Electric park brake inclinometer
View Patent ↗A tilt sensor system ( 10 ) is provided comprising a housing ( 12 ), a magnetized region ( 13 ) within the housing ( 12 ), and a magnetized, articulated pendulum ( 14 ) magnetically coupled to the magnetized region ( 13 ) for suspending the pendulum ( 14 ) within the housing ( 12 ). In a particular embodiment, the tilt sensor system ( 10 ) is incorporated into a park brake system ( 50 ) including a park brake for securing a portion of a vehicle in a static condition, and a control system for actuating the park brake responsive to a tilt measurement from the tilt sensor system. In addition, the tilt sensor system ( 10 ) may be incorporated into (or functionally coupled to) other vehicle control systems adapted for receiving tilt-related information from the tilt sensor system for use in performing respective vehicle control functions.
1. A system for sensing tilt, comprising:
a housing;
a magnetized region within the housing; and
a magnetized, articulated pendulum magnetically coupled to the magnetized region for suspending the pendulum within the housing,
the pendulum including a first generally spherical magnetized member magnetically coupled to the magnetized region, and a second generally spherical magnetized member magnetically coupled to the first spherical magnetized member, and wherein an outer surface of the first spherical member abuts the magnetized region so as to permit rolling contact between the first spherical member and the magnetized region, and wherein the first spherical member has a first diameter, and the second spherical member has a second diameter, and wherein the first diameter is smaller than the second diameter.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the magnetized region comprises a magnet attached to a portion of the housing.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein an outer surface of the second spherical member abuts an outer surface of the first spherical member so as to permit rolling contact between the first and second spherical members.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the first spherical member and the second spherical member includes a magnetic pole proximate each of diametrically opposed portions of an outer surface of each of the first spherical member and the second spherical member.
5. The system of claim 4 wherein the second spherical member is magnetically coupled to the first spherical member by magnetic attraction between a pole of the second spherical member and an opposed pole of the first spherical member.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first spherical member and the second spherical member includes a magnet positioned within an interior thereof so as to provide a magnetic pole proximate each of diametrically opposed portions of an outer surface of the at least one of the first spherical member and the second spherical member.
7. The system of claim 6 wherein each of the first spherical member and the second spherical member includes a magnet positioned within a respective interior thereof so as to provide a pair of opposed magnetic poles proximate diametrically opposed portions of an outer surface of each of the first spherical member and the second spherical member.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first spherical member and the second spherical member comprises a steel ball magnetized to provide a magnetic pole proximate each of diametrically opposed portions of an outer surface of the at least one of the first spherical member and the second spherical member.
9. The system of claim 1 wherein the housing includes a material having a relatively high magnetic permeability positioned between the pendulum and an exterior of the housing for magnetically shielding at least a portion of the pendulum.
10. A park brake system comprising:
a tilt sensor system in accordance with claim 1 ;
a park brake for securing a portion of a vehicle in a static condition; and
a control system for actuating the park brake responsive to a tilt measurement from the tilt sensor system.
11. The park brake system of claim 10 wherein the park brake applies a braking force to the portion of the vehicle to secure the portion of the vehicle in a static condition, and wherein the magnitude of the braking force is a function of the tilt measurement.
12. A vehicle comprising:
a tilt sensor system in accordance with claim 1 ;
and
a vehicle control system coupled to the tilt sensor system, wherein the vehicle control system is adapted for receiving tilt-related information from the tilt sensor system for use in performing a vehicle control function.
13. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the vehicle control system comprises a vehicle roll-control system.
14. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the vehicle control system comprises a vehicle lean-control system.
15. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the vehicle control system comprises a vehicle suspension system.
16. The vehicle of claim 12 wherein the vehicle control system comprises an ABS braking system.
17. A system for sensing tilt, comprising:
a housing;
a magnetized region within the housing; and
a magnetized, articulated pendulum magnetically coupled to the magnetized region for suspending the pendulum within the housing,
the pendulum including a first generally spherical magnetized member magnetically coupled to the magnetized region, and a second generally spherical magnetized member magnetically coupled to the first spherical magnetized member, and the first spherical member having a first diameter, the second spherical member having a second diameter, and wherein the first diameter is smaller than the second diameter.