VERTICAL ACCELERATION MEASURING APPARATUS

• US 20090308160A1
• Filed: 01/16/2009
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Kim, Chang Kyu, Choi, Chang Auck, Je, Chang Han
• Application Number:
  US12/355,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20090308160A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/514.320
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up

Abstract

Provided is a vertical acceleration measuring apparatus including a substrate; a plumb that is separated from the substrate to operate; a plurality of movable electrode plates that are formed at an upper end of the plumb in a predetermined direction; a movable electrode plate supporting portion that is formed at the upper end of the plumb and supports the movable electrode plates; a fixed body that is formed at an upper end of the substrate; a fixed electrode plate supporting portion that is coupled to the fixed body adjacent to the upper end of the plumb; a plurality of fixed electrode plates that are supported by the fixed electrode plate supporting portion and arranged to face the movable electrode plates in parallel; and a connection spring that connects the fixed body and the movable electrode plate supporting portion.

Claims

1. A vertical acceleration measuring apparatus comprising:

a substrate;

a plumb that is separated from the substrate to operate;

a plurality of movable electrode plates that are formed at an upper end of the plumb in a predetermined direction;

a movable electrode plate supporting portion that is formed at the upper end of the plumb and supports the movable electrode plates;

a fixed body that is formed at an upper end of the substrate;

a fixed electrode plate supporting portion that is coupled to the fixed body adjacent to the upper end of the plumb;

a plurality of fixed electrode plates that are supported by the fixed electrode plate supporting portion and arranged to face the movable electrode plates in parallel; and

a connection spring that connects the fixed body and the movable electrode plate supporting portion.

2. The vertical acceleration measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plumb is positioned inside a hole formed in the substrate.

3. The vertical acceleration measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable electrode plates include a plurality of first movable electrode plates and a plurality of second movable electrode plates having a smaller height than the first movable electrode plates, and the fixed electrode plates include a plurality of first fixed electrode plates and a plurality of second fixed electrode plates having a smaller height than the first fixed electrode plates.

4. The vertical acceleration measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the movable electrode plates, the fixed electrode plates, the fixed body, the movable electrode plate supporting portion, the connection spring, and the fixed electrode plate supporting portion are formed of a conductive material.

5. The vertical acceleration measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

movable power contacts that are formed at the upper end of the fixed body; and

fixed power contacts that are formed at the upper end of the fixed electrode plate supporting portion.

6. The vertical acceleration measuring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the fixed power contacts include a first fixed power contact to which a positive voltage is applied and a second fixed power contact to which a negative voltage is applied.

7. The vertical acceleration measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plumb is formed of the same material as the substrate or a material having higher density than the substrate.

8. The vertical acceleration measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal elastic coefficient of the connection spring is larger than the lateral elastic coefficient thereof.

9. The vertical acceleration measuring apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first fixed electrode plates are arranged to face the second movable electrode plates, and the second fixed electrode plates are arranged to face the first movable electrode plates.

10. The vertical acceleration measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fixed electrode plates and the movable electrode plates are arranged symmetrically in the up, down and side-to-side directions with respect to the center of the plumb.

11. The vertical acceleration measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plumb is formed by etching the substrate.

12. The vertical acceleration measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate includes a silicon substrate, and an oxide layer is formed at the upper end of the substrate.

13. The vertical acceleration measuring apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the movable plates, the movable plate supporting portion, the fixed body, the fixed electrode plate supporting portion, the fixed electrode plates, and the connection spring are formed at the upper end of the oxide layer.

14. The vertical acceleration measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a facing area between the movable electrode plate and the fixed electrode plate changes due to movement of the plumb.

15. The vertical acceleration measuring apparatus according to claim 14, wherein capacitance formed between the movable electrode plate and the fixed electrode plate changes correspondingly to the change of the facing area.

16. The vertical acceleration measuring apparatus according to claim 14, wherein capacitances generated between the movable electrode plates and the fixed electrode plates are changed only by the vertical movement of the plumb.