Device for measuring current
First Claim
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.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
20 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Specification