Magnetostrictive stress wave sensor
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A shock sensor has a housing with a Terfenol-D type sensing element positioned inside a sensing coil. A permanent biasing magnet is positioned in engagement with the Terfenol-D sensing element, and a spacer engages the Terfenol-D sensing element and extends from the housing. The housing has a beam with one or two mounting holes through which fasteners extend to mount the shock sensor to a structural member. The housing places the spacer in compression against the structural member. In an alternative embodiment a DC current can be supplied to the sensing coil to provide the biasing magnetic field. A high frequency filter separates the shock sensing signal from the applied DC biasing current.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. (canceled)
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2. (canceled)
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3. (canceled)
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4. (canceled)
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5. (canceled)
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6. (canceled)
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7. (canceled)
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9. (canceled)
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13. (canceled)
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14. A shock wave sensor in a motor vehicle comprising:
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a housing, the housing having a portion;
defining a mounting aperture;
a portion of the housing defining a cavity spaced from the mounting aperture;
a portion of the housing defining a beam extending between the mounting aperture and the cavity;
a biasing magnet mounted to the housing in the cavity;
a sensing assembly having a giant magnetostrictive sensing element therein, the sensing assembly mounted within the cavity and having portions that extend from the housing;
a coil mounted to the housing and surrounding the cavity and the giant magnetostrictive sensing element therein, the coil for sensing a change in a magnetic field produced by a shock wave in the giant magnetostrictive sensing element;
a portion of the housing providing a mounting surface;
a fastener extending through the mounting aperture to hold the mounting surface of the housing against a structure, wherein the sensing assembly is loaded against a structure of the motor vehicle when the portion of the housing providing a mounting surface is held by the fastener against the structure; and
a portion of the housing that extends between the mounting surface and sensing assembly, that resiliently biases the sensing assembly against the structure thereby compressively loading the giant magnetostrictive sensing element against the structure or an optional spacer in engagement with and located between the giant magnetostrictive sensing element and the structure to improve shock wave transmission to the sensing element. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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- 15. (canceled)
Specification