Inventors:
Srinivasan Sundararajan - Belleville MI
Karin H. Przybylo - West Bloomfield MI
Jerome P. Teevens - Plymouth MI
Assignee:
Ford Motor Company - Dearborn MI
International Classification:
G01D 534
Abstract:
A sensor for measuring a movement characteristic of an object has a housing, an emitter emitting electromagnetic radiation, a detector for receiving electromagnetic radiation, a rod having a graduated scale with a plurality of first regions and second regions for reflecting the electromagnetic radiation from the emitter. A plurality of rollers positions the rod within the housing. As the object moves the first and second regions, the emitter and detector reflect different levels of electromagnetic radiation. The detector generates an output voltage corresponding the level of reflected radiation from the scale. The output voltage is then converted into displacement, velocity, or acceleration.