JPH049542Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a tilt angle detector having a damper function.

[Conventional technology]

Traditionally, this type of inclination angle detector has been a pendulum type inclination angle detector that uses the rotation of a pendulum due to the action of gravity, or a leaf spring type that uses a rocking body that swings due to gravity while bending a leaf spring. The tilt angle detector was installed. These detectors are equipped with a damper mechanism for the purpose of preventing the pendulum, leaf spring, etc. from fraying due to external vibrations, or for the purpose of providing an appropriate time constant when used as a control system. A liquid damper has been conventionally used as such a damper mechanism. This liquid damper immerses all or part of the movable part of the detector in a liquid such as silicone oil or antifreeze, and uses the viscosity of the liquid to obtain a damping function.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

However, with such a detector, the liquid sealing mechanism that provides the damper function is complicated.
The disadvantage was that the cost was extremely high. Furthermore, such liquids generally expand or contract due to temperature changes, and therefore an appropriate buffer mechanism is required to absorb these expansions and contractions. Furthermore, since the viscosity of the liquid varies greatly with changes in temperature, there is a problem in that the damping characteristics have a large temperature coefficient.

On the other hand, in addition to the above-mentioned problems with the damper mechanism, there was also the problem that only one direction of the tilt component of the tilt angle of the object to be measured could be detected due to its structural limitations. In other words, if the object to be measured is tilted in two directions (pitching, rolling, or a combination of these directions), the true tilt angle cannot be detected unless two tilt angle detectors are placed at right angles to each other. I couldn't do it.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention has been developed in view of these points, and includes a swinging body having a pivot-shaped tip and a magnet in at least a portion thereof, which is attracted and suspended by magnetic force to a support body through the tip. A non-magnetic conductor is disposed so as to cut off the magnetic flux of the magnet that moves with the rocking of the rocking body, and the rocking amount of the rocking body is converted into an electric signal using rocking amount converting means. This is what I did.

[Effect]

Therefore, according to this invention, as the oscillator swings, an electromagnetic braking force that brakes the oscillator is generated in the nonmagnetic conductor.

In addition, since the rocking body is magnetically attracted and suspended from the support via the pivot-shaped tip, mechanical friction during rocking is minimal, allowing the rocking body to swing smoothly and uniformly in all directions. It can be made possible.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the tilt angle detector according to the present invention will be explained in detail. FIG. 1 is a schematic front sectional view showing one embodiment of this inclination angle detector. In the figure, 1 is a support made of a magnet fixed to a housing (not shown), 2 is a guide made of a non-magnetic material fixed to this support 1, and 3 has a tip 3a finished in a hemispherical shape. 4 is a magnet fixed to the lower end of the pendulum 3; 5 is a non-magnetic conductor 7 attached to the lower end of an oscillating body 6 consisting of the pendulum 3 and the magnet 4;
This is a magnetoresistive element arranged and fixed to the housing so as to face each other through the housing. The nonmagnetic conductor 7 is closely fixed to the magnetoresistive element 5, and a predetermined gap is provided so that the surface of the nonmagnetic conductor 7 and the padding of the magnet 4 of the oscillator 6 do not come into contact. The oscillator 6 is suspended by magnetic force such that the hemispherical tip 3a falls into the approximately "V"-shaped groove 2a of the guide 2 and comes into contact with approximately the center of the magnet of the support 1. ing.
Therefore, this rocking body 6 has a hemispherical tip 2.
It can freely swing in all directions within the range regulated by the groove 2a of the guide 2 with a as a fulcrum. On the other hand, when magnetic flux is applied from the outside, the magnetoresistive element 5 outputs an electric signal according to the applied position. In other words, as the rocking body 6 swings around the hemispherical tip 3a as a fulcrum, the relative position between the magnet 4 and the magnetoresistive element 5 changes, and the position of the magnetic flux applied to the magnetoresistive element 5 changes. As a result, an electrical signal is output according to the position of this magnetic flux. This magnet 4
and the magnetoresistive element 5 constitute a swing amount converting means.

Next, the operation of the tilt angle detector configured as described above will be explained. In other words, to explain the operation when the measured object is tilted in two directions, pitching and rolling, or in a composite direction of these two directions,
The rocking body 6 swings smoothly and uniformly in all directions with the tip end 3a as a fulcrum depending on the inclination angle of the object to be measured. That is, since the oscillating body 6 is suspended by magnetic force and the tip 3a of the oscillating body 6 is finished in a hemispherical shape, the mechanical friction force during the oscillation is minimal, and the movement is smooth and uniform in all directions. This allows for a wide range of vibrations.

When the oscillating body 6 oscillates according to the inclination angle of the object to be measured, the relative position between the magnet 4 and the magnetoresistive element 5 changes, and the position of the magnetic flux applied to the magnetoresistive element 5 changes, causing this magnetic flux to change. An electrical signal corresponding to the position of is output from the magnetoresistive element 5. Since this electrical signal is output as a signal corresponding to the amount of rocking of the rocking body 6, that is, the tilt angle of the object to be measured, it becomes possible to detect the tilt angle of the object to be measured based on this signal.

