Strain sensing device
First Claim
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1. A strain sensing device comprising:
- a substrate consisting essentially of one substance, said substrate having a depression defined in a main surface thereof, said substrate including side walls and a bottom wall defining said depression;
a weight filling in almost all of said depression, said weight having side walls and a bottom wall and being set inside said depression so that substantially an entire area of each of said side walls of said weight and substantially an entire area of said bottom wall of said weight are substantially parallel with said side walls and bottom wall of said substrate defining said depression, respectively, so that contact between said substantially entire area of side walls of said weight and said side walls of said substrate defining said depression limits lateral movement of said weight, and so that contact between said substantially entire area bottom wall of said weight and said bottom wall of said substrate defining said depression limits downward movement of said weight, said weight also having a connecting portion on an upper surface thereof;
a beam extending from said substrate for supporting said weight in said depression and being connected to said weight at said connecting portion of said weight;
a strain sensing element for detecting an amount of displacement of said weight and provided on said beam; and
an upper stopper member provided on an upper surface of said substrate for limiting upward movement of said weight, wherein a lower surface of said upper stopper member facing said depression and a lower surface of said beam facing said depression are fabricated concurrently with one another and made from a same material, andwherein a cavity is defined between said upper surface of said weight and a portion of a length of said beam extending from a contacting point formed between said beam and said substrate and said connecting portion of said weight, a distance of said beam from said contacting point to said connecting portion of said weight being dependent on a size of said cavity, and wherein a thickness of said connecting portion of said weight is thicker than a thickness of a portion of said weight adjacent said cavity.
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Abstract
Device including a strain generating portion supported at least at one end on a substrate and formed in a displaceable manner with respect to the substrate in a cavity of the substrate. A semiconductor strain sensing element, which is disposed at the strain generating portion, detects the amount of strain of the strain generating portion. A support is disposed at a connection point between the strain generating portion and the substrate so as to reinforce the connection point.
21 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A strain sensing device comprising:
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a substrate consisting essentially of one substance, said substrate having a depression defined in a main surface thereof, said substrate including side walls and a bottom wall defining said depression; a weight filling in almost all of said depression, said weight having side walls and a bottom wall and being set inside said depression so that substantially an entire area of each of said side walls of said weight and substantially an entire area of said bottom wall of said weight are substantially parallel with said side walls and bottom wall of said substrate defining said depression, respectively, so that contact between said substantially entire area of side walls of said weight and said side walls of said substrate defining said depression limits lateral movement of said weight, and so that contact between said substantially entire area bottom wall of said weight and said bottom wall of said substrate defining said depression limits downward movement of said weight, said weight also having a connecting portion on an upper surface thereof; a beam extending from said substrate for supporting said weight in said depression and being connected to said weight at said connecting portion of said weight; a strain sensing element for detecting an amount of displacement of said weight and provided on said beam; and an upper stopper member provided on an upper surface of said substrate for limiting upward movement of said weight, wherein a lower surface of said upper stopper member facing said depression and a lower surface of said beam facing said depression are fabricated concurrently with one another and made from a same material, and wherein a cavity is defined between said upper surface of said weight and a portion of a length of said beam extending from a contacting point formed between said beam and said substrate and said connecting portion of said weight, a distance of said beam from said contacting point to said connecting portion of said weight being dependent on a size of said cavity, and wherein a thickness of said connecting portion of said weight is thicker than a thickness of a portion of said weight adjacent said cavity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14)
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13. A strain sensing device according to clam 10, wherein at least two beams intersect with each other at a substantially right angle to form a four-directional support arrangement.
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15. A strain sensing device comprising:
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a substrate consisting essentially of one substance, said substrate having a depression defined in a main surface thereof, said substrate including side walls and a bottom wall defining said depression; a weight filling in almost all of said depression, said weight having side walls and a bottom wall and being set inside said depression so that said side walls and said bottom wall thereof are substantially parallel with said side walls and bottom wall of said substrate defining said depression respectively, said weight also having a connecting portion on an upper surface thereof; a beam extending from said substrate for supporting said weight in said depression and being connected to said weight at said connecting portion of said weight; a strain sensing element for detecting an amount of displacement of said weight and provided on said beam; a protrusion extending from said substrate, said protrusion being located inside said depression at a substantially central portion thereof, said weight being arranged so as to surround said protrusion, said beam supporting said weight at both end portions of said beam and a center portion of said beam being fixed to said protrusion, wherein a cavity is defined between said upper surface of said weight and a portion of a length of said beam extending from a contacting point formed between said beam and said substrate and said connecting portion of said weight, a distance of said beam from said contacting point to said connecting portion of said weight being dependent on a size of said cavity, and wherein a thickness of said connecting portion of said weight is thicker than a thickness of a portion of said weight adjacent said cavity. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A strain sensing device comprising:
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a substrate consisting essentially of one substance, said substrate having a ring-shaped depression formed at a main surface thereof, said ring-shaped depression being defined by walls of said substrate; a ring-shaped weight almost completely filling in said depression; a beam supporting said weight inside said depression, said beam being fixed to a protrusion located inside said depression formed in said substrate, wherein a cavity is defined between an upper surface of said weight and a lower surface of said beam and a semiconductor strain sensing element disposed on said beam and which detects an amount of strain of said beam by displacement of said ring-shaped weight. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification