Patently Speaking highlights the technological achievements of Fort Wayne area residents.

Non-contacting position sensor using a rotating magnetic vector

•U.S. Patent No. 7,741,839

•Invented by: Craig Allen Jarrard, Middlebury

•Assigned to CTS Corp., Elkhart

Electronics are pretty much everywhere these days. Most devices these days have their own on-board computer, and even mechanical devices are largely run by electronics.

This patent describes how automobiles, as a good example, combine electronics and mechanics.

Because of this increased integration, the interface between mechanical structures that move the vehicle and electronics that control the vehicle is more critical than ever.

The interface between mechanics and electronics takes the form of a sensor. The sensor picks up the operation of the mechanical device and feeds the information into a processor, which then performs some function.

Anti-lock brakes, for example, use sensors to determine how the wheels are behaving. If the sensors detect that the wheels are locking up, a signal is sent to a processor that controls the brakes to allow the wheels to selectively rotate.

Most sensors are either contact or non-contact.

A contact sensor, as the name implies, generates a signal when contacted by a mechanical structure. It includes a potentiometer that produces an electric signal when contacted by a mechanical target.

A non-contact sensor, on the other hand, uses a magnet to generate a magnetic field which changes depending on the position of a target. A Hall effect device produces an electrical signal depending on the magnitude and polarity created by the target structure.

Both of these sensors, according to this patent, present challenges.

Contact sensors are subject to wear and degradation, whereas non-contacting position sensors can have detection problems.

This patent describes a new sensor that is non-contacting, so it does not have the wear problems of a contacting sensor.

But this new sensor includes a special magnet that is able to generate a rotating flux vector, which can result in more accurate detection than conventional non-contacting sensors.

Suspension mount- ing crossmember with integrated cab mounts for vehicle having front multi- link suspension

•U.S. Patent No. 7,717,441

•Invented by: Ryan S. Rochester, Fort Wayne; James H. Merriman, Fort Wayne; and John D. Fehring, Churubusco

•Assigned to: International Truck Intellectual Property Co. LLC, Warrenville, Ill.

Conventional truck manufacturing techniques employ a steel frame to which just about everything from the motor and transmission to the cab and wheels attach.

Typically, this frame is composed of two long rails with a series of cross braces extending between them. These cross braces are also called “belly-bands.” These belly-bands often include mounting points for the truck suspension and its cab.

This patent describes a new way of manufacturing belly-bands so they attach to the frame as a single unit. But if at a later time, portions of that belly-band need to be removed so the truck can be serviced, that can be done without requiring that the cab or suspension be taken apart.

The preceding are lay descriptions of patents obtained from the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s public records and are provided for general information purposes only. Nothing contained herein is a legal description of any claimed invention, identification of novelty, or offer of legal advice.

Because issued patents are based on applications often filed years earlier, the subject matter of some patents may have been available on the market for some time prior to the issuance of the patent. Additional information on these patents is available at www.uspto.gov.