Electronic caliper using a reduced offset induced current position transducer
First Claim
1. An electronic caliper comprising:
- a slide;
an elongated beam having a measuring axis, the slide movable along the measuring axis;
at least one magnetic field generator, each magnetic field generator responsive to a drive signal to generate a first changing magnetic flux in a first flux region;
at least one flux coupling loop, a first portion of the at least one flux coupling loop positionable within the first flux region and responsive to the first changing magnetic flux when positioned within the first flux region to produce a second changing magnetic flux in a second portion of the flux coupling loop in a second flux region that is separated from the first flux region; and
at least one magnetic flux sensor;
wherein;
one of a) the at least one magnetic flux sensor or b) the at least one magnetic field generator includes an inductive area extending along the measuring axis, and the inductive area is spatially modulated along the measuring axis in a pattern including alternating increases and decreases in width,each magnetic flux sensor is positioned outside the first flux region to sense the second changing magnetic flux in the second flux region portion of at least one flux coupling loop, andeach magnetic flux sensor is responsive to the second changing magnetic flux to generate an output signal which is a function of the relative position between the slide and the elongated beam.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic caliper having a reduced offset position transducer that uses two sets of coupling loops on a scale to inductively couple a transmitter winding on a read head on a slide to one or more receiver windings on the read head. The transmitter winding generates a primary magnetic field. The transmitter winding is inductively coupled to first loop portions of first and second sets of coupling loops by a magnetic field. Second loop portions of the first and second sets of coupling loops are interleaved and generate secondary magnetic fields. A receiver winding is formed in a periodic pattern of alternating polarity loops and is inductively coupled to the second loop portions of the first and second sets of coupling loops by the secondary magnetic fields. Depending on the relative position between the read head and the scale, each polarity loop of the receiver winding is inductively coupled to a second loop portion of either the first or second set of coupling loops. The relative positions of the first and second loop portions of the first and second sets of coupling loops are periodic and dependent on the relative position of the coupling loops on the scale.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. An electronic caliper comprising:
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a slide; an elongated beam having a measuring axis, the slide movable along the measuring axis; at least one magnetic field generator, each magnetic field generator responsive to a drive signal to generate a first changing magnetic flux in a first flux region; at least one flux coupling loop, a first portion of the at least one flux coupling loop positionable within the first flux region and responsive to the first changing magnetic flux when positioned within the first flux region to produce a second changing magnetic flux in a second portion of the flux coupling loop in a second flux region that is separated from the first flux region; and at least one magnetic flux sensor; wherein; one of a) the at least one magnetic flux sensor or b) the at least one magnetic field generator includes an inductive area extending along the measuring axis, and the inductive area is spatially modulated along the measuring axis in a pattern including alternating increases and decreases in width, each magnetic flux sensor is positioned outside the first flux region to sense the second changing magnetic flux in the second flux region portion of at least one flux coupling loop, and each magnetic flux sensor is responsive to the second changing magnetic flux to generate an output signal which is a function of the relative position between the slide and the elongated beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An electronic caliper comprising:
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a slide; an elongated beam having a measuring axis, the slide movable along the measuring axis; a low power energy supply source on the slide capable of providing a power supply to a drive circuit on the slide; the drive circuit connected to the power supply and responsive to a control signal to output an intermittent drive signal; at least one magnetic field generator on the slide, each magnetic field generator responsive to the drive signal to generate a first changing magnetic flux in a first flux region; at least one flux coupling loop on the elongated beam, a first portion of the at least one flux coupling loop positionable within the first flux region and responsive to the first changing magnetic flux when positioned within the first flux region to produce a second changing magnetic flux in a second flux region proximate to a second portion of the flux coupling loop outside the first flux region; at least one magnetic flux sensor on the slide, each magnetic flux sensor positioned outside the first flux region for sensing the second changing magnetic flux in the second flux region portion of the at least one flux coupling loop, and each magnetic flux sensor responsive to the second changing magnetic flux to generate an output signal which is a function of the relative position between the magnetic flux sensor and the at least one flux coupling loop; and an analyzing circuit on the slide responsive to the output signal from at least one magnetic flux sensor to output an output signal indicative of the position of the slide relative to the elongated beam at a first level of resolution. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A method for operating an electronic caliper, comprising:
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supplying power from a self-contained energy supply source to a drive circuit of the electronic caliper; outputting a drive signal from the drive circuit in response to a control signal; inducing a current in at least one flux coupling loop in response to the drive signal, wherein the at least one flux coupling loop is positioned on one of a slide and an elongated beam of the electronic caliper, the elongated beam having a measuring axis, the slide being moveable along the measuring axis, and the at least one flux coupling loop being arranged along the measuring axis; producing a spatially modulated time-varying magnetic field with the at least one flux coupling loop in response to the current, the spatially modulated time-varying magnetic field extending along the measuring axis; sensing the spatially modulated time-varying magnetic field using at least one magnetic flux sensor on the other of the slide and the elongated beam; generating a position signal based on the sensed field; and analyzing the position signal to generate an output indicative of a relative position of the slide and the elongated beam. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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Specification