1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a current sensor that measures a magnetic field generated in accordance with a current to be measured so as to detect a value of the current to be measured.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-170878 discloses the structure of a current sensor. In the current sensor described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-170878, a plurality of current paths are disposed in a single plane. Each of the plurality of current paths has a first conductor unit, a second conductor unit connected to one end of the first conductor unit, and a third conductor unit connected to the other end of the first conductor unit. The adjacent second conductor unit is disposed on an extended line that extends from the one end of the first conductor unit in the length direction of the first conductor unit. The adjacent third conductor unit is disposed on an extended line that extends from the other end of the first conductor unit in the length direction of the first conductor unit. A pair of magneto-electro transducers are symmetrically arranged such that the first conductor unit are interposed between the pair of the magneto-electro transducers and the pair of the magneto-electro transducers are disposed at positions perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the above-described plane so as to detect a magnetic field produced by the first conductor unit.
In the current sensor described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-170878, the conductor units of the plurality of current paths are bent in a single plane so as to change directions in which the currents flow. This suppresses influence of the current path adjacent to a corresponding current path on the magneto-electro transducers that detect the magnetic field of the corresponding current path.
When the conductor units of the plurality of current paths are bent in a single plane, a planar space occupied by the current paths increases. This inhibits size reduction of the current sensor. In order to realize size reduction of the current sensor, the distance between the current paths adjacent to each other may be decreased. In this case, the magnetic field circling around the first conductor unit of the current path adjacent to the corresponding current path affects the magneto-electro transducers. This increases measurement errors of the current sensor.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds