Cant angle sensor assembly
AssigneeLitton Systems, Inc.
InventorsHugh P. McAdams, Jr., Albert C. Paulovitz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cant angle sensor comprises a conductive, nonmagnetic pendulum suspended from the shaft of a resolver for limited angular travel in the slot of a C-shaped magnet. When the angle of the sensor changes, the pendulum seeks a new vertical null, and the C-shaped magnet exerts a viscous hystersis damping force causing the pendulum to quickly come to rest without oscillation. The rotor magnet wire of the resolver is connected directly to output terminals to avoid friction due to brush contact on the rotor shaft.
Claims3
A cant angle sensor adapted to be attached to a supporting surface for developing a signal for representing a limited degree of tilt of the surface, the sensor comprising:
- a resolver including a stator and a rotor having an axial shaft,
- means for coupling a signal generated by said rotor to stationary resolver output terminals so that minimal drag is exerted on said rotor comprising resolver magnet wire directly connected from said rotor to said output terminals,
- a conductive, nonmagnetic pendulum nonrotatably attached to said rotor shaft and effective to cause relative motion between said rotor and said stator,
- magnet means for exerting a magnetic field across a flux path, a portion of said pendulum beng suspended for motion in the flux path, said magnet means exerting a viscous hysteresis damping force directly on said pendulum as said pendulum moves in the flux path thereby directly damping motion, and
- stop means arranged in the path of said pendulum for limiting the motion of said rotor to less than 90.degree. thereby preventing damage to said coupling means, and for maintaining a portion of said pendulum always within the flux path.
A cant angle sensor adapted to be attached to a supporting surface for developing a signal for representing a limited degree of tilt of the surface, the sensor comprising:
- a resolver including a stator and a rotor having an axial shaft,
- means for coupling a signal generated by said rotor to stationary resolver output terminals so that minimal drag is exerted on said rotor comprising resolver magnet wire directly connected from said rotor to said output terminals,
- stop means for limiting the rotation of said rotor to less than 90.degree. thereby preventing damage to said coupling means,
- viscous hysteresis dampening means for dampening rotational movement of said rotor including
- a conductive non-magnetic damper paddle affixed to and suspended from one end of said rotor shaft, and
- a C-shaped permanent magnet positioned beneath said paddle such that an edge portion of said paddle is located between the poles of said magnet regardless of the orientation of said rotor within its limited rotational range, and
- said rotor having a moment arm consisiting of only said damper paddle for effecting rotational movement of said motor relative to said stator responsive to gravitational forces exerted on said paddle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.