Patent ID: 6066955
Filing Date: 2000-05-23
Classification: G01C

Abstract:
A method of monitoring the roll angle of an object, said method comprising the steps of:(a) providing said object with a roll sensor having (i) a roll sensor housing defining a closed internal chamber including a central elongation axis about which roll will occur, (ii) an arrangement of electrically conductive members including an array of at least four elongated electrically isolated wire segments extending into the housing chamber in a predetermined positional relationship to one another within the chamber such that each wire segment extends inward within a plane generally transverse to said central elongation axis and such that the wire segments define free ends spaced from one another and the free ends are spaced from the housing within the housing chamber, and (iii) a flowable material contained within said housing chamber and through which electrical connections between said electrically conductive members are made such that, for any given roll position of said roll sensor, a predetermined combination of said conductive members including certain ones of said wire segments will be placed in contact simultaneously with said flowable material so as to generate an output voltage corresponding to said combination and thereby represent the roll angle of said roll sensor and therefore the roll angle of said object; and(b) continuously generating said output voltage as the roll angle of said object changes.