Vibrating accelerometer-multisensor
First Claim
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1. A multisensor comprising, in combination:
- a first accelerometer, having a sensing first axis, responsive to acceleration along said first sensing axis, to generate a first signal, with a first predetermined polarity, that is a measure of acceleration;
a second accelerometer, substantially identical to said first accelerometer, having a second sensing axis parallel and substantially collinear to said first axis, and responsive to acceleration along said second sensing axis to generate a second signal, with said first predetermined polarity, that is a measure of acceleration;
vibrating means for vibrating each of said accelerometers in phase opposition with one another along parallel third and fourth axes, respectively, said third and fourth axes being parallel to each other and orthogonal to said first and second axes;
a pair of beam suspensions, each having opposed beam support flexures, for mounting said first and second accelerometers with the polarities of their sensing axes in the same direction, said accelerometers facing in the same direction, and constraining said accelerometers to vibrate in purely translational motion along said third and fourth axes;
summing amplifier means connected to receive said first and second signals, to produce a sum signal; and
difference amplifier means, connected to receive said first and second signals, to produce a difference signal;
whereby the output of said summing amplifier means is a measure of acceleration along said first and second axes, and the output of said difference amplifier means is a measure of the Coriolis acceleration induced by angular velocity about a fifth axis perpendicular to said first, second, third and fourth axes.
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Abstract
A vibrating multisensor, each using two accelerometers which are vibrated along straight lines perpendicular to their sensing axes. The sensing axes are co-linear, the accelerometers are vibrated in phase opposition along parallel axes. The accelerometers preferably use a proof mass and flexure suspension made on a silicon wafer sandwiched between two other wafers that carry electrodes both for sensing displacement and forcing of the central accelerometer wafer.
125 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A multisensor comprising, in combination:
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a first accelerometer, having a sensing first axis, responsive to acceleration along said first sensing axis, to generate a first signal, with a first predetermined polarity, that is a measure of acceleration; a second accelerometer, substantially identical to said first accelerometer, having a second sensing axis parallel and substantially collinear to said first axis, and responsive to acceleration along said second sensing axis to generate a second signal, with said first predetermined polarity, that is a measure of acceleration; vibrating means for vibrating each of said accelerometers in phase opposition with one another along parallel third and fourth axes, respectively, said third and fourth axes being parallel to each other and orthogonal to said first and second axes; a pair of beam suspensions, each having opposed beam support flexures, for mounting said first and second accelerometers with the polarities of their sensing axes in the same direction, said accelerometers facing in the same direction, and constraining said accelerometers to vibrate in purely translational motion along said third and fourth axes; summing amplifier means connected to receive said first and second signals, to produce a sum signal; and difference amplifier means, connected to receive said first and second signals, to produce a difference signal; whereby the output of said summing amplifier means is a measure of acceleration along said first and second axes, and the output of said difference amplifier means is a measure of the Coriolis acceleration induced by angular velocity about a fifth axis perpendicular to said first, second, third and fourth axes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification