Linear position sensor having coaxial or parallel primary and secondary windings

Position sensing apparatus for monitoring a relative position between two relatively moveable members comprising:

• a) an elongated field producing member coupled to a first of said moveable members and including a first multi-turn conductor wound about a field producing member axis and an input for energizing the first multi-turn conductor to produce an electromagnetic field in the vicinity of the elongated field producing member;
• b) an elongated field responsive member fixed with respect to the elongated field producing member including a second multi-turn conductor wound about a field responsive member axis, said elongated field responsive member oriented in side by side, generally parallel orientation to the elongated field producing member along a length of the elongated field producing member, and having an output for providing an output signal in response to the electromagnetic field produced by the field producing member;
• c) a core member connected to a second of the moveable members for movement with the second moveable member;
• said core member mounted for movement within one of said field producing and field responsive members to alter the response of the field responsive member as the moveable members move relative to each other and thereby change the signal at the output of the field responsive member;
• d) exciter means coupled to the input for energizing the field producing member;
• and
• e) circuit means coupled to the output from the field responsive member to correlate changes in the output signal with relative movement of the moveable members.

Movement sensing apparatus for monitoring a relative position and velocity between two relatively moveable members comprising:

• a) an elongated field producing member coupled to a first of said moveable members and including a first multi-turn conductor wound about a field producing member axis having a first controlled turn density, and an input for energizing the first multi-turn conductor to produce an electromagnetic field in the vicinity of the elongated field producing member;
• b) an elongated field responsive member fixed with respect to the elongated field producing member including a second multi-turn conductor wound about a field responsive member axis having a second controlled turn density, said elongated field responsive member oriented in side by side, generally parallel orientation to the elongated field producing member along a length of the elongated field producing member, and having an output for providing an output signal in response to the electromagnetic field produced by the field producing member;
• c) a coupling member connected to a second of the moveable members for movement with the second moveable member and positioned relative the field producing and field responsive members to alter the response of the field responsive member as the moveable members move relative to each other and thereby change the signal at the output of the field responsive member;
• d) exciter means coupled to the input for energizing the field producing member;
• and
• e) circuit means coupled to the output from the field responsive member to correlate changes in the output signal with relative position and velocity of the moveable members, wherein the velocity is obtained by differentiating a position signal output.

Sensing apparatus for monitoring a relative position between two relatively moveable members comprising:

• a) an elongated field producing member coupled to a first of said moveable members and including a first multi-turn conductor wound about a field producing member axis and an input for energizing the first multi-turn conductor to produce an electromagnetic field in the vicinity of the elongated field producing member;
• b) an elongated field responsive member fixed with respect to the elongated field producing member including a second multi-turn conductor wound about a field responsive member axis, said elongated field responsive member oriented in side by side, generally parallel orientation to the elongated field producing member along a length of the elongated field producing member, and having an output for providing an output signal in response to the electromagnetic field produced by the field producing member;
• c) a coupling member connected to a second of the moveable members for movement with the second moveable member and positioned relative the field producing and field responsive members to alter the response of the field responsive member as the moveable members move relative to each other and thereby change the signal at the output of the field responsive member;
• and
• d) a control module spaced from the elongated field producing and field responsive members and electrically coupled to the field producing and field responsive members by cabling;
• said control module including:
• i) exciter means coupled via said cabling to the input for energizing the field producing member;
• and
• ii) circuit means coupled via said cabling to the output from the field responsive member to correlate changes in the output signal with relative movement of the moveable members.

A control system for monitoring relative positions between pairs of relatively moveable members comprising:

• a) a plurality of position sensors with each including:
• i) an elongated field producing member coupled to a first of moveable member of a given pair and including a first multi-turn conductor wound about a field producing member axis having a first controlled turn density, and an input for energizing the first multi-turn conductor to produce an electromagnetic field in the vicinity of the elongated field producing member;
• ii) an elongated field responsive member fixed with respect to the elongated field producing member including a second multi-turn conductor wound about a field responsive member axis having a second controlled turn density, said elongated field responsive member oriented in side by side, generally parallel orientation to the elongated field producing member along a length of the elongated field producing member, and having an output for providing an output signal in response to the electromagnetic field produced by the field producing member;
• iii) a coupling member connected to a second of the moveable members for movement with the second moveable member and positioned relative the field producing and field responsive members to alter the response of the field responsive member as the moveable members move relative to each other and thereby change the signal at the output of the field responsive member;
• and
• b) control circuitry including exciter means coupleable to the input of each position sensor for energizing the field producing member and monitoring means coupleable to the output from the field responsive member of each position sensor to correlate changes in the output signal with relative movement of the pairs of moveable members.

