High-g hardened sensors

• US 6,626,040 B1
• Filed: 06/19/2002
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Secretary of the Army, U.S. Army Tacom-Ardec Attn: Amsta-Ar-Gcl
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Rastegar, Jahangir S., Pereira, Carlos M.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOLLER, RICHARD ALAN
• Application Number:
  US10/175,529
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 735/143.6, 735/143.8, 736/52
• US Class Current: 73/514.38
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 15/01 Arrangements thereon for guidance or control steering arrangements F42B10/60; aircraft flight control B64C; guidance systems other than those installed aboard F41G7/00, F41G9/00; locating by use of radio or other waves G01S; flight control in general G05D1/00; computer aspects G06]
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 19/06 Electric contact parts specially adapted for use with electric fuzes switches operated by change of speed H01H35/06; switches operated by change of acceleration, e.g. shock or vibration, inertia switches H01H35/14; fluid-pressure-operated switches H01H35/24
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 7/00 Fuzes actuated by application of a predetermined mechanical force, e.g. tension, torsion, pressure by ammunition impact F42C1/00, by exposure to a predetermined ambient fluid pressure F42C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/02 by making use of inertia forces using solid seismic massesG01P15/14 takes precedence
• 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

A sensor including: a base; at least one component which moves relative to the base; and a locking device for locking the at least one component in a predetermined stationary position in response to an external stimulus. Where the sensor is an accelerometer, the external stimulus is preferably an acceleration of the sensor in which case the locking device locks the at least one component during periods in which the acceleration exceeds a predetermined value. The predetermined stationary position can be a null position taken by the at least one component corresponding to an acceleration that is substantially zero or an active position taken by the at least one component when acceleration equals a predicted acceleration other than zero. Further, the locking device can lock the at least one component actively or passively.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising:

a base;

at least one component which moves relative to the base; and

locking means for locking the at least one component in a predetermined stationary position in response to an external stimulus.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an accelerometer.

3. The sensor of claim 2, wherein the external stimulus is an acceleration of the sensor.

4. The sensor of claim 3, wherein the predetermined stationary position comprises a null position taken by the at least one component corresponding to an acceleration that is substantially zero.

5. The sensor of claim 3, wherein the predetermined stationary position comprises an active position taken by the at least one component when acceleration equals a predicted acceleration other than zero.

6. The sensor of claim 3, wherein the locking means locks the at least one component during periods in which the acceleration exceeds a predetermined value.

7. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the locking means comprises an active means for locking the at least one component in the predetermined stationary position in response to the external stimulus.

8. The sensor of claim 7, wherein the locking means comprises:

at least one movable member movably disposed on the base and configured to engage at least a portion of the at least one component;

means for generating a lock signal in response to the external stimulus and an unlock signal in response to the absence of the external stimulus; and

an actuator for moving the at least one movable member into engagement with at least the portion of the at least one component to lock the at least one component in response to the lock signal and to unlock the at least one component in response to the unlock signal.

9. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the locking means comprises a passive means for locking the at least one component in the predetermined stationary position in response to the external stimulus.

10. The sensor of claim 9, wherein the locking means comprises:

a first locking mass movably disposed about the base in a first direction; and

a second locking mass movably disposed about the base in a second direction opposite the first direction;

wherein the first and second locking masses move to sandwich the at least one component therebetween in response to the external stimulus.

11. The sensor of claim 10, wherein the locking means further comprises a locking stop positioned between the first and second locking masses and corresponding to the predetermined stationary position, wherein the locking stop and the at least one component are sandwiched between the first and second locking masses in response to the external stimulus.

12. A method for protecting a sensor from an external stimulus, the method comprising:

providing a sensor having a base and at least one component which moves relative to the base; and

locking the at least one component in a predetermined stationary position in response to the external stimulus.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the external stimulus is an acceleration of the sensor and wherein the locking comprises locking the at least one component in a null position taken by the at least one component corresponding to an acceleration that is substantially zero.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the external stimulus is an acceleration of the sensor and wherein the locking comprises locking the at least one component in an active position taken by the at least one component when acceleration equals a predicted acceleration other than zero.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the external stimulus is an acceleration of the sensor and the locking comprises locking the at least one component during periods in which the acceleration exceeds a predetermined value.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the locking comprises actively locking the at least one component in the predetermined stationary position in response to the external stimulus.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the locking comprises:

providing at least one movable member movably disposed on the base and configured to engage at least a portion of the at least one component;

generating a lock signal in response to the external stimulus and an unlock signal in response to the absence of the external stimulus; and

moving the at least one movable member into engagement with the at least one component to lock the at least one component in response to the lock signal and to unlock the at least one component in response to the unlock signal.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the locking comprises passively locking the at least one component in the predetermined stationary position in response to the external stimulus.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the locking comprises:

providing a first locking mass movably disposed about the base in a first direction and a second locking mass movably disposed about the base in a second direction opposite the first direction; and

passively moving the first and second locking masses to sandwich the at least one component therebetween in response to the external stimulus.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the locking further comprises:

providing a locking stop positioned between the first and second locking masses and corresponding to the predetermined stationary position; and

sandwiching the locking stop and the at least one component between the first and second locking masses in response to the external stimulus.