Redundant Magnetic Rotary Position Sensor for Wear-Free Pilot Control

The patent replaces the mechanical contact-based potentiometer system with a magnetic field-based sensing system. A magnet rotates with the shaft while stationary magnetic sensors on PCBs detect the magnetic field variations, eliminating the metal wiper and resistive track contact. This substitution of mechanical contact with magnetic field detection resolves the wear and endurance issue while maintaining the multiple outputs capability.

The patent introduces a magnetic field as an intermediary between the rotating shaft and the stationary sensors. The magnet attached to the rotating shaft creates magnetic field variations that are detected by the stationary magnetic sensors on the PCBs. This intermediary allows position feedback without direct mechanical contact, eliminating wear while transmitting rotational position information.

The patent merges multiple sensing functions onto a single PCB substrate. Multiple magnetic sensors are integrated on the same PCB, allowing redundant position measurement capabilities within a compact form factor. This consolidation approach provides reliability through redundancy while minimizing the increase in device complexity by sharing common infrastructure.

The PCB serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical support for the magnetic sensors, electrical connections for multiple outputs, and housing integration. The magnetic sensor system itself provides both primary position feedback and redundant measurement capabilities. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity while maintaining reliability through redundancy.