阅读说明：本技术 运行用于离合器操纵系统的致动器组件的方法和致动器组件 (Method for operating an actuator assembly for a clutch actuation system and actuator assembly ) 是由 马库斯·迪特里希 维克托·弗兰兹 于 2018-03-21 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种运行用于离合器操纵系统的致动器组件的方法,致动器组件包括电动机式操纵的、具有螺杆(4)的传动装置(2),螺杆将旋转运动转变成活塞(5)在轴向上的直线运动,其中,借助传感器装置(6、10)确定活塞(5)经过的轴向位移。在减小致动器组件的结构空间的方法中,电感式的传感器装置(6、10)和与活塞(5)连接的金属螺杆(4)作用式连接,其中,金属螺杆(4)用作确定轴向位移的传感器目标。(The invention relates to a method for operating an actuator assembly for a clutch actuation system, comprising an electric motor-operated transmission (2) having a spindle (4) which converts a rotary motion into a linear motion of a piston (5) in an axial direction, wherein the axial displacement which the piston (5) undergoes is determined by means of a sensor device (6, 10). In a method for reducing the installation space of an actuator assembly, an inductive sensor device (6, 10) is operatively connected to a metal screw (4) connected to a piston (5), wherein the metal screw (4) is used as a sensor target for determining an axial displacement.)

1. Method for operating an actuator assembly for a clutch actuation system, comprising an electric motor-operated transmission (2) having a spindle (4) which converts a rotary motion into a linear motion of a piston (5) in an axial direction, wherein an axial displacement through which the piston (5) passes is determined by means of a sensor device (6, 10), characterized in that an inductive sensor device (6, 10) is operatively connected to a metal spindle (4) which is connected to the piston (5), wherein the metal spindle (4) serves as a sensor target for determining the axial displacement.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that a coil (6) is inserted in the path of movement of the screw (4), which coil forms the sensor device together with an evaluation circuit (10).

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by tuning the excitation frequency of the coil (6) with respect to its surrounding area of influence within the actuator assembly (1).

4. A method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the coil (6) is linearized.

5. Method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the displacement resulting from the inductance measurement is subjected to a plausibility analysis based on the number of revolutions of the screw (6) measured by means of a rotor position sensor.

6. An actuator assembly for a clutch operating system, said actuator assembly comprising: a transmission (2) having a screw (4), wherein the screw (4) converts a rotational movement of the transmission (2) into a linear movement of a piston (5) connected to the screw (4); and a sensor device (6, 10) for determining the displacement of the piston (5), characterized in that a coil (6) surrounds a metal screw (4) serving as a sensor target, and in that the coil (6) is connected to an evaluation circuit (10) for determining the screw position from a change in inductance of the coil (6).

7. Actuator assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that an evaluation circuit (10) connected to the coil (6) is arranged within the actuator assembly (1) to determine the displacement of the piston (5) from the change in inductance of the coil (6).

8. Actuator assembly according to claim 6 or 7, wherein a metal shield (8) is arranged around the coil (6).

9. Actuator assembly according to claim 6, 7 or 8, wherein a coil (6) arranged on a coil support (9) is intended for the protruding area of the metal screw (4) in the extension of the coil.

10. Actuator assembly according to any of claims 6 to 9, characterized in that a rotor position sensor for detecting the number of revolutions of the screw (6) is arranged oppositely at the end side of the screw (6).

Technical Field

The invention relates to a method for operating an actuator assembly for a clutch actuation system, comprising an electric motor-operated transmission having a spindle which converts a rotary motion into a linear motion of a piston in an axial direction, wherein the axial displacement which the piston undergoes is determined by means of a sensor device, and to an actuator assembly for carrying out the method.

Background

DE 102012218255 a1 discloses a method for actuating a clutch, wherein the clutch is actuated by a hydrostatic actuator. The hydrostatic actuator comprises a transmission rod 6 which rotates to move the piston 5 of the master cylinder in the axial direction, wherein the absolute displacement of the piston 5 or the transmission rod 6 in the axial direction is detected by a displacement sensor. For determining the absolute displacement, as can be seen from fig. 3, a magnet 11 is mounted on the piston 5, which magnet interacts with an external displacement sensor 12 fixed to the actuator. The combination of the magnet 11 and the external displacement sensor 12 requires a very large installation space and increases the manufacturing costs of the actuator assembly.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a method for operating an actuator assembly for a clutch actuation system, in which the installation space is reduced and nevertheless the displacement which the piston has to travel can be reliably determined.

According to the invention, this object is achieved in that an inductive sensor device is operatively connected to a metal screw connected to the piston, wherein the metal screw serves as a sensor target for determining the axial displacement. This has the advantage that the structural elements present in the actuator assembly themselves are targeted as sensors by means of the threaded rod, so that separate sensor targets can be dispensed with, which reduces the installation space of the actuator assembly. The screw is made of a metal material in order to be able to fulfill the inductive measuring function, so that in combination with an inductive sensor device the axial position of the screw and thus the axial position of the piston can be reliably determined.

Advantageously, a coil is inserted in the path of travel of the screw, the coil and the evaluation circuit forming a sensor device. The sensitivity of the inductance measurement is determined by the extension of the coil, since the penetration distance of the screw into the coil is proportional to the coil damping.

In one embodiment, the excitation frequency of the coil is tuned relative to its surrounding region of influence within the actuator assembly. For example, a stationary metal tube inside the coil can be hidden electronically by adjusting the excitation frequency. A reliable measurement result regarding the axial displacement of the piston in the actuator assembly is thus always provided.

In one embodiment, the coil is linearized. A proportional relationship between the measured inductance and the displacement traversed by the screw is thus established, which simplifies the determination of the displacement.

To compensate for the non-linearity at the ends of the coil that occurs in the immediate area of influence of the coil due to the stationary metal components, the coil is linearized at the band ends (bandde).

In one variant, the displacement resulting from the inductance measurement is evaluated for plausibility as a function of the number of revolutions of the screw measured by means of the rotor position sensor. Thereby achieving a reliable function in the actuator assembly. The accuracy of the inductance evaluation can be continuously checked from the measurement results of the rotor position sensor by using two different physical measuring principles and separate targets.

One development of the invention relates to an actuator assembly for a clutch actuation system, comprising: a transmission having a screw, wherein the screw converts rotational motion of the transmission into linear motion of a piston connected to the screw; and sensor means for determining piston displacement. In an actuator assembly with reduced installation space, a coil surrounds a metal screw serving as a sensor target, wherein the coil is connected to an evaluation circuit for determining the screw position from a change in the inductance of the coil. Here, the screw is used directly as a sensor target, since the screw is made of metal and the coil is therefore damped. Furthermore, the use of the spindle as a sensor target has the advantage that the inclination of the spindle does not lead to measurement errors, which also enables a direct determination of the fluid displaced by the piston in the clutch actuation system by means of inductive measurement by means of the coil.

In one embodiment, an evaluation circuit connected to the coil is arranged within the actuator assembly to determine the piston displacement from the change in inductance of the coil. Since the evaluation circuit is very small, it can be arranged directly on the support plate which also supports the other electronic components of the actuator. The arrangement of an external sensor device is therefore dispensed with, which likewise contributes to reducing the installation space of the actuator assembly.

advantageously, a metal shield is arranged around the coil. This makes the actuator assembly more robust against external dynamic influences, since the metallic shield is stationary and is primarily directed against these influences, which can thus be excluded from the measurement results.

In one embodiment, the coils arranged on the coil support define, in their extension, an insertion region for the metal screw. The extension of the coil thus makes it possible to match the maximum axial displacement that is passed with respect to the piston, wherein the penetration distance of the screw into the coil is proportional to the coil damping.

In order to check the accuracy of the axial displacement of the piston determined by the inductance measurement, a rotor position sensor for detecting the number of revolutions of the screw is arranged opposite at the end face of the screw. The displacement traveled by the screw can also be determined from the number of revolutions, which is corrected by means of a displacement determined by inductive measurement.

Drawings

The present invention includes various embodiments. One of which is illustrated in detail in the accompanying drawings shown in the drawings.

In which is shown:

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of an actuator assembly according to the invention,

Figure 2 shows an equivalent circuit diagram for inductance measurement,

Fig. 3 shows an actuator assembly according to the prior art.

Detailed Description

In fig. 1, an embodiment of an actuator assembly 1 according to the invention is shown, which has a transmission 2, which is driven by an electric motor 3. The rotary motion of the transmission 2 is converted into a linear motion via the screw 4, whereby the piston 5 moves axially. The screw 4 is made of metal. The threaded rod 4 is surrounded on the side opposite the piston 5 by a coil 6, which is arranged on a support element 7. The coil 6 and the support element 7 are surrounded by a metal shield 8. An evaluation circuit 10 is arranged on the carrier plate 9, which evaluation circuit is connected to the coil 6.

When the metal screw 3 serving as the metal core of the coil 6 moves, the inductance of the coil 6 changes. In order to determine the position of the piston 5 by means of the spindle 3, the spindle 3 damps the coil 6 when it reaches the penetration distance predetermined by the coil 6. The penetration distance of the screw 4 is therefore proportional to the coil damping. Since this results in a difference in the inductance of the coil, the coil decay is measured by the evaluation circuit 10. In this case, the evaluation circuit 10 determines the position of the spindle 4 and thus the displacement traveled by the piston 5 by means of inductive measurement. An equivalent circuit is shown in fig. 2.

The coil 6 is linearized in particular in order to compensate for the nonlinear inductance which occurs in the direct region of influence of the coil 6, mainly due to the stationary metal components. The metallic shield 8 insulates the coil 6 from the dynamic effects of the outside. By matching the excitation frequency of the coil 6 to the immediate surroundings, the stationary metal tube of the metal shield 8 is therefore also concealed by an offset correction in the output signal of the evaluation circuit 10.

In one embodiment, a magnetic rotor position sensor, not shown in detail, is arranged on the end face of the spindle 4 opposite the piston. A rotor position sensor is used to determine the axial position of the screw 4 when the actuator assembly is switched on. This is required for covering the entire movement path of the screw 4, which may correspond to a number of motor revolutions. The position of the screw can be obtained over 360 ° by a rotor position sensor for motor communication. Therefore, the axial displacement measured by inductance can be corrected according to the rotation number measurement of the rotor position sensor.

List of reference numerals

1 actuator assembly

2 drive unit

3 electric motor

4 screw rod

5 piston

6 coil

7 support element

8 Metal Shielding piece

9 support plate

10 evaluation of electronic devices

11 magnet

12 displacement sensor