Annular sensor housing

Abstract

A sensor device for a shaft of a machine having a machine housing, the shaft having a shaft circumference and the machine housing having a sealed receiving bore. The sensor device includes a sensor for measuring motion parameters of the shaft and a stationary annular sensor housing that supports the sensor and encircles the shaft about the shaft circumference in a centered manner and at a distance. The sensor housing is retained in the receiving bore by a press fit or screw connection.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A sensor device for a shaft of a machine having a machine housing, the shaft having a shaft circumference and the machine housing having a sealed receiving bore, the sensor device comprising: 
 at least one sensor for measuring motion parameters of the shaft; and    a stationary annular sensor housing contacting the sensor and encircling the shaft about the shaft circumference in a centered manner and at a distance,    the sensor housing being retained in the receiving bore by a press fit or screw connection.    
     
     
         2 . A sensor device for a shaft of a machine having a machine housing, the shaft having a shaft circumference and the machine housing having a receiving bore, the sensor device comprising: 
 at least one sensor for measuring motion parameters of the shaft, and    a stationary annular sensor housing contacting the sensor and encircling the shaft about the shaft circumference in a centered manner and at a distance, the annular sensor housing having a central bore, the shaft passing through the central bore; and    an adhesion part having a shaft sealing ring contacting the shaft for dynamic sealing and a static seal for the receiving bore,    the annular sensor housing and the adhesion part being attached to the receiving bore.    
     
     
         3 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 1  further comprising seals for sealing the receiving bore.  
     
     
         4 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 1  further comprising encoder wheel nonrotatably connected to the shaft, the encoder wheel, together with the sensor, allowing measurement of at least one of a rotary motion and an angle of rotation of the shaft.  
     
     
         5 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 2  wherein the annular sensor housing and the adhesion part are made of plastic.  
     
     
         6 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 5  wherein the annular sensor housing and the adhesion part are integrally formed of a same material.  
     
     
         7 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 4  wherein the sensor housing and the encoder wheel are separated by a narrow gap.  
     
     
         8 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 4  wherein the sensor housing has a centering diameter greater than a diameter of the encoder wheel.  
     
     
         9 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 4  wherein the sensor housing has a centering diameter less than a diameter of the encoder wheel.  
     
     
         10 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 2  wherein the adhesion part having the shaft sealing ring is annular and includes a reinforcing ring.  
     
     
         11 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 10  wherein the reinforcing ring is composed of metal.  
     
     
         12 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 2  wherein the adhesion part is adhesively bonded to the annular sensor housing and the adhesion part has a polymeric intermediate layer contacting the shaft sealing ring.  
     
     
         13 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 2  wherein the adhesion part is annular and is retained by a press fit in the receiving bore, the receiving bore being an opening for the passage of the shaft from an inside to an outside of the machine.  
     
     
         14 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 2  wherein the adhesion part is annular and includes a polymeric material and a hard reinforcing section, the adhesion part being clamped between the sensor housing and the machine part wall.  
     
     
         15 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the sensor housing has an external thread for screwing into an internal thread of the receiving bore, the at least one sensor being located near an inner surface of the sensor housing, and further including at least one device on the shaft interacting with the sensor to generate a measured quantity.  
     
     
         16 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 2  wherein the adhesion part is annular and is connected to the sensor housing in a positive-locking manner.  
     
     
         17 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 16  wherein the adhesion part is composed of plastic.  
     
     
         18 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the sensor housing contains the at least one sensor closer to an inner diameter of the sensor housing, and further including a cable connected to the sensor, a cable exit of the sensor housing being arranged in a radial projection of the sensor housing.  
     
     
         19 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the sensor housing has a groove for a key for setting an angular position of the sensor housing.  
     
     
         20 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 2  wherein the at least one sensor includes a plurality of sensors each arranged at an inward-facing radial projection of the sensor housing.  
     
     
         21 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the sensor housing includes at least one outward-facing radial projection for setting an angular position of the sensor housing.  
     
     
         22 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the sensor housing includes an outer ring and an inner ring, the at least one sensor including a measuring pickup and a measuring transducer inserted between the outer ring and the inner ring, the shaft passing through a central bore of inner ring.  
     
     
         23 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 4  wherein, for angular positioning, the sensor housing and the encoder wheel each have a hole for engaging parallel pins of a mounting tool.  
     
     
         24 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 23  wherein for angular positioning, the shaft has a hole for engaging a further parallel pin of the mounting tool.  
     
     
         25 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 1  wherein the sensor is molded into or clamped in the sensor housing or held by other fastening means  
     
     
         26 . The sensor housing as recited in  claim 25  wherein the sensor is radially removable from the sensor housing.  
     
     
         27 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 2  wherein the sensor housing contains the at least one sensor closer to an inner diameter of the sensor housing, and further including a cable connected to the sensor, a cable exit of the sensor housing being arranged in a radial projection of the sensor housing.  
     
     
         28 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 2  wherein the sensor housing has a groove for a key for setting an angular position of the sensor housing.  
     
     
         29 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 2  wherein the sensor housing includes at least one outward-facing radial projection for setting an angular position of the sensor housing.  
     
     
         30 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 2  wherein the sensor housing includes an outer ring and an inner ring, the at least one sensor including a measuring pickup and a measuring transducer inserted between the outer ring and the inner ring, the shaft passing through a central bore of inner ring.  
     
     
         31 . The sensor device as recited in  claim 2  wherein the sensor is molded into or clamped in the sensor housing or held by other fastening means  
     
     
         32 . The sensor housing as recited in  claim 31  wherein the sensor is radially removable from the sensor housing.  
     
     
         33 . A method for measuring motion parameters of at least one of a camshaft, crankshaft and transmission shaft of a machine having a machine housing with a sensor device, the at least one of the camshaft, crankshaft and transmission shaft having a shaft circumference and the machine housing having a sealed receiving bore, the sensor device including at least one sensor; and a stationary annular sensor housing contacting the sensor and encircling the shaft about the shaft circumference in a centered manner and at a distance, the sensor housing being retained in the receiving bore by a press fit or screw connection, the method comprising: 
 rotating the shaft; and    measuring motion parameters of the shaft using the sensor.    
     
     
         34 . A method for measuring motion parameters of at least one of a camshaft, crankshaft and transmission shaft of a machine having a machine housing with a sensor device, the at least one of the camshaft, crankshaft and transmission shaft having a shaft circumference and the machine housing having a receiving bore, the sensor device including at least one sensor for measuring motion parameters of the shaft, and a stationary annular sensor housing contacting the sensor and encircling the shaft about the shaft circumference in a centered manner and at a distance, the annular sensor housing having a central bore, the shaft passing through the central bore, and an adhesion part having a shaft sealing ring contacting the shaft for dynamic sealing and a static seal for the receiving bore, the annular sensor housing and the adhesion part being attached to the receiving bore, the method comprising: 
 rotating the shaft; and    measuring motion parameters of the shaft using the sensor.