Electrical resistors – Mechanically variable – Movable contact electrically adjustable over length of...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-16
2002-11-19
Easthom, Karl D. (Department: 2832)
Electrical resistors
Mechanically variable
Movable contact electrically adjustable over length of...
C338S163000, C338S167000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06483422
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rotary sensor, and more particularly to a rotary sensor capable of accurately detecting an angle of rotation to be transmitted from the outside.
2. Description of the Related Art
With reference to the drawings, the description will be made of a conventional rotary sensor.
FIG. 18
is an essential sectional view showing a conventional rotary sensor under application by Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 2000-88510 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/390463 corresponding thereto.
As shown in
FIG. 18
, the conventional rotary sensor has a casing
30
being, for example, box-shaped (not shown) in external shape, made of synthetic resin material or the like, and this casing
30
has a base portion covered with a bottom wall
31
. Part of the bottom wall
31
is caused to project on the right side in the figure to thereby form a substantially cylindrical storage portion
32
, and this storage portion
32
is formed by a surrounding side wall
33
and a base plate
34
at the base portion.
At the substantially central portion of the base plate
34
, there is formed a supporting portion
34
a
for projecting in the left direction in the figure on the storage portion
32
side, and at the center of this supporting portion
34
a
, there is formed a semi-spherical bearing portion
34
b
including a recess.
Near a side wall
33
within the storage portion
32
on the base plate
34
, there is projectingly formed a substrate holding portion
34
c
for mounting a resistor substrate
37
to be described later.
Within the storage portion
32
, a substantially disk-shaped rotor
35
made of synthetic resin material is rotatably housed. This rotor
35
has an engaging portion
35
a
and a shaft portion
35
b
which are projectingly formed on one side above the rotor
35
as shown and on the other side below at a center of rotation with a center line A as the center of rotation respectively in such a manner that this shaft portion
35
b
is supported by a supporting portion
34
a
formed at the base plate
34
.
The engaging portion
35
a
has two engaging walls
35
c
and
35
c
which are projectingly formed with the center line A being interposed therebetween, and between these two engaging walls
35
c
and
35
c
, there is formed a groove portion
35
d
having a predetermined width extending in a direction perpendicular to the center line A.
The respective tip end portions of the engaging walls
35
c
and
35
c
have substantially semi-circular protruded portions
35
e
and
35
e
formed projectingly on the groove portion
35
d
side respectively.
Also, the shaft portion
35
b
of the rotor
35
has a tip end portion projectingly formed in a substantially semi-spherical shape, and this shaft portion
35
b
is rotatably supported by a bearing portion
34
b
of the base plate
34
, and is adapted not to move in a direction perpendicular to the center line A.
On the side of the rotor
35
on the side on which the shaft portion
35
b
has been formed, there is mounted a moving contact piece
36
a
with a spring operation, which is a part of a component constituting an angle detecting member
36
.
This moving contact piece
36
a
is formed with a contact portion (not shown) which slides in contact with a resistor pattern and a collector pattern (not shown) to be described later.
On the opposite side to a surface to which the moving contact piece
36
a
is mounted, there is disposed a resistor substrate
37
with a predetermined clearance spaced, and this resistor substrate
37
is positioned at a substrate holding portion
34
c
of the base plate
34
to be fixed by means of caulking or the like.
The surface of the resistor substrate
37
is formed with the resistor pattern and the collector pattern (not shown) by means of printing or the like, and the moving contact piece
36
a
is adapted to come into elastic contact with the resistor pattern and the collector pattern (not shown).
Also, the resistor substrate
37
is formed with a through-hole
37
a
at its substantially central portion, and in this through-hole
37
a
, the supporting portion
34
a
of the base plate
34
is inserted, and the tip end of the supporting portion
34
a
is projectingly disposed on the side of a surface on which the resistor pattern and the collector pattern (not shown) are provided.
In this respect, the angle detecting member
36
is constituted by the moving contact piece
36
a
, and the resistor substrate
37
having the resistor pattern and the collector pattern (not shown).
Below the resistor substrate
37
, a plurality of substantially L-character-shaped terminals
38
are connected correspondingly to the resistor pattern and the collector pattern (not shown), and this terminal
38
is drawn out of the end surface of the resistor substrate
37
, and is connected to the tip end portion
38
a
drawn out on the left side in a state abutted against the inner surface of the side wall
33
, to a lead pattern (not shown) on a FPC39 by means of soldering or the like.
Above the rotor
35
, there is disposed an upper plate
40
for closing the storage portion
32
as a cover, and this upper plate
40
is mounted to mounting protrusions
31
a
formed at plural places on the bottom wall
31
and is fixed thereto by means of thermal caulking or the like.
At the central portion of the upper plate
40
, there is formed an aperture
40
a
in which the engaging portion
35
a
of the rotor
35
is located, and around this aperture
40
a
, there is formed a supporting wall
40
b
, which is projectingly formed in a cylindrical shape on the internal rotor
35
side. Thus, the rotor
35
is adapted not to incline more than a predetermined value by means of the supporting wall
40
b.
Between the upper plate
40
and the rotor
35
, there is formed a clearance portion
41
, and in this clearance portion
41
, there is disposed an elastic member
42
. This elastic member
42
is made of plate material annular in external shape with a spring operation such as a phosphor bronze plate, and flat mounting portions (not shown) are formed at plural places constituting a ring shape.
Also, in the elastic member
42
, by curving a part of its annular portion in a wave-shape, elastically-contacted portions (not shown) are formed at plural places, and this elastic member
42
is caulked to a protrusion (not shown) formed on the rotor
35
side. The spring pressure of the elastic member
42
is set to be greater than that of the moving contact piece
36
a.
Thus, the elastically-contacted portions (not shown) always come into elastic contact with the rotor
35
at plural places of the elastic member
42
, whereby the rotor
35
is pressed against the base plate
34
side, the shaft portion
35
b
is supported by the bearing portion
34
b
of the supporting portion
34
a
, and rotation of a driving shaft
43
to be described later is transmitted so that the rotor
35
is rotatably supported within the storage portion
32
.
Also, the rotor
35
is supported with the supporting portion
34
a
as a fulcrum in such a manner that the engaging portion
35
a
can move obliquely and return in any direction perpendicular to the center line A, which is the center of rotation, by the operation of the elastic member
42
.
In order to detect an angle of rotation of a throttle valve for, for example, an automobile or the like through the use of a rotary sensor having the above-described structure, the casing
30
is first mounted to the main body of a throttle body (not shown). Then, as shown in
FIG. 18
, a driving shaft
43
coupled to the rotating shaft (not shown) or the like of the throttle valve is inserted into the groove portion
35
d
of the engaging portion
35
a
of the rotor
35
for being positioned.
This driving shaft
43
is formed in a circular rod shape, and at its tip end portion, there is formed a flat plate-shaped protruded portion
43
a
passing through the center line A, which is the center of rotation. The driving shaft
43
is adapted to
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Beyer Weaver & Thomas
Easthom Karl D.
LandOfFree
Rotary sensor capable of accurately detecting angle of... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Rotary sensor capable of accurately detecting angle of..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Rotary sensor capable of accurately detecting angle of... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2951136