SUBASSEMBLY FOR A VEHICLE, AND VEHICLE

Abstract

A subassembly for a vehicle, having a housing with a first housing part and a rotational body which is rotatably arranged on the first housing part about a rotational axis when the subassembly is in the installed state, wherein the axial position of the rotational body relative to the first housing part is fixed by the first housing part when the subassembly is in the installed state. In order to improve a subassembly for a vehicle and a vehicle equipped therewith, the invention proposes that the axial position of the rotational body relative to the first housing part is fixed solely by the first housing part when the subassembly is in the installed state.

Claims

1. A subassembly for a vehicle, the subassembly comprising: a housing with a first housing part; and a rotational body that is rotatably arranged on the first housing part about an axis of rotation when the subassembly is in the installed state, wherein an axial position of the rotational body relative to the first housing part is fixed by the first housing part when the subassembly is in the installed state, and wherein the axial position of the rotational body relative to the first housing part is fixed solely by the first housing part when the subassembly is in the installed state.

2. The subassembly according to claim 1, wherein the first housing part comprises a plurality of locking hooks and the rotational body comprises a locking depression corresponding to the locking hooks, wherein the locking hooks and the locking depression comprise mutually corresponding contact surfaces and the locking hooks are biased by their contact surfaces in a locking position of the respective locking hook substantially parallel to the axis of rotation against the circumferential contact surface of the locking depression when the subassembly is in the installed state.

3. The subassembly according to claim 2, wherein the first housing part has a spring element, wherein the spring element is biased against the rotational body such that the mutually corresponding contact surfaces of the locking hook and the locking depression are biased against each other when the subassembly is in the installed state.

4. The subassembly according to claim 1, wherein the locking hooks and the locking depression are designed and arranged in such a coordinated manner and arranged to each other in such a way that the locking of the locking hooks with the locking depression is essentially inseparable when the subassembly is in the installed state.

5. The subassembly according to claim 1, wherein the first housing part and the rotational body are designed and arranged in such a coordinated manner and arranged to each other in such a way that the locking of the locking hooks with the locking depression is visually perceptible when the subassembly is in the installed state.

6. The subassembly according to claim 1, wherein the first housing part and the rotational body are designed and arranged in such a coordinated manner and arranged to each other in such a way that the rotational body substantially sealingly covers the locking hooks and the locking depression on one side in a direction of the free environment when the subassembly is in the installed state.

7. The subassembly according to claim 6, wherein a second housing part of the subassembly is formed such and is adapted to be fastened on a side of the first housing part facing away from the rotational body when the subassembly is in the installed state in such a way that the second housing part substantially sealingly covers the first housing part on one side in the direction of the free environment.

8. The subassembly according to claim 7, wherein the two housing parts have mutually corresponding locks, wherein the mutually corresponding locks of the two housing parts interlock while connecting the two housing parts.

9. The subassembly according to claim 1, wherein the first housing part is designed such that the first housing part is adapted to be produced as an injection-molded part in an injection molding tool formed only as an open-close- tool.

10. The subassembly according to claim 1, wherein the subassembly is formed as electronics of a sensor and the rotational body as a sensor gear, and wherein the sensor is formed for determining a rotational position of a rotor of the sensor relative to the first housing part by a stator of the sensor arranged on the first housing part.

11. A vehicle comprising a subassembly according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0022] FIG. 1 is a first embodiment of the subassembly according to the invention in an exploded view;

[0023] FIG. 2 is the first embodiment in a first plan view, in a partially assembled state;

[0024] FIG. 3 is the first embodiment in a bottom view, in a partially assembled state;

[0025] FIGS. 4a and 4b show the first embodiment in a first perspective view, in a partially assembled state, in normal size and an enlarged detail view;

[0026] FIGS. 5a and 5b show the first embodiment in a second perspective view, in the installed state of the subassembly, in normal size and an enlarged detail view;

[0027] FIGS. 6a and 6b show the first embodiment in a second plan view and a partially cut first side view, in the installed state of the subassembly;

[0028] FIGS. 7a to 7c show the first embodiment in a third plan view and a partially cut second side view, in normal size and an enlarged detail view, in the installed state of the subassembly;

[0029] FIGS. 8a to 8c illustrates a second embodiment of the subassembly according to the invention in a plan view, a frontal view and a side view, in the installed state of the subassembly; and

[0030] FIGS. 9a to 9c show the second embodiment in two perspective views and a side view, each in a partially cut representation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] FIG. 1 to 7cshow a first embodiment of the subassembly according to the invention purely as an example, wherein FIG. 4b shows the detail “A” from FIG. 4a, FIG. 5b shows the detail “B” from FIG. 5a, FIG. 6a shows the section “C-C″ from FIG. 6b, FIG. 7b shows the section “D-D” from FIG. 7a and FIG. 7c shows the detail “E” from FIG. 7b.

[0032] The subassembly 2 is designed as an electronics for a combined steering angle / steering torque sensor for a steering shaft of a steering wheel of a motor vehicle. The motor vehicle and the steering wheel with the steering shaft, on which the subassembly 2 is arranged in a manner known in the art, are not shown in FIG. 1 to 7c.

[0033] The subassembly 2 comprises a first housing part 4, a second housing part 6 and a printed circuit board 8, wherein the two housing parts 4, 6 are joined together shown in FIGS. 5a to 7c to form a housing along an assembly axis 10 when the subassembly 2 is in the installed state, and wherein the printed circuit board 8 is arranged between the first housing part 4 and the second housing part 6 when the subassembly 2 is in the installed state and is fixed in their axial position relative to the first housing part 4 by the two housing parts 4, 6. The above-mentioned combined steering angle / steering torque sensor is designed as an inductive sensor with two rotors 12, 14 and a stator corresponding to the two rotors 12, 14, wherein the stator not shown is arranged in a manner known in the art on the circuit board 8.

[0034] In order to ensure high accuracy in determining the steering angle and the steering torque by the combined steering angle / steering torque sensor even under adverse environmental conditions, an exact axial positioning of the circuit board 8 and an exact axial positioning of a rotational body 16 formed as a sensor gear relative to the first housing part 4, i.e., along the subassembly axis 10, is required. The rotational body 16 is attached in the present embodiment about a rotational axis, not shown, which is rotatable to the first housing part 4 running parallel to the subassembly axis 10 when the subassembly 2 is in the installed state. The rotational body 16 formed as a sensor gear acts in a torque-transmitting manner with a transmission gear 18 connected to the steering shaft of the steering wheel in a torque-transmitting manner and has a plurality of a total of seven permanent magnets 20, which interact in a manner known in the art with at least one Hall sensor, not shown, which is arranged on the circuit board 8.

[0035] The axial position of the rotational body 16 relative to the first housing part 4 is fixed solely by the first housing part 4 when the subassembly 2 is in the installed state. For this purpose, the first housing part 4 has a total of three locking hooks 22 and the rotational body 16 a locking depression 24 corresponding to the locking hooks 22 and formed as a circumferential groove, wherein the locking hooks 22 and the locking depression 24 have mutually corresponding contact surfaces 26, 28 and the locking hooks 22 are biased by their contact surfaces 26 in a locking position of the respective locking hook 22 parallel to the axis of rotation, i.e., parallel to the subassembly axis 10, against the circumferential contact surface 28 of the locking depression 24 when the subassembly 2 is in the installed state. See in particular FIGS. 4a to 5b. For the purpose of the aforementioned bias, the first housing part 4 has a spring element 30 formed as an integral part of the first housing part 4, wherein the spring element 30 is biased against the rotational body 16 in such a way that the mutually corresponding contact surfaces 26, 28 of the locking hooks 22 and the locking depression 24 are biased against each other when the subassembly 2 is in the installed state.

[0036] Furthermore, the locking hooks 22 and the locking depression 24 are designed and arranged in such a coordinated manner and arranged to each other that the locking of the locking hooks 22 with the locking depression 24 is essentially inseparable when the subassembly 2 is in the installed state. Accordingly, the locking connection between the rotational body 16 on one side and the first housing part 4 on the other side, established by the locking hooks 22 and the locking depression 24, can no longer be subsequently released when the subassembly 2 is in the installed state, so that the locking of the rotational body 16 with the first housing part 4, despite adverse environmental conditions such as large temperature differences and vibrations, is guaranteed over the entire service life of the motor vehicle without additional safety elements.

[0037] In addition, the first housing part 4 and the rotational body 16 are designed and arranged in such a coordinated manner and arranged to each other that the locking of the locking hooks 22 with the locking depression 24 is visually perceptible when the subassembly 2 is in the installed state. This is made possible in that the locking of the locking hooks 22 with the locking depression 24 is visually perceptible with a view to the side of the first housing part 4 facing away from the rotational body 16, for example, with viewing direction from bottom to top in the respective image plane of FIGS. 7b and 7c, and thus accessible for visual inspection by a camera or the like when the subassembly 2 is in the installed state.

[0038] In order to effectively protect the aforementioned locking of the locking hooks 22 with the locking depression 24 from environmental influences detrimental to their function, such as moisture or dirt, it is provided in the present embodiment, on the one hand, that the first housing part 4 and the rotational body 16 are designed and arranged in such a coordinated manner that the rotational body 16 covers the locking hooks 22 and the locking depression 24 on one side in the direction of the open environment, in particular substantially sealingly, when the subassembly 2 is in the installed state. See, for example, FIGS. 5a, 5b, 6a, 7b and 7c, wherein the rotational body 16 protects the aforementioned locking in the respective image plane from top to bottom from unwanted environmental influences, without an additional housing cover or the like.

[0039] On the other hand, it is provided for this purpose in the present embodiment that the second housing part 6 of the subassembly 2 is designed and can be fastened on one side of the first housing part 4 facing away from the rotational body 16 in such a way that the second housing part 6 covers the first housing part 4 on one side in the direction of the free environment, namely substantially sealingly, when the subassembly 2 is in the installed state. See, for example, FIGS. 5a, 5b, 6a, 7b and 7c, wherein the second housing part 6 protects the aforementioned locking in the respective image plane from bottom to top from unwanted environmental influences. By the second housing part 6, it is thus possible to visually inspect the aforementioned locking prior to installation of the second housing part 6 in the manner explained above for its proper condition and then to protect said locking on one side after the installation of said second housing part 6 by the second housing part 6 against unwanted environmental influences.

[0040] As a result, when the subassembly 2 is in the installed state and after installation of the second housing part 6, there is protection on both sides of the aforementioned locking of the function of the locking hooks 22 and the locking depression 24 against negative environmental influences.

[0041] For the purpose of connecting the two housing parts 4, 6, these have mutually corresponding locks 32, 34, wherein the mutually corresponding locks 32, 34 of the two housing parts 4, 6 interlock while connecting the two housing parts 4, 6 to each other when the subassembly 2 is in the installed state. Accordingly, the use of complex and expensive welding processes is completely dispensable in the present embodiment.

[0042] The two housing parts 4, 6 and the rotational body 16 are each formed as a plastic injection molded part, wherein the first housing part 4 and the second housing part 6 are designed such that the first housing part 4 and the second housing part 6 can each be produced in an injection molding tool formed only as an open-close tool.

[0043] In the following, the operation of the subassembly according to the invention is explained in more detail according to the first embodiment based on FIG. 1 to 7c.

[0044] First, the subassembly 2 is in a disassembled state shown in FIG. 1. For the purpose of transferring the subassembly 2 from its disassembled state to its installed state shown in FIGS. 5a to 7c, inter alia, the rotatable body 16 designed as a sensor gear is attached to the first housing part 4. For this purpose, the rotational body 16 is moved in the respective image plane of FIGS. 4a and 4b from top to bottom along the subassembly axis 10 in the direction of the first housing part 4. As soon as the rotational body 16 comes into engagement with the three locking hooks 22, the rotational body 16 presses the locking hooks 22 radially outwards. The rotational body 16 is further moved parallel to the subassembly axis 10 from top to bottom until its stop at the spring element 30 of the first housing part 4 in the respective image plane of FIGS. 4a and 4b. In this case, the three locking hooks 22 of the first housing part 4 lock with the locking depression 24 of the rotational body 16 formed as a circumferential groove. Due to the above-explained coordinated formation of the first housing part 4 with the locking hooks 22 and the spring element 30 and the rotational body 16 with the locking depression 24, the spring element 30 presses in the now present installed state of the subassembly 2 against the rotational body 16 in such a way that this is biased with its circumferential contact surface 28 against the contact surfaces 26 of the locking hook 22 of the first housing part 4. For this purpose, see FIGS. 5a to 7c in which the installed state of the subassembly 2 is shown. Due to the aforementioned bias, unwanted noise emissions of the subassembly 2 in its installed state are effectively prevented, or at least reduced. In the installed state of the subassembly 2, the rotational body 16 substantially sealingly covers the locking in the manner explained above, so that the locking hooks 22 and the locking depression 24 are protected on one side against environmental influences detrimental to their function. Since the second housing part 6 is not yet assembled, the proper state of the aforementioned locking can be inspected by a camera or the like as already explained. Subsequently, the second housing part 6 is snapped onto the subassembly 2 present in its installed state by the mutually corresponding locks 32, 34 of the two housing parts 4, 6, so that the aforementioned locking of the rotational body 16 with the first housing part 4 is protected on both sides from environmental influences detrimental to their function.

[0045] FIGS. 8a to 9c show a second embodiment of the subassembly according to the invention for a vehicle purely by way of example. Identical or equivalent components are designated with the same reference signs as in the first embodiment. The second embodiment is explained only within the scope of the distinguishing features to the first embodiment. Otherwise, reference is made to the above explanations of the first embodiment.

[0046] In contrast to the first embodiment, when the subassembly 2 is in the installed state, the locking hooks 22 of the first housing part 4 are arranged, i.e., formed, on the first housing part 4 accessible from the free environment, as shown in FIGS. 8a to 8c, 9b and 9c. Accordingly, the locking of the locking hooks 22 of the first housing part 4 with the locking depression 24 of the rotational body 16 can be released again when the subassembly 2 is in the installed state. If this is not desired, for example to ensure proper locking even in the case of environmental influences adversely influencing the locking, such as major temperature fluctuations or vibrations, the locking hooks 22 would have to be secured depending on the application against an unwanted rebound of the locking hooks 22, i.e., an unwanted movement of the locking hooks 22 radially outwards. This can be done, for example, by a housing cover or the like. The phrase “radial” refers here to the axis of rotation of the rotational body 16, not shown, running parallel to the assembly axis 10.

[0047] Due to the inventive formation of the subassembly for a vehicle and a vehicle according to the above-explained embodiments, it is thus possible to produce the subassembly 2 more easily and thus more cost-effectively. The inventive fixation of the rotational body 16 on the first housing part 4 thus not only allows for sufficient fixation of the axial position of the rotational body 16 relative to the first housing part 4, even under extreme environmental conditions, but may also eliminate the need for an expensive welding process. In addition, the materials of the individual components of the subassembly 2 can be selected more freely as compared to the prior art. For example, materials with sliding properties, such as sliding plastics with Teflon content or the like, can be used, which could not be used in a required welding due to poor or missing welding properties. Regardless of the specific embodiment, the fundamental advantage of the invention is that no further components are required to fix the axial position of the rotational body 16 relative to the first housing part 4 when the subassembly 2 is in the installed state.

[0048] The invention is not limited to the present embodiments. For example, the invention is also advantageously applicable in other land vehicles, but also in sea and air vehicles. The use of the subassembly according to the invention is of course not limited to the determination of a steering angle and / or a steering torque of a steering wheel of a vehicle. Also, the subassembly does not necessarily have to be designed as an electronics. Accordingly, the invention can be used for a variety of different applications.

[0049] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.