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LOW COST RESISTANCE GAUGE ACCELEROMETER

  • US 3,788,149 A
  • Filed: 06/26/1972
  • Issued: 01/29/1974
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1972
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. In an accelerometer:

  • an acceleration responsive device comprising a pair of mechanical members resiliently connected together, one of said mechanical members being a base member that is adapted for attachment to an object whose acceleration is to be detected, the other mechanical member being an inertia member which resists motion communicated to it by the base member through the resilient connection therebetween;

    a strain gauge unit having a thin piezoresistive strain detecting element having its ends respectively bonded to each of a pair of enlarged support elements separated by a gap and having a hinge interconnecting said support elements, whereby the thickness of said gap is altered by relative pivotal movement of said support elements;

    means for connecting said support elements to said mechanical members, said connecting means comprising a pair of fulcrum means and a spring for urging one of said support elements and one of said mechanical members into engagement through said fulcrum means, whereby said support elements flex about their interconnecting hinge to stress said piezoresistive element when said two mechanical members move relative to each other in response to acceleration of said base member, both said fulcrum means remaining engaged by pressure of said spring while the magnitude of acceleration lies in one range and one fulcrum means becoming disengaged and the other fulcrum means remaining engaged and acting as a pivot between said one mechanical member and said one support member when the acceleration lies in a range outside of said first mentioned range; and

    a pair of electrical terminals connected to said piezoresistive element to detect changes in resistance thereof resulting from acceleration applied to said base member.

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