US 12,078,481 B2
Inductive sensor having one or more modular circuit boards
Robert Wood, Cambridge (GB); Peter Constantinou, Cambridge (GB); and David Witts, Cambridge (GB)
Assigned to Kyocera AVX Components (Werne) GmbH, Werne (DE)
Filed by Kyocera AVX Components (Werne) GmbH, Werne (DE)
Filed on Nov. 30, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/106,729.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/021,720, filed on May 8, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/037,052, filed on Jun. 10, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0348910 A1, Nov. 11, 2021
Int. Cl. G01D 5/20 (2006.01); G01B 7/30 (2006.01); H05K 7/14 (2006.01)
CPC G01B 7/30 (2013.01) [G01D 5/20 (2013.01); H05K 7/1417 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An inductive sensor defining an axial direction, a circumferential direction, and a radial direction, the inductive sensor comprising:
a first circuit board comprising:
a sensor element having a first coil configuration, the sensor element comprising a transmit coil and a plurality of receive coils, the transmit coil configured to induce an electrical current in the plurality of receive coils via a target; and
a plurality of interconnect points positioned on the first circuit board for the first coil configuration; and
a second circuit board spaced apart from the first circuit board along the axial direction, the second circuit board comprising:
processing circuitry associated with the sensor element, the processing circuitry having a first configuration; and
a plurality of interconnect points positioned on the second circuit board for the first configuration of the processing circuitry, each of the plurality of interconnect points on the second circuit board aligned with a corresponding interconnect point of the plurality of interconnect points on the first circuit board along the circumferential direction and the radial direction;
a housing defining a cavity in which the first circuit board and the second circuit board are disposed,
an interconnect assembly disposed within the cavity of the housing such that the interconnect assembly is positioned between the first circuit board and the second circuit board along the axial direction, the interconnect assembly comprising a plurality of conductive pins, each of the plurality of conductive pins coupled between a corresponding interconnect point on the first circuit board and a corresponding interconnect point on the second circuit board, wherein the interconnect assembly further comprises a spacer defining a plurality of apertures, each of the plurality of apertures aligned with a corresponding interconnect point of the interconnect points on the first circuit board and the second circuit along the radial direction and the circumferential direction, each of the plurality of apertures configured to accommodate a corresponding conductive pin of the plurality of conductive pins such that the corresponding conductive pin extends therethrough, the spacer further comprises:
a first post extending in a first direction along the axial direction, the first post extending through an aperture defined by the first circuit board; and
a second post extending in a second direction along the axial direction, the second post extending through an aperture defined by the second circuit board.