Passive magnetic position sensor

Claim 1

A passive magnetic position sensor comprising: a magnet device, an electrically non-conductive, non-magnetic substrate, and resistance layer disposed on the substrate, the magnet device being movable relative to the substrate; a soft-magnetic, electrically conductive bending-beam structure arranged spaced apart from the resistance layer with a spacing at a constant distance apart, the resistance layer and the bending-beam structure being arranged partially one above the other defining an overlapping region; wherein said bending-beam structure has a laminar body extending in a direction of movement of said magnet device, said bending-beam structure having multiple bending beams spaced apart from and parallel to each other, and each of said bending beams extending from said body in a second direction traverse to said direction of movement; the spacing distance provides that, under action of the magnet device during a guiding of the magnet device along the overlapping region of the bending-beam structure and resistance layer, contact is made between the resistance layer and the bending-beam structure; and the resistance layer is electrically conductive and has, in a longitudinal direction thereof, a meandering structure comprising taps which have contact surfaces on regions lying opposite the bending-beam structure, wherein each of said taps is elongated in a direction away from the meandering structure for electrically connecting the meandering structure with a respective one of said contact surfaces.

Claim 20

A method of constructing a passive magnetic position sensor, the position sensor comprising: a magnet device, an electrically non-conductive, non-magnetic substrate, and a resistance layer disposed on the substrate, the magnet device being movable relative to the substrate; a soft-magnetic, electrically conductive bending-beam structure arranged spaced apart from the resistance layer with a spacing at a constant distance apart, the resistance layer and the bending-beam structure being arranged partially one above the other defining an overlapping region; wherein said bending-beam structure has a laminar body extending in a direction of movement of said magnet device, said bending-beam structure having multiple bending beams spaced apart from and parallel to each other, and each of said bending beams extending from said body in a second direction transverse to said direction of movement; the spacing distance provides that, under action of the magnet device during a guiding of the magnet device along the overlapping region of bending-beam structure and resistance layer, contact is made between the resistance layer and the bending-beam structure; and the resistance layer is electrically conductive and has, in a longitudinal direction thereof, a meandering structure comprising taps which have contact surfaces on regions lying opposite the bending-beam structure; wherein the method comprises steps of constructing the resistance layer by applying the resistance layer to the substrate by vaporization or sputtering onto the substrate, and extending the taps longitudinally in directions away from the meandering structure to provide contact surfaces distant from the meandering structure.

Claim 21

A method of constructing a passive magnetic position sensor, the position sensor comprising: a magnet device, an electrically non-conductive, non-magnetic substrate, and a resistance layer disposed on the substrate, the magnet device being movable relative to the substrate; a soft-magnetic, electrically conductive bending-beam structure arranged spaced apart from the resistance layer with a spacing at a constant distance apart, the resistance layer and the bending-beam structure being arranged partially one above the other defining an overlapping region; wherein said bending-beam structure has a laminar body extending in a direction of movement of said magnet device, said bending-beam structure having multiple bending beams spaced apart from and parallel to each other, and each of said bending beams extending from said body in a second direction transverse to said direction of movement; the spacing distance provides that, under action of the magnet device during a guiding of the magnet device along the overlapping region of bending-beam structure and resistance layer, contact is made between the resistance layer and the bending-beam structure; and the resistance layer is electrically conductive and has, in a longitudinal direction thereof, a meandering structure comprising taps which have contact surfaces on regions lying opposite the bending-beam structure; wherein the method comprises steps of constructing the resistance layer by applying the resistance layer to the substrate by vaporization or sputtering onto the substrate, and extending the taps longitudinally in directions away from the meandering structure to provide contact surfaces distant from the meandering structure.