Ultra-thin combined inductive torque and angle sensor for steering wheel position sensing

Abstract

The invention discloses an inductive torque sensor and a combined inductive torque and angle sensor for position sensing. The object of the invention to propose a torque sensor as well as a combined torque and angle sensor which does not require a shielding of the sensor PCB and which can provide a plausibility check of the torque sensor when using only three sensors will be solved by an inductive torque sensor for detection of torque movements comprising a stationary printed circuit board (PCB) with sensing coils, a primary target and a secondary target, whereas the primary target and secondary target each comprise of different metallic patterns, whereas each target covers 50% of the sensing coils and the combined coverage of both targets varies between 50% and 100% depending on the relative position between the two targets. The objective is also solved by a combined inductive torque and angle sensor comprising a primary target wheel, a secondary target wheel and a torsion beam, whereas the primary target wheel is centrally stacked on the torsion beam and comprises a metallic pattern for a steering angle 360° single-turn sensor and a first metallic pattern for the torque sensor, and the secondary target wheel comprises a second metallic pattern of the torque sensor.