A sensor assembly is described herein. The sensor assembly includes a housing that includes an inner surface that defines a cavity within the housing, and a proximity sensor positioned within the cavity. The proximity sensor includes a first connector, a second connector, and a substantially planar sensing coil that extends between the first connector and the second connector. The sensing coil extends outwardly from the first connector such that the second connector is radially outwardly from the first connector.

An electrical circuit including a circuit board on which a number of electrical and/or electronic components are mounted, and a busbar that has a supporting body and a first, second, and third connection. The supporting body is spaced apart from the circuit board and the connections are brought into electrical contact both with the supporting body and with the circuit board. The supporting body has a first cross section between the first and second connection and a second cross section between the second and third connection, wherein the first cross section is smaller than the second cross section. The invention further relates to a bus bar.

A sensor assembly is described herein. The sensor assembly includes a housing that includes an inner surface that defines a cavity within the housing, and a proximity sensor positioned within the cavity. The proximity sensor includes a first connector, a second connector, and a substantially planar sensing coil that extends between the first connector and the second connector. The sensing coil extends outwardly from the first connector such that the second connector is radially outwardly from the first connector.

A sensor including a set of coils. The set of coils include a first coil and a second coil, wherein the first coil upon receiving energy, generates an electromagnetic near-field, such that the electromagnetic near-field provides at least a portion of the energy to the second coil through inductive coupling, inducing a current to pass through the set of coils. Further, a detector for measuring a voltage across at least one of the first coil or the second coil, wherein the detector includes a voltmeter. Finally, a processor for detecting a presence of a target structure in proximity to the set of coils upon detecting a change in a value of the voltage, wherein the target structure is an electromagnetic structure moving at a distance from the set of coils.

In an embodiment, an inductive proximity sensor includes two receiving coils and one transmitting coil arranged between the two receiving coils. The receiving coils and transmitting coil are each formed from a group of at least two individual coils on carrier boards, which are arranged parallel to one another. The carrier boards have a diameter which is smaller than or equal to 10 mm, and a winding of the receiving coils or the transmitting coil has a cross-sectional geometry in which a ratio of a base width to a height lies in the range from 0.2 to 0.3. An embodiment of a method for detecting an object using an inductive proximity sensor includes generating an alternating field using a transmitting coil of the proximity sensor and sensing, using two receiving coils of the inductive proximity sensor, a change in the alternating field caused by proximity of the object.

A control device includes a moving portion, a magnetic element coupled to the moving portion, at least one magnetic sensing circuit responsive to magnetic fields, and at least one magnetic flux pipe structure. The magnetic element may comprise alternating positive and negative sections configured to generate a magnetic field. The magnetic element may be any shape, such as circular, linear, etc. The magnetic sensing circuit may be radially offset from the magnetic element, and the magnetic flux pipe structure may be configured to conduct the magnetic field generated by the magnetic element towards the magnetic sensing circuit. The magnetic element may generate the magnetic field in a first plane, and the magnetic sensing may be responsive to magnetic fields in a second direction that is angularly offset from the first plane. The magnetic flux pipe structure may redirect the magnetic field towards the magnetic sensing circuit in the second direction.

A sensor element (10) has a circuit board (11), which has at least one plane having a printed coil (12). The printed coil (12) has at least one first via (15), which is arranged outside an outermost coil winding (13). A shielding ring (17) is arranged between the first via (15) and the outermost coil winding (13). An inductive sensor has several such sensor elements (10).

The invention relates to an actuator (1) of a safety switch (10) for detecting and locking a specifiable state of an apparatus (2), in particular for detecting and locking the closed state of a safety device of a machine (4) or the like, wherein the actuator (1) has an inductor (36) for a contact-free signal exchange with a reading inductor (38) of a switch element (16) of the safety switch (10), and wherein the actuator (1) has a locking flank (50) on which a lock element (24) of the switch element (16) can be brought into locking contact and the actuator (1) can therefore be locked on the switch element (16), characterized in that the inductor (36) has at least one winding extending around the locking flank (50) or around a recess or hole in the actuator (1) forming the locking flank (50) so that the at least one winding extends around the lock element (24) or around an extension of the lock element (24) in the state in which the actuator (1) is locked to the switch element (16), as well as a safety switch having such an actuator.

A proximity switch, comprising a coil arrangement including at least two receiving coils and at least one transmitting coil, and a control and evaluation unit arranged downstream of the coil arrangement, the control and evaluation unit being configured to obtain a switching signal when a target approaches a predefined response distance of the proximity switch. The at least two receiving coils and the at least one transmitting coil are planar coils and are arranged in a common coil plane being arranged completely within one single copper layer. The common coil plane is oriented perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the proximity switch. The at least two receiving coils and the at least one transmitting coil do not overlap one another in the direction of the longitudinal axis and do not enclose one another circumferentially.

An electrical circuit including a circuit board on which a number of electrical and/or electronic components are mounted, and a busbar that has a supporting body and a first, second, and third connection. The supporting body is spaced apart from the circuit board and the connections are brought into electrical contact both with the supporting body and with the circuit board. The supporting body has a first cross section between the first and second connection and a second cross section between the second and third connection, wherein the first cross section is smaller than the second cross section. The invention further relates to a bus bar.