Cylinder with fiber optical position sensing device
AssigneeParker-Hannifin Corporation
InventorUlrich W. Neumann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fluid-pressure actuated piston/cylinder assembly having a sensor capable of reading at least one indicia marking on a piston rod in order to determine the movement and specific location of the piston rod and cylinder relative to each other. The sensor is housed within a sealing gland that is incorporated into the piston/cylinder assembly and is isolated from the fluid pressure and external elements outside of the assembly. The method of providing a compact, accurate position detecting system for the noted piston/cylinder assembly is also set forth.
Claims11
An apparatus for sensing movement of a first object relative to a second object, the apparatus comprising:
- indicia markings formed on the first object;
- a sensor capable of reading the indicia markings, the sensor being supported in a radial bore of the second object;
- and
- a slipper element biased into engagement with the first object and spacing the sensor radially away from the first object by a predetermined distance.
An apparatus for sensing movement of a piston assembly relative to a cylinder, the apparatus comprising:
- indicia markings formed on a peripheral surface of a rod portion of the piston assembly;
- a radial bore extending into a sealing gland portion of the cylinder;
- a sensor capable of reading the indicia markings, the sensor being supported in the radial bore;
- and
- a slipper element biased into engagement with the peripheral surface of the rod portion of the piston assembly and spacing the sensor radially away from the indicia by a predetermined distance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.