Inductive Gear Sensing via Asymmetric Sensor Offset
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gear sensing technologies face challenges in accurately sensing gear movement, such as speed, direction, and position, particularly in mechanical systems where wear and failure are concerns, and electromagnetic systems may not provide reliable differential or asymmetrical responses.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a differential or asymmetrical inductive sensing system using conductive gears with sensors configured to detect gear tooth movement, providing differential or asymmetrical sensor responses based on the orientation and shape of the gear teeth, allowing for the determination of gear direction, speed, and position through phase differences or asymmetrical sensitivity changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If Hall effect gear tooth sensing is used, then gear movement can be sensed, but the system cannot provide reliable differential or asymmetrical responses for accurate direction and position detection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces Hall effect sensing with inductive sensing that utilizes the gear teeth themselves as the sensing element. The inductive sensor detects changes in inductance caused by the varying magnetic permeability of the gear teeth material, eliminating the need for separate Hall elements and magnet assemblies while providing reliable differential responses for direction detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetrical sensor positioning where the sensor is offset from the gear tooth centerline, creating asymmetrical sensing areas that respond differently to gear teeth moving in opposite directions. This asymmetry enables the sensor to distinguish between clockwise and counter-clockwise rotation, providing reliable direction detection.
2Measurement precision
If mechanical gear sensing systems are used, then gear movement can be detected, but wear and failure issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical contact-based sensing with non-contact inductive sensing. The sensor detects gear tooth passage through electromagnetic induction without physical contact, eliminating wear between sensor and gear components while maintaining accurate movement detection capability.
3Reliability
If conventional inductive sensing is used, then gear movement can be sensed, but the system complexity increases and sensor response is not sufficiently differential
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates asymmetrical sensing conditions by positioning the inductive sensor offset from the gear tooth centerline. This asymmetrical positioning causes the sensor to detect different magnetic flux patterns for teeth moving in opposite directions, generating differential responses without requiring multiple sensors or complex signal processing circuitry.
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
This approach enables accurate sensing of gear movement by generating distinct sensor response pulses or asymmetrical signals, effectively determining rotational direction, speed, and angular position, applicable to various gear configurations including spur and helical gears with reduced sensor complexity and wear concerns.
Implementation Method 1
inductive sensing system suitable to sensing movement of a conductive gear includes first and second inductive sensors disposed adjacent the gear
Implementation Method 2
asymmetrical sensor configured with an asymmetric profile in which sensitivity changes from a lower sensitivity at a lower sensitivity end to a higher sensitivity at a higher sensitivity end
Data Source
AI summary
An inductive gear sensing system suitable for sensing gear (gear tooth) movement, such as some combination of speed, direction and position, based on differential sensor response waveforms. Example embodiments of inductive gear sensing with differential sensor response for different gear configurations include generating differential pulsed/phased sensor response signals from dual differential sensors based on axial (proximity-type) sensing for offset differential sensors (FIG. 1B, 102, 102; FIG. 2B, 201, 202), and generating asymmetrical response signals from a single sensor based on lateral and axial sensing with either asymmetrical gear teeth (FIG. 3A, 30A; FIG. 3B, 30B) or an asymmetrical sensor (FIG. 4B, 401) or a combination of both.