Torque sensor
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorsMasao Obama, Masaaki Kikuchi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a torque sensor of a noncontact type, a pair of amorphous magnetic ribbons are bonded to a shaft to which a rotary torque is applied. A pair of coils are wound around the shaft and an alternating magnetic field is applied from the coils to the magnetic ribbons along the axis of the shaft. A permanent magnet and yokes are located around the shaft and a bias magnetic field is also applied from the magnetic to the magnetic ribbons through the yokes.
Claims23
A torque sensor of a noncontact type for sensing a rotary torque applied to a shaft having an axis, the sensor comprising:
- a first magnetic ribbon fixed to the shaft along the circumferential direction of the shaft, said ribbon comprising a magnetic material having an induced magnetic anisotropy in a direction of an angle .alpha. in respect to the axis of the shaft;
- means for generating an alternating magnetic field along the shaft and applying the magnetic field to said magnetic ribbon;
- means for generating a constant biasing magnetic field along the shaft and applying the biasing magnetic field to said magnetic ribbon;
- and
- means for detecting the magnetic fields passing through said magnetic ribbon to generate an output signal.
A torque sensor of a noncontact type for sensing a rotary torque applied to a shaft having an axis, the sensor comprising:
- a first amorphous magnetic ribbon fixed to the shaft along the circumferential direction of the shaft, said ribbon comprising a magnetic material having an induced magnetic anisotropy in a direction of an angle .alpha. in respect to the axis of the shaft
- means for generating an alternating magnetic field along the shaft and applying the magnetic field to said magnetic ribbon;
- means for generating a constant biasing magnetic field along the shaft and applying the biasing magnetic field to said magnetic ribbon;
- and
- means for detecting the magnetic fields passing through said magnetic ribbon to generate an output signal.
A torque sensor of a noncontact type for sensing a rotary torque applied to a shaft which has an axis and is made of a magnetic material, the sensor comprising:
- a first magnetic ribbon fixed to the shaft along the circumferential direction of the shaft, said ribbon comprising a magnetic material having an induced magnetic anisotropy in a direction of an angle .alpha. in respect to the axis of the shaft;
- a second magnetic ribbon arranged close to said first magnetic ribbon and fixed to the shaft along the circumferential direction of the shaft, said second ribbon comprising a magnetic material having an induced magnetic anisotropy in a direction of an angle -.alpha. in respect to the axis of the shaft;
- means for generating an alternating magnetic field along the shaft and applying the magnetic field to said magnetic ribbons;
- means for generating a constant biasing magnetic field along the shaft and applying the biasing magnetic field to said magnetic ribbons;
- and
- means for detecting the magnetic fields passing through said magnetic ribbons to generate an output signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.