US 6,498,480 B1 · Magnetic non-contacting rotary transducer

Abstract

A magnetic rotary transducer for providing a signal indicative of a rotational position of a control shaft about a rotational axis over a defined range of rotation is disclosed. The magnetic rotary transducer comprises a pair of magnets and a rotor including a pair of loop pole pieces, and an elongated pole piece having a first end adjoined to one of the loop pole pieces and a second end adjoined to the other loop pole piece. Each loop pole piece includes an inner surface defining an air gap area. The control shaft is positioned within the air gap area of one of the loop pole pieces and adjoined thereto whereby the rotor synchronously rotates with the control shaft about the axis over the defined range of rotation. The pair of magnets are adjoined to the other loop pole piece whereby two separate and distinct magnetic fields are generated within the air gap are of the loop pole piece. The magnetic rotary transducer further comprises a magnetic flux sensitive transducer positioned within the air gap area. The magnetic flux sensitive transducer is operable to provide a signal indicative of the rotational position of the control shaft.

Claims39

Dependent claims

A magnetic rotary transducer for sensing the instantaneous rotational position of an object, comprising:

a loop pole piece operable to be rotated about an axis between a first rotational position and a second rotational position, said loop pole piece defining an air gap area;
a first magnet generating a first magnetic field within said air gap area, said first magnet adjoined to said loop pole piece whereby said first magnetic field is synchronously rotated with said loop pole piece about said axis;
a second magnet generating a second magnetic field within said air gap area and spaced from said first magnetic field, said second magnet adjoined to said loop pole piece whereby said second magnetic field is synchronously rotated with said loop pole piece about said axis;
a control shaft operably coupled between the loop pole piece and the object whereby said first and second magnetic fields are synchronously rotated about said axis in response to rotation of the object;
and
a first magnetic flux sensitive transducer positioned within said air gap area, said first magnetic flux sensitive transducer operable to provide a first signal indicative of a third rotational position of said loop pole piece corresponding to the instantaneous rotational position of the object.

3 more elements

A system for sensing the instantaneous rotational position of an object, comprising:

a control shaft operable to be rotated about an axis between a first rotational position and a second rotational position, said control shaft operably coupled to the object to synchronously rotate said control shaft in response to rotation of the object;
a first loop pole piece operable to be synchronously rotated with said control shaft about said axis, said first loop pole piece defining an air gap area;
a first magnet generating a first magnetic field within said air gap area, said first magnet adjoined to said first loop pole piece whereby said first magnetic field is synchronously rotated with said control shaft about said axis;
a second magnet generating a second magnetic field within said air gap area and spaced from said first magnetic field, said second magnet adjoined to said first loop pole piece whereby said second magnetic field is synchronously rotated with said control shaft about said axis;
and
a first magnetic flux sensitive transducer positioned within said air gap area, said first magnetic flux sensitive transducer operable to provide a first signal indicative of a third rotational position of said control shaft between said first rotational position and said second rotational position corresponding to the instantaneous rotational position of the object.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Magnetic non-contacting rotary transducer

Life of this patent

Magnetic non-contacting rotary transducer

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims39