Eaton Corporation

Cutler-hammer, Inc.

James E Hansen

Jerome Kenneth Hastings

Charles J Tennies

Scott A Reid

Mark Allan Juds

Bruce C Beihoff

Birger Pahl

Ruth E Hubbell

Dale Louis Gass

William J Janutka

Walter L Rutchik

Steven C Kaishian

Kurt Von Eckroth

Davin Robert Lee

Richard F Schmerda

Peter J McGinnis

Lian Q Zou

Paul G Rops

B Thomas Pier

Victor E Shtaida

Jeffery L Henderson

Erich Rehm

Xin Zhou

David J Gritter

Michael S Baran

Edward Louis Wellner

Richard G Smith

James R Jaeschke

Richard Walter Hirthe

John Albert Kovacich

Engelbert Hetzmannseder

Martin Arthur Seitz

Mark G Solveson

Michael G Taranowski

Edward J Hummelt

Michael A Damiano

Matthew F Planning

Mark H Polczynski

Edward Francis Buck

Brian Thomas Pier

Francis S Richards, Jr

Michael E Bauer

William Edward Berkopec

Wayne Scott Kaboord

Michael R Scharnick

Richard A Baumann

Fred Joseph Begale

Thomas A Wilsdon

Arlene M Klumb

Robert A Bauer

Mark George Solverson

Robert H Mathews

Robert R Brzycki

Nathanael Sommer

Lewis J Gohde

Albert Y Chang

Eugene R Schmit

David R Zalar

Willard S Lorenz

Jerome G Heinz

Karen Sjaarda Bland

Mich S Baran

Thomas Edward Strunsee

Allen J Slomczewski

A current sensing assembly includes a conductor, first and second magnetic sensors disposed proximate to opposite sides of the conductor and being structured to output first and second voltage signals, a current direction detector circuit structured to detect a direction of a current flowing through the conductor, a switching circuit having first and second outputs and being structured to switch between a first condition where the first voltage signal is output to the first output and the second voltage signal is output to the second output and a second condition where the first voltage signal is output to the second output and the second voltage signal is output to the first output based on the switching signal, and an output circuit including a differential amplifier structured to amplify a voltage difference between the first and second voltage signals and to output the amplified voltage difference.

Bi-directional direct current sensing circuit and current sensing assembly including the same

A system for current sensing includes a first Hall effect sensor and a second Hall effect sensor constructed to provide feedback indicating current flow through a conductor susceptible to external magnetic flux. A housing is configured to position the first Hall effect sensor and the second Hall effect sensor about the conductor to provide generally magnitude equal feedback of the current flow through the conductor and generally polarity opposite feedback of the external magnetic flux.

Temperature compensating integrated anti-differential current sensing system

The present invention is directed to a system for current sensing including a first Hall effect sensor and a second Hall effect sensor constructed to provide feedback indicating current flow through a conductor susceptible to external magnetic flux. A housing is configured to position the first Hall effect sensor and the second Hall effect sensor about the conductor to provide generally magnitude equal feedback of the current flow through the conductor and generally polarity opposite feedback of the external magnetic flux.

Integrated anti-differential current sensing system

A probe assembly for use in monitoring fluid conditions in real time in a transducer utilizing impedance spectroscopy and having two closely spaced tubular concentric electrodes. The electrodes have a surface area of about 8.1 to 10.8 cm spaced in the range of about 0.1 to 0.55 mm. In one embodiment a concentric outer tubular Faraday shield is employed for monitoring fluid in a non-metallic vessel. The probe assembly is particularly suitable for monitoring hydraulic fluid including automatic transmission fluid and mineral based engine oil for diesel and gasoline engines.

Probe assembly for a fluid condition monitor and method of making same

Torque in a torsion member, such as a rotating shaft, is sensed by a piezoelectric element that is attached to the torsion member. The piezoelectric element has a resonant frequency that varies with changes in the torque and is part of a transducer oscillator that produces a first signal. A reference oscillator has a similar piezoelectric element and produces a second signal having a frequency that varies in response to environmental parameters. The first and second signals are heterodyned, thereby cancelling the effects due to environmental parameters acting on both piezoelectric elements and producing a resultant signal that has a frequency which corresponds to the torque applied to the torsion member.

Torque measuring apparatus and method employing a crystal oscillator

A method of manufacturing a piezoelectric torque transducer is provided, comprising the steps of (a) forming a prepared area on a surface of a torsion member adapted to be strained by an applied torque; (b) providing a piezoelectric element having an axis of maximum strain sensitivity and disposing first and second electrodes on opposite faces of the element, respectively, and attaching an electrical lead to each electrode; (c) connecting electrical leads to the electrodes; and (d) disposing the element on the prepared area and orienting the axis of maximum strain sensitivity on the member and securing the element to the prepared area with a material selected from a group consisting of (i) adhesive material and (ii) potting material. The step of disposing the piezoelectric element includes configuring the piezoelectric element in a plate-shaped configuration and disposing a resilient annular member on each opposite face of the plate-shaped element and overlaying each of the annular members with a protective cover.

Method of manufacturing a piezoelectric torque sensor

A combination fluid condition monitor and fluid level sensor having an excitation electrode divided into two segments disposed closely spaced and parallel to current sensing electrode. For the fluid condition monitoring mode function both segments of the excitation electrode are commonly excited sequentially at high and low frequencies and the currents sensed in the sensing electrode employed to compute the difference in impedance for determining the fluid condition. For the level sensing mode function a mode switching circuit grounds one of the excitation electrode segments and excites the other then grounds the other segment and excites the one segment and the resultant currents ratioed to determine the amount of electrode immersed in fluid and hence the fluid level.

