Apparatus for determining rotational position of a rotatable element without contacting it

US5880586A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Robert Bosch GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Anton Dukart · Gerlingen, DE
• Hermann Winner · Bietigheim, DE
• Siegbert Steinlechner · Leonberg, DE
• Erich Zabler · Blankenloch, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 22, 1996
• Grant date: Mar 9, 1999
• Expiry date: Jul 22, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01R33/077
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The apparatus for determining rotational position of a rotatable element without contacting it includes a sensor device having two Hall or AMR sensor elements for sensing a magnetic field of magnetic field strength (B) generated by or influenced by the rotational position of the rotatable element and for producing output signals according to the magnetic field and thus the rotational position of the rotatable element. In order to easily detect the absolute rotational position of the rotatable element, the sensor device is constructed and positioned with respect to the rotatable element so that in every rotational position the field lines from the rotatable element extend at right angles to the sensor structures defined by the direction of an alternating current in the sensor elements. Using different embodiments of an electronic evaluation circuit, the direction components of the magnetic field are evaluated to determine the rotational position by comparing the input current to one of the sensors and the sum of the output signals of the respective sensor elements. Either sinusoidal or rectangular alternating voltages or direct voltages are input to the sensor elements.