Joystick generating a polar coordinates signal utilizing a rotating magnetic field within a hollow toroid core
First Claim
Patent Images
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.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A joystick transducer utilizing a rotating magnetic field within a hollow toroid core, this rotating field drives a polar sensor element to which a 360 degree variable flux coupling element is operated by a joysyick to generate an output signal the phase angle of which corresponds to the azimuth direction of joystick tilt and the amplitude of this same signal corresponds to the magnitude of joystick tilt. A plurality of independent joysticks are also provide on one hollow driving core.
-
Citations
10 Claims
-
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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. 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 joystick tilt, said joystick comprising:
-
i) an operating rod for rotating a flux coupling means;
the said flux coupling means comprising;ii) a segmented sphere formed of ferromagnetic material mounted in the lower hemisphere of a non-metallic sphere, the said segmented sphere being being coaxial with with the lower hemisphere; iii) the said non-metallic sphere being rotatably supported in a spherical socket;
the said socket being mounted in a housing means;a) a polar sensor driven by a rotating magnetic within a hollow toroid driving core for generating said polar coordinates signal; b) the said driving core comprising; a hollow toroid core formed of ferromagnetic material having a bore disposed in the outer circumference wall, the axis of the said bore being perpendicular to the central axis of the hollow toroid core; c) the said polar sensor being mounted partially within the said bore leaving an extending portion outside the driving core wall; d) a first excitation winding wound within the hollow toroid core, for inducing a first magnetic field throughout the hollow toroid; e) a second excitation winding wound around the outside of the hollow toroid core for inducing a second magnetic field throughout the hollow toroid core, said second excitation winding being sub-divided and wound in symmetry to the mounted polar sensor for flux symmetry; f) sine-cosine excitation being applied to the first and second excitation windings for inducing a rotating magnetic field throughout the hollow toroid core, said rotating magnetic field having distributive axes prependicular to the core surface at all points; g) the said driving core being separable for assembly; h) the hollow toroid driving core being rigidly mounted in the said housing with the mounted polar sensor disposed concentrically adjacent the said flux coupling means. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
-
Specification