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US 11,519,752 B2Granted
Coupler element shapes for inductive position sensors
AssigneeKSR IP Holdings, LLC
InventorLingmin Shao
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, an inductive position sensor assembly is provided. The inductive sensor assembly includes a sensor and a coupler element. The sensor includes a transmitter coil having an inner diameter and an outer diameter and a receiver coil positioned within the outer diameter of the transmitter coil. The coupler element has a geometric continuous curve shape. The coupler element is positioned within the outer diameter of the transmitter coil such that a maximum diameter of the geometric continuous curve shape is the outer diameter of the transmitter coil. When the coupler element is moved, the geometric continuous curve shape of the coupler element modify an inductive coupling between the transmitter coil and the receiver coil.
Claims20
An inductive sensor assembly comprising:
- a sensor assembly comprising:
- a transmitter coil having an inner diameter and an outer diameter,
- a receiver coil positioned within the outer diameter of the transmitter coil,
- a coupler element having at least a layer of a magnetic material to induce eddy currents and having a continuous curve shape, the continuous curve shape having at least two transition portions that each are arcuate having a radius of curvature which extends inward towards a center point and at least a pair of lobes connected by the at least two transition portions, the coupler element positioned within the outer diameter of the transmitter coil such that a maximum diameter of the continuous curve shape is the outer diameter of the transmitter coil,
- wherein when the coupler element is moved, the continuous curve shape of the coupler element modifies an inductive coupling between the transmitter coil and the receiver coil, and
- wherein a shape of the continuous curve shape of the coupler element is defined by a first equation:
- {
- x
-
- (
- θ
- )
- =
- (
- a
- +
- b
- *
- cos
-
- (
- N
-
-
- θ
- )
- )
- *
- cos
-
- (
- θ
- )
- y
-
- (
- θ
- )
- =
- (
- a
- +
- b
- *
- cos
-
- (
- N
-
-
- θ
- )
- )
- *
- sin
-
- (
- θ
- )
- ,
- 0
- ≤
- θ
- ≤
- 360
-
- °
- where “N” is equal to a number of poles in the sensor assembly, “a” is a diameter of the coupler element, “b” is a difference between a middle radius of the continuous curve shape of the coupler element and a maximum and/or minimum radius of the continuous curve shape of the coupler element, and “θ” is a variable of a plotted point having an angle with respect to the center point to define the continuous curve shape.
65 more elements
An inductive sensor assembly comprising:
- a sensor assembly comprising:
- a transmitter coil having an inner diameter and an outer diameter,
- a receiver coil positioned within the outer diameter of the transmitter coil,
- a coupler element having at least a layer of a magnetic material to induce eddy currents and having a continuous curve shape, the continuous curve shape having three transition portions that each are arcuate having a radius of curvature which extends inward towards a center point and three lobes connected by the three transition portions, the coupler element positioned within the outer diameter of the transmitter coil such that a maximum diameter of the continuous curve shape is the outer diameter of the transmitter coil, wherein when the coupler element is moved, the continuous curve shape of the coupler element modifies an inductive coupling between the transmitter coil and the receiver coil,
- wherein a shape of the continuous curve shape of the coupler element is defined by a first equation:
- {
- x
-
- (
- θ
- )
- =
- (
- a
- +
- b
- *
- cos
-
- (
- N
-
- θ
- )
- )
- *
- cos
-
- (
- θ
- )
- y
-
- (
- θ
- )
- =
- (
- a
- +
- b
- *
- cos
-
- (
- N
-
- θ
- )
- )
- *
- sin
-
- (
- θ
- )
- ,
- 0
- ≤
- θ
- ≤
- 360
-
- °
- where “N” is equal to three, “a” is a diameter of the coupler element, “b” is a difference between a middle radius of the continuous curve shape of the coupler element and a maximum and/or minimum radius of the continuous curve shape of the coupler element, and “θ” is a variable of a plotted point having an angle with respect to the center point to define the continuous curve shape.
62 more elements
An inductive sensor assembly comprising:
- a sensor assembly comprising:
- a transmitter coil having an inner diameter and an outer diameter,
- a receiver coil positioned within the outer diameter of the transmitter coil,
- a coupler element having at least a layer of a magnetic material to induce eddy currents and having a continuous curve shape, the continuous curve shape having four transition portions that each are arcuate having a radius of curvature which extends inward towards a center point and four lobes connected by the four transition portions, the coupler element positioned within the outer diameter of the transmitter coil such that a maximum diameter of the continuous curve shape is the outer diameter of the transmitter coil, wherein when the coupler element is moved, the continuous curve shape of the coupler element modifies an inductive coupling between the transmitter coil and the receiver coil,
- wherein a shape of the continuous curve shape of the coupler element is defined by a first equation:
- {
- x
-
- (
- θ
- )
- =
- (
- a
- +
- b
- *
- cos
-
- (
- N
-
- θ
- )
- )
- *
- cos
-
- (
- θ
- )
- y
-
- (
- θ
- )
- =
- (
- a
- +
- b
- *
- cos
-
- (
- N
-
- θ
- )
- )
- *
- sin
-
- (
- θ
- )
- ,
- 0
- ≤
- θ
- ≤
- 360
-
- °
- where “N” is equal to four, “a” is a diameter of the coupler element, “b” is a difference between a middle radius of the continuous curve shape of the coupler element and a maximum and/or minimum radius of the continuous curve shape of the coupler element, and “θ” is a variable of a plotted point having an angle with respect to the center point to define the continuous curve shape.
62 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.