# US 11,441,885 B2 · Sensor device for measuring the rotational position of an element > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,441,885 B2 - Document ID: US11441885B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/016,781 - Filed: 2020-09-10 - Published: 2021-03-18 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-09-12 - Assignees: TE Connectivity Germany GmbH; Te Connectiviyu Belgium BV - Applicants: TE Connectivity Belgium BV; TE Connectivity Germany GmbH - Inventors: Tom Ocket; Tobias Becker; Moritz Harz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441885B2 ## CPC - G01B 7/003: {for measuring position, not involving coordinate determination (coordinate measuring G01B7/004)} - G01D 5/2053: {by a movable non-ferromagnetic conductive element} - G01B 7/281: {for measuring contour or curvature along an axis, e.g. axial curvature of a pipeline or along a series of feeder rollers} - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A sensor device for measuring a rotational position of an element that is rotatable about an axis of rotation includes a sender member emitting a magnetic field and a plurality of receiving members receiving the magnetic field. Each of the receiving members has a pair of conductors that together delimit a pair of surrounded areas. Each of the surrounded areas tapers in and against a circumferential direction at ends of the surrounded areas. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sensor device for measuring a rotational position of an element that is rotatable about an axis of rotation, comprising: a sender member emitting a magnetic field; and a plurality of receiving members receiving the magnetic field, each of the receiving members has a pair of conductors that together delimit a pair of surrounded areas, each of the surrounded areas tapers in and against a circumferential direction at ends of the surrounded areas, the sender member and the receiving members are separated by a distance along the circumferential direction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sensor device of claim 1, wherein each of the surrounded areas is a convex area that expands and contracts in the circumferential direction about the axis of rotation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The sensor device of claim 1, wherein each of the surrounded areas is eye-shaped. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sensor device of claim 1, wherein each of the conductors has an elongated shape that resembles a graph of a spatially periodic function. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the receiving members have an identical shape. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The sensor device of claim 5, wherein the receiving members are shifted by a quarter of a period to each other along the circumferential direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the conductors are substantially symmetrical to each other with respect to a cylindrical circumferential surface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The sensor device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of sections of the conductors that enclose the surrounded areas are curved sections. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the conductors have no straight sections extending in a radial direction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the sender member has a coil. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the sender member surrounds the receiving members. ### Claim 12 (depends on 4) The sensor device of claim 4, wherein the distance between the sender member and the receiving members along the circumferential direction is less than one-quarter of a period. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the distance between the sender member and the receiving members along the circumferential direction is less than one-quarter of a length of the sender member along the circumferential direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the sender member and/or at least one of the receiving members substantially lie in a plane. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the sender member and/or at least one of the receiving member is a conductive path on a printed circuit board. ### Claim 16 A sensor device for measuring a rotational position of an element that is rotatable about an axis of rotation, comprising: a sender member emitting a magnetic field; and a plurality of receiving members receiving the magnetic field, each of the receiving members has a pair of conductors that together delimit a pair of surrounded areas, each of the surrounded areas tapers in and against a circumferential direction at ends of the surrounded areas, at least one of the pair of surrounded areas is a non-convex surrounded area. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The sensor device of claim 16, wherein the non-convex surrounded area has an indent at an end. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The sensor device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the other surrounded areas is a convex area that expands and contracts in the circumferential direction about the axis of rotation.