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US4631478A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method and apparatus for using spring-type resistive elements in a measurement bridge circuit

Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
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Filing: 1982-09-22
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Granted: 1986-12-23
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Expires: 2002-09-22
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Abstract

Abstract A method for converting a movement into an analog or digital variable, in particular into an electrical voltage, and an apparatus for performing the method are proposed. The apparatus includes at least one measuring spring element having windings and fabricated of electrically conductive material, which is disposed together with a supplementary spring element of identical structure and serving as a supplementary resistor in a bridge branch of a carrier-frequency measurement bridge. A deformation of the measuring spring element by a movement causes a change in the spacing between windings and thus causes a change in the inductive resistance of the measuring spring element which serves as a standard for the movement.

Inventors

  • 👤 Manfred Knetsch
  • 👤 Wolfgang Kuhne

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-29 13:00
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01D; G01D5/00; G01D5/12; G01D5/14; G01D5/20; G01D5/2006

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 125 words
An apparatus for converting a movement into a variable electrical voltage, which depends on the movement in accordance with an arbitrarily predeterminable function, and having at least one variable inductive measuring resistor located in an electrical current circuit, said resistor comprising a measuring spiral spring including an electrically conductive helix said measuring spiral spring being connected to a holder means and arranged to extend in a single plane and to exhibit rotational movement about the center of said measuring coil within said plane, said holder means being rotatable selectively to increase and decrease tension in said measuring spiral spring, and said spiral spring further is connected to a means for measuring rotational movement of said holder means as a function of said variable electrical voltage.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 125 words
An apparatus for converting a movement into a variable electrical voltage, which depends on the movement in accordance with an arbitrarily predeterminable function, and having at least one variable inductive measuring resistor located in an electrical current circuit, said resistor comprising a measuring spiral spring including an electrically conductive helix said measuring spiral spring being connected to a holder means and arranged to extend in a single plane and to exhibit rotational movement about the center of said measuring coil within said plane, said holder means being rotatable selectively to increase and decrease tension in said measuring spiral spring, and said spiral spring further is connected to a means for measuring rotational movement of said holder means as a function of said variable electrical voltage.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 31 words
An apparatus as defined by claim 1, further comprising a supplementary spring element acting as a supplementary resistor, and wherein said measuring and supplementary spring elements comprise an angle measuring means.
Claim 4
Independent Claim 164 words
An apparatus for converting a movement into a variable electrical voltage, said variable electrical voltage depending on the movement in accordance with an arbitrarily predeterminable function, and having at least one variable inductive measuring resistor located in an electrical current circuit, said resistor comprising a first measuring spring element serving as an active measuring resistor and disposed in an electrical measurement bridge, said spring element being fabricated of an electrically conductive helix of a spiral coil, said spiral coil being arranged to extend in a single plane and to exhibit rotational movement about the center of said coil within said plane, and said electrical measurement bridge further including a supplementary resistor comprising a second spring element disposed electrically in series in one branch of said bridge with said first spring element, whereby a change in spacing between said windings of said helix effects a change in inductive resistance in said first measuring spring element, said change in inductive resistance serving to measure said movement.
Claim 5
Independent Claim 164 words
An apparatus for converting a movement into a variable electrical voltage, said variable electrical voltage depending on the movement in accordance with an arbitrarily predeterminable function, and having at least one variable inductive measuring resistor located in an electrical current circuit, said resistor comprising a first measuring spring element serving as an active measuring resistor and disposed in an electrical measurement bridge, said spring element being fabricated of an electrically conductive helix of a spiral coil, said spiral coil being arranged to extend in a single plane and to exhibit rotational movement about the center of said coil within said plane, and said electrical measurement bridge further including a supplementary resistor comprising a second spring element disposed electrically in series in one branch of said bridge with said first spring element, whereby a change in spacing between said windings of said helix effects a change in inductive resistance in said first measuring spring element, said change in inductive resistance serving to measure said movement.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 17 words
An apparatus as defined by claim 3, wherein the electrical measurement bridge comprises a carrier frequency bridge.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 25 words
An apparatus as defined by claim 3, wherein said measuring spring element comprises a compression spring and said supplementary spring element comprises a tension spring.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 25 words
An apparatus as defined by claim 3, wherein said holding means engaged by said measuring spring element and said supplementary spring element is electrically conductive.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2563413A Cited
US2367576A Cited
US2525587A Cited
US2564416A Cited
US4013986A Cited
US3973191A Cited
US4085394A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1989-12-22 1990-06-23 1990-12-23 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1993-12-22 1994-06-23 1994-12-23 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1997-12-22 1998-06-23 1998-12-23 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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