Combined fluid condition monitor and fluid level sensor

Electrical equipment is safeguarded from damage due to faults by a circuit that provides several levels of protection. A semiconductor switch and a current sensor are placed in series with the electrical equipment. When the current to the equipment exceeds a first threshold for a predefined period of time, the semiconductor switch is rendered non-conductive until the circuit is specifically reset. When the current to the equipment exceeds a greater second threshold, a pulsed signal alternately places the semiconductor switch in conductive and non-conductive states so that the average current applied to the equipment is within an acceptable level. Should the current exceed an even greater third threshold, the semiconductor switch is immediately rendered non-conductive until the circuit is manually reset.

Soild state protection circuit for electrical apparatus

A fluid condition monitor suitable for real time monitoring of a fluid in a fluid system such as on-board vehicle monitoring of engine oil and transmission fluid to determine contamination. A capacitive spaced array electrode probe is immersed in the fluid and an oscillating voltage is applied at a first frequency of at least one hertz and the current I,measured as an analog of the bulk fluid impedance. The voltage is also applied to the probe at a second frequency of less then one hertz and the current I,measured as an analog of the electrode surface impedance. The difference in measured currents &Dgr;I is determined electrically compared with a predetermined threshold value; and, the measured first frequency current I,is compared with an upper and lower limit value for I,determined empirically for the known baseline fluid. If &Dgr;I is below the threshold or I,is not within the upper and lower limits, a fault condition is declared and an indicator is activated to warn that the fluid is not suitable for continued operation of the system. An alternate embodiment includes a fluid level sensor.

Fluid condition monitor

An electrical current sensing apparatus includes a magnetic flux sensor which may be disposed adjacent to or within an opening in a conductor. The magnetic flux sensor may be disposed adjacent to a corner of the opening around which magnetic flux resulting from a current conducted through the conductor tends to concentrate. The magnetic flux sensor includes a Hall effect device having a flux sensitive surface. In one embodiment, the conductor has a tubular cylindrical side wall with an opening in which the magnetic flux sensor is disposed. In another embodiment, the conductor has a rectangular configuration with an opening in which the magnetic flux sensor is disposed. In another embodiment, the magnetic flux sensor is mounted on the surface of the conductor adjacent to the opening.

Electrical current sensing apparatus

An electrical sensing apparatus includes a conductor having longitudinally extending sections with parallel central axes and a connector section which extends between the longitudinally extending sections. The connector section has a central axis which extends parallel to the central axes of the longitudinally extending sections. A magnetic flux sensor is disposed adjacent to the connector section to detect variations in current conducted through the conductor. The magnetic flux sensor may be at least partially disposed in a slot in the connector section and have a flux sensitive side surface which extends perpendicular to a central axis of the connector section. The magnetic flux sensor may include an electrically insulating material which is at least partially enclosed by the connector section and a Hall effect device which is supported by the electrically insulating material. The electrically insulating material may be disposed in engagement with the connector section.

A switching filter is disclosed for discriminating false control signals from actual control signals. The switching filter is particularly useful on a high impedance input, such as that of a motor controller. The filter is designed to compensate for capacitive, inductive, and/or resistive coupling between extended control lines that are run in parallel with other power lines. A low impedance is switched into the otherwise high impedance control line input for a brief instant to dissipate and phase shift false control signals to prevent the controller from interpreting the false signals as actual control signals. The filter includes a first resistor connectable to sense a presence of a possible false control signal, and a second resistor, having much lower resistance than the first resistor, connected in a path between the control line input and circuit common. A switch is provided in series with the second resistor to open and close the path between the control line input and circuit common in response to the possible false control signal. A timer is activated by a presence of a possible false control signal on the first resistor and activates the switch to provide a low shunting resistance across the control line to common for the brief period. The low shunting resistance not only dissipates the amplitude of any false signals, but also phase shifts the signals such that the controller cannot recognize multiple, successive false signals as a true control signal.

Switching filter producing a low impedance control input on a high

Bicycle seat

A control circuit is provided for transferring power and communication signals through a wireless coupling device in a vehicle steering column. The device can comprise a rotary transformer having a primary and secondary magnetic structure respectfully associated with the wheel side and column side of the steering column. A squib power circuit transforms a high energy power signal suitable for firing an air bag from the column side to the wheel side. A low energy power circuit generates a signal from the column side to the wheel side suitable for operating isolated wheel side electronics, such as cruise control and the like. A tone encoder and decoder circuit communicates low level control signals suitable for signaling wheel side commands from the wheel side to the column side. The low energy power circuit and the tone encoder circuit operate simultaneously and continuously without signal debilitating interaction. An alternative embodiment avoids the low energy power circuit and the encoder and decoder circuit and comprises a pulse circuit to impress a test signal on the wheel side to generate a ring signal representative of air bag firing operability and whether a horn switch is depressed.

Vehicle steering column control system

A control circuit is provided for transferring power and communication signals through a wireless coupling device in a vehicle steering column. The device can include a rotary transformer having a primary and secondary magnetic structure respectively associated with the wheel side and column side of the steering column. A squib power circuit transforms a high energy power signal suitable for firing an air bag from the column side to the wheel side. A low energy power circuit generates a signal from the column side to the wheel side suitable for operating isolated wheel side electronics, such as cruise control and the like. A tone encoder and decoder circuit communicates low level control signals suitable for signaling wheel side commands from the wheel side to the column side. The low energy power circuit and the tone encoder circuit operate simultaneously and continuously without signal debilitating interaction. An alternative embodiment avoids the low energy power circuit and the encoder and decoder circuit and includes a pulse circuit to impress a test signal on the wheel side to generate a ring signal representative of air bag firing operability and whether a horn switch is depressed.

Growing community of inventors

Oak Creek, WI, United States of America

James E Hansen