Engine crankshaft sensing system
AssigneeCummins Engine Company, Inc.
InventorsSteve Antcliff, Al Schuppe, Brian J. McKinley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An internal combustion engine system is disclosed which includes an engine crankshaft with a plurality of crankshaft webs. A reference ring is mounted to one of the crankshaft webs to rotate therewith. The ring encircles the crankshaft and has a number of angularly spaced indicators. A sensor is located proximate to the ring and detects the indicators to provide a sensor signal corresponding to a rotational characteristic of the crankshaft. The ring may be comprised of more than one piece to facilitate installation and removal without disassembly of the crankshaft. The indicators may be provided by defining a number of peripheral teeth for detection by the sensor.
Claims26
A tone wheel configured for attachment to a crankshaft web of an internal combustion engine crankshaft to detect a rotational parameter of the crankshaft with a sensor responsive to variation of a magnetic field, comprising:
- a first ring segment curved to span a first angle of at least 180 degrees and defining a first number of peripheral teeth each having a generally uniform size and being separated from each of other by a generally uniform separation angle;
- a second ring segment curved to span a second angle of no more than 180 degrees and defining a second number of peripheral teeth each having the generally uniform size and separation angle of said first number of peripheral teeth;
- and
- wherein said first and second segments each define at least one mounting hole configured to receive a fastener for attachment to the crankshaft web, said first and second segments are configured to align with each other on a circular path that encircles a portion of the engine crankshaft when said first and second segments are attached to the crankshaft web to rotate therewith, one of said first and second segments defines an index gap corresponding to an index angle greater than the generally uniform separation angle, and said first number of teeth and said second number of teeth each include a material configured to cause a magnetic field variation detectable by the sensor when said first and second segments rotate with the crankshaft web.
An internal combustion engine system, comprising:
- (a) an engine crankshaft with a plurality of crankshaft webs, said crankshaft being configured to rotate during engine operation;
- (b) a rotational reference device including at least two separable pieces mounted to one of said crankshaft webs to rotate therewith;
- and
- (c) a sensor positioned proximate to said crankshaft and responsive to movement of said reference device to provide a sensor signal corresponding to a rotational characteristic of said crankshaft.
A control system, comprising:
- (a) an engine with a crankshaft rotatably coupled to a number of cylinders, said crankshaft being configured to rotate about a rotational axis during engine operation and including a web with an asymmetric face having a noncircular perimeter about said rotational axis;
- (b) a tone wheel mounted to said asymmetric face of said web, said tone wheel including a number of separate arcuate segments connected to said web by a number of fasteners, said segments being removable from said web while said crankshaft is mounted in said engine, said tone wheel defining a number of generally uniformly sized teeth spaced apart from each other along a generally circular path encircling said rotational axis and at least a portion of said tone wheel extending past said noncircular perimeter of said asymmetric face;
- (c) a sensor located proximate to said crankshaft and configured to detect said first and second teeth to provide a sensor signal corresponding to a rotational characteristic of said crankshaft;
- and
- (d) a controller operatively coupled to said engine and responsive to said sensor to generate a control signal as a function of said sensor signal, said engine operating in accordance with said control signal;
- wherein a gap distance between said sensor and each of said teeth remains substantially constant and a separation distance between said sensor and said noncircular perimeter substantially varies relative to said gap distance during a revolution of said crankshaft about said rotational axis.
A method, comprising:
- (a) providing an engine with a crankshaft mounted therein, the crankshaft being configured to rotate about a rotational axis during engine operation;
- (b) accessing the crankshaft of the engine, the crankshaft including a web with an asymmetric face;
- (c) mounting a generally circular tone wheel on the asymmetric face of the web, said mounting including attaching a first arcuate segment to the asymmetric face with a first fastener and a second arcuate segment to the asymmetric face with a second fastener to substantially encircle the crankshaft without disassembling the web from the crankshaft;
- and
- (d) sensing rotation of the tone wheel after said mounting with a hall effect device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.