Arrangements for detecting rotational or translatory movement and the direction thereof

• US 6,448,760 B1
• Filed: 05/14/1999
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Coburg
• Original Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Coburg
• Inventors: Neumann, Jürgen, Juerjens, Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): PATIDAR, JAY M
• Application Number:
  US09/308,197
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 324/207.2, 324/207.21, 324/207.22, 324/207.23, 324/207.24, 324/207.25, 324/207.26, 324/252
• US Class Current: 324/207.2
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/30 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/145 influenced by the relative movement between the Hall device and magnetic fields see G01R33/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/487 delivered by rotating magnets

Abstract

The invention concerns arrangements for detecting a rotational or translatory movement between a signal-generating element having a symmetrical magnetic field and means for detecting the magnetic field of the signal-generating element. According to the invention, an analogue, magnet-sensitive sensor element is aligned such that the normal vector of the sensitive surface of the sensor element forms an angle to a vector pointing vertically from the sensor element perpendicularly to the axis of the signal-generating element. The sensor element generates signal pulses whose shapes between their edges are dependent on the direction of movement and rise or fall, such that, when the direction of movement is reversed, the sign of the signal shape changes. The invention proposes simple arrangements for detecting a rotational or translatory movement which requires only one sensor element yet has high resolution.

Claims

1. An arrangement for detection of a rotational movement of a rotary drive having a rotational axis comprising,

a signal-generating element nonrotatably connected to the rotary drive, the signal generating element having uniformly disposed segments of different magnetic polarity, and an analog, magnet-sensitive sensor element having a sensitive surface,

wherein the signal-generating element and the sensor element are arranged, such that during rotation of the rotary drive, the sensor element generates signal pulses that have a rising or falling waveform between their edges depending on the direction of rotation of the rotary drive, and such that when the direction of rotation is reversed, the sign of the waveform changes,

wherein the signal-generating element is disposed concentrically on the rotational axis of the rotary drive and the sensor element is oriented away from a transverse orientation at least around an axis which runs parallel to the axis of rotation and is aligned such that the normal vector of the sensitive surface forms an angle relative to a vector pointing from the sensor element perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the signal-generating element.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein the sensor element is tipped away from a transverse orientation relative to an axis that runs substantially parallel to the axis of rotation.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein the sensor element is laterally offset from a transverse position relative to the axis of rotation of the signal-generating element.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein the signal-generating element comprises an annular magnet or a magnetic disk.

5. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the magnet-sensitive sensor element comprises a Hall sensor,

wherein the sensitive surface of the sensor element comprises a semiconductor wafer of the Hall sensor and a maximum signal is generated by the sensor element with perpendicular incidence of magnetic field lines upon the sensor element.

6. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the signal pulses are analog voltage signal pulses, and

further comprising an evaluation unit to conduct an evaluation of the analog voltage signal pulses and an analog/digital converter to convert the analog voltage signal pulses appearing on the sensor element into a digital signal after the evaluation unit conducts the evaluation of the analog voltage signal pulses.

7. An arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein the signal pulses are analog voltage signal pulses, and

wherein means for evaluation of the waveform of the analog voltage signal pulses as well as a threshold value switch, which converts the analog voltage signal pulses appearing on the sensor into a digital signal, are integrated into the sensor element.

9. An arrangement according to claim 2,

wherein the signal-generating element comprises a bar magnet or a magnetic strip.

10. An arrangement according to claim 2,

wherein the magnet-sensitive sensor element comprises a Hall sensor,

wherein the sensitive surface of the sensor element comprises a semiconductor wafer of the Hall sensor and a maximum signal is generated by the sensor element with perpendicular incidence of magnetic field lines upon the sensor element.

8. An arrangement for detection of a translatory movement, comprising

a signal-generating element having segments of different magnetic polarity disposed alternatingly along a longitudinal axis, and

an analog, magnet-sensitive sensor element having a sensitive surface,

wherein the sensor element generates signal pulses that have a rising or falling waveform between their edges depending on the direction of movement, such that when the direction of movement is reversed, the sign of the waveform changes,

wherein the sensor element is aligned such that a normal vector of the sensitive surface of the sensor element forms an angle with a vector pointing from the sensor element perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the signal-generating element.

11. An arrangement according to claim 8,

wherein the signal pulses are analog voltage signal pulses, and

further comprising an evaluation unit to conduct an evaluation of the analog voltage signal pulses and an analog/digital converter to convert the analog voltage signal pulses appearing on the sensor element into a digital signal after the evaluation unit conducts the evaluation of the analog voltage signal pulses.

12. An arrangement according to claim 8,

wherein the signal pulses are analog voltage signal pulses, and

means for evaluation of the waveform of the analog voltage signal pulses as well as a threshold value switch, which converts an analog voltage appearing on the sensor into a digital signal, are integrated into the sensor element.

13. An arrangement for detection of a rotational movement of a rotary drive having a rotational axis comprising,

a signal-generating element nonrotatably connected to the rotary drive, the signal generating element having uniformly disposed segments of different magnetic polarity, and an analog, magnet-sensitive sensor element having a sensitive surface,

wherein the signal-generating element and the sensor element are arranged, such that during rotation of the rotary drive, the sensor element generates signal pulses that have a rising or falling waveform between their edges depending on the direction of rotation of the rotary drive, and such that when the direction of rotation is reversed, the sign of the waveform changes,

wherein the signal-generating element is disposed concentrically on the rotational axis of the rotary drive and the sensor element is oriented away from a transverse orientation at least around an axis which runs parallel to the axis of rotation and is aligned such that, in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation, the normal vector of the sensitive surface forms an angle relative to a vector pointing from the sensor element perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the signal-generating element.

14. The arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the sensor element is aligned such that, in a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation, the normal vector of the sensitive surface forms an angle relative to a vector pointing from the center of the sensor element perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the signal-generating element.