Electronic caliper using a self-contained, low power inductive position transducer
First Claim
1. An electronic caliper, comprising:
- a slide member;
a beam member having a measuring axis, the slide member movably mounted on the beam member and movable along the measuring axis;
at least one magnetic field generator, each magnetic field generator generating a changing magnetic flux in a flux region in response to a drive signal;
a low-power energy supply source outputting a power supply;
a drive circuit inputting the power supply and outputting an intermittent drive signal to at least one of the at least one magnetic field generator; and
at least one flux modulator, each flux modulator positionable within the flux region and capable of altering the changing magnetic flux within a modulation region proximate to the flux modulator; and
at least one magnetic flux sensor, each magnetic flux sensor positioned within the flux region and sensing the changing magnetic flux in the flux region, each magnetic flux sensor generating an output signal indicative of a relative position between the magnetic flux sensor and the at least one flux modulator based on the sensed magnetic flux.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic caliper using a low power induced current position transducer includes a slider assembly mounted on an elongated beam with first and second measuring jaws projecting from the main beam and slider assembly. The position of the slider assembly on the beam is indicative of the distance between the first and second jaws. A depth bar is also attached to, and projects from, the slider assembly. Relative movement between the measuring jaws is determined by an inductive read head mounted on the slider assembly that couples to flux modulators on the beam. The read head includes a transmitter winding and a pair of receiver windings carried by a common printed circuit board. The flux modulators, which can include both flux disrupters and flux enhancers, are carried by the beam and modulate the magnetic fields produced by the transmitter. Thus, the receiver windings produce output voltages corresponding to the overlap between the modulators and the receiver windings. Signal processing electronics are connected to the read head and determine the relative positions of the jaws by monitoring the output of the receiver windings. A digital display displays the determined position. In one embodiment, either flux enhancers or flux disrupters are used. In another embodiment, both flux disrupters and flux enhancers are used. The relatively insensitive nature of the low power induced current position transducer to industrial contaminants allows the caliper to function with improved reliability when operating in traditional shop environments.
153 Citations
51 Claims
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1. An electronic caliper, comprising:
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a slide member; a beam member having a measuring axis, the slide member movably mounted on the beam member and movable along the measuring axis; at least one magnetic field generator, each magnetic field generator generating a changing magnetic flux in a flux region in response to a drive signal; a low-power energy supply source outputting a power supply; a drive circuit inputting the power supply and outputting an intermittent drive signal to at least one of the at least one magnetic field generator; and at least one flux modulator, each flux modulator positionable within the flux region and capable of altering the changing magnetic flux within a modulation region proximate to the flux modulator; and at least one magnetic flux sensor, each magnetic flux sensor positioned within the flux region and sensing the changing magnetic flux in the flux region, each magnetic flux sensor generating an output signal indicative of a relative position between the magnetic flux sensor and the at least one flux modulator based on the sensed magnetic flux. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 42)
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15. An electronic inductive 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 providing a power supply to a drive circuit; the drive circuit inputting the power supply and outputting an intermittent drive signal; an inductive transducer connected to the elongated beam and the slide, the inductive transducer inputting the intermittent drive signal and outputting at least one sensed signal responsive to a relative position of the slide on the elongated beam; and an analyzing circuit inputting the at least one sensed signal and outputting an output signal indicative of the position of the slide on the elongated beam at a first level of resolution. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 41, 43, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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30. A method for operating a caliper, the caliper comprising:
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a beam member having a measurement axis; a slide member mounted on the beam member and slidable along the measurement axis; a magnetic flux sensor provided on one of the slide member and the beam member, a flux modulator provided on the other of the beam member and the slide member, a magnetic flux generator provided on one of the slide member and the beam member; a low-power energy supply source; and a drive circuit; the method comprising; providing a low-power supply signal from the low-power energy supply source to the drive circuit; intermittently outputting a drive signal to the magnetic flux generator; producing a changing magnetic flux with the magnetic flux generator in a flux region in response to the intermittent drive signal; moving the slide member relative to the beam member to a measurement position which is relative to an established reference position, wherein the flux modulator modulates the inductive coupling between the magnetic flux sensor and the magnetic flux generator corresponding to a relative position between the slide member and the beam member; sensing the modulated magnetic flux with the magnetic flux sensor to produce a sensed signal corresponding to the relative position between the slide member and the beam member; monitoring the sensed signal produced by the magnetic flux sensor; and determining, in response to the monitored sensed signal, a distance between the established reference position and the measurement position. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 44, 50, 51)
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38. An electronic caliper, comprising:
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a slide member; a beam member having a measuring axis, the slide member movably mounted on the beam member and movable along the measuring axis; at least one magnetic field generator, each magnetic field generator generating a changing magnetic flux in a flux region in response to a drive signal; a low-power energy supply source outputting a power supply; a drive circuit inputting the power supply and outputting an intermittent drive signal to at least one of the at least one magnetic field generator; and at least one flux modulator, each flux modulator positionable within the flux region and capable of altering the changing magnetic flux within a modulation region proximate to the flux modulator; and at least one magnetic flux sensor, each magnetic flux sensor positioned within the flux region and sensing the changing magnetic flux in the flux region, each magnetic flux generator generating an output signal indicative of a relative position between the magnetic flux sensor and the at least one flux modulator based on the sensed magnetic flux; wherein each magnetic field generator and each magnetic flux sensor from a spatially modulated inductive coupling, and each output signal varies as a substantially linear function of a total overlapping area, the overlapping area defined by a cross-sectional area of each at least one flux modulator which overlaps both the flux region and an effective area of each at least one magnetic flux sensor when projected normal to an effective plane of the at least one flux sensor, where areas of opposite inductive coupling polarity are defined as areas of opposite sign. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 45)
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Specification