Capacitive pressure sensor
First Claim
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1. A capacitive pressure sensor comprising:
- A. a diaphragm having an electrically conductive central portion and having a first side and a second side,B. a first rigid concave base member extending about a central axis, and having peripheral rim lying in a first plane, said first plane being perpendicular to said central axis,C. means for securing the periphery of said diaphragm to said rim of said first base member whereby said diaphragm is nominally planar and said diaphragm periphery lies substantially in said plane, whereby said first base member and said diaphragm define a substantially closed first region housed in part by said first side of said diaphragm,D. first electrode assembly fixedly coupled to said first base member and including a substantially planar electrically conductive surface in said first region and substantially parallel to and separated by a gap, d, from said first side of said diaphragm, wherein said first electrode assembly includes;
(i) a set of n apertures extending through said first base member, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2,(ii) a first rigid, electrically conductive electrode including said substantially planar conductive surface and including n elongated leg portions extending away from said conductive surface and angularly offset therefrom, and extending through associated ones of said n apertures in said first base member,(iii) securing means for securing said leg portions in the respective ones of said associated apertures to the first base member whereby said first electrode is electrically insulated from said diaphragm, and said first region is pneumatically separate from a second region adjacent to the second side of said diaphragm.
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Abstract
A capacitance pressure sensor includes a conductive diaphragm positioned between two pneumatically separate regions. The diaphragm is supported at its periphery by a concave base member. An electrode assembly establishes a substantially planar conductive surface opposite to, and spaced apart by a nominal gap from, the conductive diaphragm. The electrode assembly includes the conductive surface and a plurality of support legs extending through, and secured at, apertures in the base member.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A capacitive pressure sensor comprising:
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A. a diaphragm having an electrically conductive central portion and having a first side and a second side, B. a first rigid concave base member extending about a central axis, and having peripheral rim lying in a first plane, said first plane being perpendicular to said central axis, C. means for securing the periphery of said diaphragm to said rim of said first base member whereby said diaphragm is nominally planar and said diaphragm periphery lies substantially in said plane, whereby said first base member and said diaphragm define a substantially closed first region housed in part by said first side of said diaphragm, D. first electrode assembly fixedly coupled to said first base member and including a substantially planar electrically conductive surface in said first region and substantially parallel to and separated by a gap, d, from said first side of said diaphragm, wherein said first electrode assembly includes; (i) a set of n apertures extending through said first base member, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2, (ii) a first rigid, electrically conductive electrode including said substantially planar conductive surface and including n elongated leg portions extending away from said conductive surface and angularly offset therefrom, and extending through associated ones of said n apertures in said first base member, (iii) securing means for securing said leg portions in the respective ones of said associated apertures to the first base member whereby said first electrode is electrically insulated from said diaphragm, and said first region is pneumatically separate from a second region adjacent to the second side of said diaphragm. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification