Steering angle sensor

US6248993A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Leopold KOSTAL GmbH & Co. KG · DE

Inventors

• Dirk Bunselmeier · Meinerzhagen, DE
• Kersten Rimke · Herscheid, DE
• Klaus Hinteresch · Schwerte, DE
• Frank Blasing · Werl, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 30, 1999
• Grant date: Jun 19, 2001
• Expiry date: Jun 30, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01D5/3473
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A steering angle sensor for determining the absolute angle position of a steering wheel of a motor vehicle includes a first sensor unit (4, 12). The first sensor unit (4,12) detects the steering angle position within an angle segment of the entire rotational range of the steering wheel. The first sensor unit (4,12) has a rotor (12) coupled to the rotational movement of the steering wheel. The steering angle sensor further includes a second sensor unit (3,11) for detecting the steering angle position within an angle segment of the entire rotational range of the steering wheel. The second sensor unit (3,11) includes a rotor (11) coupled in a geared manner to the rotational movement of rotor (12) such that the rotors (11,12) have slightly different rotational speeds while the steering wheel is moving. The steering angle position is determined from a measurement value detected by the first sensor unit (3,11) and a measurement value detected by the second sensor unit (4,12). Each pair of values serves to define an absolute steering angle position over the entire rotational range of the steering wheel.