Distance measurement sensor based on magnetic signal triangulation

An air spring comprising:

• a pressurized chamber;
• a first mounting plate;
• a second mounting plate;
• and
• a distance measuring device contained within the pressurized chamber, wherein the distance measuring device comprises:
• an evaluating module,
• a first directional magnetic field sensing array, and
• a target module,
• wherein the first magnetic field sensing array is mountable to the first mounting plate and
• the target module is mountable to the second mounting plate so as to execute a movement with respect to each other along a movement trajectory,
• wherein the first magnetic field sensing array is offset from the movement trajectory by a predetermined distance between a reference point on the movement trajectory and
• the first directional magnetic field sensing array that forms a horizontal axis,
• wherein an angle at the first directional magnetic field sensing array between the horizontal axis a vector from the first directional magnetic field sensing array and the target module is substantially orthogonal,
• wherein the first magnetic field sensing array senses signals from the target module, the signals being transferred to the evaluating module, and
• wherein the evaluating module is adapted to determine the distance from the first plate to the second plate by determining the angle of the first magnetic field sensing array with respect to the target module based on the signals from the first magnetic field sensing array and the predetermined distance.

An air spring comprising:

• a first mounting plate;
• a second mounting plate;
• and
• a distance measuring device, wherein the distance measuring device comprises:
• an evaluating module,
• a first magnetic field sensing array, and
• a target module,
• wherein the first magnetic field sensing array is mountable to the first mounting plate and the target module is mountable to the second mounting plate so as to execute a movement with respect to each other along a movement trajectory,
• wherein the first magnetic field sensing array is offset from the movement trajectory by a predetermined distance from a reference point on the movement point wherein the predetermined distance forms a horizontal axis between the reference point and the first magnetic field sensing array, and wherein the movement trajectory is along a vertical axis that is substantially perpendicular to the horizontal axis,
• wherein the first magnetic field sensing array sense signals from the target module which are transferred from the first magnetic field sensing array to the evaluating module, and
• wherein the evaluating module is adapted to determine the distance from the first plate to the second plate based on the signals, an orientation of a main sensing direction of the first magnetic field sensor, and an orientation of a main sensing direction of the second magnetic field sensor.