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US 7,741,839 B2Granted
Non-contacting position sensor using a rotating magnetic vector
AssigneeCTS Corporation
InventorCraig Allen Jarrard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sensor for sensing the position of an object includes a magnet and a magnetic flux sensor. The magnet has dimensions that include a length, a width and a height. The magnet is adapted to generate a flux field. The flux field has a magnitude of flux and a flux direction. The flux direction changes along at least one of the dimensions. The magnetic flux sensor is mounted adjacent the magnet. The magnet provides a rotating magnetic field vector. A method for magnetizing a magnet to create the rotating magnetic field vector is also disclosed.
Claims18
A sensor comprising:
- a) a magnet including a length and a height defining a longitudinal plane and a width defining an interior;
- b) the magnet being adapted to generate a rotating flux vector in the interior of the magnet, the flux vector having a magnitude and a direction and a plane of rotation;
- and
- c) the direction of the flux vector in the interior of the magnet continuously changing along the length of the magnet, the plane of rotation of the rotating flux vector being in the same orientation as the longitudinal plane of the magnet.
1 more element
A sensor comprising:
- a) a magnet defining a plane and an interior and adapted to generate a flux field whose direction in the interior of the magnet changes continuously in the plane of the magnet;
- and
- b) a magnetic flux sensor mounted in proximity to the magnet, the magnet and the magnetic flux sensor being moveable relative to each other in a direction of measurement, the magnetic flux sensor being adapted to sense the direction of the flux and generate an electrical signal that is representative of the direction of the flux, the direction of the flux field being at least partially in the same direction as the direction of measurement.
A sensor comprising:
- a) a magnet with a flux having a magnitude and a direction within the magnet, the direction of the flux within the magnet changing a plurality of times along the magnet;
- and
- b) a sensor for sensing the direction of the flux and generating an electrical signal that is representative of the direction of the flux in response to movement of the magnet and the sensor in a direction relative to each other, the direction of the flux within the magnet being at least partially the same as the direction of the movement of the magnet and the sensor relative to each other.
A sensor comprising:
- a) a magnet defining a longitudinal axis and generating a flux vector therewithin having a flux magnitude and a variable flux direction, the flux direction continuously changing along and in the same plane as the longitudinal axis of the magnet;
- and
- b) a magnetic flux sensor mounted in proximity to the magnet, the magnet and the magnetic flux sensor being moveable relative to each other, the magnetic flux sensor being adapted to sense the variable flux direction and generate an electrical signal representative of the variable flux direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.