Mechanically actuated magnetocrystalline counter
US3961316A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 23, 1974 |
| Grant date | Jun 1, 1976 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 23, 1994 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C19/085
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
There is disclosed a miniaturized mechanically actuated magnetocrystalline counter comprising a shift register formed in a known manner on a crystal platelet of uniaxially anisotropic material. The device is suitable for use in counting a series of mechanical events such as the rotation or reciprocation of a mechanical member. Particular examples include the rotation of the unit counter of a utility meter or the reciprocation inherent in the recoil of a discharged weapon. Direct actuation of the counter by the occurrence of the mechanical event is achieved by using a permanent magnet as a transducer. The magnet is mounted to be moved with respect to the platelet responsively to the mechanical event to be counted in such a fashion that it generates a cyclically moving magnetic field to propagate at least one movable magnetic domain through the serial shift register formed in the platelet forming a bit stream which digitally accumulates data representative of the series of mechanical events. Each cycle of the field motion is produced by one of said series of mechanical events and each cycle so produced produces a single bit in said stream either by generating an additional magnetic d…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.