Wide activation angle pinch sensor section and sensor hook-on attachment principle
First Claim
1. A pinch sensor (100, 100′
- , 200, 200′
), comprising;
a non-conductive tubular casing (110;
210) having an outer wall and an inner wall and defining an internal hollow region (108;
208), the tubular casing being formed from a resiliently deformable material;
three electrically-conductive conduits (102;
202, 203) disposed along the casing inner wall, wherein each electrically-conductive conduit has a periphery that extends into the hollow region, and wherein, in section, the three electrically-conductive conduits are substantially equidistantly spaced circumferentially along the casing inner wall;
wherein, upon deformation of the casing, at least one of the electrically-conductive conduits (102;
202) comes into contact with a electrically conductive reference element (112;
203) to thereby lower the resistance therebetween.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A resistive pinch sensor utilizing electrically conductive wires encapsulated in a resiliently deformable casing. A pinch is detected when one of the wires, which is normally separated by an air gap within the casing, contacts another wire lowering the electrical resistance therebetween. The described pinch sensors have wide activation ranges or angles. Tri-lobed designs provide wide activation range by incorporating at least three electrically-conductive conduits that are substantially equidistantly spaced circumferentially along the inner wall of a tubular casing. One of the conduits, or optionally an axially arranged electrically-conductive core may function as the reference element. Coaxial designs provide wide activation range by incorporating a central electrically-conductive core and a coaxial electrically-conductive tubular outer sheath that are normally spaced apart by at least one non-conductive spacer.
487 Citations
16 Claims
-
1. A pinch sensor (100, 100′
- , 200, 200′
), comprising;a non-conductive tubular casing (110;
210) having an outer wall and an inner wall and defining an internal hollow region (108;
208), the tubular casing being formed from a resiliently deformable material;three electrically-conductive conduits (102;
202, 203) disposed along the casing inner wall, wherein each electrically-conductive conduit has a periphery that extends into the hollow region, and wherein, in section, the three electrically-conductive conduits are substantially equidistantly spaced circumferentially along the casing inner wall;wherein, upon deformation of the casing, at least one of the electrically-conductive conduits (102;
202) comes into contact with a electrically conductive reference element (112;
203) to thereby lower the resistance therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
- , 200, 200′
-
10. A pinch sensor (300, 300′
- , 300″
;
400, 400′
, 400″
), comprising;a non-conductive tubular casing (310;
410) formed from a resiliently deformable material;a electrically-conductive tubular conduit (304;
404) disposed within the tubular casing, the tubular conduit having an inner wall defining an internal hollow region (308;
408); andan electrically-conductive core (302;
402) disposed within the electrically-conductive tubular conduit and normally spaced apart therefrom;wherein, upon deformation of the casing, the electrically-conductive tubular conduit comes into contact with the electrically-conductive core to thereby lower the resistance therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
- , 300″
Specification