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US 6,639,206 B1Granted
Rotary angle sensor for a rotary member
AssigneeSnap-On Deustchland Holding GmbH
InventorsKarl L. Rothamel, Lorenz Lenhardt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotary angle sensor for a rotary member such as a motor vehicle wheel comprises an emitter, and a plurality of reflectors arranged in the form of flat surfaces on a circular-cylindrical surface of the rotary member or of a rotational portion which in operation rotates with the rotary member, light emitted by the emitter being reflected by the reflectors and received by a detector. The detector produces corresponding signals which are evaluated in an evaluation arrangement for detection of the rotational angle involved.
Claims26
A rotary angle sensor for a rotary member, comprising:
- an emitter operable to emit a light beam,
- a rigid sleeve-shaped device having reflective surface portions forming reflectors, the reflectors being arranged at equal angular spacings from each other on an outside surface of the device, for reflecting light emitted by the emitter, the device being removably mountable about a rotary member and rotatable about an axis of rotation of the rotary member,
- a detector adapted to receive the reflected light and produce corresponding signals, and
- an evaluation device connected to the detector and adapted to evaluate the signals for rotary angle detection.
1 more element
A rotary angle sensor for a rotary member, comprising:
- an emitter operable to emit a light beam,
- a rigid sleeve-shaped device having reflective surface portions forming reflectors, the reflectors being arranged at equal angular spacings from each other on an outside surface of the device, for reflecting light emitted by the emitter, the device being removably mountable about a rotary member and rotatable about an axis of rotation of the rotary member,
- a detector adapted to receive the reflected light and produce corresponding signals, and
- an evaluation device connected to the detector and adapted to evaluate the signals for rotary angle detection,
- wherein the reflectors are formed by cylindrical surface portions whose cylinder axes extend parallel to the axis of rotation.
2 more elements
A rotary angle sensor, comprising
- an emitter operable to emit a light beam,
- means having reflective surface portions forming reflectors arranged at equal angular spacings from each other at the periphery of a circular-cylindrical surface on a circle rotatable about an axis of rotation of the rotary member, for reflecting light emitted by the emitter, the surface portions forming the reflectors each being of a convex or a concave configuration with respect to the emitter and detector;
- a detector adapted to receive the reflected light and produce corresponding signals, and
- an evaluation device connected to the detector and adapted to evaluate the signals for rotary angle detection.
1 more element
A rotary angle sensor for a rotary member, comprising
- an emitter operable to emit a light beam,
- means having reflective surface portions forming reflectors arranged at equal angular spacings from each other at the periphery of a circular-cylindrical surface on a circle rotatable about an axis of rotation of the rotary member, for reflecting light emitted by the emitter, the means having reflective surface portions comprising a flexible band, the band comprising first and second mutually parallel strips arranged at a spacing and a plurality of lands between the strips, the lands forming the reflectors;
- a detector adapted to receive the reflected light and produce corresponding signals, and
- an evaluation device connected to the detector and adapted to evaluate the signals for rotary angle detection.
1 more element
A rotary angle sensor for a rotary member, comprising
- an emitter operable to emit a light beam,
- means having reflective surface portions forming reflectors arranged at equal angular spacings from each other at the periphery of a circular-cylindrical surface on a circle rotatable about an axis of rotation of the rotary member, for reflecting light emitted by the emitter, the means having reflective surface portions comprising a flexible band,
- a detector adapted to receive the reflected light and produce corresponding signals, and
- an evaluation device connected to the detector and adapted to evaluate the signals for rotary angle detection.
1 more element
A rotary angle sensor for a rotary member, comprising
- an emitter operable to emit a light beam,
- means having reflective surface portions forming reflectors arranged at equal angular spacings from each other at the periphery of a circular-cylindrical surface on a circle rotatable about an axis of rotation of the rotary member, for reflecting light emitted by the emitter, the means having reflective surface portions comprising first and second mutually parallel strips arranged at a spacing and a plurality of lands between the strips,
- a detector adapted to receive the reflected light and produce corresponding signals, and
- an evaluation device connected to the detector and adapted to evaluate the signals for rotary angle detection.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.