Sensor element

Details Sensor element Sensor element

2000-08-16

2002-10-08

Le, N. (Department: 2858)

Electricity: measuring and testing

Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components

Of individual circuit component or element

Reexamination Certificate

active

06462566

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sensor element, in particular for determining an angle of rotation, having a detection medium whose position varies as a function of a change in a parameter to be measured, where the change in the position of the detection medium leads to a change in an analyzable signal of the sensor element which is influenced by the detection medium.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
A previously proposed sensor element, for example, operates according to a potentiometric or optical principle are known in precision mechanics. Due to a rotational motion of a part having this sensor element, a change in resistance is triggered, leading to a change in an analyzable electric signal, or in the case of sensor elements that function optically, an optical signal is influenced as a function of a rotational position, so that it generates an analyzable signal, e.g., by way of a photoelectric cell. In addition, Hall sensors are also known, which utilize the effect that, in the case of a current-carrying conductor with current flow perpendicular to a homogeneous magnetic field, a voltage difference can be picked up perpendicular to the current flow and perpendicular to the magnetic field. A disadvantage of the previously proposed sensor elements is that they have a relatively complicated design, and consequently only a limited reduction in their size is possible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The sensor element according the present invention offers the advantage that it has a simple design and can detect a change in the angle of rotation with a high sensitivity. It is possible to achieve transformation of the angle of rotation very advantageously into a force which can be analyzed as the degree of the angle of rotation due to the fact that the detection medium has at least one current-carrying conductor loop which is exposed to an external magnetic field, preferably homogeneous or having a preferred direction, and the detection medium is rotationally movably mounted so that a rotational motion of the detection medium about an angle of rotation in the plane of the magnetic field is converted into a deflection of the detection medium perpendicular to the magnetic field. It is thus easy to perform a non-contact measurement of an angle of rotation. In particular when the sensor element is produced by using surface micromechanics, e.g., on a wafer having an integrated circuit, high-precision sensor elements which are extremely small and lightweight can be manufactured in a manner suitable for mass production. Thus, these sensor elements can also be arranged on sensitive parts where a change in their angle of rotation is to be detected.
This sensor element is suitable not only for detecting a change in the angle of rotation but also for detecting an angle of rotation which may remain unchanged for a very long period of time.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sensor element has two detection media arranged so they are rotated 90° relative to one another. This permits complete detection of the angle of rotation over 360° in a very advantageous manner. At the same time, overtwisting, i.e., repeatedly rotating a full 360° C., is also possible without the sensor striking a mechanical stop or the like.
In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the detection medium is a torsion structure which can be twisted about a fixed axis. An external angle of rotation or a change in an external angle of rotation can thus be transformed into an internal torsion angle or a change in an internal torsion angle. The internal torsion angle or the change in internal torsion angle can preferably be detected by a differential capacitance measurement based on the fact that a change in a torsion angle leads to a change in an electric signal influenced by a capacitance.


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