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US 12,663,446 B2Granted
Current sensor
AssigneeAlps Alpine Co., Ltd.
InventorsManabu Tamura, Chiaki Ueda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A current sensor includes units each of which has a bus bar through which current flows, a magnetic sensor facing one of plate surfaces of the bus bar, a shield facing the other plate surface. The units have a large-current unit and a small-current unit. A first distance between the bus bar and the magnetic sensor in a normal direction of the plate surfaces of the bus bar is the same as a distance L1A of the large-current unit and a distance L1B of the small-current unit. Since, as for a second distance between the bus bar and a base of the shield, a distance L2A of the large-current unit is larger than a distance L2B of the small-current unit, a measurement range of the large-current unit is widened and a measurement error due to magnetic saturation of the shield is suppressed.
Claims8
A current sensor comprising:
- a plurality of units which are integrally formed, each unit including:
- a bus bar extending in a first direction and allowing a current to flow therethrough, the bus bar having a flat plate shape with a first plate surface and a second plate surface opposite to the first plate surface in a second direction normal to the first and second plate surfaces;
- a magnetic sensor disposed on one side of the bus bar so as to face the first plate surface;
- and
- a shield having a flat base and disposed on the other side of the bus bar such that the flat base faces the second plate surface,
- wherein the plurality of units include at least one large-current unit for measuring a first range of current, and at least one small-current unit for measuring a second range of current smaller than the first range of current, the plurality of the units being arranged along a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction,
- wherein a first distance between the bus bar and the magnetic sensor in the second direction in the large-current unit is the same as that in the small-current unit, while a second distance between the bus bar and the flat base in the second direction in the large-current unit is greater than that in the small-current unit,
- and wherein two adjacent units for measuring different current ranges are aligned on a same straight line extending in the third direction, and two adjacent units for measuring a same current range are staggered and arranged on different straight lines extending in the third direction.
5 more elements
A current sensor comprising:
- a plurality of units which are integrally formed into an arrangement, each unit including:
- a bus bar extending in a first direction and allowing a current to flow therethrough, the bus bar having a flat plate shape with a first plate surface and a second plate surface opposite to the first plate surface in a second direction normal to the first and second plate surfaces;
- a magnetic sensor disposed on one side of the bus bar so as to face the first plate surface;
- and
- a shield having a flat base disposed on the other side of the bus bar such that the flat base faces the second flat surface,
- wherein the plurality of units include a group of large-current units each configured to measure a first range of current, and a group of small-current units each configured to measure a second range of current smaller than the first range of current, and the group of large-current units and the group of small-current units are arranged along a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction,
- wherein a first distance between the bus bar and the magnetic sensor in the second direction in the group of large-current units is the same as that in the group of small-current units, while a second distance between the bus bar and the flat base in the second direction in the group of large-current units is greater than that in the group of small-current units,
- wherein the bus bars in the group of large-current units and the bus bars of the group of small-current units are arranged on a same plane,
- and wherein adjacent large-current units within the group thereof are staggered and not aligned on a same straight line extending in the third direction, and adjacent small-current units within the group thereof are staggered and not aligned on a same straight line extending in the third direction, while one of the large-current units and one of the small-current units adjacent to each other are aligned on a same straight line extending in the third direction.
6 more elements
A current sensor comprising:
- a plurality of units which are integrally formed, each unit including:
- a bus bar extending in a first direction and allowing a current to flow therethrough, the bus bar having a flat plate shape with a first plate surface and a second plate surface opposite to the first plate surface in a second direction normal to the first and second plate surfaces;
- a magnetic sensor disposed on one side of the bus bar so as to face the first plate surface;
- and
- a shield having a flat base disposed on the other side of the bus bar such that the flat base faces the second flat surface,
- wherein the plurality of units include a large-current unit for measuring a first range of current, and a plurality of small-current units each for measuring a second range of current smaller than the first range of current, and the large-current unit and the plurality of small-current units are arranged along a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction,
- wherein a first distance between the bus bar and the magnetic sensor in the second direction in the large-current unit is the same as that in the plurality of small-current units, while a second distance between the bus bar and the base in the second direction in the large-current unit is greater than that in the plurality of small-current units,
- wherein the bus bar in the large-current unit and the bus bars in of the plurality of small-current units are arranged on a same plane,
- and wherein adjacent small-current units are staggered and not arranged on a same straight line extending in the third direction, and the large-current unit and at least one of the small-current units adjacent thereto are aligned on a same straight line extending in the third direction.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.