JP2009036761A - Wheel speed sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a speed sensor assembly for motorcycles. <P>SOLUTION: The speed sensor assembly includes a first race, a second race, two or more ball bearings that separate the first race from the second race, and a tone wheel coupled to the second race. The speed sensor assembly also includes a spacer, adjoining the first race and a sensor placed adjacent to the tone wheel. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  This application claims priority to US Provisional Patent Application No. 60/948097, filed July 5, 2007, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference and made a part hereof.

  It is often necessary to know the speed of the wheels of a vehicle (eg, an automobile or a motorcycle). For example, an anti-lock braking system needs to know when a wheel is “locked” in order to release the brake and prevent the wheel from skidding. Furthermore, the speed of the wheel is often used to determine the speed of the vehicle and indicate it to the driver.

Past systems for determining wheel speed used mechanical couplings (eg, speedometer cables) or sensors. A typical system employing a sensor used a magnetic ring coupled to be rubbed against the wheel, along with a Hall sensor to detect the magnetic field from the ring and determine the speed of the wheel.
US Provisional Patent Application No. 60/948097 US Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 663,355 International Application No. PCT / WO2006-097092

  These sensor-based systems have various drawbacks, including huge size and difficulty in mounting to achieve accurate frictional coupling and to accurately position the sensor in its magnetic field.

  Aspects of the present invention include a first race (guide groove), a second race, a plurality of ball bearings for separating the first race from the second race, and a bearing having a tone wheel coupled to the second race. Including a speed sensor assembly. The speed sensor assembly also includes a spacer positioned adjacent to the first race and a sensor positioned adjacent to the tone wheel. The sensor is configured to detect rotation of the tone wheel to determine the rotational speed of the wheel.

  Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a wheel speed sensor. The method includes the act of attaching the tone wheel to the carrier, the act of pressing the carrier into the first race of the bearing, the act of pressing the fringer into the second race of the bearing adjacent to the carrier, the act of attaching the bearing to the axle, And the act which makes a spacer adjoin the 2nd race adjacent to the flinger is included. The spacer includes a sensor configured to detect rotation of the tone wheel to determine the rotational speed of the wheel.

  A further aspect of the invention relates to a motorcycle incorporating a wheel speed sensor as described above. The motorcycle includes a front wheel assembly, a rear wheel assembly, and a wheel speed sensor. The wheel speed sensor includes a bearing having a first race, a second race separated from the first race by a plurality of ball bearings, a carrier press-fit into the second race, and a tone wheel attached to the carrier. . The wheel speed sensor also includes a spacer adjacent to the first race and a sensor attached to the spacer. At least one of the front wheel assembly and the rear wheel assembly includes the wheel speed sensor. The sensor is configured to detect rotation of the tone wheel to determine the rotational speed of the wheel in each wheel assembly.

  Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

  In order to understand the present invention, it will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  Before any embodiment of the present invention is described in detail, the present invention, in its application, will be described in the following description or the structural details and component arrangements illustrated in the following drawings. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. It is also to be understood that the expressions and terminology used in this document are for purposes of explanation and should not be taken as limiting. The terms “first”, “second”, “third”, etc. used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the examples in any way. Further, the term “plurality” as used herein refers disjunctively or conjunctively to any number greater than one, up to an infinite number as required. The use of “including”, “having” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and their equivalents, as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited, the terms “attached”, “connected”, “supported” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used in a broad sense and are direct in attachment, connection, support and coupling Including both indirect and indirect. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not limited to physical or mechanical connections or couplings. Further, “adjacent (adjacent)” is not intended to imply that one or more elements are absent between adjacent elements.

  Embodiments of the present invention include a wheel speed sensor having an encoder incorporated in a wheel bearing and a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor (eg, an anisotropic MR sensor) incorporated in a wheel spacer. The wheel speed sensor is relatively small and can be substantially hidden from view when mounted on a motorcycle.

  1 and 2 illustrate one exemplary embodiment of a wheel bearing 100 according to the present invention. The wheel bearing 100 is mounted on a stationary axle and is configured so that the wheel mounted on the bearing can rotate with minimal friction. Wheel bearing 100 is disclosed in International Application No. PCT / WO2006-097092 filed March 6, 2006, which claims the benefit of US Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 663,355, filed March 18, 2005. Outer race (outer ring) 105, inner race (inner ring) 110, inner ring 115, bearing cage 120, multiple ball bearings 125, first inner seal 130, second inner seal 135, encoder 140, as described. And a fringer 145. The entire contents of both of these documents are incorporated herein by reference and made part of this document.

  Inner ring 115 and cage 120 maintain ball bearing 125 in place around the circumference of wheel bearing 100. The ball bearing 125 is positioned in an annular space 203 defined between the outer race 105 and the inner race 110. Furthermore, the first inner seal 130 and the second inner seal 135 function to form a waterproof seal on one side of the wheel bearing 100, and prevent mixed substances from entering the internal space 203.

  FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of the encoder 140. The encoder 140 includes a tone wheel 150 and a carrier 155. In some embodiments, the encoder 140 may include a sealing element 160 that may be coupled to the carrier 155 or formed integrally with the tone wheel 150. In other embodiments, encoder 140 does not include a sealing element. In the illustrated embodiment, the carrier 155 is formed as a ring and has an overall L shape. The carrier 155 is configured to have a relatively high permeability to direct as much of the magnetic flux generated by the tone wheel 150 towards the sensor. In one embodiment, a steel of the American Iron and Steel Institute of Society of Automotive Engineers (AISI / SAE) 1000 series suitable for magnetic core applications, such as ANSI 1006, 1008, 1010, 1018, for example. Can be used to provide high magnetic permeability.

  By using one of these materials with the encoder 140 tightly coupled (without air gap) to the carrier 155 in the 0 Hz frequency operating range of the encoder 140, the relative permeability of the carrier 155 can be 2000 or higher. In addition to silicon steel (SiFe) or cobalt steel (CoFe), a wide variety of other materials with high permeability may also be used to provide high permeability. The carrier 155 can withstand temperatures from at least −40 ° C. to at least 150 ° C. and can be constructed using SAE 1008 steel or other suitable material. The carrier 155 is press-fitted into the outer race 105 and has an outer diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of the outer race 105. The difference in diameter keeps the carrier 155 in place in the outer race 105 and rotates the carrier 155 with the outer ring 105. In some embodiments, the carrier 155 is press-fitted into the inner race 110 when the outer race 105 is stationary and the inner race 110 rotates.

  In the illustrated embodiment, the tone wheel 150 is a ring having a lead diameter of 42.15 mm ± 1 mm, a height of 5.0 mm ± 0.1 mm, and a thickness of 0.8 mm ± 0.1 mm. The lead diameter is a diameter at the center of the tone wheel (that is, between the outer diameter of the tone wheel 150 and the inner diameter of the tone wheel 150). The tone wheel 150 includes 33 pairs of magnetic poles (ie, 66 dipoles) spaced equidistant from each other around the circumference of the tone wheel 150, and at a distance of 2.1 mm, at least 1.. Provides a magnetic flux of 2 millitesla (mT). In this embodiment, the pole pairs have a symmetrical magnetic flux density and the MR sensor is a signal having a nominal duty cycle of 50% when the tone wheel 150 is rotating past that sensor. Once constructed, its duty cycle is extremely stable and does not change more than 5% per revolution. The tone wheel 150 can operate with a signal degradation of less than 0.2% per 1 ° C. above 25 ° C. at a temperature range of at least −40 ° C. to 120 ° C. and can be detected below 120 ° C. Does not have. Furthermore, the tone wheel 150 can withstand temperatures up to 150 ° C. without permanent damage. Tone wheel 150 may be constructed using a suitable material such as nitrile rubber (NBR) or highly saturated NBR (HNBR). In other embodiments, tone wheel 150 may have a different number and / or configuration of dipoles and may have different magnetic properties.

