Patent · US Expired

Electronic linear scale using a self-contained, low-power inductive position transducer

US6002250A · kind A · utility

53Cited by
64References
36Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 13, 1996
Grant dateDec 14, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 13, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01D5/2053
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An electronic linear scale, which uses an induced current position transducer, includes a slider assembly mounted adjacent to an elongated beam. The slider assembly is mounted on one mounting member of a device such as a machine tool. The elongated beam is mounted on a second mounting member of the device. The first and second mounting members move relative to each other. The position of the slider assembly on the beam is indicative to of the position between the first and second mounting members. Relative movement is determined by an inductive read head mounted on the slider assembly that couples to flux modulators on the beam. The read head includes a transmitter winding and a pair of receiver windings, preferably fabricated in a planar form, carried by a common printed circuit board. The flux modulators, which can include flux disrupters and/or flux enhancers, are carried by the beam and modulate the magnetic fields produced by the transmitter. Thus, the receiver windings produce output voltages corresponding to the overlap between the modulators and the receiver windings. Signal processing electronics are connected to the read head and determine the relative positions of the fi…

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