Method and apparatus for sensing relative position between two relatively rotatable members
First Claim
1. An apparatus for sensing the relative rotational position between first and second relatively rotatable members, comprising:
- a transmitter disk having a planar surface and being mountable to said first member so that said planar surface of said transmitter disk is substantially perpendicular the an axis of rotation of the first and second members, said transmitter disk having a conductive material mounted to said planar surface and patterned in the form of a circle having a sinusoidally modified diameter; and
a receiving disk having a planar surface and being mountable to said second member so that said planar surface of said receiving disk is substantially perpendicular the an axis of rotation of the first and second members, said receiving disk having a conductive material mounted thereon and arranged in a pattern so as to receive a signal from said transmitter disk and output a signal indicative of the relative rotational position of the first and second members.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for sensing the relative rotational position between first and second relatively rotatable members includes a transmitter disk having a planar surface and being mountable to the first member so that the planar surface of the transmitter disk is substantially perpendicular the an axis of rotation of the first and second members. The transmitter disk has a conductive material mounted to the planar surface in a circular pattern with a sinusoidal diameter. A receiving disk having a planar surface and is mountable to the second member so that the planar surface of the transmitter disk is substantially perpendicular the an axis of rotation of the first and second members. The receiving disk has a conductive material mounted thereon and arranged in a circular pattern with a squarewave diameter so as to receive a signal from the transmitter disk and output a signal indicative of the relative rotational position of the first and second members.
92 Citations
31 Claims
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1. An apparatus for sensing the relative rotational position between first and second relatively rotatable members, comprising:
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a transmitter disk having a planar surface and being mountable to said first member so that said planar surface of said transmitter disk is substantially perpendicular the an axis of rotation of the first and second members, said transmitter disk having a conductive material mounted to said planar surface and patterned in the form of a circle having a sinusoidally modified diameter; and a receiving disk having a planar surface and being mountable to said second member so that said planar surface of said receiving disk is substantially perpendicular the an axis of rotation of the first and second members, said receiving disk having a conductive material mounted thereon and arranged in a pattern so as to receive a signal from said transmitter disk and output a signal indicative of the relative rotational position of the first and second members. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An apparatus for sensing the relatively rational position between a stator and a rotor of a variable reluctance motor, said apparatus comprising:
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a transmitter disk having a planar surface and being mountable to said rotor so that said planar surface of said transmitter disk is substantially perpendicular the an axis of rotation of said rotor, said transmitter disk having a conductive material mounted to said planar surface and patterned in the form of a circle having a sinusoidal modified diameter; and a receiving disk having a planar surface and being mountable to said stator so that said planar surface of said receiving disk is substantially perpendicular the an axis of rotation of the rotor, said receiving disk having a conductive material mounted thereon and arranged in a pattern so as to receive a signal from said transmitter disk and output a signal indicative of the relative rotational position of said rotor relative to said stator; means for coupling a transmitting signal to said conductive layer of said transmitter disk; and means for receiving an output signal from said conductive material of said receiving disk. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for sensing the relative rotational position between first and second relatively rotatable members, comprising:
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(a) providing a transmitter disk having a planar surface; (b) securing a conductive material to the planar surface of the transmitter disk in a circular pattern having a sinusoidal diameter; (c) mounting said transmitter disk to said first member so that said planar surface of said transmitter disk is substantially perpendicular the an axis of rotation of the first and second members; and (d) providing a receiving disk having a planar surface; (e) securing a conductive material to the planar surface of the receiving disk in a pattern so as to receive a signal from the transmitter disk and output of a signal indicative of the relative rotational position of the first and second members; and (f) mounting said receiving disk to said second member so that said planar surface of said receiving disk is substantially perpendicular the an axis of rotation of the first and second members. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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19. A method sensing the relative rational position between a stator and a rotor of a variable reluctance motor, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a transmitter disk having a planar surface; (b) mounting said transmitter disk to said rotor so that said planar surface of said transmitter disk is substantially perpendicular to an axis of rotation of said rotor; (c) securing a conductive material to said planar surface of said transmitter disk in a circular pattern having a sinusoidal diameter; (d) providing a receiving disk having a planar surface; (e) mounting said receiving disk to said stator so that said planar surface of said receiving disk is substantially perpendicular the an axis of rotation of the rotor; (f) securing a conductive material to said planar surface of said receiving disk in a circular pattern with a squarewave diameter so as to receive a signal from said transmitter disk and output a signal indicative of the relative rotational position of said rotor relative to said stator; (g) coupling a transmitting signal to said conductive layer of said transmitter disk; and (h) receiving an output signal from said conductive material of said receiving disk. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. An apparatus for sensing position of a rotor relative to a stator in a variable reluctance motor, said apparatus comprising:
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a first disk having a planar surface, said first disk mounted to said rotor so that said planar surface of said first disk is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor; a second disk having a planar surface, said second disk being mounted so as to be stationary relative to the stator and adjacent said first disk with said planar surface of said first and second disks being substantially parallel; a transmitter coil carried by one of said first and second disks, said transmitter coil being in a circular shape having a diameter modified by a sinusoid; a receiving coil carried by the other of said first and second disks; means for generating a drive signal and coupling said drive signal to said transmitter coil; and means for monitoring the output of said receiving coil and for determining the relative rotation between the rotor and the stator in response to the monitored signal. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. An apparatus for sensing position of a rotor relative to a stator in a variable reluctance motor, said apparatus comprising:
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a first disk having a planar surface, said first disk mounted to said rotor so that said planar surface of said first disk is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor; a second disk having a planar surface, said second disk being mounted so as to be stationary relative to the stator and adjacent said first disk with said planar surface of said first and second disks being substantially parallel; a transmitter coil carried by one of said first and second disks, said transmitter coil being two coils, each in the shape of a circle having a sinusoidal diameter and being mounted to an associated side of one of the disks with the sinusoids being 180 degrees out of phase; a receiving coil carried by the other of said first and second disks; means for generating a drive signal and coupling said drive signal to said transmitter coil; and means for monitoring the output of said receiving coil and for determining the relative rotation between the rotor and the stator in response to the monitored signal.
