Position sensor apparatus
US5856618A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 25, 1997 |
| Grant date | Jan 5, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 25, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF16H2061/242
- WIPO fieldMechanical elements
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A potentiometric position sensor (16, 40) is shown having first and second electrical contact wipers (24, 26; 24', 26') mechanically coupled to the control rod (14) of an automotive manual transmission. An electrical resistive circuit is formed on a flexible substrate (28, 28') which is mounted on the inside cylindrical surface (28a, 46a) of a housing (18, 46). The first contact wiper is adapted to wipe over a first set of resistive elements (28a, 28b, 28c; 28a', 28b', 28c') and the second contact wiper is adapted to wipe over a second set of resistive elements (28f, 28g, 28h; 28f', 28g', 28h) to provide unique analog voltage outputs dependent upon the position of the control rod along a translational and rotational axis (14a). In one embodiment the contact wipers (24, 26) are mounted on a rotor (22) which in turn is mounted directly on the control rod (14). In a second embodiment the contact wipers (24', 26') are mounted on a rotor (42) which is mechanically coupled to the control rod (14) via a ball and socket mechanism (48a, 50a).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.