Acceleration sensor

• US 5,763,783 A
• Filed: 08/07/1996
• Issued: 06/09/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippon Signal Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nippon Signal Company Limited
• Inventors: Asada, Norihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAPMAN JR, JOHN E
• Application Number:
  US08/693,282
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 73/514.31, 73/514.17, 73/514.24, 73/514.38, 73/514.16, 324/207.17
• US Class Current: 73/514.31
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/11 by inductive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions

Abstract

The present invention relates to an acceleration sensor which uses magnetic coupling to detect acceleration. A mass portion 3 is movably supported on a frame 2 by means of support beams 4. A first planar coil 5 is disposed on the mass portion 3, and a second planar coil 8 is provided facing the first planar coil 5 with a space therebetween. A transformer is made up with the first planar coil 5 as the primary winding and the second planar coil 8 as the secondary winding. Acceleration is obtained using magnetic coupling to detect the change in the distance between the coils, that is to say, the displacement of the mass portion.

Claims

1. An acceleration sensor comprising:

an open frame;

a mass portion which is displaced in response to an acceleration, with a periphery thereof supported on said frame by means of support beams having a resilient restoring force;

a first planar coil disposed on a surface normal to the displacement direction of said mass portion; and

a second planar coil disposed facing said first planar coil with a space therebetween; and

having a sensor section with a transformer made up of said first planar coil and said second planar coil;

the construction being such that under conditions wherein an alternating current signal is applied to said first planar coil, an electrical signal proportional to a change in said space between said first planar coil and said second planar coil corresponding to acceleration is taken out from said second planar coil.

2. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein said mass portion is supported on said frame at four locations on central mutually perpendicular axes by means of said support beams.

3. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein said sensor section comprises a semiconductor substrate.

4. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1 comprising;

an oscillator for applying an alternating current signal to said first planar coil of said sensor section, and an electronic circuit for computing acceleration based on an electrical signal output from said second planar coil.

5. An acceleration sensor according to claim 4, wherein said electronic circuit comprises:

a rectifying circuit for rectifying the alternating current electrical signal output from said second planar coil;

an analog-digital converter for converting the rectified output from said rectifying circuit into a digital signal; and

a microcomputer for computing acceleration based on the digital output from said analog-digital converter.

6. An acceleration sensor according to claim 5, wherein said rectifying circuit is a voltage doubler rectifying circuit.

7. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein said sensor section is disposed on each of two mutually perpendicular faces.

8. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein said sensor section is disposed on each of three mutually perpendicular faces.

9. An acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein said sensor section incorporates magnetic bodies respectively provided in the vicinity of said first planar coil and said second planar coil.

10. An acceleration sensor according to claim 9, wherein said magnetic bodies are formed as sheets laid onto the sensor section.