Displaced position detecting device
AssigneeYokogawa Electric Works, Ltd.
InventorsToshitsugu Ueda, Seiki Ra, Masanori Noguchi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device which detects a displaced position by generating an ultrasonic signal in a magnetostrictive wire and measuring the propagation time of the signal generated. The device includes an exciting means to generate an ultrasonic signal in a magnetostrictive wire, first and second receiving means to receive the ultrasonic signal generated in the magnetostrictive wire by the exciting means, a means for changing the distance between the exciting means and each of the first and second receiving means in accordance with a mechanical displacement, and a circuit means for producing a signal representative to the time periods required for the generated ultrasonic signal to reach the first and second receiving means.
Claims25
A displaced position detecting device comprising:
- a wire composed of a magnetostrictive material;
- first and second receiving means coupled to said magnetostrictive wire;
- an exciting means for applying an exciting signal to the wire and disposed between the first and second receiving means;
- means for changing the distance between the exciting means and at least one of said receiving means in accordance with a mechanical displacement;
- means for developing two signals representing the time periods required for said exciting signal to reach the first and second receiving means respectively;
- and
- circuit means responsive to said two signals for producing a signal representative of said mechanical displacement.
A displaced position detecting device comprising:
- a magnetostrictive wire composed of a magnetostrictive material and so formed that one end thereof reflects an ultrasonic signal;
- a receiving means coupled to the magnetostrictive wire and located in the vicinity of the other end of said wire;
- an exciting means coupled to the magnetostrictive wire and capable of generating an ultrasonic signal in said wire;
- means for changing the distance between the exciting means and the receiving means in accordance with a mechanical displacement;
- means for developing two signals of which one is related to the time required for said ultrasonic signal to reach the receiving means directly, and the other is related to the time required for said ultrasonic signal to reach the receiving means after reflection at one end of said wire;
- and
- a computing circuit means responsive to said two signals for producing a signal representative of said mechanical displacement.
A displaced position detecting device for use in an automatic balance instrument, comprising:
- a magnetostrictive wire composed of a magnetostrictive material;
- a first receiving means, a second receiving means and an exciting means coupled to the magnetostrictive wire respectively;
- a means for changing the distance between the exciting means and the first receiving means and for changing the distance between the exciting means and the second receiving means in accordance with the shift of a moving assembly driven by a balancing motor;
- circuit means for producing two time-width signals changed differentially to each other and related to the time widths required for the signal, which is generated in the magnetostrictive wire by the exciting means, to reach the first and second receiving means respectively;
- two reference voltage sources whose outputs are different in polarity from each other;
- two switches connected to said reference voltage sources respectively and driven by the two time-width signals respectively;
- an integrator to which the reference voltages are applied through the two switches;
- a circuit for sampling and holding the output of the integrator;
- and a circuit means for feeding the output signal of the sample hold circuit to the input terminal of the integrator through the two switches:
- wherein the output signal of said sample hold circuit is used as a feedback signal related to the position of said moving assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.