Rotation-Angle Sensor, Stator Element and Rotor Element for Same
20190186891 ยท 2019-06-20
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
G01D5/2073
PHYSICS
H01F5/04
ELECTRICITY
G01B7/30
PHYSICS
G01D5/2066
PHYSICS
International classification
G01B7/30
PHYSICS
H01F5/04
ELECTRICITY
Abstract
A rotation-angle sensor comprises a stator element and a rotor element mounted to rotate relative to the stator element about an axis of rotation. The rotation angle is detectable by an inductive coupling between the rotor element and the stator element. A compensation element is located on the stator element and has a compensation transmitter coil to emit an electromagnetic compensation alternating field and a compensation receiver coil to receive electromagnetic alternating fields. The rotor element has a first electrically conductive portion, which is both located on the rotor element and inductively coupled to the compensation transmitter coil and the compensation receiver coil such that when the compensation transmitter coil emits the electromagnetic compensation alternating field, an alternating voltage induced in the compensation receiver coil is primarily dependent on a relative mutual radial location of the stator element and the rotor element with respect to the axis of rotation.
Claims
1. A rotation angle sensor, comprising: a stator element; and, a rotor element mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation with respect to the stator element, wherein a rotation angle is detected by an inductive coupling between the rotor element and the stator element, wherein: at least one compensation element is arranged at the stator element, the at least one compensation element comprises at least one compensation transmitting coil, configured to emit an electromagnetic compensation alternating field, and at least one compensation receiving coil, configured to receive electromagnetic alternating fields, the rotor element comprises at least one first electrically conducting section, and the at least one first electrically conducting section is arranged at the rotor element such that, and is inductively coupled with the at least one compensation transmitting coil and the at least one compensation receiving coil of the compensation element such that, when the electromagnetic compensation alternating field is emitted by the at least one compensation transmitting coil, a compensation alternating voltage induced in the at least one first compensation receiving coil depends predominantly on a relative radial arrangement of the stator element and of the rotor element to one another with respect to the axis of rotation.
2. The rotation angle sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the stator element comprises at least one angle detection transmitting coil configured to emit an electromagnetic angle detection alternating field, and at least one angle detection receiving coil configured to detect electromagnetic alternating fields, the rotor element comprises at least one second electrically conducting section, the at least one second electrically conducting section is a circular ring sector with respect to the axis of rotation, the at least one second electrically conducting section is inductively coupled with the at least one angle detection receiving coil such that, when the electromagnetic angle detection alternating field is emitted by the at least one angle detection transmitting coil, at least one first alternating voltage is induced in the at least one angle detection receiving coil, and the at least one second electrically conducting section is arranged at the rotor element such that the first alternating voltage induced in the at least one angle detection receiving coil depends predominantly on a rotation angle between the stator element and the rotor element.
3. The rotation angle sensor as claimed in claim 2, wherein one of the at least one compensation element and the at least one compensation receiving coil lies radially outside the at least one angle detection receiving coil.
4. The rotation angle sensor as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one compensation transmitting coil, configured to generate the compensation alternating field, and the at least one angle detection transmitting coil, configured to generate the angle detection alternating field, are arranged at the stator element.
5. The rotation angle sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein: a winding of the at least one compensation receiving coil is arranged with respect to the at least one first electrically conducting section radially with respect to the axis of rotation at least partially overlapping with the at least one first electrically conducting section, and a radial extent of the at least one first electrically conducting section is smaller than a radial extent of the at least one compensation receiving coil.
6. The rotation angle sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one first electrically conducting section is an electrically conductive circular ring surrounding the rotor element in the circumferential direction.
7. The rotation angle sensor as claimed in claim 2, wherein: the at least one first electrically conducting section extends radially from the axis of rotation, the at least one second electrically conducting section abuts the at least one first electrically conducting section radially, extending in the direction of the axis of rotation, the at least one second electrically conducting section is arranged, viewed in the radial direction, between the axis of rotation and the at least one first electrically conducting section, and viewed in the radial direction, a slot formed as a circular ring sector, extending in the circumferential direction, is provided between the at least one second electrically conducting section and the at least one first electrically conducting section.
8. The rotation angle sensor as claimed in claim 7, wherein an extent of the slot in the radial direction is at least 50% of the difference between a radial extent of the at least one compensation receiving coil and a radial extent of the at least one first electrically conducting section.
9. The rotation angle sensor as claimed in claim 7, wherein: the at least one second electrically conducting section and the at least one first electrically conducting section form a surface, formed as a circular ring sector, abutting one another radially with respect to the axis of rotation, and the at least one first electrically conducting section comprises the slot.
10. The rotation angle sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the at least one compensation receiving coil comprises an identical number of first partial windings and second partial windings which are arranged with respect to one another and with respect to the axis of rotation such that a first alternating voltage component is induced in the first partial winding by the electromagnetic compensation alternating field, and a second alternating voltage component with the opposite arithmetic sign is induced in the second partial winding, and in a predetermined radial arrangement of the at least one first electrically conducting section with respect to the axis of rotation, the first alternating voltage component and the second alternating voltage component compensate one another.
11. The rotation angle sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein a number of at least one compensation element and at least one first electrically conducting section are in accordance.
12. The rotation angle sensor as claimed in claim 10, wherein: at least two compensation receiving coils are arranged at the stator element in a predetermined circular segment between 0 and a maximum angle in the range from 170 to 190, at least two first electrically conducting sections are provided at the rotor element in a predetermined circular segment between 0 and a maximum angle in the range of 170 to 190, and/or the at least two compensation receiving coils and the at least two first electrically conducting sections are arranged offset in the circumferential direction of the stator element or of the rotor element by a predetermined angle between 70 and 100.
13. A stator element for a rotation angle sensor, comprising: at least one compensation transmitting coil configured to emit an electromagnetic compensation alternating field, wherein: at least one compensation element is arranged at the stator element, the at least one compensation element comprises the at least one compensation transmitting coil and at least one compensation receiving coil, for receiving which is configured to receive electromagnetic alternating fields, a rotor element is mounted rotatably about an axis of rotation with respect to the stator element such that a rotation angle is detected by an inductive coupling between the rotor element and the stator element, the rotor element comprises at least one first electrically conducting section, and the at least one first electrically conducting section is arranged at the rotor element such that, and is coupled inductively with the at least one compensation transmitting coil such that, when the electromagnetic compensation alternating field is emitted by the at least one compensation transmitting coil, a compensation alternating voltage induced in the at least one compensation receiving coil depends predominantly on a relative radial arrangement of the stator element and of the rotor element to one another with respect to the axis of rotation.
14. A rotor element for a rotation angle sensor, comprising: at least one first electrically conducting section, wherein: the rotor element is mounted rotatably with respect to a stator element about an axis of rotation, at least one compensation element is arranged at the stator element, the at least one compensation element comprises at least one compensation transmitting coil, configured to emit an electromagnetic compensation alternating field, and at least one compensation receiving coil, configured to receive electromagnetic alternating fields, and the at least one first electrically conducting section is arranged at the rotor element such that, and is coupled inductively with the compensation transmitting coil such that, when the electromagnetic compensation alternating field is emitted by the at least one compensation transmitting coil, a compensation alternating voltage induced in the at least one compensation receiving coil depends predominantly on a relative radial arrangement of the stator element and the rotor element with respect to one another with respect to the axis of rotation.
Description
SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] Preferred forms of embodiment of the present invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the appended drawings. Here:
[0027]
[0028]
[0029]
[0030]
[0031]
[0032]
[0033] The angle of rotation can be detected through an inductive coupling between the rotor element 14 and the stator element 12. Details of the inductive coupling and its use for the determination of the angle of rotation are described, for example, in EP 0 909 955 B1.
[0034] The stator element 12 accordingly, for example, comprises the at least one angle detection transmitting coil 22 illustrated in
[0035] Radial or radial arrangement below means a spoke-like direction or arrangement going away from the axis of rotation A. Surrounding or circumferential direction below means a circular direction, essentially on a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation A. Axial direction below means a direction along the axis of rotation A.
[0036] A sensor circuit board for the rotation angle sensor 10 comprises, for example, at least one circumferentially arranged angle detection transmitting coil 22 which comprises one or a plurality of windings and is preferably implemented as a planar coil. The windings can advantageously be realized on a plurality of layers of a multi-layer circuit board in order to be able to generate a sufficiently large electromagnetic alternating field. The at least one angle detection transmitting coil 22 is subjected to an alternating voltage that has amplitudes in the range between 0.5 V up to 10 V, preferably 1.5 V, at frequencies in the range of a few megahertz, preferably 5 MHz.
[0037]
[0038] The at least one angle detection transmitting coil 22 comprises conductive tracks extending radially that are connected together through arcs. The arc-shaped conductive tracks are bounded on the inside by an inner radius ri and on the outside by an outer radius ra. The outer radius ra is, for example, limited by the available construction space, and is a few tens of millimeters in size, and preferably 25 mm. The inner radius ri is of a sufficiently large dimension to permit a shaft feed-through, but can also be 0 mm if this is not required. In order to increase the field strength, the at least one angle detection transmitting coil 22 can be implemented on a plurality of layers of the sensor circuit board.
[0039] At least one angle detection receiving coil 20, which is composed for example of two partial windings, through each of which electrical current flows in different directions when current is flowing (clockwise or anticlockwise) extends, for example, in the interior of the at least one angle detection transmitting coil 22. The partial windings can be formed on different layers of the circuit board, particularly at the crossover points of the windings.
[0040]
[0041] The at least one second electrically conducting section 26 is preferably implemented in the form of a circular ring sector with respect to the axis of rotation A. Other forms, such as for example rectangular form or circular form or general polygons are also possible.
[0042] The at least one second electrically conducting section 26 is coupled inductively to the at least one angle detection receiving coil 20 in such a way that, when the electromagnetic angle detection alternating field is emitted by the at least one angle detection transmitting coil 22 at least one angle detection alternating voltage is induced in the at least one angle detection receiving coil 20. The at least one second electrically conducting section 26 is arranged at the rotor element 14 in such a way that the angle detection alternating voltage induced in the at least one angle detection receiving coil 20 depends primarily on a rotation angle between the stator element 12 and the rotor element 14. Details on the arrangement of the at least one angle detection transmitting coil 22, the at least one angle detection receiving coil 20, and the at least one second electrically conducting section 26, as well as details for determining the rotation angle, are known, for example, from EP 0 909 955 B1.
[0043] In addition, at least one first compensation element 1, a second compensation element 2, and a third compensation element 3 are arranged at the stator element.
[0044] Each of these compensation elements 1, 2, 3 comprises at least one compensation transmitting coil 28 for emitting an electromagnetic compensation alternating field and at least one compensation receiving coil 30 for receiving electromagnetic alternating fields.
[0045] The at least one first electrically conducting section 32 is arranged at the rotor element 14 in such a way, and is inductively coupled with the at least one compensation transmitting coil 22 and the at least one compensation receiving coil 30 of the respective compensation element 1, 2, 3 in such a way that when the electromagnetic compensation alternating field is emitted by the at least one compensation transmitting coil 28, a compensation alternating voltage induced in the at least one first compensation receiving coil 30 depends primarily on a relative radial arrangement of the stator element 12 and the rotor element 14 to one another with respect to the axis of rotation A. The inductive coupling takes place, for example, as described for the rotation angle detection. The coupling factor, which is to say an amplitude relationship between the voltage of the compensation receiving coil 30 and the voltage of the compensation transmitting coil 22, thus supplies information about a relative position of the respective first electrically conducting section 32 to the respective compensation element 1, 2, 3, and thus, in particular about the relative radial position of the stator element 12 with respect to the rotor element 14.
