US-12627207-B2 - Rotary position sensor

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for sensing rotary positions are provided. For example, an example rotary position sensor includes a rotor assembly having a rotor assembly opening for securing the rotor assembly to a shaft structure, a stator assembly having a stator assembly opening for receiving the shaft structure, and a base assembly secured to the stator assembly. In some examples, the base assembly (such as, but not limited to, a PCB assembly) comprises a plurality of primary coil elements printed on a first side of the base assembly and a plurality of secondary coil elements printed on a second side of the base assembly.

Inventors

• Subramanian Esakki
• John Jerred
• Stephen TILLOTSON
• Paresh Sanchihar
• Vijayshekhar Araganji

Assignees

• HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20221020

Priority Date

20211108

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A rotary position sensor comprising: a rotor assembly comprising a rotor assembly opening for securing the rotor assembly to a shaft structure; a stator assembly comprising a stator assembly opening for receiving the shaft structure; and a base assembly secured to the stator assembly, wherein the base assembly comprises a plurality of primary coil elements printed on a first side of the base assembly and a plurality of secondary coil elements printed on a second side of the base assembly, wherein radiuses of the plurality of primary coil elements are different, wherein the rotor assembly comprises a plurality of rotor plates, wherein the plurality of rotor plates are in an annular sector shape and have same size, wherein the plurality of rotor plates are alternatingly positioned on the rotor assembly such that the plurality of rotor plates are not connected to one another, wherein a rotor sector angle of each of the plurality of rotor plates is based on a rotor plate number such that the rotor sector angle equals 360 degrees divided by twice the rotor plate number, and wherein the plurality of rotor plates comprise material having magnetic permeability.
2. 2 . The rotary position sensor of claim 1 , wherein the base assembly is a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly, wherein the PCB assembly comprises a PCB assembly opening, wherein the PCB assembly opening is aligned with the stator assembly opening.
3. 3 . The rotary position sensor of claim 2 , wherein the PCB assembly comprises at least two primary coil elements printed on a first side of the PCB assembly and at least four secondary coil elements printed on a second side of the PCB assembly.
4. 4 . The rotary position sensor of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of primary coil elements are positioned radially away from the PCB assembly opening on the first side of the PCB assembly.
5. 5 . The rotary position sensor of claim 2 , wherein a plurality of distances between a primary coil element center of each of the plurality of primary coil elements and a PCB assembly opening center of the PCB assembly opening are the same.
6. 6 . The rotary position sensor of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of primary coil elements are distributed equally along a distribution circumference on the PCB assembly.
7. 7 . The rotary position sensor of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of secondary coil elements comprises a plurality of secondary coil A elements and a plurality of secondary coil B elements, wherein each of the plurality of secondary coil A elements is positioned at a 90 degrees angle to one of the plurality of secondary coil B elements relative to a PCB assembly opening center of the PCB assembly opening, wherein the rotary position sensor further comprises: a differential voltage detecting element electronically coupled to one of the plurality of secondary coil A elements and one of the plurality of secondary coil B elements to generate a differential voltage output indicating a voltage difference between the plurality of secondary coil A elements and the plurality of secondary coil B elements.
8. 8 . The rotary position sensor of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of secondary coil elements comprises a plurality of sine coil elements and a plurality of cosine coil elements.
9. 9 . The rotary position sensor of claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of sine coil elements is positioned at a 90 degrees angle to one of the plurality of cosine coil elements relative to a PCB assembly opening center of the PCB assembly opening.
10. 10 . The rotary position sensor of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of sine coil elements are electrically connected in series, wherein the plurality of cosine coil elements are electrically connected in series.
11. 11 . The rotary position sensor of claim 10 , further comprising: a sine voltage detecting element electronically coupled to the plurality of sine coil elements to generate a sine voltage output indicating a sine voltage of plurality of sine coil elements; and a cosine voltage detecting element electronically coupled to the plurality of cosine coil elements to generate a cosine voltage output indicating a cosine voltage of plurality of cosine coil elements.
12. 12 . The rotary position sensor of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of secondary coil elements are positioned radially away from the PCB assembly opening on the second side of the PCB assembly.
13. 13 . The rotary position sensor of claim 2 , wherein a plurality of distances between a secondary coil element center of each of the plurality of secondary coil elements and a PCB assembly opening center of the PCB assembly opening are the same.
14. 14 . The rotary position sensor of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of secondary coil elements are distributed equally along a distribution circumference on the PCB assembly.
