VARIABLE CAPACITANCE ACCELEROMETER WITH MEANDERING FLEXURES
First Claim
1. An accelerometer comprising a support, a proof mass supported for movement relative to the support by a plurality of mounting legs, a plurality of fixed capacitor fingers associated with the support and a plurality of movable capacitor fingers associated with the proof mass, the fixed capacitor fingers being interdigitated with the movable capacitor fingers, the mounting legs being of serpentine shape, each mounting leg comprising at least a first generally straight section, a second generally straight section, and an end section of generally U-shaped form interconnecting the first and second generally straight sections, wherein the thickness of the end section is greater than the thickness of a central part of both of the first and second generally straight sections.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An accelerometer comprises a support (12), a proof mass (14) supported for movement relative to the support (12) by a plurality of mounting legs (16), a plurality of fixed capacitor fingers associated with the support (12) and a plurality of movable capacitor fingers associated with the proof mass (14), the fixed capacitor fingers being interdigitated with the movable capacitor fingers, the mounting legs (16) being of serpentine shape, each mounting leg (16) comprising at least a first generally straight section (16a), a second generally straight section (16a), and an end section (16b) of generally U-shaped form interconnecting the first and second generally straight sections (16a), wherein the thickness Te of the end section (16b) is greater than the thickness Tc of a central part (16c) of both of the first and second generally straight sections (16a).
12 Citations
18 Claims
- 1. An accelerometer comprising a support, a proof mass supported for movement relative to the support by a plurality of mounting legs, a plurality of fixed capacitor fingers associated with the support and a plurality of movable capacitor fingers associated with the proof mass, the fixed capacitor fingers being interdigitated with the movable capacitor fingers, the mounting legs being of serpentine shape, each mounting leg comprising at least a first generally straight section, a second generally straight section, and an end section of generally U-shaped form interconnecting the first and second generally straight sections, wherein the thickness of the end section is greater than the thickness of a central part of both of the first and second generally straight sections.
Specification