JPH03281957A - Throttle sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily detect the difference between the output from a switching control area and an abnormal output by setting a device to generate output signals equal to or more than the output from the closing control area when the switching control area is released, and when the output of a potentio-meter contained in a throttle sensor is intended to decrease in order. CONSTITUTION:A potentio-meter contained in a throttle sensor 3 is formed while a resistor 21, an electric conductor 22 and a short circuiting conductor 23 are sintered on an insulating substrate 11, sliding elements 13 and 14 are provided for a rotor 12 which is freely rotated within the angular range of the movement of the potentio-meter so that they are slidably brought into contact with the resistor 21 and the electric conductor 22 respectively. In this case, an abnormal condition detecting section 23a is formed at the position where the potential voltage from the terminal C of the electric conductor 22 is low, that is, at the (a) side of a closing control area (a) through (b) within an angular range ((c) through (d)) including the movable range of a potentio-meter adjacent to the (a) side of the closing control area (a) through (b). And when the sliding element 13 is positioned at the abnormal condition detecting section 23a, comparatively high voltage is outputted.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention compares the output of a throttle sensor that detects the throttle valve opening with a throttle opening request signal.
The present invention relates to a throttle sensor used in a throttle valve control device that performs feedback control to control the opening and closing of a drive source that controls the throttle valve opening.

[Prior Art] As a conventional example of a throttle valve control device equipped with this type of throttle sensor, there is a technique described in the full specification of Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 6296506.

Fig. 5 is an overall configuration diagram of a conventional throttle valve control device, Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the connection state of a throttle sensor used in the conventional throttle valve control device, and Fig. 7 is a conventional throttle valve control device. FIG. 3 is an output characteristic diagram of a potentiometer built into a throttle sensor used in the device.

That is, as shown in the overall configuration diagram of the throttle valve control device in FIG. The opening signal required for the throttle valve 4 is supplied to the motor 5 as an output of the comparing means 2, and feedback control is performed.

At this time, when the necessary opening signal of the throttle valve 4 is supplied to the motor 5, the throttle shaft 6 passing through the throttle body 7 directly connected to the motor 5 rotates, and as shown in FIG. A throttle-side connecting lever 8 attached to the tip of the shaft 6 presses an external connecting lever 9 connected to the shaft of a potentiometer built in the throttle sensor 3, thereby changing the opening/closing state of the throttle valve 4. The rotation of the throttle shaft 6 resists the elasticity of a return spring built into the throttle sensor 3, which is transmitted to a potentiometer within the throttle sensor 3. The potentiometer in the throttle sensor 3 has an output characteristic as shown in FIG. This kind of potentiometer is specially equipped car 1-58843
It is also publicly known in the following publications.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However, the throttle shaft 6 and the throttle sensor 3
When the connection with the throttle sensor 3 is released, the throttle sensor 3 returns to its return position by the elastic force of the built-in return spring. Since the potentiometer is set to rotate against the elasticity of the return spring built into the throttle sensor 3, when the potentiometer returns to its return position due to the elasticity of the return spring, the potentiometer inside the throttle sensor 3 This is the output when 4 is closed. As a result, the throttle valve 4
A signal is supplied to the motor 5 to open the opening required for
A throttle shaft 6 directly connected to the motor 5 rotates. That is, the amount of feedback from the throttle sensor 3 decreases, so that the throttle valve 4 opens regardless of the request from the accelerator sensor 1. therefore,
The feedback system connects the motor 5 to the accelerator sensor 1.
The same signal is generated when the valve is requesting opening.

Therefore, it is a technical object of the present invention to provide a throttle sensor that outputs an abnormal signal that can be easily distinguished from other signals when the coupling relationship between the throttle shaft and the throttle sensor is broken.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The throttle sensor according to the present invention sequentially reduces the output of the potentiometer built into the throttle sensor that detects the opening degree of the throttle valve, so that the opening/closing control region of the throttle valve is released. In this case, the potentiometer output signal is greater than the output of the opening/closing control region of the throttle sensor.

[Function] In the present invention, when the output of the potentiometer built in the throttle sensor is gradually decreased and the opening/closing control range of the throttle valve set in the potentiometer is released, the output of the throttle sensor becomes equal to or higher than the opening/closing control range of the throttle valve. By setting the output signal as , the difference from the signal within the opening/closing control region is increased, and this is output as an abnormal signal.

[Example] Examples of the present invention will now be described.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a potentiometer built in a throttle sensor 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along cutting line X-X in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the output characteristics of the potentiometer built into the throttle sensor. FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a main part of the throttle sensor 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that in the drawings, the same reference numerals and symbols as in FIGS. 5 to 7 indicate the same or corresponding components to those of the conventional example, and thus redundant explanation will be omitted here.

In the figure, a resistor 21, a conductor 22, and a short-circuit conductor 23 shown in FIG. 1 are sintered on an insulating substrate 11 made of an insulator such as synthetic resin or glass. The rotor 12, which is rotatable by an angle within the movable range of the potentiometer shown in FIG. The rotor 12 is in sliding contact with the first housing 2 connected to the resistor 21 or the conductor 22.
It is output from the terminal 15 arranged at 0. The rotor 12
is fixed to one end of the sensor shaft 16 and rotates around the sensor shaft 16. The sensor shaft 1
The other end of the rotor 6 is connected to an external connection lever 9, and the rotation of the external connection lever 9 is equal to the rotation of the rotor 12.

