The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 28, 2004
Filed:
Mar. 03, 2003
John D. Klarer, St. Charles, MO (US);
Hunter Engineering Company, Bridgeton, MO (US);
Abstract
A photo-interruptive sensor and an associated interrupter disk are configured to operate in conjunction with a relative rotational position sensor to provide an absolute rotational position of a mounting shaft relative to a vehicle wheel alignment sensor unit. The interrupter disk is secured relative to the mounting shaft of the vehicle wheel alignment sensor, and the photo-interruptive sensor is secured in operative relationship to the interrupter disk. The interrupter disk is configured with a raised peripheral lip having multiple teeth and gaps, each of a unique arcuate length. Signals from the photo-interruptive sensor, together with relative rotational position signals from the relative rotational position sensor in operative relationship to the mounting shaft, are conveyed to a sensor processor and utilized to store, in a sensor memory area, one or more absolute mounting shaft rotational positions. An internal power source maintains the integrity of the sensor memory for a definite span of time during momentary system power losses such as battery changes or during overnight shutdowns, permitting the mounting shaft runout compensation values to be maintained and utilized upon the restoration of system power.