Method of assembling an inductive proximity sensor

• US 7,360,294 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2007
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Simmonds Precision Products, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Simmonds Precision Products, Inc. (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Crowne, David Henry, Spagnoletti, Christopher, LaClair, Robert D., Carter, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Paul D
• Application Number:
  US11/620,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20070107207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 295/921, 295/95, 296/021, 296/06, 336/176, 336/200, 336/208, 336/229, 335/188, 340/384.73, 369/136
• US Class Current: 29/595
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 21/06 by movement of core or part of core relative to the windings as a whole
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9505 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49007 Indicating transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49073 by assembling coil and core

Abstract

A method of assembling an inductive proximity sensor maintains inductive coil wound bobbins in fixed relation to an inductive core within a housing. The method includes configuring two inductive coil wound bobbins with an integral ledge cantilevered from an inside surface thereof for forming a pocket under the integral ledge at a bottom of each bobbin; disposing each inductive coil wound bobbin around a corresponding leg of the inductive core; containing a foot of each core leg into the pocket of the corresponding bobbin; inserting each of two legs of a thruster element into a corresponding bobbin so that each leg rests upon the ledge of the corresponding bobbin; disposing the inductive core, inductive coil wound bobbins, and thruster element into the housing; disposing a spring element on a top surface of the thruster element; and compressing the spring element against the top surface of the thruster element.

Claims

1. A method of assembling an inductive proximity sensor to maintain inductive coil wound bobbins in fixed relation to an inductive core within a housing, said method comprising the steps of:

configuring each of two inductive coil wound bobbins with an integral ledge cantilevered from an inside surface thereof for forming a pocket under the integral ledge at a bottom of each bobbin;

disposing each inductive coil wound bobbin around a corresponding leg of the inductive core;

containing a foot of each core leg into the pocket of the corresponding bobbin under the integral ledge thereof;

inserting each of two legs of a thruster element into a corresponding bobbin, wherein each leg rests upon the ledge of the corresponding bobbin;

disposing the inductive core, inductive coil wound bobbins, and thruster element into the housing;

disposing a spring element on a top surface of the thruster element; and

compressing the spring element against the top surface of the thruster element to render the core and wound bobbins in a fixed relationship to each other in the housing.

2. The method of claim 1 including the steps of:

disposing the inductive core, inductive coil wound bobbins, and thruster element into the housing through an opening in the housing;

disposing the spring element on the top surface of the thruster element at the housing opening; and

compressing the spring element against the top surface of the thruster element by forcing a housing cover over the housing opening.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the cover is forced over the housing opening by a ram press.

4. The method of claim 2 including the step of securing the cover in place around the opening to maintain the compression of the spring element against the top surface of the thruster element.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the cover is secured in place around the opening by welding.

6. The method of claim 1 including the steps of:

compressing the legs of the thruster element downward on the respective integral ledges;

in turn, compressing the ledges against the feet of the legs of the core; and

in turn, compressing the feet against a bottom internal surface of the housing, thereby maintaining the core and wound bobbins in a fixed relationship to each other by compression.

7. The method of claim 1 including disposing each leg of the thruster element down through respective openings in a top portion of the core and into the respective bobbins.

8. The method of claim 1 including maintaining a position of the spring element on the top surface of the thruster element with guides.

9. The method of claim 1 including spreading the compression force of the spring element over the top surface of the thruster element.