a magnetically permeable material, the segments of the additional circular ring disks are offset with respect to each other by an angle of 90°/n, n corresponding to the number of segments per circular ring disk, while the segments of the additional circular ring disks do not assume an angle offset with respect to the segments of the other circular ring disks in this position of the segments of the additional circular ring disks, another toroidal coil P2 and another secondary coil S2 are provided, and these coils P2, S2 are rotatably fixedly connected to the rings in the annular space between the additional circular ring disks and the rolling bodies and/or a short circuit sheet. It does not matter how the angle offset of the segments is ultimately implemented. For example, the segments of the circular ring disks, which are rotatably fixedly connected to the rotating bearing ring, may have an angle offset of 90°/n, while the segments of the two remaining circular ring disks, which are rotatably fixedly connected to the stationary bearing ring, fully overlap in the axial direction. Since the degree of overlapping of segments of two different circular ring disks forming a common seal alone is important, it does not matter later on if two circular ring disks forming a seal between themselves rotate by an identical angle with respect to the other annular disks forming the other seal once a single alignment in the aforementioned sense is carried out. Only for the sake of completeness, let it be noted that an alignment of the circular ring disks is particularly easy if complementary projections and grooves are provided on bearing rings and circular ring disks, which permit a connection between the particular circular ring disks and the corresponding bearing rings in only one relative position with respect to each other.
A particularly easy method of electrically contacting the coils is implemented if the coils are each connected to the stationary ring of the two rings.
Precise angle indications are provided with the resolver bearing, if each circular ring disk includes a plurality of segments which are situated evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the circular ring disks.
The formation of circular ring disks is simplified if the circular ring disks are made of a material which has no or only a slight magnetic permeability and the segments are situated embedded in the circular ring disks. The formation of circular ring disks is particularly easy, for example, if the circular ring disks are manufactured from plastic and the segments have been embedded during the formation of the circular ring disks.
A particular ease of installation is provided, if either one of coils P, S, or a unit of two coils, which are connected with the modulation action of two circular ring disks, forms one structural unit together with one of the two circular ring disks, in that the corresponding circular ring disk is mounted and connected laterally to coil P or S or the unit of two coils, and the particular structural unit is inserted as such into the annular space and rotatably fixedly connected to the particular ring. In connection with this application, inserted is understood to be both the complete insertion and the incomplete insertion of the unit into the annular space.
a, 2b each show a side view of a resolver bearing according to
Annular space 7 between bearing rings 2, 3 is protected against environmental influences by seals 8, 9 in such a way that each of these seals 8, 9 is formed by a first circular ring disk 8.1, 9.1, which is rotatably fixedly connected to inner ring 2, and a circular ring disk 8.2, 9.2, which is likewise rotatably fixedly connected to outer ring 3. The diameters of the two circular ring disks 8.1, 8.2 and 9.1, 9.2 forming a seal 8 or 9 are selected in such a way that each of the two seals 8, 9 has an area B in which first circular ring disks 8.1, 9.1 partially cover second circular ring disks 8.2, 9.2, when viewing rolling bodies 4 along rotation axis R. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
Furthermore, two toroidal coils P1, P2 are accommodated in annular space 7, which, in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
A secondary coil S1, S2 is situated next to each of these two toroidal coils P1, P2 in the axial direction, toroidal coil P1 abutting secondary coil S1 and toroidal coil P2 abutting secondary coil S2 without spaces in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
Only for the sake of completeness, let it be noted that, in connection with this application, the terms toroidal coil P, secondary coil S and/or coils P, S are understood to be a continuous winding of a wire running around rotation axis R. This annular design of the coils used according to the present invention is therefore also advantageous because, when using a plurality of segments 15 for each circular ring disk 8.1, 8.2, 9.1, 9.2, this type of coil does not require these segments 15 to be designed as individual segments—as is otherwise common practice in resolvers—to ensure a magnetic separation, but rather, according to the present invention, they may be also be designed as one-piece components which have a corresponding toothing only in the circumferential direction.
To further simplify manufacturing and assembly, in
It is furthermore apparent from
A side view of a resolver bearing 1 according to
Each of circular ring disks 8.1, 8.2, 9.1 and 9.2 is essentially made of plastic and has a segment 15 in its interior, which is made of a material having a high permeability. In one simple exemplary embodiment, these segments may be stamped from a sheet and be inserted and injection molded in a corresponding injection molding die to form a circular ring disk 8.1, 8.2, 9.1 and/or 9.2.
Only for the sake of completeness, let it be noted that the term segment 15 also includes so-called sheet sections, slotted sheets, perforated sheets or impellers, which are situated evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of circular ring disks 8.1, 8.2, 9.1, 9.2, which are essentially made of plastic and which are magnetically conductively connected to particular bearing ring 2, 3.
In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
Although
If toroidal coil P1 according to
Particularly exact statements on the angular positions of inner ring 2 and outer ring 3 may be made if, in addition to the so-called sinusoidal signal, a cosinusoidal signal is also generated. This is implemented in the exemplary embodiment in
A particularly good magnetic circuit M1, (M2) forms when, in contrast to the representations according to
To generate a cosinusoidal signal, seal 8 according to
In contrast to the design according to
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2012 215 957.6 | Sep 2012 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/DE2013/200155 | 9/4/2013 | WO | 00 |