Sensor unit having multiple sensors each providing independent detection of a force component
First Claim
1. A sensor unit comprising at least three three-axis sensors disposed in one plane, said at least three three-axis sensors each comprising:
- an operating member;
a supporting base having a hollow and disposed around said operating member located at the center of the hollow; and
a flexible plate having a piece of piezoelectric material in contact with at least one pair of electrodes and extending across said hollow at an end of said supporting base, said operating member being suspended at the center of said hollow by said flexible plate;
said flexible plate being deformed in response to the behavior of said operating member corresponding to a physical quantity applied from the outside, said piece of piezoelectric material generating a charge corresponding to the deformation of the flexible plate thereby three-dimensionally detecting the magnitude and the direction of said physical quantity, wherein;
when a three-dimensional X-Y-Z coordinate system is defined in such a manner that the central point of said flexible plate at which said operating member is suspended is defined as an origin O and a plane parallel to said flexible plate and passing through said origin O is defined as an X-Y plane, said three three-axis sensors are assigned the X, Y, and Z directions, respectively, of said three-dimensional coordinate system so that a physical quantity applied from the outside is detected for each component in the X, Y, and Z directions independently of each other thereby three-dimensionally detecting the magnitude and the direction of said physical quantity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sensor unit is provided for detecting a physical quantity with improved accuracy while maintaining acceptable detection limits. The sensor unit includes at least three three-axis sensors for three-dimensionally detecting the magnitude and direction of a physical quantity wherein the three sensors are disposed in one plane. Each three-axis sensor includes: an operating member; a supporting base having a hollow with the operating member being located at the center of the hollow; and a flexible plate having a piece of piezoelectric material in contact with at least one pair of electrodes and extending across the hollow at an end of the supporting base, the operating member being suspended at the center of the hollow by the flexible plate. The three three-axis sensors are assigned the X, Y, and Z directions, respectively, of a three-dimensional coordinate system so that the physical quantity applied from the outside is detected for each component in the X, Y, and Z directions independently of each other.
48 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A sensor unit comprising at least three three-axis sensors disposed in one plane, said at least three three-axis sensors each comprising:
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an operating member; a supporting base having a hollow and disposed around said operating member located at the center of the hollow; and a flexible plate having a piece of piezoelectric material in contact with at least one pair of electrodes and extending across said hollow at an end of said supporting base, said operating member being suspended at the center of said hollow by said flexible plate; said flexible plate being deformed in response to the behavior of said operating member corresponding to a physical quantity applied from the outside, said piece of piezoelectric material generating a charge corresponding to the deformation of the flexible plate thereby three-dimensionally detecting the magnitude and the direction of said physical quantity, wherein; when a three-dimensional X-Y-Z coordinate system is defined in such a manner that the central point of said flexible plate at which said operating member is suspended is defined as an origin O and a plane parallel to said flexible plate and passing through said origin O is defined as an X-Y plane, said three three-axis sensors are assigned the X, Y, and Z directions, respectively, of said three-dimensional coordinate system so that a physical quantity applied from the outside is detected for each component in the X, Y, and Z directions independently of each other thereby three-dimensionally detecting the magnitude and the direction of said physical quantity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A sensor unit comprising two three-axis sensors disposed in one plane, said two three-axis sensors each comprising:
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an operating member; a supporting base having a hollow and disposed around said operating member located at the center of the hollow; and a flexible plate having a piece of piezoelectric material in contact with at least one pair of electrodes and extending across said hollow at an end of said supporting base, said operating member being suspended at the center of said hollow by said flexible plate; said flexible plate being deformed in response to the behavior of said operating member corresponding to a physical quantity applied from the outside, said piece of piezoelectric material generating a charge corresponding to the deformation of the flexible plate thereby three-dimensionally detecting the magnitude and the direction of said physical quantity, wherein; when a two-dimensional X-Y coordinate system is defined in such a manner that the central point of said flexible plate at which said operating member is suspended is defined as an origin O and a plane parallel to said flexible plate and passing through said origin O is defined as an X-Y plane, said two three-axis sensors are assigned the X and Y directions, respectively, of said two-dimensional coordinate system so that a physical quantity applied from the outside is detected for each component in the X and Y directions independently of each other thereby two-dimensionally detecting the magnitude and the direction of said physical quantity. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification