Acceleration sensor with opposed amplifier and detection sections

• US 5,650,567 A
• Filed: 09/14/1995
• Issued: 07/22/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Jitosho, Noriyuki, Ueda, Shinjiro, Hasegawa, Akinori
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAPMAN JR, JOHN E
• Application Number:
  US08/528,396
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 73/493, 73/514.12, 73/514.16, 73/514.21, 73/514.23, 73/514.32, 73/514.33, 73/514.34, 73/514.36
• US Class Current: 73/493
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/023 for acceleration measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/122 by metal resistance strain gauges, e.g. wire resistance strain gauges
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0828 the mass being of the paddle type being suspended at one of its longitudinal ends

Abstract

An acceleration sensor includes a case having a bottom part, a pair of opposed walls substantially perpendicular to the bottom part, and a pair of first projections located on the bottom part. The sensor further includes a detection section attached to the case via the pair of first projections for detecting an acceleration and outputting a signal indicating the acceleration, and a spacer located on the bottom part of the case. In addition, the sensor includes an amplifier circuit board attached to the case in the state of being opposed to the detection section with the spacer interposed therebetween and having an amplifier on a substrate thereof for amplifying the signal output by the detection section. Relay terminals are provided for electrically connecting the detection section and the amplifier circuit board, together with output terminals electrically connected to the amplifier circuit board for supplying the amplified signal to an external circuit. The detection section is surrounded by the case, the spacer and the amplifier circuit board. The case has projections used for attaching the acceleration sensor to the object.

Claims

1. An acceleration sensor, comprising:

a case having a bottom part, a pair of opposed walls substantially perpendicular to the bottom part, and a pair of first projections located on the bottom part;

a detection section attached to the case via the pair of first projections for detecting an acceleration and outputting a signal indicating the acceleration;

a spacer located on the bottom part of the case;

an amplifier circuit board attached to the case in the state of being opposed to the detection section with the spacer interposed between the amplifier circuit board and the case, and having an amplifier on a substrate thereof for amplifying the signal output by the detection section;

relay terminals for electrically connecting the detection section and the amplifier circuit board; and

output terminals electrically connected to the amplifier circuit board for supplying the amplified signal to an external circuit.

2. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein the amplifier circuit board has a pair of lands, the pair of walls of the case each have a tongue in contact with the lands respectively in the state of being bent, and each of the lands and the respective tongue are bonded to each other by soldering.

3. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein the spacer has a frame surrounding the detection section.

4. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein the spacer has a plurality of bosses provided on a bottom surface thereof integrally with the spacer for preventing electric contact between the output terminals and the case.

5. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein areas where the case, the spacer, and the amplifier circuit board are in contact with one another are coated with a coating agent to seal an inner space which is defined by the case, the spacer and the amplifier circuit board and include the detection section.

6. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein the amplifier circuit board has a circuit adjustment section on a top surface of the substrate thereof for adjusting an amplification factors of the amplifier.

7. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein the bottom part of the case has a pair of second projections in the vicinity of two corners thereof used for attaching the acceleration sensor to an object for which an acceleration is to be sensed.

8. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein the pair of walls of the case each have a third projection and a cutout formed at the foot of the third projection, the third projection being bent so that the concave surface thereof faces inward.

9. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein the pair of first projections of the case have first holes respectively, the detection section has a pair of second holes aligned with the first holes, and the detection section is attached to the first projections of the case in the state of being elevated from the bottom part of the case.

10. An acceleration sensor according to claim 9, wherein the detection section is attached to the case by caulking a rivet inserted through the first holes and the second holes.