Patent · US Expired

Vernier index position sensor

US5856872A · kind A · utility

7Cited by
2References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 2, 1997
Grant dateJan 5, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 2, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01D5/38
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An index structure and method are disclosed which employ, in addition to a main diffractive grating track of an encoder, a short diffractive grating track (the vernier or index track) having a different frequency than that of the main track. The phase of the index track is used to provide windows for the main track in a manner so that a preselected phase condition of the main track occurs in only one of the windows provided by the index track.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.