STEERING POSITION SENSOR (MULTI-TURN 1440 DEGREES ANGLE POSITION SENSOR)

摘要

A multi-turn angular position sensor includes a fixed magnet non-rotationally coupled to a fixed structure. A shaft is configured to rotate multiple complete rotations from a reference position, where each complete rotation front the reference position in a rotational direction defines a unique rotation zone of the shaft. Rotatable magnets surround the shaft and are disposed between the shaft magnet and the fixed magnet and are configured to rotate a different number of angular degrees than the shaft magnet. One of the rotatable magnets is a zone sensor magnet that rotates no more than one complete rotation from the reference position. A rotational zone sensor supplies a zone sensor output signal that indicates the unique rotation zone of the shaft. A shaft rotation sensor supplies a shaft rotation output signal representative of a number of angular degrees that the shaft rotates within each unique rotation zone.

主权项

1. A multi-turn angular position sensor, comprising:
a fixed structure; a fixed magnet non-rotationally coupled to the fixed structure; a shaft configured to rotate, relative to the fixed structure, multiple complete rotations from a reference position, each complete rotation from the reference position in a rotational direction defining a unique rotation zone of the shaft; a shaft magnet coupled to the shaft and configured to rotate therewith; a plurality of rotatable magnets surrounding the shaft and disposed between the shaft magnet and the fixed magnet, each rotatable magnet configured, upon rotation of the shaft magnet, to rotate a different number of angular degrees than the shaft magnet, the plurality of magnets including a zone sensor magnet that rotates no more than one complete rotation from the reference position when the shaft rotates the multiple complete rotations from the reference position; a rotational zone sensor disposed adjacent the zone sensor magnet, the rotational zone sensor configured to supply a zone sensor output signal that indicates the unique rotation zone of the shaft; and a shaft rotation sensor disposed adjacent the shaft and configured to supply a shaft rotation output signal representative of a number of angular degrees that the shaft rotates within each unique rotation zone.