Force detector

• US 6,716,253 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2002
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wacoh Company
• Original Assignee: Kazuhiro Okada
• Inventors: Okada, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMPSON, JEWEL VERGIE
• Application Number:
  US10/247,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20030024328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 738/620.43, 738/620.48, 738/626.26
• US Class Current: 73/862.43
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0235 Accelerometers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0021 Transducers for transforming electrical into mechanical energy or vice versa dynamo-electric machines H02K99/00; electrostatic machines H02N1/00; piezoelectric devices H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/144 with associated circuitry G01L1/146 and G01L1/148 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/165 using variations in capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 5/167 using piezoelectric means
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/023 for acceleration measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0922 of the bending or flexing mode type
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/105 by magnetically sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/084 the mass being suspended at more than one of its sides, e.g. membrane-type suspension, so as to permit multi-axis movement of the mass

Abstract

An electrode layer is formed on the upper surface of a first substrate, and a processing for partially removing the substrate is carried out in order to allow the substrate to have flexibility. To the lower surface of the first substrate, a second substrate is connected. Then, by cutting the second substrate, a working body and a pedestal are formed. On the other hand, a groove is formed on a third substrate. An electrode layer is formed on the bottom surface of the groove. The third substrate is connected to the first substrate so that both the electrodes face to each other with a predetermined spacing therebetween. Finally, the first, second and third substrates are cut off every respective unit regions to form independent sensors, respectively. When an acceleration is exerted on the working body, the first substrate bends. As a result, the distance between both the electrodes changes. Thus, an acceleration exerted is detected by changes in an electrostatic capacitance between both the electrodes.

Claims

1. A force detector comprising:

a stable member fixed to a detector casing;

a central member locating adjacent to said stable member with a space;

an intermediate member locating around said central member and connected to said central member;

a peripheral member locating around said intermediate member and fixing said intermediate member to said stable member;

a first fixed electrode and a second fixed electrode operatively on said stable member; and

a first displacement electrode and a second displacement electrode operatively on said central member;

wherein said intermediate member has flexibility to resiliently support said central member so that said central member moves when force is applied;

wherein said first fixed electrode is opposite to said first displacement electrode to constitute a first capacitance element and said second fixed electrode is opposite to said second displacement electrode to constitute a second capacitance element; and

wherein a first force component which makes an electrode distance of said first capacitance element smaller than an electrode distance of said second capacitance element and a second force component which makes said electrode distance of said second capacitance element smaller than said electrode distance of said first capacitance element are detected by a difference between electrostatic capacitance values of said first and second capacitance elements.

2. The force detector as set forth in claim 1, and further comprising:

an auxiliary electrode operatively on the stable member opposite to one of the displacement electrodes for moving the central member by a Coulomb force when a voltage is applied between said auxiliary electrode and said one of the displacement electrodes.

3. The force detector as set forth in claim 1, and further comprising:

an auxiliary electrode operatively on the central member opposite to one of the fixed electrodes for moving the central member by a Coulomb force when a voltage is applied between said auxiliary electrode and said one of the fixed electrodes.

4. The force detector as set forth in claim 1:

wherein either the first and second displacement electrodes or the first and second fixed electrodes are physically unitary.

5. The force detector as set forth in claim 1:

wherein the force components are caused by acceleration of said force detector so that said force detector functions as an acceleration detector.