A return spring 19 is disposed between the external connection lever 9 and the second housing 18, and its elastic force is biased so that the external connection lever 9 returns in the clockwise rotation direction in FIG. has been done. The first housing 20 and the second housing 18 are integrated by an engaging means to constitute the throttle sensor 3 of this embodiment.

Note that the insulating substrate 11, the resistor 21, the conductor 22,
The shorting conductor 23, the sliders 13 and 14, the terminals 15, and the like constitute the potentiometer of this embodiment.

The throttle sensor 3 of the throttle valve control device of this embodiment is connected to a throttle-side connecting lever 8 disposed at the tip of a throttle shaft 6, as in the conventional example.

The insulating substrate 11 has a potentiometer movable range (e-
d), the resistor 21 and conductor 22 shown in FIG. Moko 1
As the divided voltage determined by the position of slider 1
A divided voltage is output from the terminal C of the conductor 22 in contact with the conductor 4.

Normally, the rotor 12 is fixed to one end of the sensor shaft 16 and rotates around the sensor shaft 16, but its rotation range corresponds to the rotation range of the throttle valve 4, which opens and closes at an angle of about right angles as shown in FIG. This is the control region (a-b). Also, the position where the divided voltage from the terminal C of the conductor 22 is lower, that is, a of the opening/closing control area (a-b)
On the side, an abnormality detection section 23a is formed adjacent to the a side of the opening/closing control region (a-b) and within an angular range (c-d) that includes the potentiometer movable range. The abnormality detecting section 23a is connected to the terminal B of the resistor 21 by a short-circuit conductor 23 of low resistance, so that the abnormality detecting section 23a is at the same potential as the terminal B. In addition,
As shown in FIG. 2, the abnormality detection section 23a includes an insulating layer 24 provided on the upper surface of a resistor 21 sintered on an insulating substrate 11 to insulate between the resistor 21 and the terminal A of the resistor 21. ing.

Therefore, the rotation range of the normal throttle valve 4 is
The opening/closing control region (a-b) shown in FIG. 1 is reached, and the output voltage at that time changes from voltage Va to vb. Also, within the potentiometer movable range, the opening/closing control area (a -
The slider 13 is attached to the abnormality detection part 23a adjacent to the a side of b).
, the output voltage at that time becomes an output voltage Vd higher than the voltage vb.

The throttle sensor 3 of this embodiment configured as described above operates as follows.

First, when a signal in the direction of opening the throttle valve 4 is input to the motor 5, the throttle sensor 3 is given an elastic force by the return spring 19 in the direction of returning to its return position, but since the torque of the motor 5 is large, , a throttle shaft 6 directly connected to the motor 5 controls the opening degree of the throttle valve 4 according to the torque. The rotation of the throttle valve 4 is caused by the rotation of the external connection lever 9 that is connected to the throttle side connection lever 8 disposed at the end of the throttle shaft 6.
rotates in the counterclockwise rotation direction in FIG. At this time, the potentiometer in the throttle sensor 3 outputs an output according to the opening degree of the throttle valve 4.

That is, the throttle sensor 3 of this embodiment is constantly acting to return to the fully closed return position due to the elasticity of the return spring 19, but since the torque of the motor 5 in the opposite direction is large, it is not directly connected to the motor 5. The opening and closing of the throttle valve 4 is controlled by the rotation of the throttle shaft 6. Therefore, the throttle side connecting lever 8 disposed at the end of the throttle shaft 6 rotates the throttle sensor 3 with the external connecting lever 9 connected thereto, and the output of the throttle sensor 3 is transferred to the throttle valve 4.
It moves to the right in FIG. 3 according to the opening degree of the opening. The rotation range of the throttle valve 4 during this period is the opening/closing control region (a-b) shown in FIG. 1, and the output voltage at that time is within the range of voltage Va to vb.

Here, when the coupling relationship between the throttle shaft 6 and the throttle sensor 3 is lost, the throttle sensor 3 of this embodiment moves beyond the fully open return position due to the elasticity of the return spring 19. therefore,
The slider 13 is located in the abnormality detection section 23a, and the output voltage at that time is an output voltage Vd higher than the voltage Vb.

At this time, even if an output signal that increases the opening degree of the throttle valve 4 is supplied to the comparator 2 as the output of the accelerator sensor 1 of the throttle valve control device, the throttle sensor 3 is moved by the elasticity of the return spring 19. It has returned to the return position, and throttle sensor 3
is the output voltage Vd (more than the output voltage vb) in the fully open state, and the output of the comparison means 2 becomes an output signal in the direction of closing the throttle valve 4. Therefore, the output signal from the comparing means 2 in the direction of closing the throttle valve 4 causes the throttle shaft 6 directly connected to the motor 5 to rotate, and the throttle valve 4 closes or reaches its minimum opening. Therefore, when the coupling relationship between the throttle shaft 6 and the throttle sensor 3 is released, the control system can be controlled to close the throttle valve 4, and the engine rotation can be reduced or stopped.

