ANGULAR ACCELEROMETERS
First Claim
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1. An angular motion transducer comprising a rigid sealed gastight container, a spiral or toroidal tube mounted within the container, and a variable capacitance differential pressure detecting transducer means connected to ends of the tube, the said tube being provided with an opening at some point along its length which communicates directly with the interior of the container, and a gas filling the tube and the container, the said differential pressure transducer means being responsive to a pressure exerted by the gas in response to angular movement of the transducer.
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Abstract
An angular motion transducer comprises a rigid sealed gas-tight container, a spiral or toroidal tube mounted within the container and a variable capacitance detecting device connected to the tube, the tube being provided with an opening at some point along its length communicating directly with the interior of the container, and a gas filling the tube and the container, the detecting device being responsive to a mechanical force exerted by the gas in response to angular movement of the transducer. The transducer can act equally well as an angular accelerometer or a torsional vibration transducer provided the natural frequency of the transducer is correctly chosen with respect to the variations to be measured.
3 Citations
9 Claims
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1. An angular motion transducer comprising a rigid sealed gastight container, a spiral or toroidal tube mounted within the container, and a variable capacitance differential pressure detecting transducer means connected to ends of the tube, the said tube being provided with an opening at some point along its length which communicates directly with the interior of the container, and a gas filling the tube and the container, the said differential pressure transducer means being responsive to a pressure exerted by the gas in response to angular movement of the transducer.
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2. An angular motion transducer as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the variable capacitance differential pressure detecting transducer means comprises an annular support, a flexible membrane having an electrically conductive surface and mounted over said annular support, at least one electrode insulatedly mounted and spaced from a face of the said membrane, capacitance-measuring means connected to the said electrode and responsive to variations in the capacitance formed between the said membrane and the said electrode for detecting a deflection of the said membrane due to the said pressure.
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3. An angular motion transducer as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the variable capacitance differential pressure detecting transducer means comprises an annular support, a flexible membrane having an electrically conductive surface and mounted over said annular support, two electrodes insulatedly mounted and spaced from opposite faces of the said membrane, capacitance-measuring means connected to the said electrodes and responsive to differential variations in the capacitances formed between respective ones of the said electrodes and the membrane resulting from a difference in pressure or movement between volumes of gas on opposite sides of the membrane in response to angular acceleration or torsional vibration respectively about the axis of the spiral or toroidal tube.
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4. An angular motion transducer as claimed in claim 3 for use as an angular accelerometer and wherein the variable capacitance differential pressure detecting transducer means further comprises balancing circuit means connected to the capacitance-measuring means and to the membrane, for applying a voltage thereto to produce an electrostatic force to balance the deflecting effect of the differential pressure thereon.
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5. An angular motion transducer as claimed in claim 4 and wherein the balancing circuit means comprises supply means connected to the said electrodes for applying a first potential to one and a second potential to the other of the said electrodes;
- a voltage-switching means, connected to the supply means and the capacitance-measuring means, for producing a signal which is repeatedly switched from the first potential to the second potential with a mark-to-space ratio dependent on an output from the capacitance-measuring means; and
smoothing means connected to the voltage-switching means and the membrane, for applying to the membrane the mean potential of the switched signal.
- a voltage-switching means, connected to the supply means and the capacitance-measuring means, for producing a signal which is repeatedly switched from the first potential to the second potential with a mark-to-space ratio dependent on an output from the capacitance-measuring means; and
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6. An angular motion transducer as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the tube substantially comprises an integral number of turns of tubing plus one half turn, wound spirally around the variable capacitance differential pressure detecting transducer means and having ends connected to the differential pressure transducer means by lengths of tubing at diametrically opposed radial orientations with respect to the spiral.
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7. An angular motion transducer as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the gas in a gas of molecular weight greater than that of air.
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8. An angular motion transducer as claimed in claim 1 and wherein the gas is a gas at a pressure greater than one atmosphere.
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9. An angular accelerometer comprising:
- a spiral or toroidal tube containing gas and differential pressure transducer means connected to the said tube, a rigid sealed outer container, filled with gas, within which, the tube and differential transducer means are mounted, and the tube has an opening which allows the gas in the tube to communicate directly with the gas in the container, an annular support, a flexible membrane having an electrically conductive surface and mounted over said annular support, two electrodes insulatedly mounted and spaced from opposite faces of the said membrane, capacitance-measuring circuit means connected to the said electrodes and responsive to differential variations in the capacitances formed between the said membrane and respective ones of the said electrodes for detecting a deflection of said membrane, and balancing circuit means connected to the membrane and to an output of the capacitance measuring circuit means, for applying to the membrane a voltage determined by signals at the output of the capacitance measuring circuit means to produce an electrostatic force to balance the deflecting effect on the membrane of a differential pressure developed between volumes of the gas on opposite sides of the membrane in response to angular acceleration about the axis of the spiral or toroidal tube, wherein said balancing circuit means comprises supply means connected to the said electrodes for applying a first potential to one and a second potential to the other of the said electrodes;
a voltage-switching means, connected to the supply means and the capacitance-measuring means, for producing a signal which is repeatedly switched from the first potential to the second potential with a mark-to-space ratio dependent on an output from the capacitance-measuring means; and
smoothing means connected to the voltage-switching means and the membrane, for applying to the membrane the mean potential of the switched signal.
- a spiral or toroidal tube containing gas and differential pressure transducer means connected to the said tube, a rigid sealed outer container, filled with gas, within which, the tube and differential transducer means are mounted, and the tube has an opening which allows the gas in the tube to communicate directly with the gas in the container, an annular support, a flexible membrane having an electrically conductive surface and mounted over said annular support, two electrodes insulatedly mounted and spaced from opposite faces of the said membrane, capacitance-measuring circuit means connected to the said electrodes and responsive to differential variations in the capacitances formed between the said membrane and respective ones of the said electrodes for detecting a deflection of said membrane, and balancing circuit means connected to the membrane and to an output of the capacitance measuring circuit means, for applying to the membrane a voltage determined by signals at the output of the capacitance measuring circuit means to produce an electrostatic force to balance the deflecting effect on the membrane of a differential pressure developed between volumes of the gas on opposite sides of the membrane in response to angular acceleration about the axis of the spiral or toroidal tube, wherein said balancing circuit means comprises supply means connected to the said electrodes for applying a first potential to one and a second potential to the other of the said electrodes;
Specification
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Current AssigneeWilliam Ronald Macdonald
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Original AssigneeWilliam Ronald Macdonald
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InventorsMacDonald, William Ronald
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Primary Examiner(s)Gill, James J.
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Application NumberUS05/323,699Time in Patent Office484 DaysField of Search73/505,515,516LM,517B,517A,398C,70.1US Class Current73/514.03CPC Class CodesG01P 15/0888 for indicating angular acce...
