Sensor with constant airgap

Claim 2

An electrical rotational speed sensor for providing an electrical signal indicative of the rotational speed between a pair of members with one of the members supported for rotation relative to the other, the sensor comprising: a rotor connected to the one of the members for rotation therewith, a stator connected to the other of tHe members proximate to said rotor, a magnetic path having a preselected airgap between confronting surfaces on said rotor and said stator, and mounting means mounting said rotor and said stator in predetermined positions relative to each other and maintaining said airgap substantially constant through relative movement between the members in the axial and radial directions, said mounting means including drive means supported on the one of the members for rotation therewith and coupling means for rotatably coupling said drive means and said rotor for rotation by the one of the members, said coupling means comprising a radially extending tab located in a radially extending slot with a clearance therebetween in the axial and radial directions for freely accepting relative movement between the members in the axial and radial directions with the position relationship between said rotor and stator being held substantially constant in the direction of said airgap whereby forces generated by said relative movement between said members is not transmitted to said mounting means.

Claim 3

The sensor of claim 1 with said mounting means magnetically holding said rotor and stator.

Claim 4

The sensor of claim 1 with both said rotor and said stator being supported on a first of the members.

Claim 5

The sensor of claim 1 with said rotor being generally in the shape of a washer and having a flat bearing surface, said stator having a flat surface of bearing material and with said mounting means magnetically holding said rotor and stator with said bearing surface engaging said surface of bearing material.

Claim 6

The sensor of claim 1 with an antifriction bearing member located between said rotor and said stator and with said mounting means magnetically holding said rotor and said stator together through said antifriction member, said antifriction member extending annularly about the axis of the one member and radially guiding and locating said rotor and said stator relative to each other.

Claim 7

The sensor of claim 1 with said confronting surfaces including a first set of circularly disposed teeth and a second set of circularly disposed teeth facing said first set with the teeth of one of said sets being longer than the teeth of the other of said sets whereby the effective airgap will remain substantially the same through slight relative movement between said rotor and said stator in a direction along the length of the teeth.

Claim 8

An electrical rotational speed sensor for providing an electrical signal indicative of the rotational speed between a pair of members with one of the members supported for rotation relative to the other, the sensor comprising: a rotor connected to the one of the members for rotation therewith being generally in the shape of a washer and having a flat bearing surface, a stator connected to the other of the members proximate to said rotor having a flat surface of bearing material, a magnetic path having a preselected airgap between confronting surfaces on said rotor and said stator, and mounting means mounting said rotor and said stator in predetermined positions relative to each other and maintaining said airgap substantially constant through relative movement between the members in one of axial and radial directions, with said mounting means magnetically holding said rotor and stator with said bearing surface engaging said surface of bearing material, guide and locating means for radially guiding and locating said stator and rotor and comprising an annular groove on one of said bearing surface and said surface of bearing material and a circularly distributed projection on the other of said bearing surface and said surface of bearing material located in said annular groove, said mounting means including drive means connected with the one member and said rotor providing a clearance therebetween in said one of axial and radial directions for freely accepting relative movement between the members in said one of axial and radial directions with the position reLationship between said rotor and stator being held substantially constant in the direction of said airgap whereby forces generated by said relative movement between said members is not transmitted to said mounting means. located between two of said fingers on opposite sides of said one of said fingers.

Claim 9

An electrical rotational speed sensor for providing an electrical signal indicative of the rotational speed between a pair of members with one of the members supported for rotation relative to the other, the sensor comprising: a rotor connected to the one of the members for rotation therewith being generally in the shape of a washer and having a flat bearing surface, a stator connected to the other of the members proximate to said rotor having a flat surface of bearing material, a magnetic path having a preselected airgap between confronting surfaces on said rotor and said stator, and mounting means mounting said rotor and said stator in predetermined positions relative to each other and maintaining said airgap substantially constant through relative movement between the members in one of axial and radial directions, with said mounting means magnetically holding said rotor and stator with said bearing surface engaging said surface of bearing material, guide and locating means for radially guiding and locating said stator and rotor and comprising an annular groove on one of said bearing surface and said surface of bearing material and a circularly distributed projection on the other of said bearing surface and said surface of bearing material located in said annular groove, said mounting means including drive means connected with the one member and said rotor providing a clearance therebetween in said one of axial and radial directions for freely accepting relative movement between the members in said one of axial and radial directions with the position reLationship between said rotor and stator being held substantially constant in the direction of said airgap whereby forces generated by said relative movement between said members is not transmitted to said mounting means. located between two of said fingers on opposite sides of said one of said fingers.

Claim 10

The sensor of claim 8 with said drive ring including said fingers which extend radially outwardly and further including a second plurality of radially inwardly extending fingers for gripping the one of the members.

Claim 11

The sensor of claim 9 with said confronting surfaces extending radially with teeth on at least one of said surfaces.

Claim 12

An electrical rotational speed sensor for providing an electrical signal indicative of the rotational speed between a pair of members with one of the members supported for rotation relative to the other, the sensor comprising: a rotor connected to the one of the members for rotation therewith, a stator connected to the other of the members proximate to said rotor, a magnetic path having a preselected airgap between confronting surfaces on said rotor and said stator, and mounting means mounting said rotor and said stator in predetermined positions relative to each other, said mounting means maintaining said airgap substantially constant through movement of the members both axially and radially, said mounting means including coupling means for rotatably coupling the one of the members and said rotor for rotation of said rotor by the one of the members, said coupling means comprising a radially extending tab located in a radially extending slot, said slot defined by a plurality of generally radially extending, resilient fingers with one of said fingers being bent axially and with said tab generally axially engaging said one of said fingers and being located between two of said fingers on opposite sides of said one of said fingers.

Claim 13

An electrical rotational speed sensor for providing an electrical signal indicative of the rotational speed between a pair of members with one of the members supported for rotation relative to the other, the sensor comprising: a rotor connected to the one of the members for rotation therewith, a stator connected to the other of the members proximate to said rotor, a magnetic path having a preselected airgap between confronting surfaces on said rotor and said stator, and mounting means mounting said rotor and said stator in predetermined positions relative to each other, said mounting means maintaining said airgap substantially constant through movement of the members both axially and radially, said mounting means including coupling means for rotatably coupling the one of the members and said rotor for rotation of said rotor by the one of the members, said coupling means comprising a radially extending tab located in a radially extending slot, said slot defined by a plurality of generally radially extending, resilient fingers with one of said fingers being bent axially and with said tab generally axially engaging said one of said fingers and being located between two of said fingers on opposite sides of said one of said fingers.