HAND-HELD VIBRATION SENSOR
First Claim
1. A hand-held vibration sensor, comprising:
- a housing;
a sensor body having a generally conical portion with a sharp point;
a vibration sensor element within said sensor body, said vibration sensor element measuring vibration and generating a corresponding vibration sensor element output;
a force sensor in communication with said sensor body generating a force sensor output corresponding to changes in the resistance of said force sensor as a function of non-vibrational forces applied to the hand-held vibration sensor;
an analog-to-digital converter within said housing and coupled to said vibration sensor element; and
a microprocessor adjusting said vibration sensor element output as a function of said force sensor output to reduce the impact of said non-vibrational applied forces on said vibration sensor element output, said microprocessor coupled to said analog-to-digital converter.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A hand-held or portable vibration sensor device having a housing and a sensor body which generally provides a single point of contact with the machinery or apparatus for which vibration measurement is desired. In one aspect, the sensor body comprises a vibration sensor element such as an accelerometer for measuring vibration. In another aspect, a force sensor such as a force sensing resistor or load cell is provided to reduce the impact of forces applied to said hand-held vibration sensor such as a force applied through a handle during measurement. In another aspect, a compensation circuit processes the out put from a vibration sensor element to provide a relatively flat frequency response over a desired operational frequency range. The hand-held vibration sensor may also comprise a rubber isolation member disposed between the sensor body and force sensor.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A hand-held vibration sensor, comprising:
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a housing; a sensor body having a generally conical portion with a sharp point; a vibration sensor element within said sensor body, said vibration sensor element measuring vibration and generating a corresponding vibration sensor element output; a force sensor in communication with said sensor body generating a force sensor output corresponding to changes in the resistance of said force sensor as a function of non-vibrational forces applied to the hand-held vibration sensor; an analog-to-digital converter within said housing and coupled to said vibration sensor element; and a microprocessor adjusting said vibration sensor element output as a function of said force sensor output to reduce the impact of said non-vibrational applied forces on said vibration sensor element output, said microprocessor coupled to said analog-to-digital converter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8)
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5. The hand-held sensor of claim 5 wherein said compressible mechanical isolation member comprises rubber, plastic or polyurethane.
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9. A hand-held vibration sensor for measuring vibration in a machine, comprising:
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a sensor body having a generally conical portion with a sharp point; an accelerometer within said sensor body measuring vibration and generating a corresponding accelerometer output representative of vibration present in a machine contacted by said sharp point; a compensation circuit in electrical communication with said accelerometer, said compensation circuit receiving said accelerometer output and providing a relativity flat frequency response over a desired operational frequency range; a force sensing resistor in communication with said sensor body, said force sensing resistor generating a force sensor output as a function of forces applied to the hand-held vibration sensor by a user; and means for adjusting said accelerometer output as a function of said force sensor output. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A hand-held vibration sensor for measuring vibration in a machine, comprising:
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a housing; a sensor body having a generally conical portion with a sharp point; a vibration sensor element coupled to said sensor body, said vibration sensor element having a vibration sensor element output representative of vibration present in a machine contacted by said sharp point; a force sensor in communication with said sensor body generating a force sensor output corresponding to the resistance of said force sensor as a function of forces applied to the hand-held vibration sensor by a user; a processor within said housing receiving said vibration sensor element output and said force sensor output, said processor adjusting said vibration sensor element output as a function of said force sensor output to reduce the impact of said user applied forces on said vibration sensor element output. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification