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Joystick generating a polar coordinates signal utilizing a rotating magnetic field within a hollow toroid core

  • US 5,559,432 A
  • Filed: 06/29/1994
  • Issued: 09/24/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1992
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A joystick generating a polar coordinates signal in which the signal phase angle represents the joystick tilt direction, and the signal amplitude represents the magnitude of tilt, said joystick comprising:

  • a) a toroidal shaped azimuth flux directing means concentrically attached to one end of an operator rod, the said operator rod being pivotably mounted in a housing;

    b) a polar sensor having an annular sensing face driven by a rotating magnetic field within a hollow toroid driving core for generating said polar coordinates signal;

    i) the said driving core comprising;

    ii) a hollow toroid core formed of a ferromagnetic material having an octagonal outer circumference;

    iii) a bore disposed in the center of a flat portion of the octagonal shaped outer circumference, the axis of said bore being perpendicular to the central axis of the hollow toroid core;

    iv) the polar sensor being mounted partially within the said bore, with an extending portion outside the hollow toroid wall;

    v) a first excitation winding wound within the hollow toroid core for inducing a first magnetic field throughout the hollow toroid core;

    vi) a second excitation winding wound around the outside of the hollow toroid core, comprising four sub-coils at equally spaced positions, being wound in symmetry to the mounted polar sensor, for flux balance, said second excitation winding for inducing a second magnetic field throughout the hollow toroid core;

    vii) sine-cosine excitation being applied to the first and second excitation windings for inducing a rotating magnetic field throughout the hollow toroid core, said field having distributive axes perpendicular to a line drawn tangent to the surface of the hollow toroid core at all points;

    viii) the hollow toroid core being separable for assembly;

    ix) the hollow toroid driving core being rigidly mounted in the housing with the mounted polar sensor disposed concentrically adjacent the toroidal shaped azimuth flux directing means.

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