Linear variable electrical transducer

Claim 2

A linear electrical transducer comprising: a housing; a coupling shaft extending through and having an end accessible externally of said housing; means supporting said shaft for axial movement relative to said housing; and a shaft position sensor within said housing at one side of said shaft including a pair of relatively movable sensing elements having an axis of relative movement parallel to and spaced laterally from said shaft, means for generating a position signal representing the relative positions of said elements along said axis, said sensing elements including a relatively stationary element and a relatively movable element having opposite ends, means mounting said stationary sensing element within said housing, and relatively rigid crossbeams extending between and fixed to said shaft and the ends of said movable element securing said movable sensing element to said shaft for axial movement with said shaft relative to said stationary element.

Claim 3

A transducer according to claim 1, wherein: said shaft-supporting means comprise flexures having outer marginal portions secured to said housing and movable inner sections secured to said shaft and seating against said beams, respectively.

Claim 4

A transducer according to claim 2, including: means securing said beams to said center flexure section.

Claim 5

A linear electrical transducer comprising: a housing including a central block having opposite ends; a pair of spaced parallel bores extending through said block normal to said ends; end plates opposite said ends, respectively, of said block, spacer plates between said end plates and said block, and means joining said block and plates in assembled relation; said spacer plates having similar open rectangular configurations and defining with said block and end plate cavities at the ends of said housing; a coupling shaft extending centrally through one of said bores; one end of said shaft projecting into one of said housing cavities and the opposite end of said shaft extending through the other housing cavity and the adjacent end plate to the exterior of said housing; a linear electrical shaft position sensor within the other bore including a relatively stationary sensing element fixed to said housing and a relatively movable sensing element movable relative to said stationary element along the axis of the latter bore; the ends of said movable sensing element projecting into said housing cavities; and connecting means joining the ends of said movable sensing eleMent and said coupling shaft for axial movement of said movable element with said shaft relative to said stationary sensing element.

Claim 6

A linear electrical transducer comprising: a housing including a central block having opposite ends; a pair of spaced parallel bores extending through said block normal to said ends; end plates opposite said ends, respectively, of said block, spacer plates between said end plates and said block, and means joining said block and plates in assembled relation; said spacer plates having similar open rectangular configurations and defining with said block and end plate cavities at the ends of said housing; a coupling shaft extending centrally through one of said bores; one end of said shaft projecting into one of said housing cavities and the opposite end of said shaft extending through the other housing cavity and the adjacent end plate to the exterior of said housing; a linear electrical shaft position sensor within the other bore including a relatively stationary sensing element fixed to said housing and a relatively movable sensing element movable relative to said stationary element along the axis of the latter bore; the ends of said movable sensing element projecting into said housing cavities; and connecting means joining the ends of said movable sensing eleMent and said coupling shaft for axial movement of said movable element with said shaft relative to said stationary sensing element.

Claim 7

A transducer according to claim 4, wherein: said shaft position sensor comprises a linear variable differential transformer including a coil which provides said stationary sensing element and a magnetic core which provides said movable sensing element.

Claim 8

A transducer according to claim 4, including: flexures within said housing cavities having outer marginal portions clamped between adjacent spacer plates and center flexible sections secured to said coupling shaft to support said shaft for axial movement within said first mentioned bore.

Claim 9

A transducer according to claim 6, wherein: said connecting means comprise rigid crossbeams fixed to said shaft and movable element in seating contact with said center flexure sections, respectively.

Claim 10

A transducer acccording to claim 7, including: means joining said crossbeams and center flexure sections.

Claim 11

A transducer according to claim 8, including: a spring within said second mentioned bore for urging said stationary sensing element in one direction along said axis, and an externally accessible adjusting screw threaded in said housing and engageable with said stationary element for adjusting said stationary element relative to said core independently of said coupling shaft.

Claim 12

A transducer comprising: a housing; a shaft movable axially within said housing; a shaft position sensor within said housing at one side of said shaft including a pair of relatively movable sensing elements having an axis of relative movement parallel to and spaced laterally from said shaft, means for generating a position signal representing the relative positions of said elements along said axis, said sensing elements including a relatively stationary element and a relatively movable element having opposite ends; and a pair of flexures secured to said housing, said shaft, and the ends of said movable element, said flexures supporting and interconnecting said shaft and movable element for axial movement in unison, whereby said sensor produces a signal representing the axial position of said shaft.

Claim 13

A transducer comprising: a housing; a shaft movable axially within said housing; a shaft position sensor within said housing at one side of said shaft including a pair of relatively movable sensing elements having an axis of relative movement parallel to and spaced laterally from said shaft, means for generating a position signal representing the relative positions of said elements along said axis, said sensing elements including a relatively stationary element and a relatively movable element having opposite ends; and a pair of flexures secured to said housing, said shaft, and the ends of said movable element, said flexures supporting and interconnecting said shaft and movable element for axial movement in unison, whereby said sensor produces a signal representing the axial position of said shaft.

Claim 14

A transducer according to claim 10 wherein: said flexures have outer marginal portions secured to said housing and inner movable sections secured to said shaft and movable element, and means reinforcing said inner sections against flexing.

Claim 15

A transducer according to claim 10 wherein: said housing has an opening containing and slightly larger in diameter than said shaft; said sensor comprises a linear variable differential transducer and said stationary and movable sensing elements comprise the coil and core of said latter transducer, said coil having an opening containing and of slightly larger diameter than said core; and said flexures support said shaft and core concentrically within and in spaced relation to the walls of their respective openings.

Claim 16

A transducer comprising: a housing; a shaft movable axially within said housing; means supporting said shaft for axial movement relative to said housing; and a shaft position sensor within said housing at one side of said shaft including a pair of relatively movable sensing elements having an axis of relative movement parallel to and spaced laterally from said shaft, means for generating a position signal representing the relative positions of said elements along said axis, said sensing elements including a relatively stationary element and a relatively movable element having opposite ends, and relatively crossbeams extending between and joining the ends of said movable sensing element and shaft for axial movement of said movable element with said shaft relative to said stationary element.

Claim 17

A transducer comprising: a housing; a shaft movable axially within said housing; means supporting said shaft for axial movement relative to said housing; and a shaft position sensor within said housing at one side of said shaft including a pair of relatively movable sensing elements having an axis of relative movement parallel to and spaced laterally from said shaft, means for generating a position signal representing the relative positions of said elements along said axis, said sensing elements including a relatively stationary element and a relatively movable element having opposite ends, and relatively crossbeams extending between and joining the ends of said movable sensing element and shaft for axial movement of said movable element with said shaft relative to said stationary element.