In addition, since the difference between the output voltage Vd when the coupling relationship between the throttle shaft 6 and the throttle sensor 3 is lost and the output voltage Vb from the output voltage Va in the normal state can be increased, the output voltage of the throttle sensor 3 can be increased. By monitoring, it is possible to easily determine whether the throttle sensor 3 is abnormal.

In this way, the throttle sensor of the throttle valve control device of this embodiment compares the throttle opening request signal output from the accelerator sensor 1 with the output signal of the throttle sensor 3 that detects the throttle valve opening of the throttle valve 4. In comparison with means 2, in a throttle valve control device that performs feedback control of a drive source consisting of a motor 5 that controls the throttle valve opening, when the coupling relationship between the throttle valve 4 and the throttle sensor 3 is released, the throttle Insulating substrate 11 with built-in sensor 3
and a resistor 21, a conductor 22, a short-circuit conductor 23, and
When the output of the potentiometer of this embodiment consisting of the slider 13, the slider 14, the terminal 15, etc. is in the direction of decreasing sequentially and is out of the opening/closing control range of the throttle valve 4,
The opening/closing control area of the throttle sensor 3 shown in FIG.
It is set to generate an output voltage Vd signal higher than the output voltage vb of a to b).

Therefore, the output of the potentiometer built in the throttle sensor 3 is gradually decreased, and the opening/closing control range (a) of the throttle valve 4 set in the potentiometer is
-b), the output signal is greater than the output of the opening/closing control area (a-b) of the throttle sensor 3, thereby increasing the difference with the signal within the opening/closing control area (a-b), This is used as an abnormal signal output, and the output horn of the potentiometer is sequentially lowered in the opening/closing control area C of the throttle sensor 3: a-
b) Since an output signal equal to or higher than the output (7) is regarded as an abnormal output, the difference between the output of the opening/closing control region (a-b) and the abnormal output can be easily detected.

By the way, the comparison means 2 compares the throttle opening request signal output from the accelerator sensor 1 of the above embodiment with the output signal of the throttle sensor 3 which detects the throttle valve opening of the throttle valve 4, and determines the throttle valve opening. When implementing the present invention, a control system that controls a drive source consisting of a motor 5 that controls the throttle valve compares the throttle opening request signal with the output signal of the throttle sensor 3 that detects the throttle valve opening. Any feedback control system that performs negative feedback control on the drive source of the throttle valve 4, such as a motor that controls the opening degree, may be used.

Further, in the above embodiment, when the coupling relationship between the throttle shaft 6 that controls opening and closing of the throttle valve 4 and the sensor shaft 16 of the throttle sensor 3 is released, the output of the throttle sensor 3 is increased by the elastic force of the return spring 19. , outputs a signal with an output voltage Vd which is two times higher than the normal output voltage Vb. However, when implementing the present invention, as a result, the output voltage that is outside the normal opening/closing control range of the throttle valve 4 is changed to the abnormal output of the throttle sensor 3 when the coupling relationship with the throttle sensor 3 is broken. The output can be set so that the voltage is the same.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, in the throttle sensor of the present invention,
In a throttle sensor that compares a throttle opening request signal and uses the difference as a signal for a driving source that controls a throttle valve opening, the output of a potentiometer built in the throttle sensor is in a direction in which the output of a potentiometer is gradually decreased,
When the opening/closing control area of the throttle valve is released, an output signal greater than the output of the opening/closing control area of the throttle sensor is generated.

Therefore, when the potentiometer output built into the throttle sensor is gradually decreasing and leaves the opening/closing control area of the throttle valve set in the potentiometer, by making the output signal higher than the output of the opening/closing control area of the throttle sensor. , the difference with the signal in the opening/closing control area is increased and this is used as an abnormal signal output.Moreover, the potentiometer output is gradually decreased, and the output signal is greater than the output in the opening/closing control area of the throttle sensor. Since this is an abnormal output, the difference between the output of the opening/closing control region and the abnormal output can be easily detected.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a potentiometer built in a throttle sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along cutting line X-X in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a diagram of a throttle sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a throttle sensor 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is an overall configuration diagram of a conventional throttle valve control device, and FIG. 6 is an output characteristic diagram of a potentiometer built into the sensor. An explanatory diagram showing the connection state of a throttle sensor used in a conventional throttle valve control device, and FIG. 7 is an output characteristic diagram of a potentiometer built in a throttle sensor used in a conventional throttle valve control device. In the figure, 3: throttle sensor 4: throttle valve 21: resistor 22: conductor 23: short-circuit conductor 23a: abnormality detection section. In addition, in the figures, the same reference numerals and the same symbols indicate the same or equivalent parts.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A throttle sensor that compares a throttle opening request signal and uses the difference as a signal of a driving source for controlling a throttle valve opening, wherein the output of a potentiometer built in the throttle sensor gradually decreases. The throttle sensor is configured to generate an output signal greater than the output of the opening/closing control area of the throttle sensor when the throttle valve is out of the opening/closing control area.