US 11,988,728 B2
Non-contact linear position sensor with flux collectors and a plurality of magnets for measuring a continuously increasing or decreasing magnetic field
Mazharul Chowdhury, Midland, MI (US); Mohammad Islam, Saginaw, MI (US); and Christian Ross, Bay City, MI (US)
Assigned to HL MANDO CORPORATION, Gyeonggi-Do (KR)
Filed by HL MANDO CORPORATION, Gyeonggi-do (KR)
Filed on Aug. 12, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/401,235.
Application 17/401,235 is a division of application No. 16/276,491, filed on Feb. 14, 2019, granted, now 11,163,024.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/653,515, filed on Apr. 5, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0034981 A1, Feb. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. G01R 33/10 (2006.01); B62D 15/02 (2006.01); G01D 5/14 (2006.01)
CPC G01R 33/10 (2013.01) [B62D 15/021 (2013.01); G01D 5/147 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A non-contact linear position sensor comprising:
a flux emitter comprising a magnet array, the magnet array comprising:
a first magnetic region comprising a first and a second subregion, wherein
the first and second subregions of the first magnetic region having respective distal and proximal ends extending between respective north and south pole faces and respective magnetic axes extending between the respective north and south pole faces,
the magnetic axis of the first subregion of the first magnetic region being directed in a direction opposite to the magnetic axis of the second subregion of the first magnetic region,
the proximal ends of the first and second subregions of the first magnetic region being adjacent to one another, and
the first subregion of the first magnetic region comprises a first plurality of magnets separated from one another by gaps, and a shape of one of the first plurality of magnets, which has a width shorter than a length, in the first subregion is different from a shape of another of the first plurality of magnets, which has a width longer than a length, in the first subregion such that a magnetic field generated by the first plurality of magnets continuously increasing from the proximal end of the first subregion to the distal end of the first subregion;
wherein, the magnetic axes of each of the first and second subregions of the first magnetic region extend parallel to a surface when the magnet array is mounted on the surface for use;
a sensor assembly comprising:
a first magnetic flux collector;
a second magnetic flux collector; and
a magneto sensitive element positioned between and in operational communication with the first and the second magnetic flux collectors to measure the magnetic fields that the first and second flux collectors are exposed to;
wherein, when in operation, the flux emitter moves relative to the first magnetic flux collector in a spaced apart manner with the north face of the first subregion and the south face of the second subregion moving relative to the second magnetic flux collector in a spaced apart manner with the south face of the first subregion and the north face of the second subregion of the first magnetic region, and
as the distal end of the first magnetic region moves relative to the first and second flux collectors toward the first and second flux collectors, the sensor assembly measures a continuously increasing or a continuously decreasing magnetic field.