Absolute Magnetic Positioner Without Mechanical Gears
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing position encoders require mechanical gears, which increase structural size and mass, and rely on external power for accurate position tracking, limiting their functionality during power interruptions.
Innovation Solution
A position encoder design using magnetosensitive sensor elements, such as Hall elements and magnetoresistive sensors, eliminates mechanical gears by directly connecting the magnet carrier to the monitored body, allowing for accurate position determination with minimal mechanical components and maintaining functionality without external power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If mechanical gears are used to transmit motion from the drive shaft to the magnet carrier, then the position encoder can achieve accurate position tracking, but the structural size and mass increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the mechanical gear transmission components from the encoder system. Instead of using gears to transmit motion from the drive shaft to the magnet carrier, the invention directly couples the magnet carrier to the drive shaft, eliminating the intermediate mechanical transmission elements and thereby reducing the overall mass and structural complexity while maintaining measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical gear transmission system with a direct mechanical coupling. The magnet carrier is directly connected to the drive shaft without intermediate gears, substituting a complex mechanical transmission system with a simpler direct connection that achieves the same functional result with reduced mass
2Reliability
If external power is required for accurate position tracking, then the position encoder can maintain continuous monitoring, but the functionality is limited during power interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by providing means to preserve the count value in a state ready for immediate use upon power restoration. The system prepares for potential power interruptions by maintaining the ability to quickly resume accurate position tracking without requiring a return to a known starting position, thereby enhancing both reliability during operation and adaptability during power interruptions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the encoder to enable functionality during power interruptions. By implementing features that allow the encoder to maintain or quickly recover its count value without external power, the system adapts its operational characteristics to function reliably both during powered operation and during power interruptions
3Reliability
If the encoder returns to a known starting position after power restoration, then the count value can be reset, but time is lost and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by preparing the encoder to immediately resume accurate position tracking upon power restoration. The system is designed to preserve or quickly recover the count value without requiring a return to a known starting position, thereby eliminating the time loss and productivity reduction that would otherwise occur during power interruption recovery
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables precise position tracking over large distances with unlimited counting capacity and immediate position value retrieval upon power restoration, eliminating the need for returning to a known starting position.
Implementation Method 1
a permanent magnet (5), which generates a magnetic field
Implementation Method 2
magnetosensitive sensor elements, such as Hall elements
Implementation Method 3
magnetoresistive sensors
Data Source
Figure 1~3
Figure 4~5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
An absolute magnetic position sensor comprises a magnet carrier (2) rigidly connected to a body to be monitored, which carries permanent magnets (5) spaced apart in the direction of movement, forming pairs of magnetic segments, the position of the body being determined by counting and resolving these segments; stationary magnetosensitive sensors (7, 8) serving for fine resolution of the magnetic segments and for detecting the direction of movement, one of which can be supplied with a minimum current at least intermittently; a stationary Wiegand element (9) which emits an electrical pulse when passing at least every second pair of magnetic poles, which is added to or subtracted from a non-volatile stored count value by an electronic arrangement (12), taking into account the direction of movement; and a logic circuit (26) which calculates the position of the body from the count value and the signals of the magnetosensitive sensors.wherein part of the electrical pulse energy of the Wiegand element is stored in order to supply power to the electronic arrangement and the at least one magnetosensitive sensor, at least in the absence of an external power supply.