Patent ID: 6576889
Filing Date: 2003-06-10
Classification: B62D,G01D

Abstract:
An angle sensor comprising:a rotor rotatable about an axis of rotation, the rotor having a plurality of code ring segments each having coding; a fixed stator having a circular ring segment housing provided with a circular ring segment gap, the circular ring segment housing positioned on a circular perimeter segment extending concentrically along a perimeter angle segment around the axis of rotation of the rotor, wherein the code ring segments traverse through the circular ring segment gap as the rotor rotates about the axis of rotation; and a plurality of sensor elements each having an optical transmitter and an optical receiver, wherein the sensor elements are distributed along the perimeter angle segment on the circular ring segment housing such that the transmitter and receiver of each sensor element lie opposite from one another across the circular ring segment gap on a longitudinal axis and the longitudinal axes of the sensor elements are aligned parallel with respect to each other, wherein the sensor elements cooperate with the coding of the code ring segments as the code ring segments traverse through the circular ring segment gap as the rotor rotates about the axis of rotation to provide an indication of the angle of a selected point of the rotor.