Other

Siemens Vdo Automotive Corporation

Philips Electronics North America Corporation

Atlantic Inertial Systems, Inc.

Brian David Kilmartin

Jon W Bossoli

John E Opie

Carl Gandarillas

Darek Pszczola

A printed circuit board connector ejector includes a body extending from a first end to a second end. The body includes an outer surface and a passage extending through the body between the first and second ends. A plurality of threads extend at least partially though the passage. The plurality of threads is configured and disposed to engage with an electrical connector. An actuation member extends radially outwardly from the outer surface. The actuation member is configured and disposed to facilitate rotation of the body relative to an electrical connector.

Printed circuit board connector ejector

A method for producing a low-hysteresis magnetoelastic element comprising applying a magnetoelastic material onto a metal substrate. After the magnetoelastic element is securely bonded to the underlying shaft, a reduction in the outside diameter of the shaft draws the magnetoelastic element radially inward causing it to occupy a smaller volume. This process provides the magnetic anistropy required for the sensor to operate properly, and also results in a densification of the magnetoelastic element making it inherently stable. Several methods of reducing the outside diameter of the shaft to draw the magnetoelastic element radially inward have been devised. Prior to deposition of the magnetoelastic material, the outside diameter of a hollow shaft is elastically expanded by applying force to its inside diameter. This is accomplished by using an expanding insert, by pressurizing the cavity within the shaft, or by inducing a managed thermal expansion of the shaft prior to material deposition. Post-deposition operation can also be implemented to reduce the shaft diameter, such as drawing the shaft axially until it yields. Any process that results in a shaft reduction after the magnetoelastic active material is deposited on the shaft can be used in the present invention.

Imparting compressive hoop stress into a bonded magnetoelastic element by means of diameter reduction of the underlying shaft

A non-contact sensor assembly measures an in-line driving thrust force that is applied to a rotating shaft. The sensor assembly includes a hollow torque-shaft with a magnetoelastic element and a thrust shaft that is inserted within the hollow torque-shaft. Keys are formed on thrust shaft and keyways are formed on the hollow torque-shaft. The keys are received within the keyways to lock the thrust shaft and hollow torque-shaft together but still permit a small amount of axial movement between the shafts. Helical spline recesses are formed on the thrust shaft and corresponding spline projections are formed on the hollow torque-shaft. The projections are received within the recesses to translate the thrust force into a twisting force. A magnetometer cooperates with the magnetoelastic element to measure the amount of twisting force and determine the amount of thrust force.

Non-contact thrust force sensor assembly

A torque sensor has a contoured magnetoelastic element that generates a magnetic field having a shape that exhibits gradual changes rather than sharp peaks in the axial direction, making the torque sensor less sensitive to positional changes between the magnetoelastic element and a magnetometer in the sensor. The element is contoured in any desired shape to modify the magnetic field generated by the element when it is deformed through applied torque. In one embodiment, the element is a magnetic material coating applied to a contoured shaft.

Torque sensor with contoured magnetoelastic element

A magnetoelastic torque sensor for measuring the magnitude of torque applied to a member, comprising a magnetoelastic element which is disposed on and encircles the member, an outer flux guide extending across the magnetoelastic element in an axial direction and adjacent to the opposite end regions thereof, and an inner flux guide located between the first and second end regions, wherein the inner and outer flux guides provides a magnetic path to an axial component of the magnetic field produced by the magnetoelastic element in response to a non-zero value of torque. The inner flux guide is formed by cutting or etching an amorphous metal foil in a flat annular configuration with symmetrically projecting coil core tabs. The one-piece inner flux guide is supported by a support assembly comprising base and cover pieces. When assembled, the coil core tabs are sandwiched between two complementary semi-cylindrical mandrel portions projecting from the cover and base pieces, around which sense coil wires are wound. An electronic detector is coupled to the coil wires to measure the strength of the axial component of the magnetic field emanating from the magnetoelastic element as torque is applied to the member.

Magnetoelastic torque sensor

A magnetoelastic layer is provided on a shaft for sensing torque carried by the shaft around a longitudinal axis. The layer includes first and second adjacent annular parts of a magnetically anisotropic material with circumferential easy axes. The parts are magnetically polarized in opposite circumferential directions when in a quiescent state, but produce helical magnetic fields with respective axial components when torque is carried by the shaft. First and second magnetic-field-guiding structures combine to provide shielding of the magnetoelastic layer from ambient external magnetic fields and to maximize coupling of the axial components from the magnetoelastic layer to one or more magnetic field detectors.

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Cheshire, CT, United States of America

Brian David Kilmartin