Patent ID: 7508194

Claim:
A method for measuring distance between a stator ( 5 ) and an opposing rotor ( 3 ) in a machine where the stator is provided with at least one sensor device ( 7 ) of a magnetic type and configured to interact with an opposing surface on the rotor, and where a sensor body ( 10 ) is movable axially in a housing ( 11 ) mounted in the stator, comprising the steps of: receiving a signal value from the sensor device; and calibrating the sensor device by moving the sensor body in the direction towards the rotor, the size of the movement being related to the signal value from the sensor device, wherein, the movement is sufficiently large that contact is made between a first and second stop ( 16 , 17 ) in the sensor device arranged at a first predetermined distance (c) apart and interacting with each other, the first stop ( 16 ) is arranged on the sensor body ( 10 ) at a second predetermined distance (e) from an end surface of a measuring end ( 10 a ) of the sensor body ( 10 ), the second predetermined distance (e) being considerably smaller than a length of the sensor body ( 10 ), the second stop ( 17 ) is arranged in the housing ( 11 ), and the second predetermined distance (e) exceeds a distance (d) between the second stop ( 17 ) and the end surface of the measuring end ( 10 a ) of the sensor body ( 10 ) by the first predetermined distance (c) when the sensor body is moved to a normal measuring position in the stator.