Modular hall effect device

Claim 2

A Hall effect device comprising: a housing of non-magnetic material having a cavity therein; a carrier plate insert member of magnetic material positioned adjacent to said cavity; a Hall semiconductor chip mounted on said carrier plate and extending into said cavity; a second insert member of magnetic material connecting one outside surface of the housing with said cavity, said second member extending into the cavity in alignment with said chip but spaced therefrom by an air gap; and a third insert member of magnetic material connecting said carrier plate with said one outside surface of the housing, said carrier plate and second and third members providing in conjunction with an external permanent magnet a closed magnetic flux path with a total effective magnetic air gap of only slightly more than the thickness of said chip.

Claim 3

A Hall effect device comprising: a housing of non-magnetic material having a cavity therein; a carrier plate insert member of magnetic material positioned adjacent to said cavity; a Hall semiconductor chip mounted on said carrier plate and extending into said cavity; a second insert member of magnetic material connecting one outside surface of the housing with said cavity, said second member extending into the cavity in alignment with said chip but spaced therefrom by an air gap; and a third U-shaped insert member of magnetic material positioned in contact with said carrier plate and having its legs extending through the housing to said one outside surface of the housing, said carrier plate and second and third members providing in conjunction with an external permanent magnet a closed magnetic flux path with a total effective magnetic air gap of only slightly more than the thickness of said chip.

Claim 4

A Hall effect device comprising: a housing of non-magnetic material having a cavity therein; a carrier plate insert member of magnetic material positioned adjacent to said cavity; a Hall semiconductor chip mounted on said carrier plate and extending into said cavity; a second insert member of magnetic material connecting one outside surface of the housing with said cavity, said second member extending into the cavity in alignment with said chip but spaced therefrom by an air gap; and a third U-shaped insert member of magnetic material positioned in contact with said carrier plate and having its legs extending through the housing to said one outside surface of the housing, said carrier plate and second and third members providing in conjunction with an external permanent magnet a closed magnetic flux path with a total effective magnetic air gap of only slightly more than the thickness of said chip.

Claim 5

A Hall effect device comprising: a housing of non-magnetic material having a cavity therein; a U-shaped flux concentrator insert of magnetic material having its base portion extending across a portion of the housing and its two leg portions extending through the housing to one outside surface thereof; a carrier plate flux concentrator insert of magnetic material positioned between the leg portions and in contact with the base portion of said U-shaped insert; a Hall semiconductor chip mounted on said carrier plate and extending into said cavity; and a third flux concentrator insert of magnetic material which extends from said one outside surface of the housing into said cavity in alignment with said chip but spaced therefrom by an air gap, said flux concentrator inserts being effective when coupled with external magnet means to provide a closed magnetic flux path with a total effective magnetic air gap of the thickness of said chip plus the air gap between the chip and said third flux concentrator.

Claim 6

A Hall effect device comprising: a housing of non-magnetic material having a cavity therein; a U-shaped flux concentrator insert of magnetic material having its base portion extending across a portion of the housing and its two leg portions extending through the housing to one outside surface thereof; a carrier plate flux concentrator insert of magnetic material positioned between the leg portions and in contact with the base portion of said U-shaped insert; a Hall semiconductor chip mounted on said carrier plate and extending into said cavity; and a third flux concentrator insert of magnetic material which extends from said one outside surface of the housing into said cavity in alignment with said chip but spaced therefrom by an air gap, said flux concentrator inserts being effective when coupled with external magnet means to provide a closed magnetic flux path with a total effective magnetic air gap of the thickness of said chip plus the air gap between the chip and said third flux concentrator.

Claim 7

A Hall effect device as in claim 3 having terminal pins which extend partially into said cavity, and leads connecting said pins with current and voltage electrodes on said Hall chIp.

Claim 8

A Hall effect device as in claim 3 wherein the non-magnetic material of said housing is plastic and the magnetic material of said inserts is iron.

Claim 9

A Hall effect device as in claim 3 wherein said one outside surface of the housing is adapted to slideably support a magnet.

Claim 10

A Hall effect device comprising: a housing of non-magnetic material; a cavity in the central portion of said housing; a U-shaped flux concentrator insert of magnetic material having its base portion extending across the bottom portion of the housing and its two leg portions extending up through the housing to the top outside surface thereof; a carrier plate flux concentrator insert of magnetic material positioned between the leg portions and in contact with the inner surface of the base portion of said U-shaped insert; a Hall semiconductor chip mounted on said carrier plate and extending into said cavity; and a third flux concentrator insert of magnetic material which extends from said top outside surface of the housing into said cavity in alignment with said chip but spaced therefrom by an air gap.

Claim 11

A Hall effect device comprising: a housing of non-magnetic material; a cavity in the central portion of said housing; a U-shaped flux concentrator insert of magnetic material having its base portion extending across the bottom portion of the housing and its two leg portions extending up through the housing to the top outside surface thereof; a carrier plate flux concentrator insert of magnetic material positioned between the leg portions and in contact with the inner surface of the base portion of said U-shaped insert; a Hall semiconductor chip mounted on said carrier plate and extending into said cavity; and a third flux concentrator insert of magnetic material which extends from said top outside surface of the housing into said cavity in alignment with said chip but spaced therefrom by an air gap.

Claim 12

A Hall effect device as in claim 7 wherein said top outside surface of the housing is substantially flat and the ends of the legs of said U-shaped insert and one end of said third insert are flush with said surface.

Claim 13

A Hall effect device comprising: a housing of non-magnetic material; a cavity in the central portion of said housing; a U-shaped flux concentrator insert of magnetic material having its base portion extending across the bottom portion of the housing and its two leg portions extending up through the housing to the top outside surface thereof; a Hall semiconductor chip positioned between the leg portions and in contact with the inner surface of the base portion of said U-shaped insert, said Hall chip extending into said cavity; and a second flux concentrator insert of magnetic material which extends from said top outside surface of the housing into said cavity in alignment with said chip but spaced therefrom by an air gap.

Claim 14

A Hall effect device comprising: a housing of non-magnetic material; a cavity in the central portion of said housing; a U-shaped flux concentrator insert of magnetic material having its base portion extending across the bottom portion of the housing and its two leg portions extending up through the housing to the top outside surface thereof; a Hall semiconductor chip positioned between the leg portions and in contact with the inner surface of the base portion of said U-shaped insert, said Hall chip extending into said cavity; and a second flux concentrator insert of magnetic material which extends from said top outside surface of the housing into said cavity in alignment with said chip but spaced therefrom by an air gap.

Claim 15

A Hall effect device for sensing current flowing in a conductor which comprises: a housing of non-magnetic material having a cavity therein; a carrier plate insert member of magnetic material positioned adjacent to said cavity; a Hall semiconductor chip mounted on said carrier plate and extending into said cavity; a second insert member of magnetic material connecting one outside surface of the housing with said cavity, said second member extending into the cavity in alignment with said chip but spaced therefrom by an air gap; and a third U-shaped flux concentrator insert member of magnetic material positioned with its base portion in contact with said carrier plate and having one of its legs extending through said outside surface of the housing and being formed with an external loop portion which is connected directly to said second insert member, said loop portion being adapted to receive a current carrying conductor and said insert members providing a closed magnetic flux path with a total effective magnetic air gap of the thickness of said chip plus the air gap between the chip and said second insert member.

Claim 16

A Hall effect device for sensing current flowing in a conductor which comprises: a housing of non-magnetic material having a cavity therein; a carrier plate insert member of magnetic material positioned adjacent to said cavity; a Hall semiconductor chip mounted on said carrier plate and extending into said cavity; a second insert member of magnetic material connecting one outside surface of the housing with said cavity, said second member extending into the cavity in alignment with said chip but spaced therefrom by an air gap; and a third U-shaped flux concentrator insert member of magnetic material positioned with its base portion in contact with said carrier plate and having one of its legs extending through said outside surface of the housing and being formed with an external loop portion which is connected directly to said second insert member, said loop portion being adapted to receive a current carrying conductor and said insert members providing a closed magnetic flux path with a total effective magnetic air gap of the thickness of said chip plus the air gap between the chip and said second insert member.

Claim 17

A Hall effect device for sensing current flowing in a conductor which comprises: a housing of non-magnetic material having a cavity therein; a carrier plate insert member of magnetic material positioned adjacent to said cavity; a Hall semiconductor chip mounted on said carrier plate and extending into said cavity; a second insert member of magnetic material connecting one outside surface of the housing with said cavity, said second member extending into the cavity in alignment with said chip but spaced therefrom by an air gap; a third member of magnetic material positioned along an outside surface of said housing opposite to said one outside surface and in contact with said carrier plate; and An external U-shaped member of magnetic material having one leg connected directly to said third member and its other leg connected directly to said second member, the base portion of said external U-shaped member forming an external loop portion which is adapted to receive a current carrying conductor and said carrier plate, second and third members, and said external U-shaped member providing a closed magnetic flux path with a total effective magnetic air gap of the thickness of said chip plus the air gap between the chip and said second insert member.

Claim 18

A Hall effect device for sensing current flowing in a conductor which comprises: a housing of non-magnetic material having a cavity therein; a carrier plate insert member of magnetic material positioned adjacent to said cavity; a Hall semiconductor chip mounted on said carrier plate and extending into said cavity; a second insert member of magnetic material connecting one outside surface of the housing with said cavity, said second member extending into the cavity in alignment with said chip but spaced therefrom by an air gap; a third member of magnetic material positioned along an outside surface of said housing opposite to said one outside surface and in contact with said carrier plate; and An external U-shaped member of magnetic material having one leg connected directly to said third member and its other leg connected directly to said second member, the base portion of said external U-shaped member forming an external loop portion which is adapted to receive a current carrying conductor and said carrier plate, second and third members, and said external U-shaped member providing a closed magnetic flux path with a total effective magnetic air gap of the thickness of said chip plus the air gap between the chip and said second insert member.