Torque sensor
AssigneeNCTEngineering GmbH
InventorLutz May
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A torque sensor having a sensor element, wherein the sensor element is manufactured in accordance with the manufacturing steps of applying a first current pulse to the sensor element, wherein the first current pulse is applied such that there is a first current flow in a first direction along a longitudinal axis of the sensor element, wherein the first current pulse is such that the application of the current pulse generates a magnetically encoded region in the sensor element.
Claims46
A torque sensor, comprising:
- a sensor element having a magnetically encoded region generated by applying a first current pulse to the sensor element so that there is a first current flow in a first flow direction along a longitudinal axis of the sensor element, a magnetic field structure of the magnetically encoded region having a first magnetic flow in a second direction substantially perpendicular to a surface of the sensor and a second magnetic flow in a third direction substantially opposite the second direction.
Method of magnetically encoding a sensor element for a torque sensor, the method comprising the steps of:
- applying a first current pulse to sensor element;
- wherein the first current pulse is applied such that there is a first current flow in a first direction along a longitudinal axis of the sensor element;
- wherein the first current pulse is such that the application of the current pulse generates a magnetically encoded region in the sensor element;
- wherein the sensor element has a circumferential surface surrounding a core region of the sensor element;
- wherein the first current pulse is introduced into the sensor element at a first location at the circumferential surface such that there is the first current flow in the first direction in the core region of the sensor element;
- and
- wherein the first current pulse is discharged from the sensor element at a second location at the circumferential surface;
- wherein the second location is at a distance in the first direction from the first location.
A shaft for a torque sensor, comprising:
- an element having a magnetically encoded region generated by applying a first current pulse to the element so that there is a first current flow in a first flow direction along a longitudinal axis of the element, a magnetic field structure of the magnetically encoded region having a first magnetic flow in a second direction substantially perpendicular to a surface of the sensor and a second magnetic flow in a third direction substantially opposite the second direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.