Position/motion sensor

A sensor comprising:

• a housing having an annular track disposed substantially therein;
• a substantially cylindrical contact disposed within the annular track, the substantially cylindrical contact being appropriately sized to allow movement within the annular track;
• and
• a plate coupled with the housing, the plate comprising at least one pair of electrical contacts being situated substantially adjacent to the annular track,
• wherein the substantially cylindrical contact includes helical grooves and associated ridges disposed on an exterior surface.

A sensor comprising:

• a housing having an annular track disposed substantially therein;
• a substantially cylindrical contact disposed within the annular track, the substantially cylindrical contact being appropriately sized to allow movement within the annular track;
• and
• a plate coupled with the housing, the plate comprising at least one pair of electrical contacts being situated substantially adjacent to the annular track,
• wherein the annular track is defined, at least in part, by an outer wall of the housing, an inner wall of the housing, and a face of the plate.

A sensor comprising:

• a housing having an annular track disposed substantially therein;
• a substantially cylindrical contact disposed within the annular track, the substantially cylindrical contact being appropriately sized to allow movement within the annular track;
• and
• a plate coupled with the housing, the plate comprising at least one pair of electrical contacts being situated substantially adjacent to the annular track,
• wherein a first contact and a second contact of the at least one pair of electrical contacts are sloped relative to each other so as to cradle the substantially cylindrical contact when the first and second contacts are electrically coupled via the substantially cylindrical contact.

A sensor comprising:

• a plurality of radially dispersed pairs of electrical contacts, the pairs of contacts being substantially adjacent to an annular track, the annular track being defined, at least in part, by a housing, and a plate coupled with at least one circuit board;
• and
• a substantially cylindrical contact disposed within the annular track being capable of movement with the annular track;
• wherein the plurality of radially dispersed pairs of electrical contacts are coupled with the at least one circuit board, the at least one circuit board having a plurality of electrical conductors to convey electrical signals to and from the plurality of radially dispersed pairs of electrical contacts, the electrical signals resulting, at least in part, from electrically coupling the pairs of radially dispersed electrical contacts via the substantially cylindrical contact.

A sensor comprising:

• a housing defining, in part, an annular track;
• a movable cylindrical contact contained within the annular track;
• and
• a plate coupled with the housing, the plate including one or more pairs of electrical contacts that extend into the housing positioned adjacent to the annular track, wherein the housing includes an inner wall and an outer wall that define, in part, the annular track.

A sensor comprising:

• a housing defining, in part, an annular track;
• a movable cylindrical contact contained within the annular track;
• and
• a plate coupled with the housing, the plate including one or more pairs of electrical contacts that extend into the housing positioned adjacent to the annular track, wherein the plate includes cutouts for receiving and positioning the one or more pairs of electrical contacts such that, for each contact, a tab formed on the contact is aligned with an associated slot in the housing, the tab being disposed within an associated slot when the plate is coupled with the housing.

A sensor comprising:

• a housing defining, in part, an annular track;
• a movable cylindrical contact contained within the annular track;
• and
• a plate coupled with the housing, the plate including one or more pairs of electrical contacts that extend into the housing positioned adjacent to the annular track, wherein the plate includes a post defining a mounting hole, the post being appropriately sized so as to insert into a receptacle defined by an inner wall of the housing when the plate is coupled with the housing.

A sensor comprising:

• a housing defining, in part, an annular track;
• a movable cylindrical contact contained within the annular track;
• a plate coupled with the housing, the plate including one or more pairs of electrical contacts that extend into the housing positioned adjacent to the annular track;
• at least one circuit board coupled with the plate, the one or more pairs of electrical contacts being electrically coupled with the at least one circuit board;
• and a plurality of electrical connectors coupled with the at least one circuit board for communicating electrical signals to and from the one or more pairs of electrical contacts as a result of the cylindrical contact electrically coupling individual pairs of the one or more pairs of electrical contacts.

A sensor comprising:

• a housing defining, in part, an annular track;
• a movable cylindrical contact contained within the annular track;
• and
• a plate coupled with the housing, the plate including one or more pairs of electrical contacts that extend into the housing positioned adjacent to the annular track, wherein the one or more pairs of electrical contacts are positioned within one or more recesses formed in an outer wall of the housing.

A sensor comprising:

• a housing defining, in part, an annular track;
• a movable cylindrical contact contained within the annular track;
• and
• a plate coupled with the housing, the plate including one or more pairs of electrical contacts that extend into the housing positioned adjacent to the annular track, wherein a first and second contact of each pair of the one or more pairs of electrical contacts are sloped relative to one another so as to cradle the cylindrical contact and increase an angular dwell of the cylindrical contact within each pair as the housing is moved.

A sensor comprising:

• a housing defining, in part, an annular track;
• a movable cylindrical contact contained within the annular track;
• and
• a plate coupled with the housing, the plate including one or more pairs of electrical contacts that extend into the housing positioned adjacent to the annular track, wherein the cylindrical contact includes helical grooves formed thereon, the grooves having associated ridges, the points of the ridges resulting in an electrical connection between a first contact and a second contact of each pair of the one or more pairs of electrical contacts when the cylindrical contact is appropriately positioned.