Tranducer of angular quantities for a cycle
AssigneeCampagnolo S.r.l.
InventorGianfranco Guderzo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A transducer comprising a fixed part and a mobile part which are mounted for relative motion about a given axis. On the shaft of the rotor part there is fitted a magnetized element consisting, for example, of an annular element diametrically magnetized at a single pair of poles. Mounted on the fixed part is a pair of Hall-effect sensors which are set angularly staggered by 90° about the axis of rotation of the shaft. The Hall-effect sensors generate corresponding output signals having values that vary in a continuous range. The values of the output signals generated by the transducer uniquely identify the relative positions of the aforesaid fixed and mobile parts with respect to the axis of rotation.
Claims23
The combination of a motor driven bicycle gear changer and a transducer for detecting rotation of a shaft associated with the gear changer, the combination comprising:
- a shell positioned within the bottom bracket of a bicycle frame;
- an electric motor which includes an output shaft associated with a drive means of the bottom bracket;
- a rotor that is associated with the motor and is rotated by the motor about an axis;
- a stator connected to the shell;
- a magnetized element connected to the rotor;
- an integrated microcontroller;
- and,
- a transducer comprising at least one pair of linear, ratiometric and temperature compensated Hall-effect sensors that are connected to the stator in proximity to the magnetized element, set angularly staggered with respect to one another, and produce at least first and second analog, sinusoidal output signals corresponding to a relative position of the magnetized element;
- whereby the output signals are communicated to the integrated microcontroller to indicate a rotational position of the shaft, and for determining the direction of rotation of the shaft.
The combination of a bicycle frame and a positional transducer, the combination comprising:
- a bicycle frame with a bottom bracket;
- a shell that is mounted within the bottom bracket of the bicycle frame and encloses a first fixed element and a first mobile element which are mounted for relative movement with respect to each other about a common axis extending through the shell;
- a magnetized element fixed to a selected first element from the first fixed and first mobile elements;
- at least one pair of Hall-effect sensors that are in communication with an integrated microcontroller unit angularly positioned with respect to one another about the common axis and fixed to the other non-selected first element;
- and
- at least one pair of conductors, each connected to a respective Hall-effect sensor, for communicating analog outputting signals, generated by the Hall-effect sensors in response to relative movement of the first fixed element and the first mobile element about the common axis, to the integrated microcontroller.
A cycle transducer of angular quantities and processor combination unit comprising:
- a shell, adapted for a bottom bracket of a bicycle frame;
- a rotor, which includes a shaft, rotatably mounted inside the shell about an axis;
- a stator rigidly mounted within the shell substantially centered about the axis;
- a magnetized element rigidly connected to the rotor;
- at least one pair of linear, ratiometric and temperature compensated Hall-effect sensors, set angularly staggered with respect to one another and rigidly connected to the stator in proximity to the magnetized element, that produce at least first and second alternating output signals corresponding to a relative position of the magnetized element;
- and,
- a processing unit for receiving the output signals and determining angular position and direction of rotation of the shaft.
The combination of a bicycle frame and a transducer of angular quantities comprising:
- a bicycle frame including a bottom bracket;
- first and second parts mounted in the bottom bracket for relative movement of rotation about a given axis;
- a magnetized element fixed to one of said first and second parts;
- at least one pair of Hall-effect sensors, set angularly staggered with respect to one another about said given axis and fixed to the other of said first and second parts, that generates output signals associated with the presence of said magnetized element with values varying in a continuous range for uniquely identifying the relative position of said first and second parts with respect to said given axis and communicating the output signals to an integrated microcontroller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.