Rotary encoder
View Patent ↗A rotary encoder includes a rotatable conductor and first and second signal contacts. The rotatable conductor includes a first contact finger that slides on a track which is at least a part of a circle having a center point as a center thereof; and second contact finger that slides on the track and is located at an angular position different from an angular position of the first contact finger. The first signal contact is disposed on the track, and is configured to output a signal according to an angular position of the rotatable conductor about the center point. The second signal contact is disposed on the first track, and is configured to output a signal according to the angular position of the rotatable conductor about the center point. The second signal contact is electrically independent of the first signal contact. This rotary encoder includes a small number of tracks, and accordingly has a small size.
1. A rotary encoder comprising:
a rotatable conductor including:
a first contact finger that slides on a first track which is at least a part of a circle having a center point as a center thereof;
a second contact finger that slides on the first track, the second contact finger being located at an angular position different from an angular position of the first contact finger by about 180 degrees,
a third contact finger that slides on a second track which is at least a part of a circle having the center point as a center thereof, and
a fourth contact finger that slides on the second track, the fourth contact finger being located at an angular position different from an angular position of the third contact finger by about 90 degrees;
a first signal contact disposed on the first track, the first signal contact being configured to output a first signal according to an angular position of the rotatable conductor about the center point;
a second signal contact disposed on the first track, the second signal contact being configured to output a second signal according to the angular position of the rotatable conductor, the second signal contact being electrically independent of the first signal contact;
a third signal contact disposed on the second track, the third signal contact being configured to output a third signal according to the angular position of the rotatable conductor; and
a fourth signal contact disposed on the second track, the fourth signal contact being configured to output a fourth signal according to the angular position of the rotatable conductor, the fourth signal contact being electrically independent of the third signal contact,
wherein the first signal contact, the second signal contact, the third signal contact, and the fourth signal contact are arranged such that the fourth signal conforms to an odd function with respect to the angular position of the rotatable conductor within a range of the angular position of the rotatable conductor in which the first signal, the second signal, and the third signal conform to an even function with respect to the angular position of the rotatable conductor.
2. The rotary encoder according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first track includes:
a first sub-track which is at least a part of a circle having the center point as a center thereof, the first contact finger of the rotatable conductor sliding on the first sub-track; and
a second sub-track which is at least a part of a circle having the center point as a center thereof, the second contact finger of the rotatable conductor sliding on the second sub-track, and
wherein each of the first signal contact and the second signal contact is disposed on both the first sub-track and the second sub-track.
3. The rotary encoder according to claim 2 ,
wherein the second track includes:
a third sub-track which is at least a part of a circle having the center point as a center thereof, the third contact finger of the rotatable conductor sliding on the third sub-track; and
a fourth sub-track which is at least a part of a circle having the center point as a center thereof, the fourth contact finger of the rotatable conductor sliding on the fourth sub-track, and
wherein each of the third signal contact and the fourth signal contact is disposed on both the third sub-track and the fourth sub-track.
4. The rotary encoder according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second track includes:
a first sub-track which is at least a part of a circle having the center point as a center thereof, the third contact finger of the rotatable conductor sliding on the first sub-track; and
a second sub-track which is at least a part of a circle having the center point as a center thereof, the fourth contact finger of the rotatable conductor sliding on the second sub-track, and
wherein each of the third signal contact and the fourth signal contact is disposed on both the first sub-track and the second sub-track.
5. A rotary encoder comprising:
a rotatable conductor including:
a first contact finger that slides on a track which is at least a part of a circle having a center point as a center thereof; and
a second contact finger that slides on the track, the second contact finger being located at an angular position different from an angular position of the first contact finger by about 180 degrees;
a first signal contact disposed on the track, the first signal contact being configured to output a first signal according to an angular position of the rotatable conductor about the center point; and
a second signal contact disposed on the track, the second signal contact being configured to output a second signal according to the angular position of the rotatable conductor, the second signal contact being electrically independent of the first signal contact,
wherein the first signal contact and the second signal contact are arranged such that the first signal and the second signal conform to an even function with respect to the angular position of the rotatable conductor.