Surface wave sensor

• US 7,109,632 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2003
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Schaeffler KG (INA-Holding Schaeffler GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: FAG Kugelfischer Georg Schafer & Company
• Inventors: van Knokke, Henri
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROSENAU, DEREK JOHN
• Application Number:
  US10/507,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20050062364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,287 Days
• Field of Search: 310/313.D, 310/322, 310/346
• US Class Current: 310/313.00D
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 21/02 Measuring two or more variables by means not covered by a single other subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/485 using magnetostrictive devices

Abstract

A surface acoustic wave sensor is applied to an object by an adhesive. There are reflectors on the sensor body used to determine expansion and contraction. Additional reflectors on a smoothed edge zone of the body remain at the same distance apart and the sensor temperature is determined from the difference signal between these reflectors. The edge zone is without the adhesive.

Claims

1. A surface acoustic wave sensor comprising:

a sensor body having

a central part and opposite smoothed edge zones outward of the central part;

an antenna for the body,

a transducer for converting electromagnetic waves at the antenna into mechanical waves which run along the sensor body;

first reflectors on the sensor body and inward of the edge zones for together detecting changes in the spacing between the first reflectors due to change in the body; and

additional reflectors arranged at one of the smoothed edge zones in order to reflect signals which are used for evaluation of the current temperature.

2. The surface acoustic wave sensor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the smoothed edge zone on which the additional reflectors are disposed has a length outward of the central part that corresponds to approximately three times the thickness of the material of the sensor body.

3. The surface acoustic wave sensor as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an adhesive on a surface of the sensor body by which the sensor is mounted on a substrate material to be measured.

4. The surface acoustic wave sensor as claimed in claim 3, wherein the smoothed edge zone has the surface but is an area without the adhesive.