15. 15 . The rotary position sensor of claim 1 , wherein a secondary coil element number associated with the plurality of secondary coil elements is twice a primary coil element number associated with the plurality of primary coil elements.
16. 16 . The rotary position sensor of claim 15 , wherein the primary coil element number corresponds to a resolver speed of the rotary position sensor.
17. 17 . The rotary position sensor of claim 1 , wherein the stator assembly comprises a plurality of stator plates.
18. 18 . The rotary position sensor of claim 17 , wherein a stator plate number associated with the plurality of stator plates is the same as a secondary coil element number associated with the plurality of secondary coil elements.
19. 19 . The rotary position sensor of claim 17 , wherein a rotor plate number associated with the plurality of rotor plates is half of a stator plate number associated with the plurality of stator plates.
20. 20 . The rotary position sensor of claim 19 , wherein the stator assembly comprises at least four stator plates, wherein the rotor assembly comprises at least two rotor plates.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119(a) to Indian Application No. 202111051058, filed Nov. 8, 2021, which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. FIELD OF THE INVENTION Example embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to position sensing devices and systems and, more particularly, to configurable systems and apparatuses that sense rotary positions and provide quadrature sinusoidal outputs and/or quadrant linear outputs. BACKGROUND Applicant has identified many technical challenges and difficulties associated with sensors. For example, many sensors require complex processes to manufacture, skilled labor to operate and/or high cost to maintain, therefore limiting their applicability and/or accuracy. BRIEF SUMMARY Various embodiments described herein relate to methods, apparatuses, and systems for sensing rotary position. In particular, various embodiments provides a configurable rotary position sensor that provide quadrature sinusoidal outputs as a resolver and/or quadrant linear outputs as a rotary variable differential transformer (RVDT) based on, for example but not limited to, the number of primary coil elements, the number of secondary coil elements, the number of stator plates, and/or the number of rotor plates of the rotary position sensor. In accordance with various embodiments of the present disclosure, a rotary position sensor is provided. In some embodiments, the rotary position sensor comprises a rotor assembly comprising a rotor assembly opening for securing the rotor assembly to a shaft structure; a stator assembly comprising a stator assembly opening for receiving the shaft structure; and a base assembly secured to the stator assembly. In some embodiments, the base assembly secured to the stator assembly is a printed circuit board (PCB) assembly. In some embodiments, the base assembly secured to the stator assembly is not a PCB assembly (for example, an assembly in the form of a substrate, a frame, and/or the like). In some embodiments, the base assembly (such as, but not limited to, the PCB assembly) comprises a plurality of primary coil elements printed on a first side of the base assembly (such as, but not limited to, the PCB assembly) and a plurality of secondary coil elements printed on a second side of the base assembly (such as, but not limited to, the PCB assembly). In some embodiments, the PCB assembly comprises a PCB assembly opening. In some embodiments, the PCB assembly opening is aligned with the stator assembly opening. In some embodiments, a secondary coil element number associated with the plurality of secondary coil elements is twice a primary coil element number associated with the plurality of primary coil elements. In some embodiments, the PCB assembly comprises at least two primary coil elements printed on a first side of the PCB assembly and at least four secondary coil elements printed on a second side of the PCB assembly. In some embodiments, the side of the PCB assembly that the coil elements are on can be different from those described herein. For example, some embodiments of the present disclosure may implement other spatial arrangements (such as, but not limited to, two PCB assemblies). In some embodiments, the primary coil element number corresponds to a resolver speed of the rotary position sensor. In some embodiments, the plurality of primary coil elements are positioned radially away from the PCB assembly opening on the first side of the PCB assembly. In some embodiments, a plurality of distances between a primary coil element center of each of the plurality of primary coil elements and a PCB assembly opening center of the PCB assembly opening are the same. In some embodiments, the radiuses of the plurality of primary coil elements are the same. In some embodiments, the radiuses of the plurality of primary coil elements are different. In some embodiments, the plurality of primary coil elements are distributed equally along a distribution circumference on the PCB assembly. In some embodiments, the plurality of secondary coil elements comprises a plurality of secondary coil A elements and a plurality of secondary coil B elements. In some embodiments, each of the plurality of secondary coil A elements is positioned at a 90 degrees angle to one of the plurality of secondary coil B elements relative to a PCB assembly opening center of the PCB assembly opening. In some embodiments, the rotary position sensor further comprises a differential voltage detecting element electronically coupled to one of the plurality of secondary coil A elements and one of the plurality of secondary coil B elements. In some embodiments, the differential voltage detecting element generates a differential voltage output indicating a voltage difference between the plurality of secondary coil A elements and the plurality of secondary coil B elements. In some embodiments, the plurality of seconda