Current sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017343584-A1
Application number	US-201715674378-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 10, 2017
Priority date	Mar 17, 2015
Publication date	Nov 30, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Each of three magnetic sensors is positioned on a first virtual line that passes the centers of two magnetic shields in the width direction and is perpendicular to a virtual plane, so a value detected by the magnetic sensor is less likely to be influenced by an external magnetic field. The first virtual line and the center of a conductor intersecting the first virtual line are separated from each other by a certain distance. Therefore, even if a distance from the center of the conductor in the width direction to the magnetic sensor is short, it is possible to improve, on a high-frequency side, frequency characteristics in the detection sensitivity of the magnetic sensor for the frequency of the current under measurement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A current sensor comprising:
a plurality of plate-like conductors, each of which has a plate surface positioned in the same virtual plane, the plate-like conductors being aligned and extending in parallel to one another; and a plurality of current detectors, each of which detects a current flowing in one of the plurality of conductors; wherein the current detector has two plate-like magnetic shields, each of which has a plate surface parallel to the virtual plane, the two magnetic shields facing each other with the conductor intervening between the two magnetic shields, and a magnetic sensor positioned between the two magnetic shields, the two magnetic shields have the same length in a width direction parallel to the virtual plane and perpendicular to a length direction of the conductor, the magnetic sensor is positioned on a first virtual line that passes centers of the two magnetic shields in the width direction and is perpendicular to the virtual plane, the conductor has a first conductor part that is positioned between the two magnetic shields and intersects the first virtual line, and the first virtual line and a center of the first conductor part in the width direction are separated from each other.

2 . The current sensor according to claim 1 , wherein when a length of the first conductor part in the width direction is W,
a length L of the magnetic shield in the width direction is at least 2×W and at most 5×W, and a distance D in the width direction by which the first virtual line and the center of the first conductor part in the width direction are separated from each other is larger than (W/2)×(16/32) and smaller than (W/2)×(20/32).

3 . The current sensor according to claim 1 , wherein when a length of the first conductor part in the width direction is W,
a length L of the magnetic shield in the width direction is at least 2×W and at most 5×W, and a distance D in the width direction by which the first virtual line and the center of the first conductor part in the width direction are separated from each other is larger than (W/2)×(17/32) and smaller than (W/2)×(19/32).

4 . The current sensor according to claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of magnetic sensors, each of which is included in one of the plurality of current detectors, are positioned on a second virtual line parallel to the virtual plane and also parallel to the width direction; and the current sensor has a circuit board on which the plurality of magnetic sensors are mounted in common.

5 . The current sensor according to claim 4 , wherein:
the conductor has second conductor parts, each of which is formed so as to extend, in parallel to the length direction, from one of both ends of the first conductor part in the length direction; and the length of the second conductor part in the width direction is longer than the length of the first conductor part in the width direction.

6 . The current sensor according to claim 5 , wherein:
the plurality of conductors are three or more equally spaced conductors; and a third virtual line and the first virtual line intersect, the third virtual line passing a center, in the width direction, of each second conductor part included in one conductor disposed between two conductors, the third virtual line being parallel to the virtual plane, the first virtual line being in the current detector provided in correspondence to the one conductor.

7 . The current sensor according to claim 6 , wherein one edge of the first conductor part in the width direction and one edge of the second conductor part in the width direction are continuous to each other.

8 . The current sensor according to claim 5 , wherein a whole of the first conductor part is positioned between the two magnetic shields.

Assignees

• Alps Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Abe Minoru

Classifications

• G01R15/148 Primary

  involving the measuring of a magnetic field or electric field (G01R15/18, G01R15/20, G01R15/24, G01R15/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01R15/205 Primary

  using magneto-resistance devices, e.g. field plates · CPC title