With Permanent Magnet (e.g., Field, Vane) Patents (Class 324/146)
  • Patent number: 10944312
    Abstract: An actuator may include a supporting body; a movable body shiftable relative to the supporting body; a first magnetic drive circuit comprising a first coil and a first magnet; a second magnetic drive circuit comprising a second coil and a second magnet adjacent to each other; a first coil holder supporting the first coil; and a second coil holder holding the second coil and aligned with the first coil holder in the first direction. The first coil holder and the second coil holder each may include a plurality of bottomed holes having openings in regions where the first coil holder and the second coil holder are disposed adjacent to each other. The first coil holder and the second coil holder may be positioned with pins fit to the holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: NIDEC SANKYO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masao Tsuchihashi, Tadashi Takeda, Hiroshi Kitahara
  • Patent number: 9146167
    Abstract: A torque sensor assembly is used to measure torque in a powertrain of a motor vehicle, the powertrain including a power source and a transmission. A sensor is coupled to an oil seal housing, which is coupled to the engine. Each of the sensor and the oil seal housing has a mounting hole formed therein. The sensor is coupled to the oil seal housing, and the oil seal housing to the engine, by inserting one fastener into both mounting holes. The sensor measures an amount of torque exerted on a drive plate of the transmission. The drive plate includes a central disk, made of a magnetizable material, and an outer ring coupled to the central disk. The sensor is a magnetic torque sensor, which determines an amount of torque exerted on the central disk of the drive plate by sensing a magnetic flux passing through the drive plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Nimrod Kapas, Gregory Jack Overla, Joseph F. Kucharski, Gregory Michael Pietron, Yujii Fujii
  • Patent number: 8564280
    Abstract: An electricity meter comprises a single current sensor with a toroidal coil that has an inner bore extending substantially through the sensor. The meter also has two current conductors that form one of a pair of line-side blades of the meter. The electricity meter also has a disconnect switch with a pair of moveable contacts and a pair of fixed contacts. One of the pairs contacts is electrically connected to the current conductors. The other pair forms a respective load-side blade of the meter. One current conductor passes through the inner bore of the current sensor in a first direction relative to its line-side blade and the other current conductor passes through the inner bore of the current sensor in a substantially opposite direction relative to its line-side blade so that current passing through the conductors passes through the inner bore of the current sensor in a same direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Elster Solutions, LLC
    Inventor: Garry M. Loy
  • Patent number: 8065050
    Abstract: A method is provided for detecting an insufficient or missing phase current in a permanent magnet synchronous motor, and includes determining a composite vector position of a combined three-phase phase current with respect to a stationary portion of the motor, and assigning a sector to the position. The method includes comparing the phase current to a calibrated threshold current corresponding to the sector, and executing a response when the absolute value is less than the threshold. A vehicle includes an energy storage device (ESD), a motor/generator configured as a permanent magnet synchronous motor, a voltage inverter, and a bus for conducting DC current from the ESD to the inverter. A controller detects an insufficient phase current, determines a current vector position of the three-phase AC, assigns a sector to the position, and executes a response when an absolute value of the phase current is less than a calibrated threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Stephen T. West, Wei D. Wang, Sean E. Gleason
  • Patent number: 7774148
    Abstract: In an embodiment of a method, the method includes measuring currents and voltages that are coupled to a motor that includes an internal permanent magnet and determining a reactive power in response to the measured currents and voltages. The method further includes estimating a first flux orthogonal to an axis of the internal permanent motor and estimating a second flux aligned with the axis of the internal permanent motor. Additionally, the method includes estimating a torque in response to the measured currents and the first and second fluxes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian A Welchko, Silva Hiti, Steven E. Schulz
  • Patent number: 7654220
    Abstract: An indicator has a permanent magnet and a coil rotatably supported on the permanent magnet and wound so as to form a surface that is parallel to and disposed at a preselected distance from a bottom surface of the permanent magnet. The coil generates a torque by interaction with a magnetic field of the permanent magnet upon supply of a current to the coil. An indicator needle is mounted to undergo rotation with the coil through a range of angles corresponding to indicator angles of the indicator needle. A pair of spiral springs urge the indicator needle in a direction opposite to a direction of the torque to undergo rotation through the range of indicator angles. The pair of spiral springs comprise a first spiral spring connected at one end thereof to one end of the coil and a second spiral spring connected at one end thereof to another end of the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignees: Seiko Instruments Inc., Kisho Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeki Yagi, Ryuichi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 7608346
    Abstract: A magnetic field sensor, in particular an rpm sensor and/or rotational direction sensor and/or position sensor for the drive train of a motor vehicle, has a sensor array, with a sensor element that responds to a magnetic field, and optionally with a permanent magnet, the latter being sheathed with plastic jointly with the sensor array and parts of terminal conductor tracks, and the conductor tracks are embodied in one piece with a fixing element for the permanent magnet and the sensor array as a stamped grid, wherein stamped grid is shaped as a three-dimensional structure which carries the sensor array and optionally embraces the permanent magnet in the manner of a mount, and the mount and the terminal conductor tracks are first stamped out from a metal sheet as a gridlike developed form, and then deformed to form the mount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Alexander Braun, Andreas Herzberger, Steffen Waldenmeier
  • Patent number: 7573255
    Abstract: A hollow box-shaped mover or a needle is moved, without using a power transmission mechanism midway, to a portion according to a measured value of a graduation portion, by housing the mover between a dial and a surrounding facing and in a guide groove portion formed along a graduation portion, in a manner to move along the guide groove portion, by attaching a needle to the mover, and by moving the mover along the guide groove portion by a linear motor unit, which is constituted to have a multipolar magnet of the guide groove portion and two coils housed in the mover.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Shigeki Totsuka
  • Patent number: 6940269
    Abstract: A speed meter unit has a magnetic pointer position detector, including an output coil, a detection coil and a magnetic piece. The output coil generates magnetic flux. The detection coil is for detecting the magnetic flux from the output coil. When a pointer has returned to an initial position, the magnetic flux generated in the output coil can reach the detection coil through the magnetic piece, so that a microcomputer can detect the initial position of the pointer. Such the magnetic pointer position detector is resistive to the soil or the oxidization, so that the speed meter unit can detect the initial position of the pointer accurately and securely.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2005
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Komura
  • Publication number: 20040119459
    Abstract: A speed meter unit has a magnetic pointer position detector, including an output coil, a detection coil and a magnetic piece. The output coil generates magnetic flux. The detection coil is for detecting the magnetic flux from the output coil. When a pointer has returned to an initial position, the magnetic flux generated in the output coil can reach the detection coil through the magnetic piece, so that a microcomputer can detect the initial position of the pointer. Such the magnetic pointer position detector is resistive to the soil or the oxidization, so that the speed meter unit can detect the initial position of the pointer accurately and securely.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2003
    Publication date: June 24, 2004
    Inventor: Takashi Komura
  • Patent number: 6538423
    Abstract: Provided is a coil instrument which can maintain a compact configuration even when a rotary shaft at a pointer side is subjected to a deceleration rotation by way of gears. The coil instrument includes a rotor shaft having a rotor magnet and a first gear, a pointer shaft having a second gear connected with the first gear, a housing which pivotally supports the pointer shaft and the rotor shaft in parallel, and a pair of coils which are arranged such that coils opposedly face an outer peripheral surface of the rotor magnet where the second gear is not arranged and give a rotational force to the rotor magnet upon energization thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koichi Sato, Numaya Hiroyasu, Koichi Jinushi, Yoshihiro Kamimura
  • Patent number: 6531864
    Abstract: A high torque electromagnetic device such as a moving magnet galvanometer includes a composite electromagnetic coil. The composite electromagnetic coil includes two pancake-shaped coil parts made using a rectangular conductor having a width and a thickness, wherein the winding formed for each pancake-shaped coil part has the width oriented in a direction substantially normal to the initially flat face of the pancake-shaped coil part. Each pancake-shaped coil part is subsequently shaped to a shape different from the initially flat shape. The coil parts are superposed and electrically connected to form a single tightly packed unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Inventor: Jean I. Montagu
  • Publication number: 20030011356
    Abstract: To provide a moving magnet type metering device that is cheap and can make an influence affecting on operation characteristics of an indicator smaller, and furthermore can suppress damper oil from leaking. The moving magnet type metering device includes a magnet rotor 2 having a turning shaft 1, a frame body 4 that has a cavity portion 3 for accommodating the magnet rotor 2 and supports the turning shaft 1, coils 5 and 6 that are disposed along an outer periphery of the frame body 4 and drive the magnet rotor 2, and damper oil D that is filled in the cavity portion 3. In the above, a rough surface portion S that suppresses the damper oil D from moving is disposed on at least one of an external surface 21 of the magnet rotor 2 or an internal surface 31 of the cavity portion 3.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2002
    Publication date: January 16, 2003
    Inventor: Hitoshi Satoh
  • Patent number: 6400132
    Abstract: A cross-coil type indicating instrument includes a dial plate, a bobbin disposed behind the dial plate, a pair of coils wound around the bobbin to cross each other, a plurality of terminals, a circuit board supported at a rear portion of the dial plate, an indicator shaft, an indicator carried by the indicator shaft, and a permanent magnet disposed in the bobbin coaxially with the indicator shaft. The bobbin has a plurality of terminal holders at the outer periphery thereof. Each terminal has a base portion fixed to the terminal holder, an elongation extending from the base portion toward connection terminals of the coils, and a pressure-contact portion extending from the base portion toward the circuit board to pressure-contact the circuit board from behind by its resilience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2002
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventor: Takashi Koumura
  • Publication number: 20020053901
    Abstract: An inductive coil is disclosed comprising a bobbin and a coil encircling the bobbin. The coil encircling the bobbin defines at least one layer of coil extending over a first portion of the bobbin. At least one other layer of the coil extends over less than the first portion of the bobbin. A method of constructing a coil sensor including a bobbin comprises beginning at a first location on the bobbin, encircling the bobbin with a coil defining thereby at least one layer of the coil, the at least one layer extending over a first portion of the bobbin; wherein at least one other layer of the coil extends over a second portion of the bobbin less than the first portion of the bobbin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2001
    Publication date: May 9, 2002
    Inventors: Lance Ronald Strayer, Michael D. Lutton, Chris C. Begley, Robert J. Byram, Daniel A. Crawford
  • Patent number: 6362616
    Abstract: An analog gauge includes a coil assembly and a permanent magnet fixedly attached to a rotatable shaft whereby magnetically orthogonal stator coils are disposed about the permanent magnet. The shaft is fixedly attached to a pointer arm that moves over a dial face. As electrical current passes through the coils, electromagnetic fields are induced which, when summed, comprise a magnetic force which is followed by the permanent magnet, shaft, and pointer arm. With reduced-parts circuitry, the flat zone responsiveness of the circuit is delayed until a zener diode is forward biased, yielding increased control over the flat zone responsiveness, without reliance upon the voltage drop across a diode connected between ground and the coil located furthest from the power source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2002
    Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Alan J. Lo
  • Publication number: 20020008508
    Abstract: A high torque electromagnetic device such as a moving magnet galvanometer includes a composite electromagnetic coil. The composite electromagnetic coil includes two pancake-shaped coil parts made using a rectangular conductor having a width and a thickness, wherein the winding formed for each pancake-shaped coil part has the width oriented in a direction substantially normal to the initially flat face of the pancake-shaped coil part. Each pancake-shaped coil part is subsequently shaped to a shape different from the initially flat shape. The coil parts are superposed and electrically connected to form a single tightly packed unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2001
    Publication date: January 24, 2002
    Inventor: Jean I. Montagu
  • Patent number: 6323637
    Abstract: A miniature crossed coil gauge is provided having an oriented rare earth magnet fixedly mounted on a rotary shaft for supplying a magnetic flux directed transverse to the shaft axis. The gauge housing provided by an upper and lower bobbin surrounds the magnet and supports the rotary shaft. A first and second coil are wound about the gauge housing in a crossed coil orientation encircling the magnet. A flux ring is disposed around the first and second coils axially aligned with respect to the magnet. The magnet has sufficient strength and the flux ring is mounted in sufficiently close proximity to the first and second coils to redistribute the flux supplied by the magnet so that the magnetic flux measured at the surface of the coils is substantially increased relative to the magnetic flux density measured with the flux ring removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2001
    Inventors: John A. Ayres, David L. Ehle, Michael E. Salmon, Craig A. Ayres
  • Patent number: 6304072
    Abstract: A pointer resetting mechanism for a magnet disc operated gauge mainly adapted for use in vehicles is made up of a coil spring particularly housed together with a floatable magnet disc for protection in a sealed shelter case and at least an auxiliary magnet received in one of a tubular columns in a lower case of the shelter case. The spring has one end fixed to a pointer shaft and the other end secured to a retaining means disposed on the case. Around the sealed shelter case is wrapped around induction copper wires. When an electric current appears in the copper wires, the magnet disc floating in damping oil is forced by induced magnetism to rotate in the shelter case and when the electric current is removed the pointer can be automatically reset by way of the mechanical biasing force of the coil spring. Furthermore, the auxiliary magnet is used to make the pointer operate more stable at its initial position at where the coil spring can not produce enough tension to firmly hold the pointer in position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignees: Jimray Technology INC
    Inventor: Paul Liu
  • Patent number: 6294907
    Abstract: A cross-coil type indicating instrument includes a bobbin having an upper center cylinder and a lower center cylinder, a cross-coil unit disposed around the bobbin, a shaft coaxially and rotatably supported by the upper and lower cylinder, a permanent magnet rotor, a dial, a pointer carried by said shaft, and a cup-shaped magnetic shield casing. The upper center cylinder has an upper bearing disposed to be generally flush with the upper surface of the cross coil unit, and the lower center cylinder has a lower bearing and extends through the magnetic shield casing so that the lower bearing is disposed at the back of the magnetic shield casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Koumura, Naoto Ogawa, Isao Miyagawa
  • Patent number: 6249116
    Abstract: A driving unit of a cross-coil type indicating instrument includes a bobbin and a pair of cross-coils crossing each other, a plurality of terminals having an edge portion, a bent portion, and a rod portion. The edge portion is bent at the bent portion to extend toward the cross-coils, and each of the pair of cross coils has a wire end wound around a spool portion formed in the edge portion and soldered thereto. Each of the male terminals has a dam for holding melting solder between the spool portion and the bent portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Isao Miyagawa, Kenichi Yamada
  • Patent number: 6184674
    Abstract: Moving magnet indicating instruments in which a damping fluid migration barrier projects from the inside of one wall of the bobbin coil and another damping fluid migration barrier projects from the face of the rotor which confronts that wall. Certain fluids have a tendency to migrate, or “creep,” over surfaces they contact. The fluid migration barriers of the present invention prevent unwanted migration of fluid out of a cavity by providing a sharp peak over which the fluid cannot creep.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Inventor: Vincent H. Rose
  • Patent number: 6130532
    Abstract: The movement has a rectangular section case for accommodating a magnet rotor so as to turnably support the magnet rotor engaged with a pointer spindle. A pair of inner core bobbins wound by an electrical wire each are slidingly engaged with the case through the rectangular opening so as to be opposed to each other. A pair of outer bobbins wound by an electrical wire each are slidingly engaged with the pair of inner core bobbins through a rectangular opening of each outer bobbin so as to be opposed to each other. Each of inner and outer bobbins may have an outer frame plate which has a pair of electrical terminals at the middle thereof. The pair of terminals may consist of upper and lower terminals. The outer frame plate may be provided with a terminal retainer for securing the pair of terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2000
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Shigeki Totsuka
  • Patent number: 6124774
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an electromagnetically controlled drive device, in particular a ratio meter, the device being of the type comprising: a set of control coils (10, 20); a frame (50) which carries the set of coils (10, 20); equipment including a magnet suitable for being pivoted by the set of control coils (10, 20); and magnetic shielding (100) surrounding the set of coils (10, 20) and the support frame, at least in part, the device being characterized by the fact that the shielding (100) comprises an annular skirt (110) that is not a circular cylinder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2000
    Assignee: Magneti Marelli France
    Inventor: Vincent Quelo
  • Patent number: 6046583
