Angle measurement system including magnet with substantially square face for through-shaft applications

摘要

To make the magnetic field lines straighter and more parallel to one another, the present disclosure makes use of substantially square magnets with through-holes therein. It will be appreciated that “substantially square” magnets include magnets that are precisely square as well as magnets that are approximately square (e.g., have rounded corners or other small deviations from being square.) By providing straighter and more parallel magnetic field lines, such substantially square magnets tend to enable greater precision and accuracy when rotational angles of a shaft are measured.

主权项

1. An angle measurement system, comprising:
a shaft extending along a shaft axis and configured to axially rotate thereabout; a magnet including first and second surfaces which are each substantially square, wherein the first and second surfaces include first and second apertures, respectively, and wherein the first and second apertures define extents of a through-hole in the magnet through which the shaft extends; and an angle sensor configured to measure a time-varying magnetic field produced by the magnet as the shaft rotates to thereby determine an rotational angle of the shaft, where the angle sensor includes a sensing region that is positioned over the first surface of the magnet between an inner perimeter of the magnet proximate to the shaft and an outer perimeter of the magnet.