Variable Inductor Direction Sensor Asymmetric Tooth Arrays

The patent applies asymmetry by designing the inner circular body with a non-uniform circumferential geometry that differs from the outer circular body. Specifically, the inner body has a varying gap dimension relative to the outer body's uniform geometry, creating an asymmetric magnetic circuit that produces different inductance waveform patterns for clockwise versus counter-clockwise rotation. This asymmetric design enables direction detection capability while maintaining a relatively simple overall sensor structure.

The patent applies local quality by making only the inner circular body have non-uniform circumferential geometry while keeping the outer circular body with uniform geometry. This localized complexity is concentrated in the rotating inner body's tooth array, which has varying gap dimensions at different angular positions. This approach enables direction detection through the localized geometric variation without requiring complex manufacturing for the entire sensor assembly.

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the sensor into two distinct circular bodies with different functions: the outer circular body provides a uniform reference geometry, while the inner circular body provides the non-uniform directional encoding geometry. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the outer body for simplicity and the inner body for direction detection - thereby reducing overall design complexity while maintaining measurement precision.