Integral hall effect limit switch for control valve stem position sensor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A position sensor assembly comprising:
- a first pole piece;
a second pole piece;
a primary sensor disposed between the first and section pole pieces, wherein said first and second pole pieces form a primary flux path through the primary sensor and permit a leakage flux path outside the primary sensor; and
a secondary sensor disposed in the leakage flux path.
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Abstract
A non-contacting position sensor having primary and secondary sensors detects relative displacement between two objects. The secondary sensor may function as a limit switch detection element in a limit switch circuit, and is positioned to be in the path of magnetic flux not detected by the primary sensor. The primary sensor is positioned in a flux path between sections of a flux gathering pole. A secondary sensor is positioned in a leakage flux path outside the first sensor or may be positioned in a secondary flux path.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A position sensor assembly comprising:
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a first pole piece;
a second pole piece;
a primary sensor disposed between the first and section pole pieces, wherein said first and second pole pieces form a primary flux path through the primary sensor and permit a leakage flux path outside the primary sensor; and
a secondary sensor disposed in the leakage flux path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A position sensor assembly, comprising:
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a primary sensor including at least one Hall Effect sensing element being responsive to magnetic fields;
a secondary sensor including at least one Hall Effect sensing element being responsive to magnetic fields;
a U-shaped flux-gathering pole piece for collecting and directing magnetic flux at least to the primary sensor, the flux-gathering pole piece being constructed by the symmetric placement of a first and a second L-shaped section of magnetically permeable material forming a U-shape with a bifurcated base, the bifurcated base of the U-shaped pole piece having a gap separating the first and second L-shaped sections;
said primary sensor being disposed between an end of each of the first and second L-shaped portions; and
a magnetic flux source for generating a magnetic field that varies in a substantially linear manner. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A position sensor assembly comprising:
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a sensor housing;
a U-shaped pole piece aligned by the sensor housing, said U-shaped pole piece including a first L-shaped section and a second L-shaped section, wherein the first L-shaped section terminates at an asymmetric Y-shaped portion and the second L-shaped section terminates at a second asymmetric Y-shaped portion;
a primary sensor positioned between a first end of each of the first and second asymmetric Y-shaped portions, said first end of each of the first and second asymmetric Y-shaped portions being at a head of the respective asymmetric Y-shaped portion; and
a secondary sensor positioned between a second end of each of the first and second asymmetric Y-shaped portions, said second end of each of the first and second asymmetric Y-shaped portions also being at the head of the respective asymmetric Y-shaped portion. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for detecting relative position, including:
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providing a first pole piece and a second pole piece in proximity to a magnetic flux source;
providing a first position sensor having at least one Hall Effect sensing element therein in a primary flux path formed by the first and second pole pieces;
providing a second position sensor having at least one Hall Effect sensing element therein in a leakage flux path outside the first position sensor. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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Specification