Angular position sensor for pivoted control devices

摘要

A non-contact angular position sensor for sensing the position of a pivotably mounted device, which includes a housing containing a generally spherical socket having a relatively large pivot ball mounted for rotation in the socket, the ball including a spherical magnet having its center coincident with that of the pivot ball, magnetic sensing elements cooperating with and mounted at a fixed distance from the magnet, a joystick having its axis passing through the center of the spherical magnet, and output apparatus connected to the magnetic sensing elements to provide a signal representative of the orientation of the joystick.