A steering element sensor assembly for sensing a steering torque and an absolute angular position having a circuit board and first and second sensor elements. The circuit board has a base surface arranged perpendicularly to a steering axis and a wing surface angled to the base. The first sensor element determines the steering torque and has a first primary sensor formed as a magnetically coded portion on the steering element and one secondary sensor for converting the changing magnetic field generated by the primary sensor into an electrical signal. The secondary sensor determines the absolute angular position and a main gear arranged on the steering element that meshes with at least two gears, one which has one more tooth than the other. Each gear has a target that faces a respective angle sensor.

Provided is an angle detection apparatus making it possible to reduce the labor of manufacturing while also suppressing bulkiness. The angle detection apparatus includes a first rotating body (120), a second rotating body (122), a first transmission mechanism (111) that causes the second rotating body (122) to rotate by reducing a speed of a rotation of the first rotating body (120), a first angle detector (Ds) that detects a rotational angle of the first rotating body (120), another second angle detector (Dm) that detects a rotational angle of the second rotating body (122), and a processor (40) that specifies a number of revolutions (Rs) of the first rotating body (120). The processor (40) specifies the number of revolutions (Rs) while dynamically varying a specification condition for specifying the number of revolutions (Rs) according to a numerical value decided according to the detected rotational angle of the first rotating body (120) and a reduction ratio (G1) of the first transmission mechanism (111), and the detected rotational angle of the second rotating body (122).

An absolute steering sensor assembly (10) is provided, comprising a printed circuit board (18), at least one hall sensor (20, 22) being attached to the printed circuit board (18), at least one magnet (34, 36) being rotatably mounted such that the magnet (34, 36) is rotated upon a rotation of a steering column (26), the at least one magnet (34, 36) being placed in proximity of the at least one hall sensor (20, 22) such that the hall sensor (20, 22) can detect the magnetic field emitted by the magnet (34,36), and a protective cover (38, 40) being attached to the printed circuit board (18) such that the protective cover (38, 40) is placed between the magnet (34, 36) and the printed circuit board (18).

Embodiments described herein are for an absolute position sensor system integrated into a steering column assembly. The absolute position sensor system comprises: a sector connected to a rake adjustment mechanism of the steering column assembly and operable to be moved thereby; a gear coupled to the sector and operable to be rotated by the movement thereof; a magnet connected to and retained by the gear such that the magnet rotates responsive to the rotation of the gear; and a sensor device positioned below the magnet and connected to a stationary part of the steering column assembly. The sensor device is configured to: detect an angle of rotation of the magnet, where the angle of rotation of the magnet corresponds to a position of the rake adjustment mechanism.

A wheel portion allows a shaft body that serves as a detection object to be inserted therein in a direction of a rotational axis from a position in front of the wheel portion, and is rotated about the rotational axis when the shaft body is rotated. The wheel portion includes a tubular portion in which the shaft body is inserted and a projecting edge portion extending away from the rotational axis at a front end of the tubular portion. The housing portion includes a cover portion having a hollow tubular opening portion in which the shaft body is inserted. The cover portion and the wheel portion are engaged with each other such that the opening portion is located on an inner side of the projecting edge portion.

A rotation angle detection device includes a correction-object driven gear that is a driven gear meshing with a main driving gear, a first sensor that is configured to generate an electrical signal based on rotation of the correction-object driven gear, and an electronic control unit that computes a driven-side rotation angle based on the electrical signal. The electronic control unit is configured to store a correction angle used to correct the driven-side rotation angle when computing the driven-side rotation angle. The correction angle is a predetermined deviation in a predetermined angle domain obtained as an average value in which deviations of the number equal to the integer and corresponding to a same relative rotation angle is averaged, so as to be deviation in an angle domain of 0 to 360 degrees.

In order to enable improved correct determination of an angular position of a shaft, a rotary encoder (1) is provided, comprising the shaft (W) connected to and drivable by an external shaft, a first gear unit (G1) and a second gear unit (G2) which each follow rotations of the shaft (W), wherein both gear units (G1 and G2) are drivable independently of one another by the shaft (W), wherein a first gear stage (G1S1) of the first gear unit (G1) has a first detection unit (E1), and a gear stage (G2S2) downstream of a first gear stage (G2S1) of the second gear unit (G2) has a second detection unit (E2), and an evaluation unit for deriving the angular position from signals of the detection units (E1, E2), and wherein the evaluation unit compares the rotations of the first gear stage (G1S1) of the first gear unit (G1) and the downstream gear stage (G2S2) of the second gear unit (G2) for plausibility, taking into account a known ratio of the rotation of the first gear stage (G1S1) of the first gear unit (G1) to the rotation of the downstream gear stage (G2S2) of the second gear unit (G2), wherein the ratio is greater than 2 to 1.

A rotation angle detection apparatus capable of reducing the cost and having a small thickness is provided. The rotation angle detection apparatus includes: a housing; a rotating shaft rotatably disposed in the housing; a first internal gear disposed concentrically with the rotating shaft and fixed to the housing; a second internal gear disposed concentrically with the rotating shaft, and rotatably disposed in the housing, the second internal gear having a number of teeth different from a number of teeth of the first internal gear; an external gear rotatably disposed at a position separated from the rotating shaft in rotating body, the external gear meshing with the first internal gear and the second internal gear; and a detection section that detects a rotation angle of the second internal gear.

A rotation angle detection device includes a driving gear rotated integrally with a rotary body, a first driven gear and a second driven gear coupled to the driving gear and rotated in cooperation with the driving gear, a first sensor that detects rotation of the first driven gear and generates a first sensor output, and a second sensor that detects rotation of the second driven gear and generates a second sensor output. An initialization method includes adjusting zero points of the first and second sensor output obtained at positions of rotation references of the first and second driven gears, measuring a deviation amount occurring in a calculation of rotation information of at least one of the first and second driven gears, and correcting the zero point of at least one of the first and second sensor outputs based on the measured deviation amount.

An absolute valve position detector with self-powering capabilities is provided. An energy-harvesting position sensor is activated by the rotation of a pinion that rotates according to the opening and closing of the valve. The sensor outputs an electrical pulse that may be simultaneously used to provide power to the position detector and to indicate the rotation of the pinion and, therefore, the position of the valve. In a preferred example, the energy-harvesting sensor is activated by change in a magnetic field and the magnetic polarization of a Wiegand wire. In examples, the electrical pulse is induced in a coil wrapped around the Wiegand wire when a magnet disposed on the pinion is rotated.