Device for measuring rotation angle of rotary element by unit angles grouped for five units

Abstract

A device for measuring a rotation angle of a rotary element has first, second and third photo-electric sensors, and a rotary disk having first and second circular arrays of openings, each radial edge of the first array of openings being adapted to be detectable by the first photo-electric sensor so as to generate a first electric signal alternating between “on” and “off” each time when the rotary disk rotates each five times of a unit angle, each radial edge of the second array of openings being adapted to be detectable by the second and third photo-electric sensors so as to generate second and third electric signals, respectively, the second and third signals each alternating between either “on” and “off” or “off” and “on” each time when the rotary disk rotates alternately two times and three times of the unit angle, the “on” and “off” alternations of the first, second and third signals being shifted from one another by a multiple (including one) of the unit angle, wherein the “on” and “off” alternations of the first, second and third signals successively occurs are counted to obtain a rotation angle of the disk, and various irregularities in the occurrence of the “on” and “off” signals are checked by the order of occurrence thereof in each set of five consecutive occurrences thereof.