Sony Corporation

Sony Magnescale Inc.

Sony Magnescale Incorporation

Akihisa Narimatsu

Hiroyuki Ohkubo

Nobuyuki Suzuki

Yoshimi Makino

Takamoto Yoshioka

Masao Horie

Katsutoshi Mibu

Hiroshi Yonemoto

Kiyoshi Himuro

A detector head for use in a measuring device includes a plurality of constituent measuring elements arranged in at least two blocks, each block producing an output signal of equal amplitude, and a phase shifter provided to shift the relative phases of the output signals of the blocks to have a predetermined relative phase difference, whereby selected higher-order harmonic components are cancelled from the resultant signal formed by summing the signals produced by the separate blocks of constituent elements.

Detector for use for measuring dimensions of an object

An apparatus for use in determining the location of a surface of a solid object such as that being machined by a machine tool includes a stylus having an electrically conductive end that is supported by two support members, which are disposed in pressure contact with each other by means of a spring or other bias, one of the two support members being formed to have a spherical contact surface that is a portion of an imaginary sphere concentric with the contact electrode, the other of the two support members being formed so that upon contacting the spherical surface the area of contact is substantially line contact. Either alternatively or in addition to the detection of a electrically conductive surface with the contact electrode, the support members may be provided with electrically conductive surfaces so that upon the contact of the electrode contact with a workpiece the electrically conductive surfaces are moved out of electrical contact, thereby providing an additional indication of the position of the surface to be determined.

Position detecting device

A scaling device employs a first, outer cylinder, a longitudinal scale having detectable indicia thereon, and a second cylinder of lesser diameter than the first cylinder but of greater diameter than the radial extent of the scale. The cylinders and the longitudinal scale are disposed coaxially, with the scale affixed at one end thereof to an end cover plate in one end of the first cylinder. The second cylinder is journalled in a bearing in an end cover plate in the other end of the first cylinder for axial movement relative to the first cylinder over the longitudinal scale. A scale detector element is disposed at one end of the second cylinder to detect indicia on the scale and to generate scale signals in response to longitudinal relative displacement of the first and second cylinders. A third cylinder affixed to and disposed within the second cylinder defines an annulus between the second and third cylinders through which leads from the detector element can extend. A fitting can be provided for admitting pressurized air to the first cylinder. A spring and bearing arrangement can be used for centering the longitudinal scale relative to the cylinders.

Scaling device

A magnetic scaling device has a housing formed at least partly of non-magnetic material, such as aluminum or stainless steel. A magnetic scale is disposed on the housing, and a reading head is disposed within the housing and provides an output signal corresponding to relative linear displacement of the reading head and the magnetic scale. In addition, a reference magnetizing body can be disposed on the housing, and a reference magnetic detector can be disposed within the housing to provide a reference signal in response to linear displacement of the detector to a predetermined position corresponding to the position of the reference magnetizing body. At least one of the magnetic scale and the reference magnetizing body is disposed on the exterior of the housing on a non-magnetic portion thereof.

Magnetic scaling device

A magnetoresistive displacement sensing transducer employs a plurality of sensing elements consisting of magnetically biased magnetoresistive stripes. Each sensing element is operative to produce a signal in response to linear or rotational displacement with respect to a magnetic grating. The phases of the signals from the plurality of sensing elements are relatively displaced to permit determining direction of displacement and to increase accuracy through interpolation. A signal processing circuit uses the signals from the sensing elements and optionally their sums and differences to drive a reversible counter which is thereby updated to retain a value corresponding to the position of the transducer or the magnetic grating.

Magnetoresistive displacement sensor and signal reprocessing circuits

The magnetic field sensing apparatus includes first and second magnetoresistive elements having respective angularly disposed current path portions through which a bias current flows and to which a bias magnetic field is supplied. An external magnetic signal field is supplied from a magnetic source, and the magnetoresistive elements are relatively displaceable with respect to this source. The bias field is supplied at an angle of approximately 45.degree. with respect to the direction in which the bias current flows in each current path; and the source of external magnetic field generates a signal field whose polarity gradually decreases and then changes over to an opposite polarity at a boundary region. This change in the signal field is sensed by the magnetic sensor as it is relatively displaced, thereby producing an output signal that varies substantially linearly with this displacement over a predetermined range on both sides of the boundary region.

Displacement detector having first and second magnetoresistive elements

A magnetic sensor device utilizes the principle that the resistance of anisotropic magnetoresistive material is different in the case where the direction of current flowing in the material and the direction of a saturating magnetic field are parallel from the case where the direction of current and the direction of the saturating magnetic field are perpendicular to each other. The sensor device may be used to sense displacement and includes a ferromagnetic magnetoresistive element having at least one current path portion, a source applying electric current to each current path portion, and a magnetic field source producing first and second magnetic fields, occurring in first and second regions, and lying in first and second different mutually intersecting directions, respectively, with respect to the current path portion. The magnetoresistive element and the magnetic field source are displaceable in a predetermined direction relative to one another so that the relative amounts of the current path portion that are influenced by the first and second magnetic fields vary in accordance with such displacement. The magnetoresistive element can be connected to a constant current source, so that the voltage across the element indicates displacement. Alternatively, the magnetoresistive element can be formed of two series-connected current path portions, with a constant voltage source connected across both portions, so that the voltage appearing at the junction of the two current path portions indicates displacement.

Magnetoresistive displacement sensor arrangement

A multiple magnetoresistance element includes a first stripe group and a second stripe group which comprise a plurality of stripes electrically connected in series with each other and spaced from each other by a predetermined distance. The stripes are made of ferromagnetic material having an anisotropic effect of magnetoresistance and have a plurality of main current path portions. The first stripe group and the second stripe group are electrically connected to each other and spaced from each other by a predetermined distance. An output terminal is connected to a connecting point of the first stripe group and the second stripe group. Current supply terminals are connected to ends of the first stripe group and the second stripe group.

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Tokyo, Japan

Akihisa Narimatsu