Electro-mechanical transducer
First Claim
1. An electro-mechanical transducer comprising:
- a container;
a liquid partially filling said container thereby defining a liquid surface therewithin;
a source of electromagnetic radiation mounted with respect to said container so as to illuminate at least a portion of the interior thereof;
an electromagnetic radiation detection means responsive to said source, mounted with respect to said container so as to detect radiation after interaction with said liquid surface within said container, movement of said container causing the output of said detection means to vary as a result of the changing transmissive and refractive properties of said liquid surface; and
means for directing the radiation from said source so that substantially all of the radiation passes at least once through said liquid surface before impinging on said detection means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electro-mechanical transducer is disclosed for measuring physical parameters such as vibration, acceleration or the angular orientation of an object to which it is attached. A closed container partially filled with a fluid, has a light source and light detector mounted in optical communication with the container'"'"'s interior. The arrangement of the detector and light source is such that light from the source must pass at least once through the surface (i.e., air-fluid interface) of the fluid before being detected. A constant incident light intensity is provided within the chamber and the resultant transmitted light is measured by the detector and an associated meter circuit. As the container is vibrated, or the angular relationship of the surface of the liquid with respect to the detected light rays is varied, the light transmissive and refractive properties of the liquid surface are altered, thereby altering the output of the light detector.
35 Citations
91 Claims
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1. An electro-mechanical transducer comprising:
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a container; a liquid partially filling said container thereby defining a liquid surface therewithin; a source of electromagnetic radiation mounted with respect to said container so as to illuminate at least a portion of the interior thereof; an electromagnetic radiation detection means responsive to said source, mounted with respect to said container so as to detect radiation after interaction with said liquid surface within said container, movement of said container causing the output of said detection means to vary as a result of the changing transmissive and refractive properties of said liquid surface; and means for directing the radiation from said source so that substantially all of the radiation passes at least once through said liquid surface before impinging on said detection means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A vibration detector system comprising:
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a container; a source of electromagnetic radiation mounted in said container so as to illuminate at least a portion of the interior thereof; a liquid partially filling said container thereby defining a liquid surface therewithin, said liquid being at least partially transparent to said radiation; electromagnetic radiation detection means responsive to said source, mounted on said container so as to detect radiation after interaction with said liquid surface within said container, for producing a signal proportional to the radiation incident on said detection means; means for directing the radiation from said source so that substantially all of the radiation passes at least once through said liquid surface before impinging on said detection means; and means responsive to said detection means for processing said signal into a more useful form of data so that as said detection means vibrates, the light transmissive properties of the surface of said liquid are altered, causing said signal and said data to be correspondingly altered. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An electro-mechanical device for leveling an object comprising:
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a container; a liquid partially filling said container thereby defining a liquid surface therewithin; a source of electromagnetic radiation mounted in said container so as to illuminate at least a portion of the interior thereof; electromagnetic radiation detection means responsive to said source, mounted in said container so as to detect radiation after interaction with said liquid surface within said container, for producing a signal related to the radiation incident on said detection means; means responsive to said detection means for processing said signal to provide an output corresponding to the orientation of said container; and means for mounting said container so that said source is entirely on one side of the liquid surface of said liquid while said detection means is entirely on the other side of said surface. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An electro-mechanical accelerometer comprising:
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a container; a liquid partially filling said container thereby defining a liquid surface therewithin; a source of electromagnetic radiation mounted in said container so as to illuminate at least a portion of the interior thereof; electromagnetic radiation detection means responsive to said source, mounted in said container so as to detect radiation after interaction with said liquid surface within said container, for producing a signal related to the radiation incident on said detection means; means for mounting said container so that the axes of said source and said detection means are both vertical and lie along the same line; and means connected to said detection means for processing said signal to provide an accurate indication of acceleration. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
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36. A seismograph comprising:
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at least one of a plate and pole positioned upon a solid foundation for amplifying earth tremors; a container rigidly mounted on said at least one of a plate and pole; a liquid partially filling said container thereby defining a liquid surface therewithin; a source of electromagnetic radiation mounted with respect to said container so as to illuminate at least a portion of the interior thereof; an electromagnetic radiation detection means responsive to said source, mounted with respect to said container so as to detect substantially only the radiation having passed at least once through said liquid surface within said container, for producing a signal related to the radiation incident on said detection means; and means responsive to said detection means for processing said signal to represent a detected earth tremor. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A vibration detector system comprising:
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a container; a source of electromagnetic radiation mounted on said container so as to illuminate at least a portion of the interior thereof; a liquid partially filling said container thereby defining a liquid surface therewithin, said liquid being at least partially transparent to said radiation in the quiescent state; electromagnetic radiation detection means responsive to said source, mounted on said container so as to detect radiation after interaction with said liquid surface within said container, for producing a signal related to the radiation incident on said detection means; means for mounting said container so that said source and said detection means are entirely disposed on opposite sides of said liquid surface; the area of said liquid surface illuminated by said source being substantially offset from the area of said liquid surface viewed by said detection means; and means responsive to said detection means for processing said signal to indicate the vibration of said container. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. A method of transforming mechanical movement of an object to an electrical signal comprising the steps of:
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mounting a container partially filled with a liquid on said object thereby defining a liquid surface therewithin; directing a source of electromagnetic radiation into said container; and photo-electrically detecting variations in the intensity of substantially only the radiation having passed at least once through said liquid surface, incident after interaction with said liquid surface on an area in said container with detection means, said variations being caused by changes in the transmissive and refractive properties of the surface of said liquid induced by movement of said container. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55)
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56. A method of detecting vibrations in an object comprising the steps of:
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mounting a container partially filled with a liquid on said object thereby defining a liquid surface therewithin; directing a source of electromagnetic radiation into said container and through said liquid surface; detecting variations in the intensity of substantially only the radiation, having passed at least once through said liquid surface, incident on an area in said container with detection means, said variations being caused by changes in the transmissive and refractive properties of said liquid surface upon vibration of said container; and electrically processing the detected variations to indicate detected vibration of said object. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61)
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62. A method of detecting vibrations in an object comprising entirely the steps of:
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mounting a container partially filled with a liquid on said object thereby defining a liquid surface therewithin; directing a source of electromagnetic radiation into said container and through said liquid surface; detecting variations in the intensity of radiation after passage through said liquid surface; said directing and detecting steps occurring on opposite sides of said liquid surface and the area of said liquid surface illuminated by said source being substantially offset from the area of said liquid surface viewed during said detecting step so that as said container vibrates, said surface becomes more turbulent thereby refracting more of the radiation from said source into said detection means; and processing the detected variations to represent the detected vibration of said object.
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63. A method of angularly adjusting the position of an object comprising the steps of:
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mounting a container partially filled with a liquid on said object thereby defining a fluid surface therewithin; directing a source of electromagnetic radiation into said container from one side of said liquid surface; detecting variations in the intensity of incident radiation at a location entirely on the other side of said liquid surface; processing the detected variations to represent a predetermined characteristic signal when said object is positioned at a corresponding predetermined angular orientation; and moving said object until said signal achieves said predetermined characteristic. - View Dependent Claims (64)
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65. A method of measuring the acceleration of an object comprising the steps of:
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mounting a container partially filled with a liquid on said object defining a liquid surface therewithin; directing a source of electromagnetic radiation into said container; and detecting variations in the intensity of substantially only the radiation, having passed at least once through said liquid surface, caused by changes in the refractive and transmissive properties of said liquid surface as a result of the variations in the acceleration-influenced angle of said liquid surface. - View Dependent Claims (66)
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67. A method of measuring earth tremors comprising the steps of:
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positioning at least one of a plate and pole upon a solid foundation in order to amplify said tremors; rigidly mounting a container partially filled with a liquid on said at least one of a plate or pole thereby defining a liquid surface therewithin; directing a source of electromagnetic radiation into said container and through said liquid surface; and detecting variations in the intensity of substantially only the radiation having passed at least once through said liquid surface, said variations being caused by changes in the transmissive and refractive properties of said liquid surface upon vibration of said container resulting from earth tremors. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A method of detecting misalignment of the wheels of a vehicle comprising the steps of:
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mounting a container partially filled with liquid thereby defining corresponding fluid levels therewithin one one side of each of the front and rear suspension systems of said vehicle; directing a source of electromagnetic radiation into each of said containers; detecting variations in the intensity of substantially only the radiation, having passed at least once through said liquid surface, in each of said containers caused by vibrations and/or by accelerations transverse to the axis of said vehicle and resulting from said misalignment; and comparing said detected variations in said containers on said front and rear suspension systems of said vehicle to detect a misaligned vehicle wheel. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81)
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82. A method of identifying steering malfunctions in a vehicle comprising the steps of:
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mounting a container partially filled with a liquid thereby defining a liquid surface therewithin on each of the front and rear suspension systems of said vehicle; directing a source of electromagnetic radiation into each of said containers; detecting variations in the intensity of radiation in each of said containers along a vertical axis, said variations being caused by changes in the refractive and transmissive properties of said liquid as a result of variations in the acceleration-influenced angle of said liquid surface; and comparing said detected variations in said containers on the front and rear suspension systems of said vehicle to determine whether the front of said vehicle is accelerating in a direction transverse to the axis of said vehicle at a value different from the rear of said vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (83, 84)
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85. A method of predicting failure of mechanical components of machinery comprising the steps of:
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mounting a container partially filled with a liquid thereby defining a liquid surface therewithin on said component; directing a source of electromagnetic radiation into said container and through said liquid surface; detecting variations in the intensity of substantially only the radiation having passed at least once through said liquid surface being caused by changes in the transmissive and refractive properties of said liquid surface upon vibration of said container; and comparing the detected variations over time in order to monitor the vibration level indicative of imminent component failure.
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86. A method of monitoring metal fatigue in an aircraft support comprising the steps of:
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mounting a container partially filled with a liquid thereby defining a liquid surface therewithin on the skin of said aircraft near said support; directing a source of electromagnetic radiation into said container and through said liquid surface; detecting variations in the intensity of substantially only the radiation having passed at least once through said liquid surface, being caused by changes in the transmissive and refractive properties of said liquid surface upon vibration of said container; and comparing the detected variations over time to monitor the vibration level of said support and detect an increase in the vibration level indicative of metal fatigue.
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87. A method of detecting the intrusion of a subject into a building area comprising the steps of:
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mounting a container partially filled with liquid thereby defining a liquid surface therewithin on a structural member of said building area; directing a source of electromagnetic radiation into said container and through said liquid surface; detecting variations in the intensity of substantially only the radiation having passed at least once through said liquid surface being caused by changes in the transmissive and refractive properties of said liquid surface upon vibration of said container; and comparing the detected variations over time to monitor the vibration level of said floor and to detect an increase in the vibration level indicative of the presence of said subject.
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88. A method of detecting imbalance in the wheels of a vehicle comprising the steps of:
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mounting a container partially filled with liquid thereby defining corresponding liquid surfaces therewithin on a plurality of suspension systems respectively associated with each of said wheels of said wheels of said vehicle; directing source of electromagnetic radiation into each of said containers; detecting variations in the intensity of substantially only the radiation having passed at least once through respective said liquid surfaces in each of said containers being caused by vibrations in said plurality of suspension systems resulting from said imbalance; and comparing said detected variations from said containers on said plurality of suspension systems in order to determine the imbalanced wheel.
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89. An electro-mechanical transducer comprising:
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a container; a liquid partially filling said container thereby defining a liquid surface therewithin; a source of electro-magnetic radiation mounted with respect to said container so as to illuminate at least a portion of said liquid surface; an electro-magnetic radiation detection means responsive to said source and disposed on the side of said liquid surface opposite said source, the area of said liquid surface illuminated by said source being at least mostly out of the area of said liquid surface viewed by said detection means so that as said container moves, said surface changes orientation, thereby refracting more of the radiation from said source into said detection means.
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90. An electro-mechanical transducer comprising:
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a container; a liquid partially filling said container thereby defining a liquid surface therewithin; a source of electro-magnetic radiation disposed entirely on one side of said surface, the angle of incidence of light from said source with said liquid surface being not greater than 45°
;an electro-magnetic radiation detection means responsive to said source, said detection means being disposed entirely on the other side of said liquid surface, the light incident on the area of wall of said container opposite said source and on the opposite side of said liquid surface from said source being at least mostly not incident on said detection means when said liquid surface is substantially quiescent, so that as said container moves, the said surface changes orientation thereby refracting more of the radiation from said source into said detection means.
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91. A method of transforming mechanical movement of an object to an electrical signal comprising the steps of:
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mounting a container partially filled with a liquid on said object thereby defining a liquid surface therewithin; directing a source of electro-magnetic radiation into said container, said source being positioned on one side of said liquid surface; detecting variations in the intensity of radiation with detection means, said detection means being disposed on the opposite side of said liquid surface; the angle of incidence of the light from said source with said liquid surface being not greater than 45°
; andsaid detection means being disposed in said container so that the light incident on the area of the wall of said container opposite said source and on opposite side of said liquid surface from said source is at least mostly not incident on said detection means when said liquid level is substantially quiescent, so that as said container moves, said surface changes orientation thereby refracting more of the radiation from said source into said detection means.
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Specification