ANGULAR ACCELERATION SENSOR

• US 3,768,374 A
• Filed: 01/28/1972
• Issued: 10/30/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fmihiro Ushijima, Shin Ito
• Original Assignee: Fmihiro Ushijima, Shin Ito
• Inventors: Ito, Shin, Ushijima, Fmihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Nilson, Robert G.
• Application Number:
  US05/221,518
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 91/419 137/38,39,40,45,46 180/104 244/78,80 303/24R,24A,24B,24BB,24C,24F 73/505,510,515
• US Class Current: 91/419
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/034 for indicating angular accelerations G01P15/036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0753 Control by change of position or inertia of system

Abstract

An angular acceleration sensor comprising two inertia bodies located at opposed positions with respect to the axis of rotation of an angular acceleration to be sensed and movable in a direction tangent to the circumference of such rotation; valve mechanisms operated in response to movement of said inertia bodies for deriving fluid pressure signals in accordance with the direction of motion of said inertia bodies, fluid elements for cancelling acceleration components other than the angular acceleration of rotation about said axis of rotation, gate valve means for deriving a signal corresponding to the average of fluid pressure signals input thereto, and an additional fluid element for operating an actuator proportionally with applied fluid pressure signals representative of the angular acceleration of rotation to be sensed.

Claims

1. An angular acceleration sensor for sensing movement of an object about a predetermined axis of rotation comprising:

a pair of valves each containing an inertia body positioned on opposite sides of said axis and located on a line extending perpendicularly to said axis, each of said inertia bodies being movable upon motion of said object to control fluid flow through said valves to derive fluid pressure signals therefrom representative of the motion of said object, said inertia bodies being arranged to effect, upon rotation of said object about said predetermined axis, pressure signals which are different from pressure signals occurring as a result of other types of motion of said object;

fluid logic means receiving said fluid pressure signals from said valves and operable to distinguish pressure signals occurring as a result of rotation of said object about said predetermined axis from other pressure signals; and

actuator means operated in response to the fluid pressure received from said logic means to effect control functions upon rotation of said object about said predetermined axis;

said valves comprising a fluid pressure input source, a pair of conduit means for each of said valves, with the positions of said inertia bodies being operative to effect selective application of fluid pressure flow to said logic means through either one or the other of said pair of conduit means, and fluid pressure vent ports for venting said fluid pressure input to divert pressure flow from said conduit means, said inertia bodies being movable as a result of movement of said object to selectively close and open said vent ports to control application of fluid pressure flow to said fluid logic means.

2. A sensor according to claim 1 wherein said fluid pressure vent ports are located in opposed relationship on either side of said line extending perpendicularly to said predetermined axis.

3. A sensor according to claim 1 wherein said inertia bodies are operative to close said vent ports only upon movement of said inertia bodies in a direction tangential to the circumference of rotation of said object about said predetermined axis.

4. A sensor according to claim 1 wherein said inertia bodies are movable tangentially to said circumference of rotation of said body about said predetermined axis in two opposed directions, with movement in one of said directions being operative to effect application of fluid pressure flow through one of said pair of conduit means, and with movement in the opposite direction through the other of sAid pair of conduit means.

5. A sensor according to claim 4 wherein said fluid logic means are arranged to effect application of a pressure signal for operation of said actuator means in response to rotation of said object about said predetermined axis when said inertia bodies of each of said valves move in opposed directions tangentially of said circumference of rotation.

6. A sensor according to claim 4 wherein said fluid logic means are arranged to avoid application of a pressure signal to said actuator means when said inertia bodies of each of said valves move in the same direction tangentially of said circumference of rotation of said object about said predetermined axis.