    Abstract: A miniature crossed coil gauge is provided having an oriented rare earth magnet fixedly mounted on a rotary shaft for supplying a magnetic flux directed transverse to the shaft axis. The gauge housing provided by an upper and lower bobbin surrounds the magnet and supports the rotary shaft. A first and second coil are wound about the gauge housing in a crossed coil orientation encircling the magnet. A flux ring is disposed around the first and second coils axially aligned with respect to the magnet. The magnet has sufficient strength and the flux ring is mounted in sufficiently close proximity to the first and second coils to redistribute the flux supplied by the magnet so that the magnetic flux measured at the surface of the coils is substantially increased relative to the magnetic flux density measured with the flux ring removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2000
    Assignee: Nu-Tech & Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: John A. Ayres, David L. Ehle, Michael E. Salmon, Craig A. Ayres
  • Patent number: 6018240
    Abstract: An after-change supply prevention unit prevents a cross coil from being supplied with a driving pulse signal with a duty ratio corresponding to a deflection angle calculated based on a period of a running pulse in a duration in which a period range judging unit judges that the period of the running pulse generated with the running of a vehicle is not in a predetermined range after the input state of the running pulse is shifted from the input state at the stoppage of the vehicle to the input state in running of the vehicle. While the supply of the driving pulse signal is prevented, a driving pulse signal with a duty ratio corresponding to a deflection angle calculated based on the period of the running pulse at the stoppage of the vehicle is supplied to the cross coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Tadao Ito
  • Patent number: 5986445
    Abstract: A cross-coil type indicating instrument includes a bobbin, a cross-coil unit disposed around the bobbin, a shaft, a permanent magnet rotor disposed inside the bobbin, a dial having a zero position, a pointer carried by the shaft, and a magnetic shield casing for accommodating the bobbin. The magnetic shield casing has a projection member extending from the bottom thereof at a peripheral side of the cross-coil unit to meet one of magnetic poles of the permanent magnet when the pointer returns to the zero-position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: Denso Corporation
    Inventors: Naoto Ogawa, Isao Miyagawa, Takashi Koumura
  • Patent number: 5854552
    Abstract: Moving magnet indicating instruments in which a damping fluid migration barrier projects from the inside of one wall of the bobbin coil and another damping fluid migration barrier projects from the face of the rotor which confronts that wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1998
    Inventor: Vincent H. Rose
  • Patent number: 5786688
    Abstract: An electrical meter, comprising a housing, a motor magnet mounted relative to a housing for pivotal movement, and an induction clip having an arcuate portion of more than 180 degrees, opposite ends of the arcuate being anchored to the housing to define an area within which a conductor is maintained within the radius of the arcuate portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: July 28, 1998
    Assignee: Prime Instruments, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert L. Krupa, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5703290
    Abstract: A bobbin assembly for a vehicle instrument gauge is provided. The bobbin assembly includes an upper and a lower bobbin, which together define a chamber therebetween and an axis of rotation therethrough. The bobbin assembly also includes a permanent magnet rotatably disposed within the chamber. A shaft rotatably supports the magnet within the chamber for rotative movement about the axis of rotation, and a viscous damping fluid, carried in the chamber, damps the rotational movement of the magnet. The upper bobbin includes a nose portion defining a bore therethrough which extends along the axis of rotation. The bore is open to the chamber and receives the shaft therethrough. The nose portion also defines an inner dam portion disposed within the chamber. The upper bobbin further includes a trough which is in fluid communication with the chamber and extends radially outwardly from the inner dam portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Chandresekar R. Karur, Ted A. Vanden Berg, Vivek A. Jairazbhoy, Christopher Hitchen
  • Patent number: 5686832
    Abstract: A miniature crossed coil gauge is provided having an oriented rare earth magnet fixedly mounted on a rotary shaft for supplying a magnetic flux directed transverse to the shaft axis. The gauge housing provided by an upper and lower bobbin surrounds the magnet and supports the rotary shaft. A first and second coil are wound about the gauge housing in a crossed coil orientation encircling the magnet. A flux ring is disposed around the first and second coils axially aligned with respect to the magnet. The magnet has sufficient strength and the flux ring is mounted in sufficiently close proximity to the first and second coils to redistribute the flux supplied by the magnet so that the magnetic flux measured at the surface of the coils is substantially increased relative to the magnetic flux density measured with the flux ring removed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignee: Nu-Tech & Engineering, Inc.
