Accelerometer with coplanar push-pull force transducers
First Claim
1. In an accelerometer of the type comprising a support, a proof mass, flexure means connected between the support and the proof mass such that the flexure means mounts the proof mass for rotational movement with respect to the support about a hinge axis (HA) in response to acceleration along a sensitive axis, and first and second force transducers physically separate from the flexure means, each force transducer having opposite first and second ends and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, each force transducer having its first end connected to the proof mass and its second end connected to the support, the force transducers being connected in a push-pull arrangement wherein for a given acceleration along the sensitive axis, one force transducer is subjected to a compression force along its respective longitudinal axis, and the other force transducer is subjected to a tension force along its respective longitudinal axis, the improvement wherein the transducers are positioned such that their longitudinal axes are located in a common plane that is approximately perpendicular to the sensitive axis, and wherein the hinge axis is normal to the sensitive axis and parallel to but spaced from the common plane.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A push-pull accelerometer in which both force transducers lie in a common plane. Thus, when implemented in silicon micromachined device, both transducers can be fabricated from a single crystal layer, thereby producing transducers with closely matched common mode responses.
68 Citations
12 Claims
- 1. In an accelerometer of the type comprising a support, a proof mass, flexure means connected between the support and the proof mass such that the flexure means mounts the proof mass for rotational movement with respect to the support about a hinge axis (HA) in response to acceleration along a sensitive axis, and first and second force transducers physically separate from the flexure means, each force transducer having opposite first and second ends and a longitudinal axis extending therebetween, each force transducer having its first end connected to the proof mass and its second end connected to the support, the force transducers being connected in a push-pull arrangement wherein for a given acceleration along the sensitive axis, one force transducer is subjected to a compression force along its respective longitudinal axis, and the other force transducer is subjected to a tension force along its respective longitudinal axis, the improvement wherein the transducers are positioned such that their longitudinal axes are located in a common plane that is approximately perpendicular to the sensitive axis, and wherein the hinge axis is normal to the sensitive axis and parallel to but spaced from the common plane.
Specification