Transducer device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10591949-B2
Application number	US-201816105648-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2018
Priority date	Sep 15, 2017
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

A transducer device including: a base platform; an annular support member mounted on a surface of the base platform, the annular support member having a first opening positioned adjacent the surface of the base platform and a second opening positioned away from the surface of the base platform along a rotation axis; an inner shaft mounted relative to the base platform and configured to extend away from the second opening of the annular support member and rotate relative to the annular support member about the rotation axis; an inner shaft detent mechanism located at least partially within the annular support member configured for releasably securing the inner shaft in a plurality of rotational positions corresponding to each of a plurality of detent positions of the inner shaft detent mechanism as the inner shaft is rotated about the rotation axis; an outer shaft including a passage extending along an elongate axis thereof configured for receiving the inner shaft therein so that the inner shaft and outer shaft are arranged to rotate concentrically relative to each other about the rotation axis, the outer shaft further including a flanged portion configured for seating upon an outer surface of the annular support member; a PCB unit disposed on the surface of the base platform comprising: a first transducer circuit unit operably coupled to the inner shaft and responsive to rotational movement of the inner shaft about the rotation axis so that the first transducer circuit unit outputs a first electrical signal that is indicative of a rotational position of the inner shaft about the rotational axis; a second transducer circuit unit operably coupled to the outer shaft and responsive to rotational movement of the outer shaft about the rotation axis so that the second transducer circuit unit will output a second electrical signal that is indicative of a rotational position of the outer shaft about the rotational axis; a housing configured for enclosing the first and second transducer circuit units therein and having an opening disposed in a wall of the housing via which ends of the inner and outer shafts may extend outwardly of the housing along the rotation axis; and an outer shaft detent mechanism located between the outer shaft and an inner surface of the housing configured for releasably securing the outer shaft in a plurality of rotational positions corresponding to each of a plurality of detent positions of the outer shaft detent mechanism as the outer shaft is rotated about the rotation axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transducer device including:
a base platform;
an annular support member mounted on a surface of the base platform, the annular support member having a first opening positioned adjacent the surface of the base platform and a second opening positioned away from the surface of the base platform along a rotation axis;
an inner shaft mounted relative to the base platform and configured to extend away from the second opening of the annular support member and rotate relative to the annular support member about the rotation axis;
an inner shaft detent mechanism located at least partially within the annular support member configured for releasably securing the inner shaft in a plurality of rotational positions corresponding to each of a plurality of detent positions of the inner shaft detent mechanism as the inner shaft is rotated about the rotation axis;
an outer shaft including a passage extending along an elongate axis thereof configured for receiving the inner shaft therein so that the inner shaft and outer shaft are arranged to rotate concentrically relative to each other about the rotation axis, the outer shaft further including a flanged portion configured for seating upon an outer surface of the annular support member;
a PCB unit disposed on the surface of the base platform comprising:
a first transducer circuit unit operably coupled to the inner shaft and responsive to rotational movement of the inner shaft about the rotation axis so that the first transducer circuit unit outputs a first electrical signal that is indicative of a rotational position of the inner shaft about the rotational axis; and
a second transducer circuit unit operably coupled to the outer shaft and responsive to rotational movement of the outer shaft about the rotation axis so that the second transducer circuit unit will output a second electrical signal that is indicative of a rotational position of the outer shaft about the rotational axis;

a housing configured for enclosing the first and second transducer circuit units therein and having an opening disposed in a wall of the housing via which ends of the inner and outer shafts may extend outwardly of the housing along the rotation axis; and
an outer shaft detent mechanism located between the outer shaft and an inner surface of the housing configured for releasably securing the outer shaft in a plurality of rotational positions corresponding to each of a plurality of detent positions of the outer shaft detent mechanism as the outer shaft is rotated about the rotation axis.

2. A transducer device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the annular support element is fixed to the base platform.

3. A transducer device as claimed in claim 1 including an inner shaft locking mechanism for selectably locking the inner shaft in at least one of a locked and an unlocked configuration wherein when arranged in the locked configuration the inner shaft is restricted from rotating about the rotation axis, and when arranged in the unlocked configuration, the inner shaft is able to rotate about the rotation axis.

4. A transducer device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inner shaft locking mechanism is disposed between the inner shaft and the surface of the base platform, whereby the inner shaft is arranged in the locked position by first displacing the inner shaft in a direction axially along the rotation axis towards the surface of the base platform and then rotating the inner shaft about the rotation axis into a predetermined rotational position.

5. A transducer device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first transducer circuit unit includes a first potentiometer and the second transducer circuit unit includes a second potentiometer, each of said first and second potentiometers having wiper elements operably coupled to the inner and outer shafts respectively so as to rotate with the inner and outer shafts about the rotation axis, and corresponding wiper plates mounted on the surface of the base platform, whereby the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal that are output by the transducer device are generated by reference to the relative positions of the wiper elements and corresponding wiper plates of the first and second potentiometers.

6. A transducer device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the annular support member is mounted on the surface of the base platform whereby a wall of the annual annular support member is configured to physically separate the wiper plates of the first potentiometer from those of the second potentiometer.

7. A transducer device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the inner shaft detent mechanism includes a spring-loaded protrusion configured to extend radially outwardly from the inner shaft for engagement in the plurality of detent positions located around the inner surface of the annular support member as the inner shaft is rotated about the rotation axis, whereby the inner shaft may be releasably secured in the plurality of rotational positions corresponding to each of a plurality of detent positions as the inner shaft engages in each of the plurality detent positions.

8. A transducer device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the outer shaft detent mechanism includes a spring-loaded protrusion configured to extend from an inner surface of the housing for engagement in the plurality of detent positions located around an outer surface of the outer shaft as the outer shaft is rotated about the rotation axis, whereby the outer shaft may be releasably secured in the plurality of rotational positions corresponding to each of a plurality of detent positions as the outer shaft engages in each of the plurality detent positions.

9. A transducer device as claimed in claim 8 wherein the spring-loaded protrusion extends from the inner surface of the housing towards the outer surface of the outer shaft in a direction substantially aligned with the rotation axis.

10. A transducer device as claimed in claim 8 wherein the spring-loaded protrusion of the outer shaft detent mechanism includes a spring-loaded ball bearing protrusion that is seated in a recess formed in the inner surface of the housing.

11. A transducer device as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of the outer shaft and the housing are formed by injection molding.

Assignees

• Defond Components Ltd
• Defond Electech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nieh Cheng Chen
• Ko Hoi Him

Classifications

• G05G5/065 Primary

  using a spring-loaded ball · CPC title

• H01H19/18

  adapted for actuation at a limit or other predetermined position in the path of a body, the relative movement of switch and body being primarily for a purpose other than the actuation of the switch, e.g. door switch, limit switch, floor-levelling switch of a lift · CPC title

• H01H19/08

  Bases; Stationary contacts mounted thereon · CPC title

• G05G1/08

  Controlling members for hand actuation by rotary movement, e.g. hand wheels · CPC title

• H01H19/54

  the operating part having at least five or an unspecified number of operative positions · CPC title