[0046] The at least one compensation transmitting coil 28 for generating the compensation alternating field and the at least one angle detection transmitting coil 22 for generating the angle detection alternating field are arranged, for example, at the stator element 12 as illustrated in
[0047] Alternatively, the compensation receiving coil 30 can be arranged inside the angle detection transmitting coil 22 at the stator element 12. In this way, the rotation angle sensor 10 or the stator element 12 can have an even smaller construction, or an even smaller diameter.
[0048] The at least one compensation element 1, 2, 3, or the at least one compensation receiving coil 30, lies preferably parallel to a plane that extends essentially perpendicular to the axis of rotation A. Preferably, the at least one compensation element 1, 2, 3, or the at least one compensation receiving coil 30, does not overlap the area of the at least one angle detection receiving coil 20, when viewed as a projection onto the plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation A. Preferably, the at least one compensation element 1, 2, 3, or the at least one compensation receiving coil 30, lies here radially outside the at least one angle detection receiving coil 30, i.e. further away therefrom when viewed from the axis of rotation A.
[0049] The winding of the at least one compensation receiving coil 30 can be arranged to overlap at least partially with respect to the at least one first electrically conducting section 32 radially with respect to the axis of rotation A in a centered position of the rotor element 14 and stator element 12, wherein, for example, the radial extent of the at least one first electrically conducting section 32 is smaller than the radial extent of the at least one compensation receiving coil 30.
[0050] According to the first form of embodiment, the at least one first electrically conducting section 32 is designed essentially in the form of a circular ring sector. The at least one first electrically conducting section 32 extends, according to the first form of embodiment, from the axis of rotation A radially outward. Instead of a circular ring sector form, a different form, for example rectangular form or circular form, can also be used.
[0051] The at least one second electrically conducting section 26 abuts the at least one first electrically conducting section 32 when viewed radially, and extends in the direction of the axis of rotation A. The at least one second electrically conducting section 26 is, if viewed in the radial direction, arranged between the axis of rotation A and the at least one first electrically conducting section 32. Viewed in the radial direction, a gap 34 or slot 34, preferably having the form of a circular ring sector preferably extending in the circumferential direction, is provided between the at least one second electrically conducting section 26 and the at least one first electrically conducting section 32. The gap 34 or slot 34 can also have a rectangular form or another form.
[0052] Preferably the at least one second electrically conducting section 26 and the at least one first electrically conducting section 32, abutting each other radially with respect to the axis of rotation A, constitute a surface 38 having in particular the form of a circular ring sector, wherein in particular the at least one first electrically conducting section 32 comprises the gap 34 or the slot 34. The surface 38 can be given by a different form, for example by a rectangular form or a circular form.
[0053] The coil arrangement 23 with the angle detection transmitting coil 22 is illustrated schematically in
[0054]
[0055] The illustrated arrangement with the first compensation element 1, the second compensation element 2 and the third compensation element 3 are formed in a circular arc segment of =20 to =160. The individual compensation elements 1, 2, 3 extend, for example as in
[0056]
[0057] The third radial extent D3 of the gap 34 or of the slot 34 is, in the radial direction, preferably at least 50% of the difference between the first radial extent D1 of the at least one compensation receiving coil 30 and a second radial extent D2 of the at least one first electrically conducting section 32.
[0058] In the place of the gap 34 or slot 34 or the circular ring-shaped at least one first electrically conducting section 32, another additional structure, which preferably is used exclusively for measuring the tolerances, can be provided.
[0059] Preferably, in the centered case, i.e. when the rotor element 14 and stator element 12 are centered with respect to the axis of rotation A and the at least one first electrically conducting section 32 is thus located in the nominal position, the at least one first electrically conducting section 32 is arranged centrally between counteractive windings 30a, 30b or partial windings 30a, 30b of the at least one compensation receiving coil 30. In the example, each winding 30a, 30b or partial winding 30a, 30b has a radial width or radial extent of 0.5D1, i.e. half of the first radial extent D1. With a maximum excursion radially outward, the at least one first section 32 is located just still within the radially outer winding 30a or partial winding 30a. This is the case after a displacement of 0.5(D1D2), i.e. of half the difference between the first radial extent of the at least one compensation receiving coil 30 and the second radial extent D2 of the at least one first conducting section 32. For this displacement, the at least one second conducting section 26 is preferably not located over the at least one compensation receiving coil 30, or does not overlap the radially inner winding 30b or partial winding 30b of the at least one compensation receiving coil 30. For this purpose the gap width or the slot width of the gap 34 or of the slot 34 is chosen as described above.
[0060] The at least one first electrically conducting section 32 is here, as illustrated in
[0061] Bearing play, or tolerances occurring as a result of manufacturing, allow(s) a relative displacement of the stator element 12 and the rotor element 14 radially with respect to the axis of rotation A. The measurement error associated with this when determining the rotation angle is described with reference to its position in the Cartesian coordinate system of
[0062] The arrangement of the at least one compensation transmitting coil 28 and the at least one compensation receiving coil 30 are bounded in the example by a circular arc segment. This, as is illustrated in
[0063] At an angle position =90, a displacement in the x-direction only corresponds directly to a rotation of the second electrically conducting section 26. If the rotor element 14 is displaced in this position along the x-axis, the rotation angle sensor 10 detects this displacement with the at least one angle detection receiving coil 20 as the rotation angle, since the rotor element 14 with its inductively coupling at least one second section 26 is displaced with respect to the at least one angle detection receiving coil 20. The alternating voltage signal thus changes. The rotation angle sensor 10 then assigns to this change a change of the rotation angle, without a rotation of the rotor element 14 with respect to the stator element 12 actually having taken place. In this position of the rotor element 14, the effect on the angle error to be expected is a maximum. This can be approximated by the relation
x,max=360.Math.x.Math.D
[0064] The influence of a y-tolerance y that occurs on the measurement error is minimal at this point, and can be neglected, since little or nothing changes in the degree of overlap of the at least one angle detection receiving coil 20 by the rotor element 14.
[0065] The contrary situation occurs if the at least one first electrically conducting section 26 is located at the radially extending boundary of the at least one angle detection receiving coil 20. This would be the case with a rotation angle of about 0 to 10 of the rotor element 14. The measurement error here is markedly more strongly dependent on the y-tolerance, and only minimally on the x-tolerance. This is because in this position, even with a small displacement in the y-direction, the rotor element 14 would bring about a large change in the degree of overlap with the at least one angle detection receiving coil 20. The rotation angle sensor 10, or the evaluation electronics coupled thereto, would detect this change in the overlap in the form of a changed induced angle detection alternating voltage, and accordingly would output a changed rotation angleeven though only a displacement in the y-direction between the rotor element 14 and the stator element 12 is present.
[0066] The following approximation applies here to the angular error:
y,max=cos .Math.x,max=cos .Math.360.Math.x.Math.D
[0067] The errors occurring with real sensors as a result of x-tolerances and y-tolerances are, for example, recognizable and preferably avoided through an arrangement of at least one of the described compensation elements 1, 2, 3. Preferably a number of compensation elements 1, 2, 3 and of first electrically conducting sections 32 are in agreement.
[0068] Preferably at least two compensation receiving coils 30 are arranged at the stator element 12 in a predetermined circular segment between 0 and a maximum angle in the range from 170 to 190, preferably 180, wherein at least two first electrically conducting sections 32 are provided at the rotor element 14 in a predetermined circular segment between 0 and a maximum angle in the range from 170 to 190. Alternatively or in addition, the at least two compensation receiving coils 30 and the at least two first electrically conducting sections 32 are arranged offset in the circumferential direction of the stator element 12 or of the rotor element 14 through a predetermined angle, in particular between 70 and 100, preferably 90.
[0069] In the first form of embodiment, the at least one compensation receiving coil 30 preferably comprises an identical number of first partial windings 30a and second partial windings 30b, that are arranged with respect to one another and with respect to the axis of rotation A in such a way that a first alternating voltage component is induced by the electromagnetic compensation alternating field in the first winding 30a or the first partial winding 30a, and a second alternating voltage component with the opposite arithmetic sign is induced in the second winding 30b or the second partial winding 30b, wherein the first alternating voltage component and the second alternating voltage component compensate each other in a predetermined radial arrangement of the at least one first electrically conducting section 32 with respect to the axis of rotation A.
[0070]
[0071] This means that the at least one first electrically conducting section 32 is located in the nominal position, i.e. no lateral or vertical offset of the at least one second electrically conducting section 26 with respect to the axis of rotation A is present.
[0072] If now the at least one first electrically conducting section 32 is displaced, for example in a negative x-direction (
[0073]
[0074] Preferably at least two of the compensation receiving coils 30 are arranged outside the angle detection receiving coil measuring region. When the at least two compensation receiving coils 30 are used, at least two of these compensation receiving coils can particularly advantageously be arranged in a non-collinear manner with respect to the axis of rotation A. In other words: at least two of the plurality of compensation receiving coils 30 do not lie on a straight line on which the axis of rotation A also lies. By measuring the two coupling factors, it is thereby possible to back-calculate the x-offset and the y-offset of the second electrically conducting region 26. The position of the second electrically conducting region 26 is thereby known at any time. Preferably an incorrect angle signal is accordingly corrected.
[0075] Instead of the described design of the at least one compensation receiving coil 30, the first winding 30a, the first partial windings 30a, the second winding 30b or the second partial windings 30b, other forms are also possible. For example, the first winding 30a or the first partial windings 30a and second winding 30b or the second partial windings 30b do not have to extend over rectangular surfaces when viewed from above. Furthermore, the number of windings of the at least one compensation transmitting coil 28 or of the at least one compensation receiving coil 30 can be greater than one. In addition, the at least one compensation receiving coil 30 can be arranged closer to the axis of rotation A than the at least one compensation transmitting coil 28 of the coil arrangement 23. Alternatively, the at least one compensation receiving coil 30 can be arranged at a greater distance from the axis of rotation A than the at least one compensation transmitting coil 28.
[0076]
[0077] The electrically conducting circular ring 36 extending in the circumferential direction is separated from the at least one second electrically conducting section 26 by a gap 34 or a slot 34. Viewed in the radial direction, that is to say, in the direction toward the axis of rotation A, the at least one second electrically conducting section 26 is arranged between the axis of rotation A and the surrounding electrically conductive circular ring 36. Viewed in the radial direction, the gap 34 or slot 34, which for example has the form of a circular ring sector, preferably extends between the at least one second electrically conducting section 26 and the surrounding electrically conductive circular ring 36 in the circumferential direction. Viewed in the circumferential direction, for example four second electrically conducting sections 26 are provided that extend along spokes at a spacing of 90 to one another radially from the axis of rotation A to the surrounding electrically conductive circular ring 36. More or fewer second electrically conducting sections 26 can also be provided.
[0078] The at least one second electrically conducting section 26 of the rotor element 14, the coil arrangement 23 and the compensation elements 1, 2, 3 of the stator element 12 are, for example, arranged as described in the first form of embodiment. The surrounding electrically conductive circular ring 36 is, for example, arranged radially at the same distance from the axis of rotation A as the at least one first electrically conducting section 32 of the first form of embodiment. The gap 34 or the slot 34 has for example the same dimensions in both forms of embodiment.
[0079] Preferably, the coil arrangement 23, in contrast to the first form of embodiment, surrounds the axis of rotation A, i.e. the opening angle is =360. The measuring range of the rotation angle sensor 10 is then, for example, =360. For example, four compensation elements at a spacing of 90 are accordingly arranged here.