Electronic odometer integrated into vehicle axle and wheel hub
AssigneeMeritor Heavy Vehicle Systems, LLC
InventorMark E. Malinowski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An axle assembly includes an axle defining an axis, a wheel assembly rotatably supported on the axle for rotating relative to the axle axis, a magnet, a sensor responsive to the magnet for producing a count signal, and a microprocessor for receiving count signal data, calculating the distance the wheel assembly has traveled, and transmitting distance data to an output device. The sensor is mounted to rotate with the wheel assembly and the magnet is mounted to the axle, at a position eccentric to or radially offset from the axle axis. The sensor is mounted to the wheel assembly in radial alignment with the magnet such that rotation of the wheel assembly aligns the sensor for magnetic interaction with or responsiveness to the magnet once per revolution of the wheel assembly.
Claims23
An axle assembly including an electronic odometer, the assembly comprising:
- a non-rotating axle member having a spindle end defining an axis;
- a rotating wheel assembly including a wheel hub supported on said spindle end for rotation about said axis;
- a magnet;
- a sensor responsive to said magnet for producing a count signal;
- a microprocessor for receiving count signal data, calculating the distance said wheel assembly has traveled, and transmitting distance data to an output device;
- and
- said sensor mounted to one of said wheel hub or said axle member and said magnet mounted to the other of said wheel hub or said axle member.
An axle assembly including an electronic odometer, the assembly comprising:
- a non-rotating axle member;
- a wheel hub rotatably supported on said axle member for rotation about an axis;
- a magnet;
- a sensor for generating a count signal in response to interaction with said magnet;
- a microprocessor for receiving said count signal, compiling distance data based on said count signal, and transmitting said distance data to an output device wherein said sensor is mounted to one of said wheel hub or said axle member and said magnet mounted to the other of said wheel hub or said axle member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.