    Inventors: John A. Ayres, David L. Ehle, Michael E. Salmon, Craig A. Ayres
  • Patent number: 5578918
    Abstract: A modular meter movement having two or more coil assemblies. One embodiment of the meter is modular and includes coil assemblies that are formed as separate parts and configured to be attached to a magnet housing that houses a rotatably mounted permanent magnet. The magnet housing includes a plurality of arms that can accept either two or three coil assemblies depending upon the embodiment. The coil assemblies are placed over the magnet housing such that the coil assemblies at least partially surround the magnet housing. The magnet housing and coil assemblies are placed within a shield pot formed from a magnetically susceptible material. In one embodiment, the shield pot is non-cylindrical and the axis of rotation of the permanent magnet is mounted off the central axis of the shield pot. The shield pot is shaped so that even though it is non-cylindrical, it does not induce a homing position in the resulting meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1994
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1996
    Assignee: Floscan Instrument Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Wilfried Baatz
  • Patent number: 5550465
    Abstract: A pulse signal generated by a car speed sensor is converted to an analog voltage by a F-V converter, and two sawtooth signals are formed by two sawtooth current generators based on the analog voltage. The sawtooth currents are then converted into two triangular wave voltages by two I-V converters. Three-stage function generators change the slope of each of the triangular wave voltages step by step and form an approximated sine wave voltage and an approximated cosine wave voltage. A zero-cross compensating circuit is provided in each of the first stage function generators and adjust the triangular voltage to cross zero point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1996
    Assignee: Nippondenso Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tomohisa Yamamoto, Junji Hayakawa, Hiroyuki Ban
  • Patent number: 5497078
    Abstract: A method and system for driving an air core gauge whereby pointer resolution of an air core gauge is improved across a full range of motion. The method including the steps of generating a first gauge control signal responsive to a signal, the first gauge control signal having a first duty cycle corresponding to a first pointer position; generating a second gauge control signal responsive to the signal, the second gauge control signal having a second duty cycle corresponding to a second pointer position; and modulating between the first gauge control signal and the second gauge control signal alternating drive periods to drive the gauge pointer to display an average pointer position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 5, 1996
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventors: Joseph R. Queen, Terry T. Cwik, Charles G. Hellebuyck
  • Patent number: 5489842
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a rotatably mounted magnetic rotor, a first coil mounted in proximity of the magnetic rotor, the first coil mounted such that, if the coil is flowing with electric current, the magnetic rotor is within immediate proximity of at least part of a magnetic field created by the coil. The apparatus includes a second coil mounted in proximity of the magnetic rotor, the second coil mounted such that, if the coil is flowing with electric current, the magnetic rotor is within immediate proximity of at least part of a magnetic field created by the coil. A current source is coupled to the first coil, for generating an AC signal and applying the AC signal across the first coil whereby an AC output signal develops across the second coil, the AC output signal having a magnitude that varies in relation to the rotational position of the rotor. A measuring circuit detects the AC output signal and develops therefrom a measure of the position of the rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 6, 1996
    Assignee: Delco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Raymond Lippmann, James E. Nelson, Michael J. Schnars, James R. Chintyan, William J. Johnston
  • Patent number: 5463314
    Abstract: An air core gauge for an instrument cluster includes a permanent magnet armature and field coils energized according to an input parameter determine the position of the armature and a pointer connected to the armature. Terminal pins outboard of the armature carry energizing current to the coils. One of the terminal pins is made of ferrous material to magnetically attract the armature to a rest position when energizing current is off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 31, 1995
    Assignee: Delco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Thomas R. Mueller, Gail M. Sylvester
  • Patent number: 5424632
    Abstract: A galvanometer is shown, which includes a cylindrical magnetic rotor polarized into two essentially semi-cylindrical poles on opposite sides of its axis. Two coil portions are disposed on opposite sides of the rotor, separated by a plane of symmetry that is in essential alignment with the poles of the rotor at the center of its range of motion. The legs of each grouping of turns of each coil portion are disposed in a distribution beginning at a point corresponding to the radial surface of the bobbin on which the coil portion is wound, and extending continuously substantially to the plane of symmetry. The distribution may be lower in density at the plane of symmetry than spaced therefrom and may approximate an inverse cosine distribution. A rotor is shown that includes a thin-walled torque-bearing sleeve encircling at least a portion of the magnet and is joined to the output shaft and the magnet. A fastener anchors the bobbin to the shell to prevent relative rotation therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 13, 1995
    Assignee: General Scanning, Inc.
