Device for measuring current

• US 7,545,136 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2007
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Melexis Tessenderlo NV
• Original Assignee: Melexis Technologies SA
• Inventors: Gloor, Markus, Huber, Samuel, Racz, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Ha Tran T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kusumakar; Karen M
• Application Number:
  US11/653,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20070164727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 324/117.H, 324/115
• US Class Current: 324/117.00H
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/185 with compensation or feedback windings or interacting coils, e.g. 0-flux sensors using galvano-magnetic field sensors G01R15/20; conversion of DC into AC using transductors G01R19/20
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/202 using Hall-effect devices Hall elements in arrangements for measuring electrical power G01R21/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 15/207 Constructional details independent of the type of device used

Abstract

A device for measuring current comprises a magnetic field sensor for measuring the magnetic field produced by a current I flowing through a current conductor and a yoke of a magnetic material with a relative permeability of at least 100. The magnetic field sensor preferably comprises a semiconductor chip with at least one Hall element and an electronic circuit for the operation of the Hall element. The yoke consists of an oblong piece of sheet metal or a laminate of sheet metals with two ends, that has been brought by bending into a form in which the front sides of the ends of the yoke face each other and are separated by an air gap. The ends of the yoke may be flush, tapered, or flayed relative to the width of the yoke.

Claims

1. A device for measuring current, comprising a magnetic field sensor for measuring a magnetic field produced by a current flowing through a current conductor, the magnetic field sensor encapsulated into a housing, and a yoke, wherein the yoke is formed of an oblong piece of sheet metal of a magnetic material with a relative permeability of at least 100 such that it has a bottom side, two sidewalls and a top side, the top side running parallel to the bottom side and having an air gap formed between two ends with front sides that face each other across the air gap, wherein the yoke completely circumscribes the current conductor with the exception of the air gap, wherein the housing with the magnetic field sensor is placed inside the yoke and outside the air gap of the yoke, wherein the magnetic field sensor is placed at a first distance from the air gap and at a second distance from the sidewalls of the yoke, wherein the first distance is less than the second distance so that the magnetic field sensor is essentially passed through by stray lines of the magnetic field that issue from the ends of the yoke, and wherein a length of the yoke measured at a right angle to the direction of the current flowing in the current conductor and parallel to the air gap of the yoke is at least the same size as a height of the yoke measured at a right angle to the direction of the current flowing in the current conductor and perpendicular to the air gap.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the ends of the yoke are tapered.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the ends of the yoke are enlarged or provided with a recess or are enlarged and provided with a recess.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the magnetic field sensor comprises a semiconductor chip with at least one Hall element and two magnetic field concentrators separated by a further air gap are arranged on a surface of the semiconductor chip, wherein field lines of the magnetic field that issue from the first magnetic field concentrator in the vicinity of the further air gap and impinge on the second magnetic field concentrator in the vicinity of the further air gap pass through the at least one Hall element.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the magnetic field sensor comprises a semiconductor chip with at least one Hall element and two magnetic field concentrators separated by a further air gap are arranged on a surface of the semiconductor chip, wherein field lines of the magnetic field that issue from the first magnetic field concentrator in the vicinity of the further air gap and impinge on the second magnetic field concentrator in the vicinity of the further air gap pass through the at least one Hall element.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein the magnetic field sensor comprises a semiconductor chip with at least one Hall element and two magnetic field concentrators separated by a further air gap are arranged on a surface of the semiconductor chip, wherein field lines of the magnetic field that issue from the first magnetic field concentrator in the vicinity of the further air gap and impinge on the second magnetic field concentrator in the vicinity of the further air gap pass through the at least one Hall element.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising an essentially u shaped screen of a magnetic material with a relative permeability of at least 100 that borders the yoke on three sides, wherein the screen has three sections of which the middle section runs adjacent the air gap and parallel to the air gap of the yoke.

14. The device of claim 2, further comprising an essentially u shaped screen of a magnetic material with a relative permeability of at least 100 that borders the yoke on three sides, wherein the screen has three sections of which the middle section runs adjacent the air gap and parallel to the air gap of the yoke.