  Tone wheel 150 is attached to carrier 155 with a suitable adhesive to form encoder 140. The encoder 140 is inserted into the bearing 100 such that the outer side 200 of the tone wheel 150 is 1.55 mm ± 0.09 mm deep from the outer edge 205 of the inner race 110 of the bearing 100 (that is, the carrier 155 is press-fitted into the outer race 105 as described above). The depth of the outer side 200 in the tone wheel 150 relative to the outer edge 205 in the inner race 110 is uniform around the bearing 100, resulting in a tone wheel 150 having a relative flatness of 0.1 mm ± 0.01 mm. . As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the entire tone wheel 150 is located between the inner race 110 and the outer race 105, inside the outer edge 205 in the inner race 110 and the outer edge 207 in the outer race 105. And leave a space between the outer edges 205 and 207 and the outer surface of the tone wheel 150.

  FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the fringer 145. Flinger 145 is formed as a ring having an overall L-shape and includes a sealing element 210 and a support element 215. In the illustrated embodiment, the flinger 145 is press fit into the inner race 110 and has an inner diameter that is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the inner race 110. The difference in diameter holds the flinger 145 in an appropriate position on the inner race 110. The flinger 145 is positioned outside the tone wheel 150 to isolate the tone wheel 150 from the exterior of the wheel bearing 100 and to protect the tone wheel 150. In one embodiment, the flinger is designed to be as inert as possible to the magnetic field, while also reducing its magnetic properties from wear or build-up of the magnetic material between the sensor and the dipole. Help protect the face. The permeability increases at the vent (bend) of the flinger 145. Accordingly, the flinger 145 is formed so as to be straight and have no vent between the tone wheel 150 and a sensor (described later). This is because the flinger 145 has little or no influence on the magnetic flux generated by the tone wheel 150 and detected by the sensor. The sealing element 210 can be constructed of a suitable material (eg, nitrile rubber) to provide a flexible water tight seal. Support member 215 may be constructed of a material having a relatively low permeability, such as SAE 304 stainless steel and austenitic stainless steel or other suitable material. Such steel can exhibit magnetic properties when cold worked, but has a very low relative permeability to reach 1.01. Other low permeability materials may be used. In some embodiments, the flinger 145 is press fit into the outer race 105 rather than the inner race 110. For example, the flinger 145 may be press-fitted into the outer race 105 in an embodiment in which the outer race 105 is stationary and the inner race 110 rotates. Further, in some embodiments, the flinger 145 may be coupled to the same race 105, 110 as the tone wheel 150.

  FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a wheel spacer / sensor assembly 243 suitable for use in connection with the wheel bearing 100. The wheel spacer / sensor assembly 243 includes a wheel spacer 245 and a sensor 250 connected thereto. In one embodiment, sensor 250 is an anisotropic magnetoresistive (MR) sensor 250 (such as Honeywell model VF401). The wheel spacer 245 can be machined to be highly resistant using a suitable material. The sensor 250 can be attached to the spacer 245 (eg, using an adhesive), and a portion of the spacer 245 includes the sensor 250 to protect the sensor 250 (as shown as 247). ) Can be outer coated. In some embodiments, sensor 250 may be attached to wheel spacer 245 by an outer covering. Attaching the sensor 250 to the spacer can provide several advantages. For example, the spacer forms a very rigid mount and eliminates the need for multiple brackets found in existing devices. In addition, this mounting configuration helps to adjust sensor 250 so that sensor 250 and encoder 140 are referenced from the same reference (eg, the axle centerline). Furthermore, this mounting configuration helps to avoid secondary vibration patterns that can be introduced into the system by other existing mounting configurations.