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26. An apparatus for sensing position of a rotor relative to a stator in a variable reluctance motor, said apparatus comprising:
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a first disk having a planar surface, said first disk mounted to said rotor so that said planar surface of said first disk is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor; a second disk having a planar surface, said second disk being mounted so as to be stationary relative to the stator and adjacent said first disk with said planar surface of said first and second disks being substantially parallel; a transmitter coil carried by one of said first and second disks; a receiving coil carried by the other of said first and second disks, said receiving coil including three disk layers, each layer having a receiving coil pattern having the same shape and mounted to said other of said first and second disks in electrically insulated layers, said receiving coil patterns being offset from an adjacent disk receiving coil pattern by 120 electrical degrees; means for generating a continuous alternating current drive signal and coupling said continuous alternating current drive signal to said transmitter coil; and means for monitoring the output of said receiving coil and for determining the relative rotation between the rotor and the stator in response to the monitored signal.
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27. A method for sensing position of a rotor relative to a stator in a variable reluctance motor, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a first disk having a planar surface; (b) mounting said first disk to said rotor so that said planar surface of said first disk is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor; (c) providing a second disk having a planar surface; (d) mounting said second disk so as to be stationary relative to the stator and adjacent said first disk with said planar surface of said first and second disks being substantially parallel; (e) providing a transmitter coil and mounting said transmitter coil in the shape of a circle having a sinusoidal diameter to one of said first and second disks; (f) providing a receiving coil and mounting said receiving coil to the other of said first and second disks; (g) generating a drive signal; (h) coupling said drive signal to said transmitter coil; (i) monitoring the output of said receiving coil; and (j) determining the relative rotation between the rotor and the stator in response to the monitored signal. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. A method for sensing position of a rotor relative to a stator in a variable reluctance motor, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a first disk having a planar surface; (b) mounting said first disk to said rotor so that said planar surface of said first disk is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor; (c) providing a second disk having a planar surface; (d) mounting said second disk so as to be stationary relative to the stator and adjacent said first disk with said planar surface of said first and second disks being substantially parallel; (e) providing transmitter coils, each in the shape of a circle having a sinusoidal diameter and mounting said transmitter coils to an associated side of one of said first and second disks so that their circles are 180 degrees out of phase relative to each other; (f) providing a receiving coil and mounting said receiving coil to the other of said first and second disks; (g) generating a drive signal; (h) coupling said drive signal to said transmitter coil; (i) monitoring the output of said receiving coil; and (j) determining the relative rotation between the rotor and the stator in response to the monitored signal.
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31. A method for sensing position of a rotor relative to a stator in a variable reluctance motor, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a first disk having a planar surface; (b) mounting said first disk to said rotor so that said planar surface of said first disk is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor; (c) providing a second disk having a planar surface; (d) mounting said second disk so as to be stationary relative to the stator and adjacent said first disk with said planar surface of said first and second disks being substantially parallel; (e) providing a transmitter coil and mounting said transmitter coil to one of said first and second disks; (f) providing a receiving coil and mounting said receiving coil to the other of said first and second disks so that said receiving coil includes three coil patterns having the same shape mounted in three separate electrically insulated layers and offset from each other by 120 electrical degrees; (g) generating a continuous alternating current drive signal; (h) coupling said continuous alternating current drive signal to said transmitter coil; (i) monitoring the output of said receiving coil; and (j) determining the relative rotation between the rotor and the stator in response to the monitored signal.
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Specification