Analog sensor for contact-free angular offset sensing

• US 6,653,828 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2001
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Automotive GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Genot, Bernard, Jansseune, Luc, Dordet, Yves
• Primary Examiner(s): Snow, Walter E.
• Application Number:
  US09/869,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20020158627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 324/207.17, 324/207.25, 324/207.15, 324/207.22, 324/173, 324/174, 324/207.21, 318/652, 318/653
• US Class Current: 324/207.15
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 15/02 Steering position indicators ; Steering position determination; Steering aids
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/2033 controlling the saturation of a magnetic circuit by means of a movable element, e.g. a magnet

Abstract

A contactless angular offset analog sensor, of the magnetic inductance type, includes a first portion forming a detector. The detector includes at least one substrate plate carrying at least one flat spiral winding, and at least one core layer of material with high magnetic permeability and low saturation field over at least one portion of the winding. The detector is adapted to coact with a device for processing the electrical signal measured at the terminals of the winding. The sensor also includes two rotors each having at least one magnet, disposed over a predetermined angular sector. The rotors are movable about a same axis identical to the axis of the winding. Each magnet generates in the plane of the core layer a magnetic field of a value greater than the saturation field of the core layer over at least a portion of the surface of the winding.

Claims

1. A contactless analog sensor of angular offset, comprising:

a first portion forming a detector, comprising at least one substrate plate carrying at least one flat spiral winding, at least one core layer of a material of high magnetic permeability and low saturation field, on at least a portion of said winding, the detector being adapted to coact with a device for processing the electric signal measured at the terminals of the winding,

two rotors each comprising at least one magnet, disposed along a predetermined angular sector, the rotors being movable about a same axis identical to the axis of the winding, each magnet generating in the plane of the core layer a magnetic field of a value greater than the saturation field of said core layer over at least a portion of the surface of the winding,

wherein the detector comprises two core layers on opposite sides of the winding.

2. Sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that the winding (4) comprises several parallel windings separated by insulating thicknesses.

3. Sensor according to claim 1, wherein the detector comprises two windings disposed on opposite sides of the substrate plate, one of the windings is connected to an alternating voltage generator and the other to a tension measuring device.

5. Sensor according to claim 1, wherein each rotor carries a series of identical magnets of a same angular sector, facing the winding, and separated by angular sectors of the same value.

6. Sensor according to claim 1, wherein the detector also comprises a reference winding, coaxial with the first winding, principally without overlapping the latter, and that only one of the rotors comprises magnets facing this reference winding.

7. Sensor according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic permeability of the core layer is about 100,000 times that of air, and the saturation field is about 0.8 Tesla.

8. Sensor according to claim 1, wherein each core layer is electrically connected to the ground of the signal processing device.

9. Sensor according to claim 1, for the measurement of a torque, wherein the rotors are interconnected by a torsion bar of predetermined stiffness.

4. A contactless analog sensor of angular offset, comprising:

a first portion forming a detector, comprising at least one substrate plate carrying at least one flat spiral winding, at least one core layer of a material of high magnetic permeability and low saturation field, on at least a portion of said winding, the detector being adapted to coact with a device for processing the electric signal measured at the terminals of the winding,

two rotors each comprising at least one magnet, disposed along a predetermined angular sector, the rotors being movable about a same axis identical to the axis of the winding, each magnet generating in the plane of the core layer a magnetic field of a value greater than the saturation field of said core layer over at least a portion of the surface of the winding,

wherein the detector comprises two windings disposed on opposite sides of a single core layer, one of the windings is connected to an alternating voltage generator and the other to a voltage measuring device.

10. A contactless analog sensor of angular offset, comprising:

a detector having at least one substrate plate carrying at least one flat spiral winding, and at least one core layer having a magnetic permeability of about 100,000 times a magnetic permeability of air on at least a portion of said winding;

a device for processing an electric signal connected to terminals of the winding; and

two rotors, each of said two rotors having at least one magnet, disposed along a predetermined angular sector, the rotors being movable about a same axis identical to an axis of the winding,

wherein the at least one flat spiral winding, the at least one core layer, and the at least one magnet are structured and arranged so that when each said magnet passes over the at least one core layer, a magnetic field of the magnet causes a local saturation of the at least one core layer, so that an inductance of the at least one core layer at an area of said local saturation decreases.

11. The sensor as claimed in claim 10, wherein the detector comprises two windings, one of said two windings being connected to an alternating voltage generator and another one of said two windings being connected to a voltage measuring device.

12. The sensor as claimed in claim 10, wherein the core layer has a saturation field of about 0.8 Tesla.