  As described in more detail below, as a magnetic field passes through sensor 250, the resistance of sensor 250 changes based on the polarity of the magnetic field, causing sensor 250 to receive a signal having one of two current levels. Output. The sensor 250 can function with an input voltage in the range of, for example, 4.5 Vdc to 16.5 Vdc. In some embodiments, the input voltage is approximately 14.2 Vdc. The current signal output by the sensor 250 varies between a high signal of 14.0 mA ± 20% and a low signal of 7.0 mA ± 20%, and has a square wave current signal having a frequency ranging from 0 Hz to about 2000 Hz. Bring. FIG. 9 illustrates an example of such a square wave signal. In other embodiments, Hall sensors may be used with the bearing 100. The incorporation of Hall sensors may require design changes such as changing the number of poles, the magnetic flux density per pole, or adjusting the distance from the encoder to the sensor. New algorithms may have to be applied for this purpose (eg, to allow lower fidelity at lower speeds).

  FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram of one embodiment of a sensor circuit 300 used with the sensor 250 as described above. The first lead 305 of the sensor 250 is coupled to a power source 310 (eg, a positive terminal of a motorcycle battery). The second lead 315 of the sensor 250 is coupled to the first lead 320 of the current detection resistor 325. The second lead 330 of the current detection resistor 325 is coupled to ground. In the illustrated embodiment, the resistance of the current detection resistor 325 is in the range of 100Ω to 300Ω. Further, the second lead 315 of the sensor 250 is coupled to a filter circuit 335 that includes a capacitor 340 (eg, 1000 pF) and a resistor 345 (10 kΩ) connected in parallel. Filter circuit 335 is also coupled to ground. Of course, the sensor circuit may have a different configuration in other embodiments.

  The current detection resistor 325 converts the square wave current signal from the sensor 250 into a square wave voltage signal. In some embodiments, the square wave voltage signal has a range of about 0.7 Vdc to about 2.1 Vdc (ie, 7 mA × 100 Ω to 7 mA × 300 Ω) for the lower portion of the square wave, with a high square wave The portion has a range of about 1.4 Vdc to about 4.2 Vdc (ie, 14 mA × 100 Ω to 14 mA × 300 Ω).

  An engine control unit (ECU) or other controller (eg, anti-lock brake system controller) receives the square wave voltage signal and measures the frequency of the signal to determine the wheel speed. The controller, among other things, adjusts the speed of the wheel to prevent it from locking during braking (ie for anti-lock braking) or to give the driver an indication of vehicle speed. Can be used.

  7 and 8A-8C illustrate the operation of tone wheel 150 and sensor 250. FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the tone wheel 150 rotates (eg, in the direction of the arrow) with respect to the sensor 250 such that a plurality of magnetic pole pairs 360 positioned on the tone wheel 150 pass through the sensor 250; Sensor 250 is exposed to the magnetic field provided by pole pair 360. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-6, the tone wheel 150 rotates with the outer race 105 of the bearing 100, but it should be understood that in other embodiments, the tone wheel may be mounted differently. . For example, the sensor 250 may be configured to rotate relative to a stationary tone wheel, and in addition to a similar transition at and to the local receiver at its output, a radio frequency for powering that sensor ( It is contemplated to include the use of RF) sources.

  As shown in FIGS. 8A-8C, their magnetic fields extend between pole pairs 360 and begin as relatively perpendicular fields in each of the pole pairs 360 (FIG. 8B) and are relatively parallel between pole pairs 360. It turns into a new place (FIG. 8C). When the bearing 100 and the wheel spacer / sensor assembly 243 are positioned next to each other (as described below), the sensor 250 is centered in its parallel field (as shown in FIG. 8C). Positioned on. The tone wheel 150 is sized to provide a sufficient magnetic field. This is to prevent changes due to tolerance and heat from causing the sensor 250 to go out of the magnetic field. In addition, this configuration provides a natural filter for vibration of the tone wheel 150 or sensor 250 during operation.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the sensor 250 outputs a square wave current signal when the pole pair 360 passes the sensor 250. The output signal of sensor 250 changes as its vertical magnetic field (FIG. 8B) passes through sensor 250. When the N pole vertical magnetic field passes through the sensor 250, the sensor 250 transitions to an output signal of 7 mA. When the S pole vertical magnetic field passes through the sensor 250, the sensor 250 transitions to an output signal of 14 mA. The frequency of the square wave output by the sensor 250 corresponds to the rotational speed of the outer race 105 of the bearing 100 and thus the rotational speed of the wheel coupled to the bearing 100. In the illustrated embodiment, due to the fact that tone wheel 150 includes 33 pole pairs 360, the frequency of the output of sensor 250 is divided by 33 to determine the number of complete rotations of outer race 105. . The number of rotations is then determined with respect to time (eg, the number of rotations per minute) to obtain speed. Of course, the calculation to determine the wheel speed can be varied as needed if the tone wheel 150 has a different number of pole pairs.

