Accelerometer
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An accelerometer comprising:
- a housing including a mass-supporting frame;
a mass supported on the frame;
support means for supporting the mass on the frame;
a first means for detecting rotation of the mass about a first axis with respect to the support means and;
second, separate means for detecting translation of the mass along a second axis with respect to the support means, wherein the first axis and the second axis are substantially perpendicular to one another.
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Abstract
An accelerometer comprises a housing including a mass-supporting frame and a mass supported on the frame by a pair of outer spring member aligned along a first axis. The mass may comprise an outer mass connected to the pair of outer spring members and an inner mass connected to the outer mass by a number of inner spring members, the inner spring members aligned along one or more axes, which form a plane which the axis of the outer spring members also may be aligned. Also provided is means for detecting rotation of the mass and translation of the inner mass.
34 Citations
23 Claims
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1. An accelerometer comprising:
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a housing including a mass-supporting frame;
a mass supported on the frame;
support means for supporting the mass on the frame;
a first means for detecting rotation of the mass about a first axis with respect to the support means and;
second, separate means for detecting translation of the mass along a second axis with respect to the support means, wherein the first axis and the second axis are substantially perpendicular to one another. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 17)
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6. An accelerometer comprising:
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a housing including a mass-supporting frame;
a mass supported on the frame;
support means for supporting the mass on the frame;
means for detecting rotation of the mass with respect to the support means;
means for detecting translation of the mass with respect to the support means; and
an upper casing separated from the mass by a gap, wherein a fluid or gas is located in the gap between the upper casing and the mass to provide mechanical damping, wherein the mechanical damping is controlled by forming a recess in the upper casing.
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7. An accelerometer comprising:
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a housing including a mass-supporting frame; and
a mass supported on the frame, wherein the mass is supported on the frame by a pair of outer spring members aligned along a first support axis, the mass comprising an outer mass connected to the pair of outer spring members and an inner mass connected to the outer mass by a number of inner spring members, the inner spring members aligned along one or more axes which form a plane with which the first support axis is aligned;
means for detecting rotation of the mass with respect to the support means about the first support axis; and
means for detecting translation of the mass with respect to the support means in the direction of the second axis. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
wherein the means for detecting translation of the mass comprises means for detecting bending stress in the inner spring members during acceleration of the accelerometer in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the inner spring members.
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9. An accelerometer according to claim 8, wherein the means for determining bending stress on the inner spring members comprises two piezoresistors on each of the inner spring members, one at each end of each spring member.
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10. An accelerometer according to claim 7, wherein the inner spring members and the outer spring members are oriented at substantially 45°
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11. An accelerometer according to claim 7, wherein the inner mass is supported by two pairs of inner spring members, arranged such that each pair is perpendicular to the other, and both pairs of inner spring members and the axis of the outer spring members are coplanar.
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12. An accelerometer according to claim 8, wherein the means for determining bending stress on the inner spring members comprises a piezoresistor at one end of each inner spring member.
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13. An accelerometer according to claim 8, wherein the means for determining the bending stress on the inner spring members is positioned either on one or both of the pairs of inner spring members adjacent to the inner mass or outer mass.
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14. An accelerometer according to claim 8, wherein the means for determining the torsion stress comprises a Wheatstone bridge formed from four piezoresistors, each of the piezoresistors arranged on the outer spring member or members substantially along a single direction.
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15. An accelerometer according to claim 7, wherein one of the outer spring members is longer than the other.
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16. An accelerometer according to claim 8, wherein the means of detecting bending and torsional stress is piezoelectric.
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18. An accelerometer comprising:
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a housing including a mass-supporting frame;
a mass supported on the frame;
support means for supporting the mass on the frame;
means for detecting rotation of the mass with respect to the support means;
means for detecting translation of the mass with respect to the support means; and
an upper casing separated from the mass by a gap, wherein a fluid or gas is located in the gap between the casing and the upper mass to provide mechanical damping, wherein the mechanical damping is controlled by forming a recess in the upper surface of the mass.
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19. An accelerometer comprising:
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a housing including a frame;
a mass supported on the frame, wherein the mass includes a first section supported on the frame for rotational movement about a first axis, and a second section supported on the first section for movement along a second axis, the second axis being substantially perdendicular to the first axis;
means for detecting rotation of the mass about the first axis; and
means for detecting movement of the mass along the second axis. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification