Multi-turn, non-contacting rotary shaft position sensor
First Claim
1. A rotary shaft position sensor comprising:
- a housing;
a magnetic element producing a magnetic field and located within said housing, said magnetic element adapted to be translatable along a linear path within said housing but constrained from rotational movement;
said magnetic element having a threaded shaft extending therefrom;
a rotatable input shaft threadedly affixed to said threaded shaft, said rotatable input shaft adapted to be rotated to translate said magnetic element along said linear path within said housing, and a sensor positioned in proximity to said magnetic element and within said magnetic field, wherein said linear movement of said magnetic element causes a change in the magnetic influence of said magnetic field on said sensor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-turn non-contacting rotary shaft position sensor that determines a positional parameter of a rotating shaft. The sensor converts the rotational movement of an input shaft to a linear translational movement of a magnetic element. A magnetically sensitive sensor is provided in a fixed location in close proximity to the magnetic element within the flux field of that magnetic element. As the input shaft rotates, the magnetic element moves along that linear path toward or away from the magnetically sensitive sensor so that the sensor detects the change in the magnetic flux imposed by the magnetic element. That change in magnetic flux is used to determining a positional parameter of the input shaft.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A rotary shaft position sensor comprising:
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a housing;
a magnetic element producing a magnetic field and located within said housing, said magnetic element adapted to be translatable along a linear path within said housing but constrained from rotational movement;
said magnetic element having a threaded shaft extending therefrom;
a rotatable input shaft threadedly affixed to said threaded shaft, said rotatable input shaft adapted to be rotated to translate said magnetic element along said linear path within said housing, and a sensor positioned in proximity to said magnetic element and within said magnetic field, wherein said linear movement of said magnetic element causes a change in the magnetic influence of said magnetic field on said sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A rotary shaft position sensor comprising:
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a housing;
a magnetic element producing a magnetic field and located within said housing, means to affix said magnetic element to said housing to allow said magnetic element to move along a linear path but to prevent said magnetic element from rotating with respect to said housing;
said magnetic element having a threaded shaft extending therefrom, said threaded shaft extending outwardly from said housing a rotatable input shaft threadedly affixed to said threaded shaft, said rotatable input shaft adapted to be rotated to translate said magnetic element along said linear path within said housing, and a magnetically sensitive sensor;
means to mount said magnetically sensitive sensor within said housing in proximity to said magnetic element and within said magnetic field, wherein said linear movement of said magnetic element causes a change in the magnetic influence of said magnetic field on said sensor. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An instrument for determining a positional parameter of a rotatable shaft, said instrument comprising;
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a housing;
a magnetic element producing a magnetic field and located within said housing, said magnetic element adapted to be translatable along a linear path within said housing but constrained from rotational movement;
said magnetic element having a threaded shaft extending therefrom;
a rotatable input shaft threadedly affixed to said threaded shaft, said rotatable input shaft adapted to be rotated to translate said magnetic element along said linear path within said housing, a sensor positioned in close proximity to said magnetic element and within said magnetic field, wherein said linear movement of said magnetic element causes a change in the magnetic influence of said magnetic field on said sensor; and
means to derive a signal based upon said change in the magnetic influence sensed by said sensor to determine a positional parameter of said input shaft. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of detecting a positional parameter of a rotatable shaft, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a housing, providing a magnetic element within the housing emitting a magnetic field and having a shaft extending therefrom, providing a magnetically sensitive sensor in a fixed position within the housing within the magnetic field of the magnetic element, allowing the magnetic element to move along a linear path with the housing while constraining the magnetic element for rotational movement, providing a input shaft threadedly engaged to the shaft, and rotating the input shaft to translate the magnetic element to move the magnetic element along the linear path toward and away from the magnetically sensitive sensor to change the effect of the magnetic field on the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A rotary shaft position sensor comprising:
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a housing;
a magnetic element producing a magnetic field and located within said housing, said magnetic element adapted to be translatable along a linear path within said housing but constrained from rotational movement;
said magnetic element having an shaft extending therefrom;
a rotatable input shaft operatively interconnected to said magnetic element shaft, said rotatable input shaft adapted to be rotated to translate said magnetic element along said linear path within said housing, and a sensor positioned in proximity to said magnetic element and within said magnetic field, wherein said linear movement of said magnetic element causes a change in the magnetic influence of said magnetic field on said sensor. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification