Manually operated angle pickup

Details Manually operated angle pickup Manually operated angle pickup

1998-11-18

2001-02-06

Gutierrez, Diego (Department: 2859)

Geometrical instruments

Miscellaneous

Light direction

C033S0010DD, C033S343000, C033S345000, C033SDIG001

Reexamination Certificate

active

06182370

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a manually operated angle pickup or detector having a rotatably mounted and manually movable transmitter element, a sensor scanning the transmitter element and a magnetic coupling releasably holding the transmitter element in selected angular positions.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In a known angle detector disclosed in DE 43 11 496 C2, the transmitter element is a disk. The disk exterior margin or border area is formed by tongues that are bent in such a manner that they engage along a part of their length in a cylindrical surface concentric to the rotary axis of the transmitter element. Concentric to this cylindrical surface and at quite a small radial spacing therefrom, north and south poles of a magnet associated with the second part of the detent mechanism are provided, one after the other in sequence around its periphery.
One disadvantage of that arrangement is that, with predetermined spacing and dimensions, it is of certain very small dimensions which are predetermined in absolute terms on the basis of the pole spacing required.
DE 44 36 724 A1 discloses another electronic position detector having a magnetic detent system in which the magnetic detent device includes at least three radially grooved magnet detent disks coaxial to one another and alternatively wave- and carrier-resistant. The disks are in turn radially grooved over the entire disk periphery.
One disadvantage of this construction is that the attraction force between the individual magnetic detent disks is decreased by axial displacement. Thus, only slight tolerances are acceptable in its manufacture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Objects of the present invention are to provide a manually operated angle detector having a magnetic detent coupling for releasably holding its transmitter element in selected angular positions, while allowing a small structure, and relative to that small structure, allowing extensive built-in tolerances, without being negatively influenced in its operation.
The foregoing objects are basically attained by a manually operated angle detector, comprising a rotatably mounted and manually movable transmitter element, a sensor scanning the transmitter element, and a magnetic detent coupling releasably holding the transmitter element in selected angular positions after being manually moved between selected ones of the angular positions. The detent coupling includes at least one permanent magnet and first and second toothed disks of material that conducts magnetic flux. The permanent magnet has first and second poles arranged in axial alignment. The first toothed disk is on a side of the permanent magnet adjacent the first pole and has a number of teeth. The second toothed disk has the same number of teeth and is radially spaced from the first toothed disk. The first and second toothed disks are coupled by magnetic flux.
The axial arrangement of the north and south poles facilitates miniaturization, especially in its radial direction. Thus, the diameter of the angle detector is independent of the very slight distances between the poles.
It is especially cost-saving to use one single permanent magnet. No mounting or assembly error or deviation because of incorrect construction can then occur with this configuration.
Sprocket wheels or toothed disks are especially suitable for miniaturization, and can be arranged on both sides of the permanent magnet. Such disks are connected with one another by a tube. Thus, the toothed disks, the corresponding disks and their connection element are of a material which is a good conductor of the magnetic flux. As a result of the differing contours of the teeth, the air gap between toothed disks and corresponding disks varies. The magnetic flux, and thus, the attraction of the teeth of the toothed disks and corresponding disks is at the greatest when the teeth lie directly opposite one another.
Both poles can be connected with one single toothed disk, whereby the corresponding disks are arranged at some radial spacing therefrom. However it is also possible that only one of the two poles is connected with a toothed disk, and only one corresponding disk is provided at some radial distance therefrom. Opposite the other pole and at some axial distance therefrom, a toothless disk is arranged, which toothless disk remains in magnetically conductive connection through a connection element. The toothless disk can be a separate structural part or can be constructed integral with the connection element as some sort of cup of one piece.
The quantity of one hundred teeth facilitates especially good manipulation of the angle detector for rapid and precise adjustment or input, for example of coordinates in the case of computerized numerical control (CNC). Other preferred numbers of teeth are sixteen, thirty-two, fifty or sixty, but the number of teeth should lie in the range of ten to one hundred sixty, to guarantee good manipulation and handling.
The angle detector is especially compact when the detent mechanism is provided directly in the adjustment or presetting disk.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3098300 (1963-07-01), Zieher
patent: 4495700 (1985-01-01), Ernst
patent: 4970423 (1990-11-01), Tamae et al.
patent: 5263258 (1993-11-01), Dobler et al.
patent: 5375333 (1994-12-01), Hecht et al.
patent: 5446966 (1995-09-01), Ishizaki
patent: 5657544 (1997-08-01), Ota et al.
patent: 2855635 (1980-07-01), None
patent: 4311496 (1994-10-01), None
patent: 4436724 (1996-04-01), None
patent: 999972 (1965-07-01), None
patent: 1325296 (1987-07-01), None

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