Microchip Technology has filed a patent for an apparatus that includes a target for inductive angular-position sensing. The target has a target body with an inner circular ring and multiple fins that extend radially from the inner circular ring. The fins are equally spaced around a center axis and are formed as an arc band-shaped ring. This design provides a current path for an eddy current used in the inductive angular-position sensing. GlobalData’s report on Microchip Technology gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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Inductive angular-position sensing target with arc band-shaped fins
A recently filed patent (Publication Number: US20230314120A1) describes an apparatus for inductive angular-position sensing. The apparatus includes a target with a target body that consists of an inner circular ring and multiple fins extending radially from the inner circular ring. The fins are equally spaced around the center axis and are formed as an arc band-shaped ring.
In one embodiment, the multiple fins formed as the arc band-shaped ring have an outer-circumferential portion and an inner-circumferential portion. The inner-circumferential portion is part of the inner circular ring. The outer-circumferential portions of the multiple fins together define a discontinuous outer circular ring, covering about 75% of a full outer circular ring.
The number of multiple fins can be two or four. When there are two fins, the arc band-shaped ring is defined by boundaries of an angle with an apex at the center axis, and the angle is about 135°. The fins are radially spaced from each other by an angular spacing of about 45°. When there are four fins, the angle is about 67.5°, and the angular spacing is about 22.5°.
The multiple fins formed as the arc band-shaped ring provide a current path for an eddy current for inductive angular-position sensing. The apparatus also includes sense coils with radially-symmetric lobes evenly arranged around the center axis and an excitation coil with a circular winding pattern arranged around the sense coils. The sense coils produce a signal proportional to the radial position of the target body around the center axis.
The target body of the apparatus can be made of a non-magnetic or magnetic conductive metal or metal alloy.
Overall, this patent describes an apparatus for inductive angular-position sensing that utilizes a target with multiple fins formed as an arc band-shaped ring. The design of the fins and their arrangement allows for accurate sensing of the target's angular position. The apparatus can have two or four fins, and the target body can be made of various materials. This invention has potential applications in various industries where precise angular-position sensing is required.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