    Inventor: Jean Montagu
  • Patent number: 5414350
    Abstract: A rotating magnetic measuring instrument including a form for receiving thereon first and second coil windings, with the second coil being wound within the first coil. The second coil includes a section thereof wound in a reverse direction for reducing the effective magnetic moment of the second coil so as to be substantially equal in magnitude to the effective magnetic moment of the first coil. The rotating magnetic measuring instrument also includes a magnetic indicator carried by the coil form that is rotated by to magnetic moments produced by the flow of current through the first and the second coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1995
    Assignee: Ford Motor Company
    Inventor: James H. Chellman
  • Patent number: 5387860
    Abstract: A detachable coils air core movement holder having aligned upper and lower holders defining a chamber therebetween for housing a magnet with a center shaft extending through the upper holder and coupled to a pointer of a meter. A plurality of horizontal projections extend from the periphery of the aligned upper and lower holders for mounting on each a bobbin having a coil wound thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1995
    Inventors: Yen-Shu Tsai, Min-Huang Chuang
  • Patent number: 5378980
    Abstract: A cross coil type indicating instrument is improved in that a coil bobbin keeps a torque sufficient to hold a stopper plate as a zero point stopper to prevent a positional deviation of the stopper plate after position adjustment and that a stable rotational torque is kept in the positional adjustment of the stopper plate with a jig to assure a reliable position adjustment. The stopper plate is held between an upper bobbin and a lower bobbin with a pinching pressure to inhibit a vertical motion thereof. Spring pieces are formed on an outer periphery of the stopper plate while contacting with the inner face of the lower bobbin with an elastic force. By a biasing force of the spring pieces, the stopper plate is held in the lower bobbin along matching faces between the upper bobbin and the lower bobbin with a substantially constant holding torque.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1995
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Yukio Oike
  • Patent number: 5359284
    Abstract: An air core gauge apparatus includes a sensor for determining a measure of a parameter, a microprocessor controller receiving the measure of parameter from the sensor and operative to (a) determine an ideal gauge position responsive to the parameter measurement, (b) determine a center position representing assumed magnetic hysteresis center, (c) compare the ideal position to the center position to determine an offset value, (d) determine a command signal responsive to the ideal signal and the difference signal, and (e) output the command signal, an air core gauge display including an air core gauge, a pointer, and graphics, the pointer being pivotally mounted and rotatable in response to commands given to the air core gauge to indicate information in the display, and an air core gauge driver for driving the gauge responsive to the command signal to rotate the gauge to an angular position representative of the parameter measurement, compensating for effects of magnetic hysteresis in the air core gauge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 25, 1994
    Assignee: Delco Electronics Corp.
    Inventors: Kevin J. Hawes, Reynolds P. Weber
  • Patent number: 5357196
    Abstract: A measuring circuit with a simple circuit configuration is capable of correcting dispersion of a characteristic of a display apparatus and of displaying the measurement result. The measuring circuit comprises an edge detecting circuit, for outputting an edge detection signal synchronous with clock pulses by performing sampling on an input signal, the sampling being performed using clock pulses having a frequency higher than a frequency of the input signal, a gate circuit outputting a first factor when receiving the edge detection signal from the edge detection circuit, a digital integrating filter circuit for outputting a signal having digital values converging to values corresponding to the frequency of the input signal by timing sampling operation based on cycles of the clock pulses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 18, 1994
    Assignee: Jeco Company Limited
    Inventor: Akio Ito
  • Patent number: 5311118
    Abstract: A frequency-to-voltage converter comprises a pulse generator, an integrator, an inverting amplifier, and a superimposing circuit. The pulse generator generates a pulse signal having a predetermined width. The integrator integrates and outputs the pulse signal. The inverting amplifier reverses the ripple component of the output of the integrator, outputting the reversed ripple component. The superimposing circuit superimposes the reversed ripple component on the output of the integrator. An automobile meter according to this invention comprises a frequency-to-voltage converter, a plurality of driving signal generators, and a plurality of pointer driving coils. The drive signal generators generate driving signals having values according to the output value of the integrator, applying the drive signals to pointer driving coils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1991
    Date of Patent: May 10, 1994
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuyuki Fukuda
  • Patent number: 5309087
    Abstract: A pulse-width modulation system provides means for controlling dual-coil, air-core gauges at a various rates over 360 degrees. The system moves a dial needle from one octant of the gauge to the next in response to coded data representing measurands by holding one coil at 100% duty cycle while applying a PWM of a varying duty signal to the other coil. When the magnitude of the measurand dictates that the needle should move into another octant of the dial, the PWM signal and the 100% duty cycle signal are interchanged between the coils in a manner permitting the needle to move to other octants of the dial. The system includes a variable PWM count clock that permits selecting at least PWM rates and periods for forming PWM duty cycles ranging from 0% to 100%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 3, 1994
    Assignee: Chrysler Corporation
    Inventors: Paul A. Markow, Kevin R. Hammond, Donald E. Hutchings
  • Patent number: 5267526
    Abstract: A cross-coil type indicator including a coil bobbin around which a pair of coils are wound while intersecting each other at a right angle, a magnet rotor rotatably supported in a hollow space of the coil bobbin, a pointer shaft fixedly secured to a center portion of the magnet rotor, a pointer firmly fitted onto the pointer shaft, and a dial plate having a graduation arranged thereon to indicate the present quantity of measurement in cooperation with the pointer. In the indicator, a projection is provided on an upper surface of the magnet rotor and a recess is provided on an inner wall surface of the coil bobbin located opposite to the upper surface of the magnet rotor, so that the projection and the recess are engaged with each other while the pointer shaft is moved upward. The projection may be provided on the inner wall surface of the coil bobbin. In this case, the recess is provided on the upper surface of the magnet rotor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 1991
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1993
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventor: Shigeki Totsuka
  • Patent number: 5243752
    Abstract: An instrumentation apparatus with curable internal magnets is shown. The apparatus comprises a magnetic rotor and a rotatably mountable spindle to which the magnetic rotor is attached. A support structure to which the spindle is rotatably mounted defines at least one retaining area. A material is poured into and cured in the retaining area, and then charged to form a magnet. The molded and cured magnet provides a constant magnetic field that acts upon the magnetic rotor, providing a return-to-zero function or a volt gauge function for the instrumentation apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 14, 1993
    Assignee: Delco Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen M. Moore, Scott L. Semrau
  • Patent number: 5243277
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a cross coil having a first coil winding for generating a first magnetic field when an electrical current flows therethrough and a second coil winding for generating a second magnetic field when an electrical current flows therethrough, and the second coil winding being wound so as to cross the first coil winding to each other. The cross coil comprises a mechanism for equalizing the magnitude of each of the first and second magnetic fields generated when identical electrical currents flows through each of the coil windings.The equalizing mechanism comprises the arrangement of the turns of the windings in which the individual turns are alternately wound on top of the turns for the other winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 1991
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1993
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Shigeki Totsuka, Yukio Ohike, Tadao Ito
  • Patent number: 5239259
    Abstract: A moving magnet type indicating instrument comprising a moving magnet type instrument, a counter mechanism, a drive unit, and a frame body produced of a synthetic resin. The magnet type indicating instrument includes a magnet mounted in bobbins produced of the synthetic resin, a needle shaft fixed to the magnet, and a coil wound at an angle on the bobbins. The bobbins are housed in a magnetic shield case and the coil is electrically connected to terminals provided on the bobbins. The counter mechanism, including a total counter and reset counter having a zero-resetting device, is mounted on the frame body. The drive unit comprises a case including a step motor for driving the counter mechanism and a groove of gears, and is fixed to the frame body. Terminals for the moving magnet type indicating instrument and the drive unit are inserted and connected to the connectors provided on a printed-circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1991
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1993
    Assignee: Nippon Seiki Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Todoroki, Toshiyuki Ohtake, Hideki Zaima, Koichi Sato
  • Patent number: 5225770
    Abstract: A galvanometer is shown, which includes a cylindrical magnetic rotor polarized into two essentially semi-cylindrical poles on opposite sides of its axis. Two coil portions are disposed on opposite sides of the rotor, separated by a plane of symmetry that is in essential alignment with the poles of the rotor at the center of its range of motion. The legs of each grouping of turns of each coil portion are disposed in a distribution beginning at a point corresponding to the radial surface of the bobbin on which the coil portion is wound, and extending continuously substantially to the plane of symmetry. The distribution may be lower in density at the plane of symmetry than spaced therefrom and may approximate an inverse cosine distribution. A rotor is shown that includes a thin-walled torque-bearing sleeve encircling at least a portion of the magnet and is joined to the output shaft and the magnet. A fastener anchors the bobbin to the shell to prevent relative rotation therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1993
    Assignee: General Scanning, Inc.
    Inventor: Jean Montagu
  • Patent number: D611225
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Medshape Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Heidi F. Khalil, Kenneth A. Gall, James Kurt Jacobus