On the other hand, as the rocking body 6 swings, the non-magnetic conductor 7
An electromagnetic braking force is generated to brake this rocking body 6,
This electromagnetic braking force serves as a damper in this detector. That is, as the rocking body 6 swings, the magnetic flux generated by the magnet 4 moves, and the magnetic flux interlinking with the non-magnetic conductor 7 is relatively cut off. As a result, a current flows through the nonmagnetic conductor 7, and the magnetic flux generated by this current interacts with the magnetic flux of the magnet 4 to brake the swinging of the swinging body 6. This electromagnetic braking force increases as the rocking body 6 swings more steeply. Therefore, even if the oscillator 6 tries to deviate due to external oscillation or the like, this electromagnetic braking force will alleviate the deviance. Further, even when the rocking body 6 swings steeply depending on the inclination angle of the object to be measured, this electromagnetic braking force acts to cancel out the penetrating force. Further, this electromagnetic braking force is not affected greatly by temperature changes unlike the conventional viscous force of liquid, and therefore can have a damping characteristic with a small temperature coefficient. Furthermore, unlike liquid damper mechanisms, there is no need for a sealing mechanism, and there is no need for a buffer mechanism to absorb expansion and contraction, so the damper mechanism can be configured with an extremely simple structure. Although the magnetic flux acts on the non-magnetic conductor 7 and the magnetic resistance element 5 through the pendulum 3 even without the magnet 4, it is necessary to provide the magnet 4 on the oscillator 6 since sufficient electromagnetic braking force cannot be obtained. There is.

FIG. 2 is a schematic front sectional view showing another embodiment of this detector. The oscillator 6 in this detector has a structure in which a magnet 4 is held between magnetic bodies 8 and 9, and the tip 8a of the magnetic body 8 is finished into a hemispherical shape as in the embodiment shown in FIG. ing. Further, the support body 1 is made of a magnetic material, and the other structure is the same as that in FIG. 1. Therefore,
In this detector, the magnetic force of the magnet 4 attracts and suspends the oscillator 6 to the support 1 via the magnetic body 8, and the magnetic flux of the magnet 4 is transferred to the non-magnetic conductor 7 and the magnetic field via the magnetic body 9. It acts on the resistance element 5 to obtain an electric signal corresponding to the electromagnetic braking force and the amount of rocking. In this way, the magnetic flux of the magnet 4 provides an attraction suspension function.
It may also serve as both the damper function and the swing amount detection function. Further, as long as the magnet 4 has magnetism that can generate sufficient electromagnetic braking force on the non-magnetic conductor 7, it does not necessarily have to be interposed between the magnetic body 8 and the magnetic body 9, and the oscillator 6 It may be provided in at least a part of. Further, as long as the support body 1 can attract and suspend the rocking body 6, it may be a magnet having a different polarity from the tip end portion 8a.

In addition, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,
The magnet 4 provided on the oscillating body 6 has both a damper function and an oscillation amount detection function, but the oscillation amount detection function can be performed by using another oscillation amount detection means such as a light emitting element and a light receiving element. The magnet 4 may be used exclusively for the damper function. Furthermore, although the tip of the rocking body 6 is finished in a hemispherical shape, it is not limited to a hemispherical shape, and may have other shapes as long as the mechanical frictional force can be reduced. In the present invention, these shapes are defined as pivot shapes.

[Effect of idea]

As explained above, according to the inclination angle detector according to the present invention, a non-magnetic conductor is disposed in at least a part of the sensor so as to cut off the magnetic flux that moves as the oscillator, which has a magnet, moves. It is possible to obtain an electromagnetic braking force for damping rocking, and a damper function capable of providing damping characteristics with a small temperature coefficient can be obtained with an extremely simple structure.

In addition, the tip of the oscillating body is pivoted, and the tip is suspended from the support by magnetic force, so the mechanical friction force during oscillation is minimal, and the oscillating body is suspended in all directions. The tilt angle detection performance can be improved at low cost with an extremely simple structure.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic front sectional view showing one embodiment of the inclination angle detector according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic front sectional view showing another embodiment of the inclination angle detector. 1... Support body, 3... Pendulum, 3a, 8a...
Tip, 4... Magnet, 5... Magnetoresistive element, 6...
...oscillator, 7...non-magnetic conductor, 8, 9...magnetic material.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] an oscillator having a pivot-shaped tip and a magnet in at least a portion thereof; a support that attracts and suspends the oscillator through the tip by magnetic force; and a support that moves as the oscillator swings. A tilt angle detector comprising: a non-magnetic conductor disposed so as to cut off the magnetic flux caused by the magnet; and a swing amount converting means for converting the swing amount of the swing body into an electric signal.