Patent · US Active

Torque sensor

US8677835B2 · kind B2 · utility

9Cited by
5References
9Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 16, 2010
Grant dateMar 25, 2014
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 15, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01L25/003
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An excitation AC signal biased by a predetermined DC voltage is applied to a coil to allow a DC voltage component in a coil output signal to contain failure information about disconnection, partial disconnection, or the like of the coil. The DC voltage component contained in the coil output signal is detected, and the detected DC voltage is provided as an offset voltage for a failure diagnosis. Further, to check a peak level of the excitation AC voltage, a DC voltage corresponding to the peak level may be contained in the offset voltage. A differential amplifier circuit for obtaining a difference between a coil detection output AC voltage component and a reference AC voltage component outputs an obtained differential signal offset by the offset voltage. Accordingly, the differential signal containing the offset voltage as the failure information is transmitted to a circuit for torque measurement as a torque detection signal via a single output line. The circuit for torque measurement provides the torque detection data based on the transmitted differential signal and at the same time extracts the offset voltage to use it for the failure diagnosis.

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