15. The device of claim 3, further comprising an essentially u shaped screen of a magnetic material with a relative permeability of at least 100 that borders the yoke on three sides, wherein the screen has three sections of which the middle section runs adjacent the air gap and parallel to the air gap of the yoke.

16. The device of claim 4, further comprising an essentially u shaped screen of a magnetic material with a relative permeability of at least 100 that borders the yoke on three sides, wherein the screen has three sections of which the middle section runs adjacent the air gap and parallel to the air gap of the yoke.

7. A device for measuring current, comprising a magnetic field sensor for measuring a magnetic field produced by a current flowing through a current conductor, the magnetic field sensor encapsulated into a housing, and a yoke, wherein the yoke is formed of an oblong piece of sheet metal of a magnetic material with a relative permeability of at least 100 such that it has a bottom side, two sidewalls and a top side, the top side running parallel to the bottom side and having an air gap formed between two ends with front sides that face each other across the air gap, wherein the yoke completely circumscribes the current conductor with the exception of the air gap, wherein the housing with the magnetic field sensor is placed inside the yoke and outside the air gap of the yoke, wherein the magnetic field sensor is placed at a first distance from the air gap and at a second distance from the sidewalls of the yoke, wherein the first distance is less than the second distance so that the magnetic field sensor is essentially passed through by stray lines of the magnetic field that issue from the ends of the yoke, and wherein a length of the yoke measured at a right angle to the direction of the current flowing in the current conductor and parallel to the air gap of the yoke is at least the same size as a height of the yoke measured at a right angle to the direction of the current flowing in the current conductor and perpendicular to the air gap, wherein the magnetic field sensor is placed on a side of the current conductor facing the air gap of the yoke, and wherein a further magnetic field sensor is placed on a side of the current conductor that does not face the air gap of the yoke.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the ends of the yoke are tapered.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the ends of the yoke are enlarged or provided with a recess or are enlarged and provided with a recess.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the magnetic field sensor comprises a semiconductor chip with at least one Hall element and two magnetic field concentrators separated by a further air gap are arranged on a surface of the semiconductor chip, wherein field lines of the magnetic field that issue from the first magnetic field concentrator in the vicinity of the further air gap and impinge on the second magnetic field concentrator in the vicinity of the further air gap pass through the at least one Hall element, and wherein a further magnetic field sensor is placed on a side of the current conductor that does not face the air gap of the yoke.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the ends of the yoke are tapered.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the ends of the yoke are enlarged or provided with a recess or are enlarged and provided with a recess.

17. The device of claim 7, further comprising an essentially u shaped screen of a magnetic material with a relative permeability of at least 100 that borders the yoke on three sides, wherein the screen has three sections of which the middle section runs adjacent the air gap and parallel to the air gap of the yoke.

18. The device of claim 8, further comprising an essentially u shaped screen of a magnetic material with a relative permeability of at least 100 that borders the yoke on three sides, wherein the screen has three sections of which the middle section runs adjacent the air gap and parallel to the air gap of the yoke.

19. A device for measuring current, comprising a magnetic field sensor for measuring a magnetic field produced by a current flowing through a current conductor, the magnetic field sensor encapsulated into a housing, and a yoke, wherein the yoke is formed of an oblong piece of sheet metal of a magnetic material with a relative permeability of at least 100 such that it has a bottom side, two sidewalls and a top side, the top side running parallel to the bottom side and having an air gap formed between two ends with front sides that face each other across the air gap, wherein the yoke completely circumscribes the current conductor with the exception of the air gap, wherein the housing with the magnetic field sensor is placed inside the yoke and outside the air gap of the yoke, and wherein a length of the yoke measured at a right angle to the direction of the current flowing in the current conductor and parallel to the air gap of the yoke is at least the same size as a height of the yoke measured at a right angle to the direction of the current flowing in the current conductor and perpendicular to the air gap and wherein the magnetic field sensor is placed on the side of the current conductor that does not face the air gap of the yoke.

20. The device of claim 19, further comprising an essentially u shaped screen of a magnetic material with a relative permeability of at least 100 that borders the yoke on three sides, wherein the screen has three sections of which the middle section runs adjacent the air gap and parallel to the air gap of the yoke.