Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Bruno Lequesne

Elias Taye

Thaddeus Schroeder

Larry Max Oberdier

Donald T Morelli

Thomas Allen Baudendistel

Thomas W Nehl

Robert J Disser

Mohammad S Islam

Avoki M Omekanda

Thomas Howard Lichti

Shaotang Chen

Daniel Richard Cuatt

Tina M Dewar

A system for measuring stress including a coilless sensor including at least one band of electrically conductive and magnetostrictive material, the band having a first end and a second end defining a gap therebetween, a measuring circuit electrically connected to the first and second ends of the coilless sensor, the measuring circuit being configured to pass a current through the coilless sensor and measure at least one of an inductance, a resistance and an impedance of the coilless sensor in response to the current, and a processor in electrical communication with the measuring circuit, the processor being configured to calculate an amount of stress being applied to the coilless sensor based upon the measured inductance, resistance and impedance.

Apparatus, system and method for measuring stress

A camshaft phaser comprising a differential bevel gear arrangement to vary the phase relationship of a camshaft to a crankshaft in an internal combustion engine. In the differential gear system, a 45&#xb0; beveled input gear is mounted parallel to and coaxial with a 45&#xb0; beveled output gear. One or more 45&#xb0; beveled spider gears is disposed in meshed relationship with the input and output gears in a gear pattern having a rectangular cross-sectional appearance. Rotation of the input gear causes an opposite rotation of the output gear. The phase relationship between the input and output gears may be varied by varying the position of the spider gear. The input gear and spider gears may be driven via a sprocket in time with the crankshaft in a plurality of arrangements.

Camshaft phaser having a differential bevel gear system

A strain sensor includes a load carrying body configured to strain in response to a load applied along a load path. The sensor further includes a magnetostrictive electrical conductor affixed to the body but out of the load path. Application of the load causes the body to strain, which in turn results in a proportional stress being imparted to the magnetostrictive conductor, altering its magnetic permeability. A circuit is electrically connected to the conductor to detect such changes in permeability, which are indicative of the applied load.

Versatile strain sensor employing magnetostrictive electrical conductors

A vane-type camshaft phaser includes a vaned camshaft rotor disposed within a lobed stator, defining phase advance and retard chambers filled with oil. The height of the rotor is less than the height of the stator, providing space for a vaned brake rotor alongside the camshaft rotor. The brake rotor is free to rotate independently of the camshaft rotor. The volume of each advance and retard chamber is a function of the rotational position of both the camshaft rotor and the brake rotor, and the volume of each chamber is constant. Rotation of the brake rotor in one direction causes rotation of the camshaft rotor in the opposite direction. The brake rotor is connected to a controllable brake mechanism. By sensing of the camshaft rotor position and feedback control of the braking mechanism, the camshaft rotor may be maintained at any position.

Brake-actuated vane-type camshaft phaser

A camshaft phaser comprising first and second harmonic gear drive (HD) units disposed in back-to-back relationship. Each HD includes an elliptical wave generator (WG), a flexspline (FS) deformable by the WG, and a circular spline (CS) for engaging the FS. A dynamic spline (DS) connects the first and second FSs. The first HD is an input HD driven by an engine crankshaft via a sprocket wheel connected to the input CS. The second HD is an output HD driving an engine camshaft. The DS is meshed with both the input FS and the output FS. The phase relationship between the crankshaft and the camshaft may be changed by changing the angular relationship between the first and second WGs. Such change is effected by holding the first WG stationary and varying the angular position of the second WG via an electric motor.

Harmonic drive camshaft phaser

An apparatus () is set forth for measuring a return signal of a magnetostrictive sensor () that detects a force, torque, or pressure. The return signal includes noise, a DC resistance (), an AC resistance and an inductance and the inductance is shifted ninety degrees from the AC resistance. The apparatus () includes a sensor filter () to remove the noise from the return signal. A sensor filter () shifts the return signal and more specifically, the inductance by an additional angle and the sum of the additional angle and the ninety degrees phase shift is defined as the final detection angle. To detect the inductance at the final detection angle, a wave filter () and a reference filter () shifts a reference signal by the final detection angle to trigger a first demodulator () to detect the inductance at the final detection angle. The inductance detected by the first demodulator () varies due to temperature. To remove the temperature from the measured inductance, the apparatus includes a DC detection circuit () to detect the DC resistance which is proportional to the temperature across the sensor (). The DC resistance and the measure inductance are inserted into a correction equation to produce a corrected inductance which is independent of temperature. Instead of inductance, an AC resistance may be used in the equation.

Robust detection of strain with temperature correction

An apparatus measures relative displacement between a first end and a second end of a shaft. The first and second ends being centered on a shaft axis. The apparatus includes first and second ferromagnetic plates. The first ferromagnetic plate has a first side and a second side and is connected to the first end. The first ferromagnetic plate is centered on the shaft axis and has a plurality of ferromagnetic teeth extending from the first side and in a first direction parallel to the shaft. The second ferromagnetic plate has a first side and a second side and is connected to the second end. The second ferromagnetic plate is centered on the shaft axis. The first and second ferromagnetic plates form a gap. The apparatus further includes a plurality of magnets having a magnetic field and a sensing device. The magnets are coupled to the first side of the second ferromagnetic plate. The sensing device is disposed within the gap for sensing a magnetic flux of the magnetic field.

Apparatus for sensing position and/or torque

A magnetostrictive strain sensor () includes a magnetostrictive core () comprising a magnetostrictive material, such as a nickel-iron alloy, able to conduct a magnetic flux and whose permeability is alterable by application of a strain. A conductive coil () is proximate the magnetostrictive core () to generate the magnetic flux when electrically excited. A shell () surrounds the conductive coil () and the magnetostrictive core () for providing a conductive return path for the magnetic flux. An excitation source () is electrically connected to the conductive coil () for electrically exciting the conductive coil () with an alternating current having a constant magnitude. An in-phase voltage circuit () is electrically connected across the conductive coil (). The in-phase voltage circuit () senses an in-phase voltage that is in-phase with the alternating current. The in-phase voltage varies correspondingly to the strain subjected to the magnetostrictive core (). A processor () is operatively connected to the in-phase voltage circuit () to determine the strain applied to said magnetostrictive core () by comparing the in-phase voltage to a predetermined relationship between strain and in-phase voltage.

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Troy, MI, United States of America

Bruno Lequesne