  During operation of the wheel speed sensor 250, the output signal of the sensor 250 has a single pitch error of up to ± 2%, and an operating frequency range (eg, 0 Hz to 2000 Hz) and an operating temperature range (eg, −40). ° C to 120 ° C) with a maximum total pitch error of 5% throughout.

Single pitch error (SPE) is defined as the percentage deviation of the individual period lengths (T _n ) from the average value of all period lengths (T _avg ) for one full rotation of the tone wheel 150. Single cycle length refers to the length of one single pulse of sensor 250 when generated by the rotation of pole pair 360.

Therefore, the single pitch error is SPE (%) = [(T _n −T _avg ) / T _avg ] × 100.

Total pitch error (TPE) is defined as the difference between the maximum individual period length (T _max ) and the minimum individual period length (T _min ) for one full rotation of the tone wheel 150.

  Single cycle length refers to the length of one single pulse of sensor 250 when generated by the rotation of pole pair 360.

Therefore, the total pitch error is TPE (%) = (T _max % −T _min %).

  The deviation of the total pitch error between adjacent pole pairs 360 does not exceed 5%. Therefore, if one pole has a pitch error of + 3%, the pole pair adjacent to it cannot have a pitch error of more than -2%.

  FIGS. 10-12 illustrate perspective, rear and top views of a motorcycle 500 incorporating one embodiment of a wheel bearing 100 having a wheel speed sensor. The motorcycle 500 includes a drive assembly 505, a frame 510, a front fork assembly 515, a swing arm or rear fork assembly 520, a front wheel 525, a rear wheel 530, a seat 535, and a fuel tank 540. The frame 510 supports the drive assembly 505, the front fork assembly 515, the rear fork assembly 520, the seat 535, and the fuel tank 540. Front fork assembly 515 is pivotally supported at the front of motorcycle 500 and supports front wheel 525. The front fork assembly 515 includes a pair of handle bars 545 for steering the motorcycle 500. The rear fork assembly 520 is coupled to the frame 510 at the rear of the motorcycle 500 and rotatably supports the rear wheel 530. A seat 535 is coupled to the frame 510 and configured to support the rider. The fuel tank 540 is supported by the frame 510 and supplies fuel to the drive assembly 505.

  Drive assembly 505 includes an engine 550 and a transmission 555. Engine 550 and transmission 555 constitute separate and independent components in drive assembly 505. Engine 550 includes an output shaft (not shown), such as a crankshaft, which is a primary drive sprocket for driving a primary chain (not shown) to power transmission 555 in a conventional manner. (Not shown).

  The front wheel 525 and the rear wheel 530 ride on wheel bearings (not shown) attached to axles (not shown).

  FIGS. 13-15 illustrate one embodiment of a motorcycle rear wheel mounting assembly 600 that incorporates the wheel speed sensor described above. The assembly 600 includes a wheel 605, a rotor 610 attached to the wheel 605, a brake caliper 615, a wheel spacer / sensor assembly 243, a washer 625, a nut 630, a retaining clip 635, an axle 640, a first swing arm 645, and an encoder 140. A first wheel bearing 100, a wheel sleeve 655, a second wheel bearing 660, a sprocket spacer 665, a sprocket bearing 670, a second swing arm 680, and an axle end 685 are included.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the rear wheel mounting assembly 600 is assembled by feeding the axle 640 through an opening in the second swing arm 680 until the axle end 685 contacts the second swing arm 680. Next, the components of the rear wheel mounting assembly 600 are positioned on the axle 640, and each of the components abuts its adjacent components, as shown in FIG. Once all of the components are in place, the nut 630 is screwed into the axle 640, restraining all of the elements in place with substantially no play. The retaining clip 635 prevents the nut 630 from loosening during operation.

  FIG. 16 shows a close-up of a portion of the wheel assembly 600 showing the position of the first wheel bearing 100 (ie, carrier 155 and tone wheel 150) including the encoder 140 and the wheel spacer / sensor assembly 243 including the sensor 250. Illustrated is a cross-sectional view. The tight tolerances achievable when manufacturing the bearing 100 and the wheel spacer / sensor assembly 243 (ie, by machining and injection molding) allow the sensor 250 to be accurately positioned relative to the tone wheel 150 and Ensure that the sensor 250 is placed in the center of the magnetic field generated by the wheel 150. In addition to the use of MR sensors, this accuracy allows the wheel speed sensor to be manufactured in a significantly smaller size than previous wheel speed sensors. In addition, all of the components are referenced from the axle 640 that functions as a common reference line.

  The position of the encoder 140 in the wheel bearing 100 (ie behind the flinger 145) makes the tone wheel 150 invisible. The position of the sensor 250 in the wheel spacer 245 hides the sensor 250 behind its motorcycle swing arm, resulting in a wheel speed sensor that is almost completely invisible. In addition, the assembly of the wheel speed sensor is simplified by mounting the encoder 140 within the bearing 100 and only requires the wheel spacer / sensor assembly 243 to be adjacent to the bearing 100. As a result, the individual components of the wheel speed system are firmly supported by each other, but there is no direct contact with any closely positioned or aligned moving parts.

  The wheel speed sensor can be attached to the front wheel mounting assembly as well or alternatively. The front wheel mounting assembly includes some of the same components as the rear wheel mounting assembly 600, such as the first wheel bearing 100 including the tone wheel 150 and the wheel spacer / sensor assembly 243 including the sensor 250. Also good.

  Since sensor 250 is molded on wheel spacer 245, special tools beyond those already used in motorcycle maintenance shops are required to remove sensor 250 for repair or replacement. There is no.

  The wheel speed sensor can withstand exposure to the harsh environments that motorcycles face (eg, unleaded gasoline, motor oil, brake fluid, cleaners, etc.). The structure of the wheel speed sensor is such that it is against component gaps (eg, tone wheel runout, tone wheel tooth damage, axle end play, bearing wear) and gap misalignment caused by road misalignment. Do not be affected. The wheel speed sensor can also withstand the wide temperature range encountered by a motorcycle and is unaffected by the axial load applied to the wheel speed sensor by the motorcycle. Further, the gap between the sensor 250 and the flinger 145 is sufficiently small to prevent foreign matter from remaining in the gap and affecting the operation of the wheel speed sensor 250. Flinger 145 also protects tone wheel 150 from damage or contamination. Further, the bearing 100 may be filled with bearing grease to reduce friction between components of the bearing 100. It has been found that the bearing grease does not affect the operation of the wheel speed sensor 250 (ie, the magnetic field generated by the tone wheel 150 is not affected by the grease). Further, the operation of the wheel speed sensor 250 is not affected by the anti-stick lubricant having a graphite component used in the assembly of the motorcycle.

  In some embodiments, the MR sensor is molded into a fringer. In other embodiments, the bearing that includes the encoder does not include a flinger element. In such an embodiment, the encoder includes a sealing member for containing bearing grease and for closing out contaminants.

  The above embodiments have been described using components having specific sizes and dimensions. However, other embodiments using components having different sizes and dimensions are within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the above embodiment has been described using an MR sensor. However, it is within the scope of the present invention to use other types of sensors (eg, Hall effect sensors).

  The present invention has been described in an embodiment of a wheel speed sensor. However, the present invention applies to any rotating device that uses bearings and whose speed is monitored, such as a conveyor or motor or other type of vehicle (eg, an automobile). In addition to monitoring speed, the present invention is also applicable to position detection (ie, by counting the number of pulses).

  Thus, the present invention, above all, provides a relatively small and easily mounted wheel speed sensor that can withstand the vibrations and contaminants normally encountered by motorcycles.

It is a perspective view (a notch part is included) of the bearing according to the Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the bearing of FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an encoder according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a flinger according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a wheel spacer / sensor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a sensor circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 represents a tone wheel passing a sensor according to an embodiment of the invention. 2 represents a sensor passing through the magnetic field of a tone ring according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 represents a sensor passing through the magnetic field of a tone ring according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 represents a sensor passing through the magnetic field of a tone ring according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a schematic diagram of a sensor output signal for a magnetic field according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary motorcycle incorporating an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a rear view of an exemplary motorcycle incorporating an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a top view of an exemplary motorcycle incorporating an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rear wheel mounting assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a rear wheel mounting assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a rear wheel mounting assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a bearing and wheel spacer / sensor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

Claims (30)

A rotation sensor assembly comprising:
A first race having an outer edge, a second race, a plurality of ball bearings disposed between the first race and the second race, and a material coupled to the second race and having a relatively high magnetic permeability A bearing that includes a plurality of pole pairs that are coupled to the carrier and that are distributed around the circumference of the tone wheel;
A spacer adjacent to the first race; and a sensor attached to the spacer and positioned adjacent to the tone wheel;
The sensor is configured to detect rotation of the tone wheel relative to the sensor by detecting the magnetic pole pair during the rotation;
Rotation sensor assembly. A flinger that is press-fitted into one of the first race and the second race, the flinger positioned between the tone wheel and the sensor, and the carrier and Sealing the tone wheel;
The rotation sensor assembly of claim 1. A portion of the fringer that is directly adjacent to both the tone wheel and the sensor is straight, and the fringer is composed of a material having a relatively low permeability;
The rotation sensor assembly of claim 2. The carrier is press-fitted into the second race such that the tone wheel is at a fixed depth from the outer edge of the first race, the tone wheel has a relative flatness of 0.1 mm; The distance between the sensor and the tone wheel is fixed at about 1.87 mm ± 0.27 mm.
The rotation sensor assembly of claim 1. The first race is a stationary inner race, the second race is a rotating outer race, and the tone wheel rotates with the second race, and the sensor is stationary. Yes,
The rotation sensor assembly of claim 1. The sensor is a magnetoresistive sensor;
The rotation sensor assembly of claim 1. The sensor is configured to provide a square wave current output indicative of a rotational speed of the second race;
The rotation sensor assembly of claim 1. The distance between the tone wheel and the sensor is controlled by the spacer and the first race, and the spacer and the first race are the sensor and the tone wheel when the spacer is adjacent to the first race. Is a machined part capable of achieving extremely tight tolerances that allow the distance between
The rotation sensor assembly of claim 1. The controller further includes a controller connected to the sensor and receiving an output from the sensor, the controller (1) determining the rotational speed of the bearing, and (2) detecting the presence or absence of rotation of the bearing. Configured to use the output of the sensor to perform at least one of
The rotation sensor assembly of claim 1. A bearing assembly for use with a speed sensor assembly comprising:
First race with outer edge;
A second race having an outer edge;
A plurality of ball bearings placed between the first race and the second race; a plurality of ball bearings placed inside the outer edge of the first race and the second race; and the second race A tone wheel coupled to the tone wheel including a plurality of magnetic pole pairs distributed around a circumference of the tone wheel;
