Inductive displacement detector

1. An inductive detector for measuring the position of a first body relative to a second body along a measurement path comprising:

a first body which comprises a substantially planar surface; said substantially planar surface comprising a passive electromagnetic target;

a second body which comprises a substantially planar surface facing said planar surface of said first body; said substantially planar surface of said second body incorporating an arrangement of laminar windings; said substantially planar surface of said second body being separated from said substantially planar surface of said first body by a distance X;

said first and second bodies being configured such that the electromagnetic influence of the first body on the second body varies according to the position of the first body relative to the second body along the measurement path;

wherein said first body comprises a first portion incorporating said planar surface and a second portion recessed relative to the substantially planar surface of said first body and having a layer of thickness which is lower than the thickness of said first portion to form a gap for insulating material; said second portion acting as a shield; said first portion and said second portion of said first body being formed by a single piece of material; said second portion being adjacent to said first portion.

2. An inductive detector according to claim 1 , wherein said second body incorporates a shield.

3. An inductive detector according to claim 2 , wherein said second body incorporates an insulating portion and a shield; said shield being chemically secured to said insulating portion; and said insulating portion being located between said arrangement of laminar windings and said shield.

4. An inductive detector according to claim 2 , wherein said second body incorporates an insulating portion and a shield; wherein said shield incorporates both conductive portions and air gaps between conductive portions.

5. An inductive detector according to claim 2 , wherein said second body incorporates an insulating portion and a shield; wherein said shield is embedded into an outermost portion of said insulating portion.

6. An inductive detector according to claim 2 , wherein said second body incorporates a shield and an insulating portion; said shield being deposited or sprayed onto said insulating portion.

7. An inductive detector according to claim 2 , wherein said shield incorporates a number of concentric shielding circular strips.

8. An inductive detector according to claim 2 , wherein said shield is a mesh.

9. An inductive detector according to claim 2 , wherein said second body incorporates a shield and an insulating portion formed as a layer of insulating material; said shield incorporating carbon granules embedded in said layer of insulating material.

10. An inductive detector according to claim 1 , wherein said first body is formed as a solid piece of material.

11. An inductive detector according to claim 1 , wherein said gap is an air gap.

12. An inductive detector according to claim 1 , wherein said second body incorporates an insulating portion and a shield; wherein the ratio of the thickness of the insulating portion and the radius of the second body is lower than 1/5.

13. An inductive detector according to claim 12 , wherein the ratio of the thickness of the insulating portion and the radius of the second body is lower than 1/5 and greater than or equal to 1/10.

14. An inductive detector according to claim 13 , wherein said second body incorporates an insulating portion and a shield; wherein said shield extends solely in a direction orthogonal to the measurement path.

15. An inductive detector according to claim 1 , wherein said second body incorporates an insulating portion and a shield with a first and a second surface; said inductive detector being arranged such that the distance orthogonal to the measurement path between the laminar windings and the passive electromagnetic target is less than the distance orthogonal to the measurement path between the laminar windings and the first surface of the shield; and the distance orthogonal to the measurement path between the first and second surfaces of the shield is greater than its electromagnetic skin depth at the inductive detector's operating frequency.

16. An inductive detector according to claim 1 , wherein said second body is constructed from a printed circuit board.

17. An inductive detector according to claim 1 , wherein said second body comprises a shield which is made from a material taken from the list: aluminum; copper;

steel; stainless steel.

18. An inductive detector according to claim 1 , wherein the laminar windings comprise a transmit winding and a receive winding.

19. An inductive detector according to claim 1 , wherein two of the laminar windings are displaced relative to each other along the measurement path.

20. An inductive detector according to claim 1 , wherein the laminar windings are covered by an electrically insulating layer.

21. An inductive detector for measuring the position of a first body relative to a second body along a measurement path comprising:

a first body which comprises a substantially planar surface and a passive electromagnetic target;

a second body which comprises a substantially planar surface facing the substantially planar surface of the first body and an arrangement of laminar windings;

said first and second bodies being configured such that the electromagnetic influence of the first body on the second body varies according to the position of the first body relative to the second body along the measurement path;

at least one of said first and second bodies incorporating an insulating portion and a shield;

wherein the ratio of the thickness of the insulating portion and the radius of either the first or the second body is lower than 1/5; and said shield extends solely in a direction orthogonal to the measurement path.

22. An inductive detector according to claim 21 , wherein said shield is chemically secured to said insulating portion.

23. An inductive detector according to claim 21 , wherein said shield incorporates both conductive portions and air gaps between conductive portions.

24. An inductive detector according to claim 21 , wherein said shield is embedded into an outermost portion of said insulating portion.

25. An inductive detector according to claim 21 , wherein said shield incorporates an annular portion which projects from one of said bodies and radially covers a gap between the first and second bodies.

26. An inductive detector for measuring the position of a first body relative to a second body along a measurement path comprising:

a first body which comprises a substantially planar surface and a passive electromagnetic target;

a second body which comprises a substantially planar surface facing the planar surface of the first body and an arrangement of laminar windings;

said first and second bodies being configured such that the electromagnetic influence of the first body on the second body varies according to the position of the first body relative to the second body along the measurement path;

at least one of said first and second bodies incorporating a shield;

said detector being arranged such that the distance orthogonal to the measurement path between the laminar windings and the passive electromagnetic target is less than the distance orthogonal to the measurement path between the windings and a first surface of the shield; and the distance orthogonal to the measurement path between the first surface and a second surface of the shield is greater than its electromagnetic skin depth at the detector's operating frequency.