Position sensing apparatus for monitoring a relative position between two relatively moveable members comprising:

• a) an elongated field producing member with a first core coupled to a first of said moveable members and including a first multi-turn conductor wound about the first core situated along a member axis having an input for energizing the first multi-turn conductor to produce an electromagnetic field in the vicinity of the elongated field producing member;
• b) an elongated field responsive member with a second core coupled to a first of said moveable members and including a second multi-turn conductor wound about the second core situated along a second member axis, said elongated field responsive member oriented in a side by side, generally parallel orientation to the enlongated field producing member, and having an output for providing an output signal in response to the electromagnetic field produced by the field producing member;
• c) a conductive member coupled to a second moveable member which slides over one or both the field producing and field responsive members during motion of the second moveable member with respect to the first moveable member to alter the response of the field responsive member as a result of relative motion between the moving members;
• d) exciter means coupled to the input for energizing the field producing member;
• and
• e) circuit means coupled to the input from the field responsive member to correlate changes in the output signal with relative movement of the moveable members.

Position sensing apparatus for monitoring a relative position between two relatively moveable members comprising:

• a) an elongated field producing member including a core coupled to a first of said moveable members and further including a first multi-turn conductor wound about said core coupled to a second of said moveable members and an input for energizing the first multi-turn conductor to produce an electromagnetic field in the vicinity of the elongated field producing member;
• b) an elongated field responsive member coupled to the second of said moveable members for movement with respect to the elongated field producing member including a second multi-turn conductor wound about a field responsive member axis, said elongated field responsive member oriented in side by side, generally parallel orientation to the elongated field producing member along a length of the elongated field producing member, and having an output for providing an output signal in response to the electromagnetic field produced by the field producing member;
• c) exciter means coupled to the input for energizing the field producing member;
• and
• d) circuit means coupled to the output from the field responsive member to correlate changes in the output signal with relative movement of the moveable members.

A position sensor, comprising:

• a) a primary winding having a first core and a conductor wound around said first core including a multiplicity of turns spaced along at least a portion of a length of said first core;
• b) a secondary winding having a second core and a second conductor wound around said second core including a multiplicity of turns space along at least a portion of a length of said second core;
• c) said secondary winding positioned in a spaced, generally co-axial transformer coupling relationship with the primary winding with both said primary and secondary windings attached to a first of two relatively positioned members;
• and
• d) coupling means moveable with a second of said two relatively positioned members to overlie at least one of the primary and secondary windings and vary the transformer coupling between said windings as the two relatively positioned members move with respect to each other;
• e) said primary and secondary windings having controlled turn densities along both their length to provide an output signal from the secondary winding that is functionally dependent on the relative position of the two relatively positioned members and said first and second cores comprise magnetic material, the content of magnetic material within each core varying along a length of each winding.

Position sensing apparatus for monitoring a relative position between two relatively moveable members comprising:

• a) an elongated field producing member including a core coupled to a first of said moveable members and further including a first multi-turn conductor wound about and coupled to said core and an input for energizing the first multi-turn conductor to produce an electromagnetic field in the vicinity of the elongated field producing member;
• b) an elongated field responsive member coupled to the second of said moveable members for movement with respect to the elongated field producing member including a second multi-turn conductor wound about a field responsive member axis, said elongated field responsive member oriented in side by side, generally parallel orientation to the elongated field producing member along a length of the elongated field producing member, and having an output for providing an output signal in response to the electromagnetic field produced by the field producing member;
• c) a coupling member for movement with the core and coupled with said first moveable member, said coupling member surrounding at least one of said first and second multi-turn conductors;
• d) exciter means coupled to the input for energizing the field producing member;
• and
• d) circuit means coupled to the output from the field responsive member to correlate changes in the output signal with relative movement of the moveable members.