Brake with field responsive material

A controllable brakes, comprising:

• a rotating magnetic target,
• a magnetically permeable rotor,
• a shaft connected to said magnetically permeable rotor,
• a housing having a first housing chamber rotatably housing the magnetically permeable rotor therein, and including a magnetic field generator spaced from the magnetically permeable rotor, and configured and positioned for generating a controllable magnetic field to control a relative motion of said magnetically permeable rotor, and a second housing chamber containing control electronics therein, said second housing chamber electronics including at least a first oriented electronic noncontacting magnetic sensor, said at least first oriented electronic noncontacting magnetic sensor oriented relative to said rotating magnetic target and said shaft wherein said at least first oriented electronic noncontacting magnetic sensor monitors the rotation of said rotating magnetic target.

A method of controlling motion, said method including:

• providing a housing having a first housing chamber and a second housing chamber,
• providing a shaft with a magnetically permeable rotor, said shaft including a rotating magnetic target distal from said magnetically permeable rotor,
• providing a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field with a controllable field strength for controlling a relative motion of said magnetically permeable rotor,
• providing at least a first electronic noncontacting magnetic sensor, said at least first electronic noncontacting magnetic sensor integrated on an operation electronic control board having a control board plane,
• disposing said magnetically permeable rotor, said magnetic field generator, in said first housing chamber,
• disposing said rotating magnetic target and said at least a first electronic noncontacting magnetic sensor in said second housing chamber, wherein said operation electronic control board is in electrical communication with said magnetic field generator and said control board plane is oriented relative to said rotating magnetic target, wherein said at least first electronic noncontacting magnetic sensor provides a detected measured rotational position of said rotating magnetic target with said controllable field strength generated in relationship to the detected measured rotational position sensed by said at least first electronic noncontacting magnetic sensor.

A method of making a motion control brake for controlling motion, said method including,

• providing a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field with a controllable field strength for controlling a relative motion of a movable brake member,
• providing a magnetic target which moves with said relative motion of said movable brake member,
• providing an electronic circuit board having a circuit board plane, a first electronic noncontacting magnetic sensor having a first sensor plane, said first electronic noncontacting magnetic sensor integrated on said electronic circuit board with said first sensor plane parallel with said circuit board plane, a second electronic noncontacting magnetic sensor having a second sensor plane, said second electronic noncontacting magnetic sensor integrated on said electronic circuit board with said second sensor plane parallel with said circuit board plane with said circuit board plane between said second sensor plane and said first sensor plane,
• disposing said electronic circuit board proximate said magnetic target wherein said first electronic noncontacting magnetic sensor and said second electronic noncontacting magnetic sensor provide a detected measured magnetic target position with the controllable field strength generated by said magnetic field generator determined by the detected measured magnetic target position.

A method of controlling motion, said method including:

• providing a magnetic field generator for generating a magnetic field with a controllable field strength,
• providing a field responsive controllable material, said field responsive controllable material affected by said magnetic field generator magnetic field,
• providing a magnetic target,
• providing at least a first electronic noncontacting magnetic sensor, said at least first electronic noncontacting magnetic sensor integrated on an operation electronic control board having a control board plane, said operation electronic control board in electrical communication with said magnetic field generator and said control board plane oriented relative to said magnetic target, wherein said at least first electronic noncontacting magnetic sensor provides at least two detected measured positional outputs of said magnetic target with said controllable field strength generated in relationship to the at least two detected measured positional outputs.

A controllable brake comprising:

• a housing comprising a first chamber and a second chamber,
• a shaft, the shaft extending through the first chamber and the second chamber with an axis of rotation, said shaft having a first shaft end,
• a controllable brake rotor made integral with the shaft, said rotor housed in the first chamber, said rotor having a rotation plane,
• a controllable brake magnetic field generator located in the first chamber proximate the controllable brake rotor, said controllable brake magnetic field generator for generating a controllable magnetic field strength, and
• a controllable brake rotating magnetic target integral with said shaft proximate said first shaft end, said controllable brake rotating magnetic target housed in the second chamber, and a controllable brake electronics first electronic noncontacting magnetic sensor having a first sensor plane, said first electronic noncontacting magnetic sensor mounted in said second chamber with said first sensor plane parallel with said controllable brake rotor rotation plane, said first electronic noncontacting magnetic sensor monitoring the rotation of said controllable brake rotating magnetic target and said controllable brake rotor and simultaneously outputting at least two rotational positions of said controllable brake rotor wherein the controllable magnetic field strength generated by said controllable brake magnetic field generator is determined by said rotational positions to control a relative motion of said controllable brake rotor.