The entire tone wheel is placed inside the outer edge of the second race so that a space is defined between the tone wheel and the outer edge of the second race;
Bearing assembly. The entirety of the tone wheel is placed inside the outer edge in both the first race and the second race, and a space is formed between the tone wheel and the outer edge in the first race and the second race. To be defined,
The bearing assembly of claim 10. A fringer coupled to one of the first race and the second race and disposed between the tone wheel and the outer edge of the second race;
The bearing assembly of claim 10. A portion of the fringer that is directly adjacent to both the tone wheel and the sensor is straight, and the flinger is made of a material having a relatively low permeability,
The bearing assembly of claim 12. The carrier further comprises a carrier coupled to the second race and made of a material having a relatively high permeability, wherein the tone wheel is coupled to the carrier for coupling the tone wheel to the second race. Connected,
The bearing assembly of claim 10.   11. A rotation sensor assembly comprising the bearing assembly of claim 10 and a sensor placed adjacent to the tone wheel and configured to detect rotation of the tone wheel. The tone wheel is placed at a fixed depth from the outer edge of the first race, the tone wheel has a relative flatness of 0.1 mm, and between the sensor and the tone wheel. Is fixed at about 1.87 mm ± 0.27 mm.
The sensor assembly of claim 15. A bearing assembly for use with a speed sensor assembly comprising:
First race;
A second race that is positioned to define an annular space between the first race and the second race;
A plurality of ball bearings placed in the annular space and separating the first race from the second race;
A tone wheel coupled to the second race and positioned at least partially within the annular space and including a plurality of magnetic pole pairs distributed about a circumference of the tone wheel; and A fringer coupled to one of the race and the second race and placed outside the tone wheel, at least partially covering the annular space and from outside the bearing assembly to the tone wheel Fringer, so as to isolate
Bearing assembly. And further comprising a carrier made of a material coupled to the second race and having a relatively high permeability, wherein the tone wheel is connected to the carrier for coupling the tone wheel to the second race To be
The bearing assembly of claim 17. The flinger is composed of a material having a relatively low permeability,
The bearing assembly of claim 17. The flinger is press-fitted into the first race and seals the tone wheel in the bearing;
The bearing assembly of claim 17. The entirety of the tone wheel is placed inside the outer edge in both the first race and the second race, and a space is formed between the tone wheel and the outer edge in the first race and the second race. To be defined,
The bearing assembly of claim 17. A portion of the fringer that is directly adjacent to the tone wheel is straight, and the fringer is composed of a material having a relatively low permeability,
The bearing assembly of claim 17.   18. A rotation sensor assembly comprising the bearing assembly of claim 17 and a sensor placed adjacent to the tone wheel and configured to detect rotation of the tone wheel. The flinger is placed between the tone wheel and the sensor, and the sensor is placed outside the bearing assembly;
24. The sensor assembly of claim 23. First race;
Second race;
A plurality of ball bearings disposed between the first race and the second race;
A tone wheel coupled to the second race and positioned at least partially within the annular space and including a plurality of magnetic pole pairs distributed about a circumference of the tone wheel;
A sensor placed adjacent to the tone wheel, the sensor configured to detect rotation of the tone wheel relative to the sensor by detecting the magnetic pole pair during the rotation; and the first race And a flinger coupled to one of the second races and positioned between the tone wheel and the sensor;
A rotation sensor assembly. The carrier further comprises a carrier coupled to the second race and made of a material having a relatively high permeability, wherein the tone wheel is coupled to the carrier for coupling the tone wheel to the second race. Connected,
26. The rotation sensor assembly of claim 25. The flinger is composed of a material having a relatively low permeability,
26. The rotation sensor assembly of claim 25. The flinger is press-fitted into the first race and seals the tone wheel in the bearing;
26. The rotation sensor assembly of claim 25. The entirety of the tone wheel is placed inside the outer edge in both the first race and the second race, and a space is formed between the tone wheel and the outer edge in the first race and the second race. To be defined,
26. The rotation sensor assembly of claim 25. A portion of the fringer that is directly adjacent to the tone wheel is straight, and the fringer is composed of a material having a relatively low permeability,
26. The rotation sensor assembly of claim 25.

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