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US 9,851,225 B2Granted
Nonvolatile multitum rotation sensor with magnetic particle following a spiral track
AssigneeRockwell Automation Technologies, Inc.
InventorsBrian Gregory, Weiya Zhang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A non-volatile, absolute rotation sensor employs a radial guide and spiral guide rotating with respect to each other to move a marker element continuously along the radial guide so that a distance of the marker element along the radial guide provides an indication of shaft movement over multiple turns. A sensor system senses the distance of the marker element along the radial guide to provide an electric output.
Claims18
An absolute rotation sensor comprising:
- a housing adapted to receive a shaft rotatable along an axis;
- a marker element being a magnetic particle;
- a radial guide slidably supporting the marker element to move along a radial path perpendicular to the axis;
- a spiral guide corralling the marker element to follow a spiral path about the axis, wherein the marker element is guided by magnetic attraction between the marker element and at least one of the radial guide and spiral guide:
- wherein one of the radial guide and spiral guide are attached to the shaft, so that the spiral guide rotates about the axis with respect to the radial guide causing the marker element to move progressively along radial path with rotation of the shaft;
- and
- a sensor system identifying a location of the marker element along the radial guide to output at least a number of turns of the shaft according to a position of the marker element along the radial guide.
4 more elements
A method of measuring absolute rotational turns employing a rotation sensor having:
- a housing adapted to receive a shaft rotatable along an axis;
- a marker element being a magnetic particle;
- a radial guide slidably supporting a marker element to move along a radial path perpendicular to the axis;
- a spiral guide corralling the marker element to follow a spiral path about the axis wherein the marker element is guided by magnetic attraction between the marker element and at least one of the radial guide and spiral guide;
- wherein one of the radial guide and spiral guide are attached to the shaft so that the spiral guide rotates about the axis with respect to the radial guide causing the marker element to move progressively along the radial path with rotation of the shaft;
- and
- a sensor system identifying a location of the marker element along the radial guide to output at least a number of turns of the shaft according to a position of the marker element along the radial guide;
- the method comprising:
- (a) rotating the shaft to move the marker element along the radial path under an influence of the spiral guide;
- (b) sensing the location of the marker element to reveal a number of turns of the shaft according to a position of the marker element along the radial guide.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.