Multifaceted balanced magnetic proximity sensor
US6313724A · kind A · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 12, 2000 |
| Grant date | Nov 6, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 12, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01H36/0046
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An apparatus and method of proximity switch/sensor based generally on a balanceable magnetic pole array. The magnetic pole array contains at least four poles with optional ferromagnetic shunt(s). The proximity of a shunt to a magnetic pole array determines whether the array is balanced or unbalanced. A balanced array is one with a zone where the vector sum of magnetic fields emanating from the array's poles can be made to approach zero. A sensor such as a reed switch is placed in the balanced zone. When the balance of the array is disturbed by the application of one or multiple shunts, the resulting finite magnetic field vector along with the resulting magnetic flux, activates the sensor. This approach can be implemented in a variety of array structures that offer implementation of a variety of logical functions. Multiple shunts and their proximity to the array are used as the logical function's inputs and the sensor's state as the logical function's output.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.