Angular motion sensor

• US 4,718,276 A
• Filed: 04/10/1986
• Issued: 01/12/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tech Corporation Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Applied Technologies Associates, Inc.
• Inventors: Laughlin, Darren R.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAPMAN JR, JOHN E
• Application Number:
  US06/850,129
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 73/516 LM, 73/517 A, 73/652, 73/654, 310/11
• US Class Current: 73/514.03
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/006 by making use of fluid seismic masses
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0888 for indicating angular acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/44 for measuring angular speed G01P3/56 takes precedence

Abstract

A solid electrode in the core of an angular motion sensor has a body of conductive fluid confined therein within an annular flux gap between axially spaced magnets. An arrangement of slots in the walls of the electrode modifies the current, induced in the fluid by inertial displacement, into a circumferential component, which is inductively coupled to an output winding from which an output signal is obtained.

Claims

1. In angular motion sensor having an electrically conductive fluid flowing along a predetermined path, means for producing a magnetic field through which the fluid flows along said path and electrode means in contact with said fluid for detecting electric current induced therein, the improvement comprising means for modifying said induced current detected by the electrode means and coupling means mounted in inductive relation to the electrode means for converting the modified induced current into an output signal, said electrode means being a solid annular member within which the fluid is confined, said current modifying means comprising slot means formed in the member at angle to said path for producing a circumferential component of the induced current in the annular member inductively coupled to the coupling means.

2. The improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein said predetermined path is a circle having an axis extending centrally through the electrode means.

3. The improvement as defined in claim 2 wherein said coupling means includes a core within which the electrode means is mounted and an output winding mounted in the core in inductive relation to the electrode means.

4. The improvement as defined in claim 2 wherein the solid annular member has radially outer and inner wall portions interconnected by a bottom wall portion to define an annular channel within which the fluid is confined, said slot means comprising a plurality of angularly spaced slots extending through said wall portions of the annular member intersecting the outer and inner wall portions at equal acute angles to said axis, and additional angularly spaced slots extending radially through the outer and inner wall portions in angularly spaced relation to said first mentioned slots.