SENSING DEVICES, SENSORS, AND METHODS FOR MONITORING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
First Claim
1. An electromechanical sensing device comprising a cantilevered structure and at least one contact configured for contact-mode operation with the cantilevered structure, the cantilevered structure being responsive to a parameter within an environment and to deflect toward or away from the contact thereof in response to the parameter in the environment, the cantilevered structure comprising first and second beams containing dissimilar first and second materials, respectively, the first and second beams being side-by-side, spaced apart so as to define a gap there between along the lengths of the first and second beams, and lying in a plane that contains the cantilevered structure, the first material having at least one property that changes due to exposure to the parameter and a change in the property causes the cantilevered structure to deflect in a direction lying in the plane of the first and second beams as a result of the dissimilarity of the first and second materials, the cantilevered structure being configured to contact and close or break contact and open the contact at a predetermined level of the parameter or from cumulative exposure to the parameter over time
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Accused Products
Abstract
Sensors, systems, and methods for monitoring environmental conditions, such as physical, electromagnetic, thermal, and/or chemical parameters within an environment, over extended periods of time with the use of one or more electromechanical sensing devices and electronic circuitry for processing an output of the sensing devices. The sensing devices each include a cantilevered structure and at least one contact configured for contact-mode operation with the cantilevered structure in response to the cantilevered structure deflecting toward or away from the contact when exposed to the parameter of interest. The cantilevered structure has at least first and second beams of dissimilar materials, at least one of which has at least one property that changes as a result of exposure to the parameter.
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Citations
25 Claims
- 1. An electromechanical sensing device comprising a cantilevered structure and at least one contact configured for contact-mode operation with the cantilevered structure, the cantilevered structure being responsive to a parameter within an environment and to deflect toward or away from the contact thereof in response to the parameter in the environment, the cantilevered structure comprising first and second beams containing dissimilar first and second materials, respectively, the first and second beams being side-by-side, spaced apart so as to define a gap there between along the lengths of the first and second beams, and lying in a plane that contains the cantilevered structure, the first material having at least one property that changes due to exposure to the parameter and a change in the property causes the cantilevered structure to deflect in a direction lying in the plane of the first and second beams as a result of the dissimilarity of the first and second materials, the cantilevered structure being configured to contact and close or break contact and open the contact at a predetermined level of the parameter or from cumulative exposure to the parameter over time
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7. A sensor comprising:
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an electromechanical sensing device comprising a cantilevered structure and at least one contact configured for contact-mode operation with the cantilevered structure, the cantilevered structure being responsive to a parameter within an environment and to deflect toward or away from the contact thereof in response to the parameter in the environment, the cantilevered structure comprising first and second beams containing dissimilar first and second materials, respectively, the first and second beams being side-by-side, spaced apart so as to define a gap there between along the lengths of the first and second beams, and lying in a plane that contains the cantilevered structure, the first material having at least one property that changes due to exposure to the parameter and a change in the property causes the cantilevered structure to deflect in a direction lying in the plane of the first and second beams as a result of the dissimilarity of the first and second materials, the cantilevered structure being configured to contact and close or break contact and open the contact at a predetermined level of the parameter or from cumulative exposure to the parameter over time; and means for producing a digital output when the cantilevered structure contacts and closes at the contact thereof. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification