Over travel detection device
AssigneeGoodrich Actuation Systems Limited
InventorsColin Roger Harrison, Philip Wadge
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for detecting rotational over travel includes: an angular position sensor comprising a rotor rotatable about an axis, the angular position sensor configured to output one or more electrical signals to indicate an angular position of the rotor about the axis and/or a number of turns completed by the rotor about the axis; and a device comprising a first operating mode and a second operating mode and configured to transition from the first operating mode to the second operating mode in response to the rotor rotating beyond at least one angular position threshold, wherein the transition from the first operating mode to the second operating mode is independent of the one or more electrical signals.
Claims10
A system for detecting rotational over travel, the system comprising:
- an angular position sensor for measuring an angular position of a rotary component, the angular position sensor comprising a rotor rotatable about an axis, the angular position sensor configured to output one or more electrical signals to indicate an angular position of the rotor about the axis and/or a number of turns completed by the rotor about the axis;
- and
- a device comprising a first operating mode and a second operating mode and configured to transition from the first operating mode to the second operating mode in response to the rotor rotating beyond at least one angular position threshold, wherein the transition from the first operating mode to the second operating mode is independent of the one or more electrical signals;
- wherein the device comprises at least one switch arranged within the angular position sensor, the at least one switch comprising a first state corresponding to the first operating mode and a second state corresponding to the second operating mode, and arranged such that the rotor of the angular position sensor can change the at least one switch from the first state to the second state when the rotor of the angular position sensor rotates beyond the at least one angular position threshold;
- wherein a transition from the first operating mode to the second operating mode is independent of the one or more electrical signals output by the angular position sensor;
- wherein, in the second operating mode, the device is configured to transmit or vary a signal to indicate that the rotor of the angular position sensor has rotated beyond the at least one angular position threshold.
A method of detecting over travel of a rotating component, the method comprising:
- detecting an angular position of the component and/or a number of turns completed by the rotating component using an angular position sensor, wherein the angular position sensor comprises a rotor driven by the rotating component;
- outputting, with the angular position sensor, one or more electrical signals indicating the angular position of the component;
- and
- transitioning a device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode in response to the rotor of the angular position sensor being driven by the rotating component beyond at least one angular position threshold, wherein the transition from the first operating mode to the second operating mode is independent of the one or more electrical signals;
- wherein the device comprises at least one switch arranged within the angular position sensor, the at least one switch comprising a first state corresponding to the first operating mode and a second state corresponding to the second operating mode, and arranged such that the rotor of the angular position sensor can change the at least one switch from the first state to the second state when the rotor of the angular position sensor rotates beyond the at least one angular position threshold;
- wherein a transition from the first operating mode to the second operating mode is independent of the one or more electrical signals output by the angular position sensor;
- wherein, in the second operating mode, the device is configured to transmit or vary a signal to indicate that the rotor of the angular position sensor has rotated beyond the at least one angular position threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.