Capacitance type accelerometer for air bag system

• US 5,350,189 A
• Filed: 07/24/1992
• Issued: 09/27/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Masahiro, Miki, Masayuki, Suzuki, Seiko, Tsuchitani, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): Swinehart, Edwin L.
• Application Number:
  US07/918,021
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 73/517 R, 73/517 A, 280/735, 280/728, 280/734
• US Class Current: 280/735
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/003 used for damping
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0828 the mass being of the paddle type being suspended at one of its longitudinal ends

Abstract

In a capacitance type accelerometer used for an air bag system etc., a plurality of grooves crossing each other are provided on the surface of a movable electrode which is arranged to face a fixed electrode at a portion having a gap thereinbetween, and end portions of each groove open to an outside space at the portion between the movable electrode and the fixed electrode. The grooves can be provided on surface of the fixed electrodes. Ventilation between inside and outside of the facing portion is improved by opening of the grooves to outside space, and air damping which is caused at operation of the movable electrode at the gap between the electrodes is reduced, and, consequently, response speed of the movable electrode is increased.

Claims

1. A capacitance-accelerometer, comprising:

a fixed electrode; and

a movable electrode being supported by a cantilever at a portion adjacent to said fixed electrode having a gap thereinbetween;

wherein grooves for reducing air damping are provided on a surface of said movable electrode, and

said grooves are so arranged that electrode surface areas divided by said grooves are symmetrical with respect to a symmetrical axis parallel to said cantilever.

2. A capacitance type accelerometer as claimed in claim 1, wherein

said fixed electrode is arranged so as to respectively face both surfaces of said movable electrode, and

said grooves are formed on both surfaces of said movable electrode.

5. A capacitance type accelerometer as claimed in either of claims 2 and 4, wherein

said grooves are symmetrically formed on both surfaces of said movable electrode.

8. A capacitance type accelerometer as claimed in any of claims 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 2 and 4, wherein

the movable electrode, either of the cantilever or the elastic body for supporting said movable electrode, and grooves or grooves and through-holes on the movable electrode are formed by anisotropic etching of a silicon substrate.

9. A capacitance type accelerometer as claimed in any of claims 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 2 and 4, wherein

said fixed electrodes are formed on a glass substrate, furthermore,

the movable electrode, either of the cantilever or the elastic body for supporting said movable electrode, and grooves or grooves and through-holes on said movable electrode are formed by anisotropic etching of a silicon substrate, and

said substrates are adhered by anodic bonding.

10. A capacitance type accelerometer as claimed in any of claims 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 2 and 4, wherein

said fixed electrodes are formed on glass of a silicon/glass laminated substrate, furthermore,

the movable electrode, either of the cantilever or the elastic body for supporting said movable electrode, and grooves or grooves and through-holes on said movable electrode are formed by anisotropic etching of a silicon substrate, and

said substrates are adhered by anodic bonding.

11. A capacitance type accelerometer as claimed in any of claims 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 2 and 4, wherein

said fixed electrodes are formed on glass of a silicon/glass laminated substrate, furthermore,

the movable electrode, either of the cantilever or the elastic body for supporting said movable electrode, and grooves or grooves and through-holes on said movable electrode are formed by anisotropic etching of a silicon substrate, and

said substrates are adhered by silicon oxide therebetween.

3. A capacitance-accelerometer, comprising:

a fixed electrode; and

a movable electrode being supported by a cantilever at a portion adjacent to said fixed electrode having a gap thereinbetween;

wherein grooves having openings which are disposed of at at least one side of said electrodes and are inter-connected with each other, are provided on a surface of said movable electrode, and

said grooves are so arranged that electrode surface areas divided by said grooves are symmetrical with respect to a symmetrical axis parallel to said cantilever.

4. A capacitance type accelerometer as claimed in claim 3, wherein

said fixed electrode is arranged so as to respectively face both surfaces of said movable electrode, and

said grooves are formed on both surfaces of said movable electrode.

6. A capacitance-accelerometer comprising:

a fixed electrode; and

a movable electrode being supported by an elastic body and facing said fixed electrode at a portion having a gap thereinbetween;

wherein grooves are provided on a surface of said movable electrode to divide said surface into a plurality of electrode surface areas,

said grooves are so arranged that said plurality of electrode surface areas divided by said grooves are uniformly balanced, and

end portions of said grooves open to four sides of said movable electrode.

7. A capacitance-accelerometer, comprising:

a movable electrode being supported by an elastic body; and

fixed electrodes, said movable electrode being disposed thereinbetween said fixed electrodes and said fixed electrodes facing respective surfaces of said movable electrode at a portion having a gap thereinbetween;

wherein a plurality of grooves crossing each other on the surface of said movable electrode,

end portions of said grooves open to an outside portion at the portion between said fixed electrodes and said movable electrode through openings, and

through-holes leading to both surfaces of said movable electrode are formed at crossing points of said grooves.