CN220996508U

CN220996508U - Sensor housing assembly and electric power steering system

Info

Publication number: CN220996508U
Application number: CN202322496829.2U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 夏新旭; 贺启富; 许奇; 蒋鸣杰
Original assignee: Nexteer Automotive Suzhou Co Ltd
Current assignee: Nexteer Automotive Suzhou Co Ltd
Priority date: 2023-09-14
Filing date: 2023-09-14
Publication date: 2024-05-24
Anticipated expiration: 2033-09-14

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of electric power steering, and provides a sensor housing assembly and an electric power steering system, wherein the sensor housing assembly comprises: at least one extruded cable, each extruded cable comprising a cable sheath and a plurality of wire cores wrapped by the cable sheath, the extruded cable comprising a first end and a second end, the second end of the extruded cable being electrically connected to a motor controller of the electric power steering system; the sensor shell and the first end of the extruded cable are of an integrated structure formed by insert molding, and the sensor shell is coated with a cable sheath at the first end of the extruded cable. The sensor housing assembly has the advantages of simple structure, convenience in installation and good sealing effect.

Description

Sensor housing assembly and electric power steering system

Technical Field

The application relates to the technical field of electric power steering, in particular to a sensor housing assembly and an electric power steering system.

Background

In existing electric power steering systems (Electric Power Steering, EPS), a sensor is mounted on a power assist mechanism housing, the sensor including a sensor circuit board and a sensor housing assembly connecting the sensor circuit board to a motor controller. The sensor housing assembly includes a variety of components: the sensor comprises a sensor shell for bearing a sensor circuit board, a sensor cover, pouring sealant for sealing, two sealing rings, a plurality of wires, a corrugated pipe and an adhesive tape for wrapping the outer parts of the wires, a binding belt buckle, a female connector assembly, a connector sealing piece, a wire sealing piece and the like. Therefore, the existing sensor housing assembly is very complex in structure, high in cost, and cannot obtain good sealing performance. After the sensor circuit board is welded to the sensor shell, the leakage failure rate is about 3% -5%, and two ends of the electric wire are locally and directly exposed outside, so that the use reliability is difficult to guarantee. In mounting the sensor housing assembly to the booster housing, it is necessary to pass the female connector through a hole in the booster housing having an inner diameter that is sufficiently close to the width of the female connector, resulting in a very inconvenient mounting of the sensor.

Disclosure of utility model

Aiming at the problems in the prior art, the application aims to provide a sensor housing assembly and an electric power steering system, which have the advantages of simple structure, convenient installation and good sealing effect.

An embodiment of the present application provides a sensor housing assembly for an electric power steering system, the sensor housing assembly including:

At least one extruded cable, each extruded cable comprising a cable sheath and a plurality of wire cores wrapped by the cable sheath, the extruded cable comprising a first end and a second end, the second end of the extruded cable being electrically connected to a motor controller of the electric power steering system;

The sensor shell and the first end of the extruded cable are of an integrated structure formed by insert molding, and the sensor shell is coated with a cable sheath at the first end of the extruded cable.

In some embodiments, the sensor housing assembly further comprises at least one female connector connected to the second end of the extruded cable, the extruded cable being electrically connected to a motor controller of the electric power steering system through the female connector.

In some embodiments, a seal protection sleeve is arranged on the outer side of the female connector, the seal protection sleeve and the second end of the extruded cable are of an integrated structure formed by insert molding, and the seal protection sleeve covers the cable protection sleeve of the second end of the extruded cable.

In some embodiments, the material of the seal cover is a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer, or a silicone rubber.

In some embodiments, two of the female connectors and two of the extruded cables are included, the second end of each of the extruded cables being connected to one of the female connectors.

In some embodiments, the sensor housing includes a mounting mating portion for mounting the sensor housing to a booster housing of the electric power steering system, a circuit board carrier portion for carrying the sensor circuit board, and a cable mating portion protruding from a first side of the mounting mating portion, the circuit board carrier portion protruding from a second side of the mounting mating portion, the cable mating portion wrapping a cable jacket at a first end of the extruded cable.

In some embodiments, the core of the extruded cable is a copper-clad steel core.

The embodiment of the application also provides an electric power steering system, which comprises a sensor, a motor controller and a power assisting mechanism, wherein the sensor comprises a sensor circuit board and a sensor shell assembly, the sensor circuit board is fixed on one side of the sensor shell, the power assisting mechanism comprises a power assisting mechanism shell, and the sensor shell is arranged on the side face of the power assisting mechanism shell through a fixing piece.

In some embodiments, a sealing ring is arranged on one side surface of the sensor housing facing the power assisting mechanism housing, and the sealing ring is a double-lip O-shaped ring.

In some embodiments, the motor controller includes a controller housing, the second end of the extruded cable and the controller housing are an insert molded unitary structure, the controller housing encasing a cable jacket of the second end of the extruded cable.

The sensor housing assembly and the electric power steering system provided by the application have the following advantages:

The application provides a sensor housing assembly for an electric power steering system, which is characterized in that an extrusion cable is adopted to connect a sensor housing and a motor controller, the sensor housing and a first end of the extrusion cable are of an integrated structure formed by insert molding, and the sensor housing covers a cable sheath at the first end of the extrusion cable, so that a tightly connected sealing structure is formed between the first end of the extrusion cable and the sensor housing, thereby being beneficial to improving the sealing performance of the sensor housing assembly, and no additional sealing component is required, the variety and the number of components of the sensor housing assembly are reduced, the structure is simple, the installation is convenient, the manufacturing cost is low, and the sealing effect is good.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the application and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the application and, together with the description, further features, objects and advantages of the application, will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is evident that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application and that other drawings may be obtained from these drawings without inventive effort for a person of ordinary skill in the art. Furthermore, the drawings are merely schematic illustrations of the present disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a sensor according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a sensor housing mated with an extruded cable in accordance with an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 3 is a partial schematic view of an electric power steering system in accordance with an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a sensor housing mated with a controller housing in accordance with another embodiment of the present application;

Fig. 5 is a schematic structural view of a sensor according to still another embodiment of the present application.

Reference numerals:

1. Sensor housing 3 female connector

11. Sealing protection sleeve for mounting matching part 4

12. Cable mating part 5 sensor circuit board

13. Circuit board bearing part 6 binding belt buckle

2. Power assisting mechanism shell of extruded cable 7

21. Controller shell of cable sheath 8

22. Wire core

Detailed Description

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the exemplary embodiments can be embodied in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and thus a repetitive description thereof will be omitted. In the description of the present specification, reference to the expression "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "implementations," etc., means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present specification. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. Furthermore, the different embodiments or examples and the features of the different embodiments or examples presented in this specification may be combined and combined by those skilled in the art without contradiction.

In this specification, when a device is said to be "connected" to another device, this includes not only the case of "direct connection" but also the case of indirect connection with other elements interposed therebetween. Although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to connote various elements in some instances, the elements should not be limited by the terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. Furthermore, as used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, components, items, categories, and/or groups, but do not preclude the presence, presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, items, categories, and/or groups.

The embodiment of the application provides a sensor housing assembly for an electric power steering system, which comprises at least one extrusion cable and a sensor housing, wherein each extrusion cable comprises a cable sheath and a plurality of wire cores wrapped by the cable sheath, the extrusion cable comprises a first end and a second end, and the second end of the extrusion cable is electrically connected to a motor controller of the electric power steering system. The sensor housing with the first end of extruding the cable is the fashioned integral structure of inserts, the sensor housing cladding extruding the cable sheath of the first end department of cable, consequently, extrude the first end of cable with form closely connected seal structure between the sensor housing, be favorable to improving the sealing performance of this sensor housing assembly to need not additionally to increase other sealing member, reduced the part type and the quantity of sensor housing assembly, simple structure, simple to operate, low in manufacturing cost, and sealed effectual.

The embodiment of the application also provides an electric power steering system comprising the sensor housing assembly, which comprises a sensor, a motor controller and a power assisting mechanism, wherein the sensor comprises a sensor circuit board and the sensor housing assembly, the sensor circuit board is fixed on one side of the sensor housing, the power assisting mechanism comprises a power assisting mechanism housing, and the sensor housing is arranged on the side face of the power assisting mechanism housing through a fixing piece.

The structure of the sensor housing assembly and the electric power steering system in the embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 5. It is to be understood that the following description and drawings are exemplary only and are not intended to limit the scope of the application.

Fig. 1 shows the structure of a sensor of an embodiment, which in this embodiment comprises a sensor housing assembly and a sensor circuit board 5, which sensor may be a position sensor or a torque sensor for an electric power steering system. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the sensor housing assembly comprises two extruded cables 2, a sensor housing 1 and two female connectors 3. Each extruded cable 2 comprises a cable sheath 21 and a plurality of wire cores 22 wrapped by the cable sheath 21, and one or more ribbon buckles 6 can be arranged on the extruded cable 2 for fixing. The extruded cable 2 includes a first end and a second end. Each extruded cable 2 may provide a signal and power source, respectively. The two extruded cables 2 of this embodiment correspond to the 10fit solution. In other embodiments, only one extruded cable 2 may be provided, i.e. a 400fit solution is used. In the scheme of adopting one extrusion cable 2, one signal and power supply are provided, and in the scheme of adopting two extrusion cables 2, one signal and power supply can be additionally provided on the basis of the scheme of adopting one extrusion cable 2, and after one signal and power supply fail, the other signal can still support the normal operation of a vehicle system, so that the requirement of redundancy of the vehicle system can be met, and the requirements of functions such as ADAS (ADVANCED DRIVING ASSISTANCE SYSTEM ), driving assistance function and the like are met. The first end of each extruded cable 2 passes through the sensor housing 1 to be electrically connected to the sensor circuit board 5. The second end of each extrusion cable 2 is respectively provided with a female connector 3, and the second end of each extrusion cable 2 is electrically connected to the motor controller of the electric power steering system through the corresponding female connector 3, so that the electrical connection between the sensor circuit board 5 and the motor controller is realized.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the sensor housing 1 includes a mounting engagement portion 11, a circuit board bearing portion 13, and a cable engagement portion 12, the mounting engagement portion 11 is used to mount the sensor housing 1 to a booster mechanism housing 7 (shown in fig. 4) of the electric power steering system, and the circuit board bearing portion 13 is used to bear the sensor circuit board 5. The cable fitting portion 12 is protruded on a first side of the mounting fitting portion 11, and the circuit board bearing portion 13 is protruded on a second side of the mounting fitting portion 11. The sensor housing 1 and the first end of the extruded cable 2 are integrally formed by insert molding, and the cable matching portion 12 covers the cable sheath 21 at the first end of the extruded cable 2. The sensor housing 1 may employ PPA (polyphthalamide)/PA (polyamide resin) +gf (glass fiber). When preparing sensor housing 1, will extrude the first end of cable 2 put into the mould of sensor housing 1, then injection moulding for extrude the first end of cable 2 with form closely connected seal structure between the sensor housing 1, be favorable to improving the sealing performance of this sensor housing assembly, and need not additionally to increase other sealing member, reduced the part type and the quantity of sensor housing assembly, simple structure, simple to operate, low in manufacturing cost, and sealed effectual, effectively prevent the sinle silk to expose in the outside. In this embodiment, the core 22 of the extruded cable 2 is a Copper-clad steel core (coppers-CLAD STEEL, CCS), which can further reduce the cost and improve the tensile strength.

As shown in fig. 2, since the cable sheath 21 of the extruded cable 2 and the cable matching portion 12 of the sensor housing 1 are integrally injection molded, different angle adjustments between the extruded cable 2 and the sensor housing 1 can be realized by adjusting the die of the sensor housing 1, so as to meet the requirements of actual use and matching with a vehicle body. Defining the angle between the extruded cable 2 and the sensor housing 1 shown in fig. 2 to be 0 °, in practical application, the die may be adjusted to rotate the extruded cable 2 relative to the sensor housing 1 in a clockwise direction, so that the angle may be adjusted between 0 ° and 180 °, and thus the shape of the core 22 of the extruded cable 2 may also be changed.

As shown in fig. 1, in this embodiment, a seal protection sleeve 4 is disposed on the outer side of the female connector 3, the seal protection sleeve 4 and the second end of the extruded cable 2 are of an integral structure formed by insert molding, and the seal protection sleeve 4 covers a cable protection sleeve 21 of the second end of the extruded cable 2. The material of the seal cover 4 is TPEE (thermoplastic polyester elastomer), TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer) or Si-rubber. In preparing the gland-protecting sheath 4, the second end of the extruded cable 2 is placed into the mould of the gland-protecting sheath 4 and then injection moulded.

Fig. 3 and 4 show the configuration of the sensor in cooperation with other components of the electric power steering system. The electric power steering system comprises a sensor, a motor controller and a power assisting mechanism. The motor controller comprises a controller housing 8 and a controller circuit board located inside the controller housing 8, the second end of the extruded cable 2 being connected to the controller circuit board through the controller housing 8. The sensor circuit board 5 is fixed on one side of the sensor housing 1, and the power assisting mechanism comprises a power assisting mechanism housing 7 for accommodating components such as a worm wheel, a worm, a coupling and the like. The sensor housing 1 is attached to the side surface of the booster mechanism housing 7 by a fixing member. Specifically, the mounting engagement portion 11 of the sensor housing 1 has a flat plate shape, and is adapted to the surface shape of the power assist mechanism housing 7. The sensor housing 1 adopts a side-mounted mounting mode, is more convenient to mount and maintain, and does not need to pass the sensor housing assembly through a hole in the power assisting mechanism housing. The mounting matching part 11 is provided with a sealing ring facing to one side surface of the booster mechanism housing 7, and the sealing ring is a double-lip O-shaped ring for sealing a contact surface between the sensor housing 1 and the booster mechanism housing 7.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of the sensor and controller housing 8 of another embodiment of the present application. This embodiment differs from the previous embodiment in that the second end of the extruded cable 2 is not provided with the female connector 3, the second end of the extruded cable 2 and the controller housing 8 are in an integral structure formed by insert molding, and the controller housing 8 covers the cable jacket 21 of the second end of the extruded cable 2. I.e. the second end of the extruded cable 2 is placed into a mould of the controller housing 8 and then injection moulded when the controller housing 8 is prepared. Thereby, a good seal is formed between the extruded cable 2 and the controller housing 8, no additional sealing elements are needed, the use of the female connector 3 and the sealing protection sleeve 4 is reduced, the types and the number of components are fewer, the structure is simpler, and the cost is lower. Also, in this embodiment, similarly to the embodiment shown in fig. 2, the angle between the extruded cable 2 and the sensor housing 1 can be adjusted by adjusting the die of the sensor housing 1, and the angle between the controller housing 8 and the extruded cable 2 can be adjusted by adjusting the die of the controller housing 8, so that the requirements of actual use and matching with the vehicle body can be better satisfied.

Fig. 5 is a schematic view of a sensor in accordance with a further embodiment of the present application mated with the controller housing 8. This embodiment differs from the previous embodiments in that the sensor housing assembly comprises an extruded cable 2 and a female connector 3, the extruded cable 2 providing a signal and power source, which is applicable to vehicle systems without redundant set-up requirements. The extruded cable 2 is integrally formed at a first end with the sensor housing 1, provided at a second end with a female connector 3 and a sealing boot 4, and integrally formed at a second end with the sealing boot 4. Also, similarly to the embodiment shown in fig. 2, in this embodiment, the angle between the extruded cable 2 and the sensor housing 1 can also be adjusted by adjusting the die of the sensor housing 1. In other embodiments, the second end of the extruded cable 2 may be directly integrally formed with the controller housing 8, and still fall within the scope of the present application.

The foregoing is a further detailed description of the application in connection with the preferred embodiments, and it is not intended that the application be limited to the specific embodiments described. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that several simple deductions or substitutions may be made without departing from the spirit of the application, and these should be considered to be within the scope of the application.

Claims

1. A sensor housing assembly for an electric power steering system, the sensor housing assembly comprising:

2. The sensor housing assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least one female connector connected to the second end of the extruded cable, the extruded cable being electrically connected to a motor controller of the electric power steering system through the female connector.

3. The sensor housing assembly of claim 2, wherein a seal protection sleeve is disposed on an outer side of the female connector, the seal protection sleeve and the second end of the extruded cable are of an integral structure formed by insert molding, and the seal protection sleeve covers a cable protection sleeve of the second end of the extruded cable.

4. The sensor housing assembly of claim 3, wherein the material of the seal sleeve is a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, a thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer, or a silicone rubber.

5. The sensor housing assembly of claim 2, comprising two said female connectors and two said extruded cables, a second end of each of said extruded cables being connected to one of said female connectors.

6. The sensor housing assembly of claim 1, wherein the sensor housing comprises a mounting mating portion for mounting the sensor housing to a booster mechanism housing of the electric power steering system, a circuit board carrier portion for carrying a sensor circuit board, and a cable mating portion protruding from a first side of the mounting mating portion, the circuit board carrier portion protruding from a second side of the mounting mating portion, the cable mating portion wrapping a cable jacket at a first end of the extruded cable.

7. The sensor housing assembly of claim 1, wherein the wire core of the extruded cable is a copper-clad steel wire core.

8. An electric power steering system comprising a sensor, a motor controller and a power assist mechanism, wherein the sensor comprises a sensor circuit board and the sensor housing assembly of any one of claims 1 to 7, the sensor circuit board is fixed on one side of the sensor housing, the power assist mechanism comprises a power assist mechanism housing, and the sensor housing is mounted on the side of the power assist mechanism housing through a fixing member.

9. The electric power steering system according to claim 8, wherein a side surface of the sensor housing facing the power assist mechanism housing is provided with a seal ring, the seal ring being a double-lip O-ring.

10. The electric power steering system of claim 8, wherein the motor controller comprises a controller housing, the second end of the extruded cable and the controller housing being of an insert molded unitary construction, the controller housing encasing a cable jacket of the second end of the extruded cable.