Kearney-national Inc.

Other

Robert H Luetzow

Edwin J Luetzow

A magnetic rotational position sensor senses each rotational position of a control shaft about a first rotational axis over a definable range of rotation of the control shaft. The magnetic rotational position sensor includes a magnetic circuit, a magnetic flux sensor, a drive circuit, and an output signal amplifier. The magnetic circuit encloses an equally balanced magnetic field, and is adjoined to the control shaft to synchronously rotate the magnetic field about a second rotational axis. The magnetic flux sensor is disposed within the magnetic field to sense each rotational position of the control shaft as the control shaft is rotated about the first rotational axis over the definable range of rotation. The drive circuit is operable to generate a constant current drive signal and a constant voltage drive signal. In response to a generated constant current drive signal and a generated constant voltage drive signal, the magnetic flux sensor generates two voltage sensing signals representative of a sensing of each rotational position of the control shaft about the first rotational axis over the definable range of rotation. In response to a generation of the voltage sensing signals, the output signal amplifier is operable to generate a voltage output signal that is also representative of a sensing of each rotational position of the control shaft about the first rotational axis over the definable range of rotation. The generated voltage output signal can be processed by a microprocessor based system to control all rotational movements of the control shaft about the first rotational axis.

Magnetic rotational position sensor

An ignition coil is disclosed that includes a primary coil, a secondary coil and a core about which the primary and secondary coil are disposed. The secondary coil has in inner diameter greater than the diameter of the primary coil. The primary coil is disposed on the core and the secondary coil is disposed about the primary coil. The secondary coil includes a spiral-back pyramid winding configuration which results in a desired distributed capacitance for the secondary windings thereby providing desired electrical characteristics for a resonant circuit. The winding layers of the secondary coil decrease in the number of turns as the coil is wound to achieve a desired distributed capacitance of the coil. A spiral-back winding technique decreases adjacent winding layer voltages so that the inter-layer insulation requirements are reduced to a lower value thereby decreasing the insulation thickness of the secondary coil.

Ignition coil with spiral-back pyramid windings

A rotary shaft position sensor includes a stator and a rotor and produces a linear output signal in accordance with the rotational position of a shaft coupled to the rotor. The rotor rotates about an axis of rotation. The stator includes stationary pole pieces having stationary pole faces situated perpendicular to the axis of rotation and spaced a predetermined distance apart to define an air gap therebetween. A Hall effect device is situated-in the air gap. The Hall device produces an output signal corresponding to the level of magnetic flux in the air gap. One or more magnets are attached to the rotating pole piece. The magnetic poles of the magnets are situated parallel with and spaced a predetermined distance from the stationary pole faces. Lines of magnetic flux originating from the magnets are situated in a direction perpendicular to the stationary pole face. The rotating pole piece rotates in close proximity to the stationary pole pieces. As the rotor rotates about the axis of rotation, a portion of the magnet is aligned with the stationary pole faces. Magnetic flux corresponding to the aligned portion of the magnet and the stator pole faces appears in the air gap. A temperature compensation circuit for use with the rotary shaft position sensor includes first and second temperature compensation circuits for counteracting sensitivity temperature drift and zero gauss offset temperature drift characteristics of the Hall effect device.

Magnetic rotational position sensor with improved output linearity

A low cost Hall effect position sensor is disclosed which includes a Hall effect integrated circuit disposed in close proximity to a metallic target device. The Hall device is mounted in a slotted flux dispersion pole piece. The slotted magnetic flux dispersion pole piece is designed to disperse a highly concentrated magnetic flux field from a magnet, typically an Alnico or rare earth magnet, into a low intensity magnetic flux field which is compatible with the Hall effect device as well as constant and evenly dispersed across the face of the slotted pole piece. The slotted pole piece is designed so that the magnetic flux differential in an air gap between the dispersion pole piece and a ferrous target is increased when compared to the magnetic flux differential of a non-recessed dispersion pole piece.

Hall Effect position sensor with flux limiter and magnetic dispersion

A low cost Hall effect position sensor is disclosed which includes a Hall effect integrated circuit disposed in close proximity to a metallic target device. The Hall device is mounted on a flanged flux dispersion pole piece. The opposite end of the pole piece is attached to a rare earth or Alnico magnet. The flanged magnetic flux dispersion pole piece is designed to disperse a highly concentrated magnetic flux field from a magnet, typically an Alnico or rare earth magnet, into a low intensity magnetic flux field which is compatible with the Hall effect device as well as constant and evenly dispersed across the face of the flanged pole piece. The area of the dispersion flange face is designed so measured magnetic field in an air gap between the dispersion pole piece and a ferrous target is increased by a factor of 3 when compared to an open circuit field intensity field measurement at the surface of the dispersion pole piece. The open circuit field intensity of the sensor is below the release point of the Hall effect device. When a metallic body or ferrous target is near, the flux at the face of the dispersion pole piece is increased above the operate point of the Hall device and the digital Hall device is activated or 'turned on.' The dispersion flanged pole piece, the magnet and the Hall device function as an accurate low cost position sensor.

Hall effect position sensor with flux limiter and magnetic dispersion

A low cost Hall effect position sensor is disclosed which includes a Hall effect integrated circuit disposed in close proximity to a metallic target device. The Hall device is mounted on a flanged flux dispersion pole piece. The opposite end of the pole piece is attached to a rare earth or Alnico magnet. The flanged magnetic flux dispersion pole piece is designed to disperse a highly concentrated magnetic flux field from a magnet, typically an Alnico or rare earth magnet, into a low intensity magnetic flux field which is compatible with the Hall effect device as well as constant and evenly dispersed across the face of the flanged pole piece. The area of the dispersion flange face is designed so measured magnetic field in an air gap between the dispersion pole piece and a ferrous target is increased by a factor of 3 when compared to an open circuit field intensity field measurement at the surface of the dispersion pole piece. The open circuit field intensity of the sensor is below the release point of the Hall effect device. When a metallic body or ferrous target is near, the flux at the face of the dispersion pole piece is increased above the operate point of the Hall device and the digital Hall device is activated or 'turned on'. The dispersion flanged pole piece, the magnet and the Hall device function as an accurate low cost position sensor.

A high torque rotary solenoid is disclosed employing attracting and repelling forces of permanent magnets to induce rotary motion is disclosed. Four arrays of magnets are located on a stator and rotor and are arranged along the axis of rotation of a shaft. Two magnet arrays are located on the stator, and two magnet arrays are located on the rotor. Each of the magnet arrays on the stator is arranged to come in close proximity to one of the magnet arrays on the rotor when the rotary shaft is positioned to the clockwise or counterclockwise rotary motion limits. The rotary solenoid has two rotational positions, each position corresponding to the mechanical limits of rotational movement. A linear solenoid repositions the two permanent magnet arrays attached to the stator by moving the stator axially along the rotary shaft thereby reversing the existing polarity alignment of the arrays of magnets on the rotor versus the stator magnet arrays and creating rotational movement as a result of the attracting and repelling forces of the magnet arrays. A power saving electrical control circuit is also disclosed, providing a high current initial activation signal thereby inducing the stator to move from a first to a second position. Once the stator magnetic cup has travelled to a mechanical movement limit, the control circuit reduces the activation current to a lower holding level to reduce power consumption and heat dissipation in the solenoid device.

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Huntington, IN, United States of America

Robert H Luetzow