Acceleration sensor unit

• US 7,267,003 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2004
• Issued: 09/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nexgen Control Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamashita, Toshiyuki, Harase, Shinichi, Furui, Takashi, Hiraoka, Yuji, Matsumoto, Tohru, Okimoto, Yukihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): KWOK, HELEN C
• Application Number:
  US10/915,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20050066724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 734/93, 734/31, 735/141.6, 735/142.9
• US Class Current: 73/493
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/023 for acceleration measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/00 Measuring acceleration; Measuring deceleration; Measuring shock, i.e. sudden change of acceleration

Abstract

An acceleration sensor unit including a board on which an acceleration sensor is mounted, a support part for supporting the board, and a housing in which the support part and the acceleration sensor are contained, the board is installed in the housing by means of the support part so as to swing with respect to the housing.

Claims

1. An acceleration sensor unit comprising:

a board on which an acceleration sensor is mounted;

a plurality of support parts for supporting the board, at least one of the support parts being non-conductive; and

a housing in which the support parts and the acceleration sensor are contained,

wherein the board is installed in the housing by means of the support parts so that the board and the acceleration sensor are able to swing with respect to the housing, and

wherein the at least one of the support parts that is non-conductive extends through a hole in the board, such that the at least one of the support parts that is non-conductive is moveable within the hole.

2. The acceleration sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the support parts include pins which connect the board to an exterior.

3. The acceleration sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein resonant frequency of the board and resonant frequency of the acceleration sensor are made different from each other.

4. The acceleration sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the support parts include pins and the board is positioned at an intermediate portion of the pins.

5. The acceleration sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the board includes a plurality of holes and the support parts respectively extend through the holes.

6. The acceleration sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the support parts elevate the board to provide an open space between the board and the housing.

8. The acceleration sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the support parts that is non-conductive has a flange that abuts the board.

7. An acceleration sensor unit comprising:

a board on which a capacitive acceleration sensor of a comb teeth-shaped electrode type is mounted;

a support part for supporting the board; and

a housing in which the support part and the acceleration sensor are contained,

wherein the board is installed in the housing by means of the support part so as to be able to swing with respect to the housing.

9. The acceleration sensor unit according to claim 7, wherein the board includes a hole and the support part extends through the hole, such that the support part is movable within the hole, and wherein the support part is non-conductive.

10. The acceleration sensor unit according to claim 7, wherein the board includes a hole and the support part extends through the hole, such that the support part is movable within the hole, and wherein the support part has a flange that abuts the board.

11. An acceleration sensor unit comprising:

a board on which an acceleration sensor is mounted;

a support part for supporting the board so that the board swings with respect to the housing; and

a housing in which the support part and the acceleration sensor are contained, wherein;

the support part comprises a positioning part that restricts a mounting position of the board, and

the positioning part makes a resonant frequency of an element of the acceleration sensor and a resonant frequency of the board different from each other by restricting the mounting position of the board.

12. The acceleration sensor unit according to claim 11, wherein the positioning part makes the resonant frequency of the board lower than the resonant frequency of the element of the acceleration sensor.

13. The acceleration sensor unit according to claim 11, wherein the support part comprises pins, which connect the board to an exterior.

14. The acceleration sensor unit according to claim 11, wherein the acceleration sensor is a capacitive acceleration sensor.