US 7,443,159 B2 · Sensor unit with staggered actuation faces

Abstract

An inductive sensor for detecting the position of a vehicle seat or for a gate shifting unit of an automatic transmission is described. The inductive sensor unit has a plurality of sensor coils that are disposed in planar fashion on a printed circuit board A conductive actuation element is guided, spaced apart, in a path over the sensor coils and an electrical evaluation circuit detects changes in inductance of the sensor coils in accordance with the path position of the actuation element and converts the changes into electrical signals corresponding to seat position signals on gear shifting signals. The actuation element is guided along the sensor coils with conductive bottom faces that are staggered in the direction of the path.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An inductive sensor unit (1), which detects the position of a vehicle seat, said unit having:

a plurality of sensor coils (L1 . . . Li) disposed in planar fashion on a printed circuit board (3), and
a conductive actuating element (7), adapted to be guided in, spaced apart relationship (a), on a path along the sensor coils (L1 . . . Li), said conductive actuating element having conductive bottom faces and an electrical evaluation circuit (5, 11-17;
19), which detects changes in inductance of the sensor coils (L1 . . . Li) in accordance with a path position (x) of the actuating element (7) and which converts the changes into electrical signals into seat position signals,
wherein the actuating element (7) is guided along the sensor coils (L1 . . . Li) with conductive bottom faces (9, 9′, 9″, 10) that are staggered in the direction of the path.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Sensor unit with staggered actuation faces

Life of this patent

Sensor unit with staggered actuation faces

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20