DE102022134219B3 - Actuator for controlling an adjustment path of a valve and method for measuring tolerance compensation and water mixing valve with such an actuator - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an actuator for controlling an adjustment path of a valve (4) in a motor vehicle, having a housing (8) in which a direct current motor (14) is arranged, which acts directly or indirectly on an output element (18) which is connected to a drive element (24) of the valve cooperates, the output element (18) being movably mounted in the housing (8), in which a position sensor (20) for monitoring the adjustment path of the output element (18) is provided, with at least one control device (16) for tolerance compensation of the The adjustment path is in a control-related connection with the direct current motor (14) and the position sensor (20), the housing (8) having a connecting element (12) for voltage and signal connection, with exactly one control device (16) for tolerance compensation of the Adjustment path is provided in the housing (8), a current sensor being arranged in the housing arrangement (8) in control-related connection with the control device (16) and the DC motor (14). The invention also relates to a method for measuring the tolerance compensation between the actuator (2) and a valve (4) and a water mixing valve (4).

Description

The invention relates to an actuator designed to control an adjustment path of a valve in a motor vehicle with a housing in which a direct current motor is arranged, which acts directly or indirectly on an output element which interacts with a drive element of the valve, the output element being movable in the housing is mounted, in which a position sensor for monitoring the adjustment path of the output element is provided, with at least one control device for tolerance compensation of the adjustment path being in operative connection in control technology with the DC motor and the position sensor, the housing having a connection element for voltage and signal connection. The invention also relates to a method for measuring the tolerance compensation between the actuator and a valve and a water mixing valve.

Such actuators and methods for tolerance compensation between an actuator and a connected valve are well known from the prior art. These actuators can be used in many areas of the motor vehicle sector to adjust corresponding valves. An example in this context is an actuator according to DE 11 2015 006 431 T5 , which is intended to open or close a wastegate valve. In order to detect and compensate for tolerances when controlling the valve by the actuator, a control device is provided outside the actuator, which in turn is integrated into a control loop via the engine control unit. Here, the target position communicated via the engine control unit is compared with a reference position in the control device assigned to the actuator and thus determined by means of a position learning unit that is integrated in the control device. It should be clear that tolerance compensation to be carried out with an actuator designed in this way, in particular by providing several control devices, is very complex and therefore expensive. It is noted that it is from the DE 195 29 155 B4 It is generally known to determine a tolerance or a valve clearance depending on the course of the voltage and/or the current. Further control or adjustment devices are from the prior art according to EP 2 246 668 B1 , the WO 2018/ 099 379 A1 , the DE 10 2018 112 808 A1 , the DE 10 2013 225 629 B3 , the DE 10 2006 028 634 A1 and the EP 2 524 124 B1 known.

The object of the invention is to provide an actuator or a method and also a valve that avoids the above-mentioned disadvantages in a particularly simple and cost-effective manner.

This object is achieved by an actuator according to the invention in that exactly one control device for tolerance compensation of the adjustment path is provided in the housing, with a current sensor being arranged in the housing arrangement in control-related connection with the control device and the DC motor. This creates a very simply constructed actuator that can be combined with a wide variety of valves in the motor vehicle sector. Although tolerance compensation takes place, this actuator with its integrated control device does not have to be integrated into a control loop of the engine control unit.

In a particularly advantageous manner, the output element is designed as an internally or externally toothed output gear, with the position sensor being designed as a rotation sensor. As a result, the actuator according to the invention can be used particularly universally.

In a particularly advantageous manner, the direct current motor is designed as a double-rotating direct current motor, whereby the tolerance compensation can take place in both directions.

The object is also achieved by a method according to the invention for measuring the tolerance compensation between the actuator and a valve with a drive element, wherein in a first step the direct current motor is started, the output element is driven from a starting position, the adjustment path of the output element being detected by the position sensor is, in a second step the DC motor is stopped at a predetermined current consumption, which is detected by the current sensor, and in a third step the tolerance compensation of the control device is calculated and is taken into account when controlling the DC motor.

It is particularly advantageous if the direct current motor is designed as a double-rotating direct current motor, the output element as an internally or externally toothed driven wheel and the drive element as a correspondingly designed externally or internally toothed drive wheel, so that before the third step, the first two steps for different Directions of rotation of the DC motor are carried out.

The object is also achieved by a water mixing valve according to the invention with an actuator, the output element of which is designed as an internally or externally toothed output gear, whereby the position sensor is designed as a rotation sensor and the direct current motor is designed as a double-rotating direct current motor, the tolerance compensation taking place in both directions, the drive element being designed as a correspondingly designed externally or internally toothed drive wheel, which is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to a drive shaft which is connected in a rotationally fixed manner connected to a valve organ.

• 1 eine schematische Darstellung eines erfindungsgemäßen Aktuators eines erfindungsgemäßen Wassermischventils, und
• 2 eine schematische Darstellung eines Abtriebsrades eines Aktuators aus 1 und eines Antriebsrades des Wassermischventils aus 1 in verschiedenen Positionen a, b und c.

The invention is explained in more detail with reference to a drawing, which shows:

• 1 a schematic representation of an actuator according to the invention of a water mixing valve according to the invention, and
• 2 a schematic representation of an output gear of an actuator 1 and a drive wheel of the water mixing valve 1 in different positions a, b and c.

1 shows a schematic view of an actuator 2 according to the invention, which is part of a water mixing valve 4 according to the invention. The water mixing valve 4 is used in a motor vehicle, not shown. In the present exemplary embodiment, a housing arrangement 6 is provided which has a housing 8 for the actuator and a mixing valve housing 10, which are flanged together in a known manner. The housing 8 initially has a connecting element 12, which has voltage and signal connections (not shown) in a known manner in order to supply a DC motor 14 in the housing 8 with power and a control device 16 integrated in the actuator 2 in a known manner with a control device to connect the central engine control unit, not shown. However, it is noted here that this control connection does not serve to compensate for tolerances, but rather only to transmit signals regarding a target position of the water mixing valve 4. The direct current motor 14 drives in a known manner an output element designed as an internally toothed output gear 18, with the power transmission in the present exemplary embodiment via a gear 19 takes place. An adjustment of the driven wheel 18 is monitored by a position sensor designed as a rotation sensor 20. The rotation sensor 20 is connected to the control device 16 in a known manner. In terms of control technology, a so-called current sensor 22 is provided between the DC motor 14 and the control device 16, which measures the current consumption of the DC motor 14. Since the current is proportional to the torque of the drive wheel 18, this makes it possible to draw conclusions about existing tolerances in a simple manner in conjunction with the position sensor 20 and the control device 16. In the present exemplary embodiment, the internally toothed output gear 18 cooperates with a drive element designed as an externally toothed drive wheel 24 and is arranged in a rotationally fixed manner on a drive shaft 26, which in turn is movably mounted in the housing 10. The drive shaft 26 moves in a known manner a valve element 28 which is connected to it in a rotationally fixed manner and which ensures a desired water mixture in lines 30, 32 and 34 shown as examples. The valve element 28 is provided here in the mixing valve housing 10, which is flanged to the housing 8 in a known manner.

At least with regard to the mechanical coupling of the driven wheel 18 and the drive wheel 24, it is unavoidable that tolerances occur which make it difficult or impossible to adjust the valve element 28 in a precise position. Thanks to the actuator 6 according to the invention, simple tolerance compensation is also possible during operation of the water mixing valve 4.

Based on 2 A method according to the invention for measuring the tolerance compensation between the actuator 4 and the drive wheel 24 will now be presented. For this purpose, in a first step, the DC motor 14 is started and the driven wheel 18 is driven from a starting position. The starting position in the present exemplary embodiment is in 2a shown. Driven by the DC motor 14, the driven gear 18 will move over an in 2 B middle position shown in 2c Turn the stop position shown on the drive wheel 24. Here, the adjustment path of the driven wheel 18 is detected by the position sensor. The DC motor 14 is then stopped in a second step at a predetermined current consumption, which corresponds to a maximum of 0.3 Nm, for example, and which is detected by the current sensor 22. Now the DC motor 14 is energized in such a way that the driven gear 18 is moved in the opposite direction and over the in 2 B shown middle position back into the 2a Position shown arrives until a current consumption is detected, which corresponds to a torque of 0.3 Nm, so that the DC motor 14 is switched off again. In a third step, the adjustment path of the driven wheel 18 detected by the position sensor 20 is processed so that the tolerance d can be derived from this in degrees α, so that this tolerance compensation can be taken into account when controlling the DC motor 14 to adjust the valve element 28.

Reference symbol list

2

actuator

4

water mixing valve

6

Housing arrangement

8th

Housing

10

Mixing valve housing

12

connecting organ

14

DC motor

16

Control device

18

driven gear

20

Position sensor

22

Current sensor

24

drive wheel

26

drive shaft

28

valve organ

30

Line

32

Line

34

Line

Claims (6)

Actuator designed to control an adjustment path of a valve (4) in a motor vehicle with a housing (8) in which a direct current motor (14) is arranged, which acts directly or indirectly on an output element (18) which is connected to a drive element (24). of the valve interacts, the output element (18) being movably mounted in the housing (8), in which a position sensor (20) for monitoring the adjustment path of the output element (18) is provided, with at least one control device (16) for tolerance compensation of the adjustment path in terms of control technology There is an operative connection with the direct current motor (14) and the position sensor (20), the housing (8) having a connecting element (12) for voltage and signal connection, characterized in that exactly one control device (16) for tolerance compensation of the Adjustment path is provided in the housing (8), a current sensor (22) being arranged in the housing arrangement (8) in control-related connection with the control device (16) and the direct current motor (14). Actuator after Claim 1 , characterized in that the output element (18) is designed as an internally or externally toothed output gear, the position sensor (20) being designed as a rotation sensor. Actuator after Claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the direct current motor (14) is designed as a double-rotating direct current motor (14), with the tolerance compensation taking place in both directions. Method for measuring the tolerance compensation between an actuator (2) according to one of the preceding claims and a valve (4) with a drive element (24), characterized in that in a first step the direct current motor (14) is started and the output element (18) is driven from a starting position, the adjustment path of the output element (18) being detected by the position sensor (20), in a second step the DC motor (14) is stopped at a predetermined current consumption, which is detected by the current sensor (22), and In a third step, the tolerance compensation is calculated in the control device (16) and is taken into account when controlling the DC motor (14). Method for measuring tolerance compensation Claim 4 , characterized in that the direct current motor (14) is designed as a double-rotating direct current motor (14), the output element (18) is designed as an internally or externally toothed output wheel and the drive element (24) is designed as a correspondingly designed externally or internally toothed drive wheel, so that Before the third step, the first two steps are carried out for different directions of rotation of the DC motor (14). Water mixing valve for the motor vehicle sector with an actuator (2) according to Claims 2 and 3 , characterized in that the drive element (24) is designed as a correspondingly designed externally or internally toothed drive wheel, which is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to a drive shaft (26), which is connected in a rotationally fixed manner to a valve element (28).

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