Device with optimised capacitive volume

• US 7,808,766 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2006
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Inventors: Chaillout, Jean-Jacques, Despesse, Ghislain, Jager, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMAS, ERIC W
• Application Number:
  US11/917,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20080192406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• Field of Search: 361/277, 361/278, 361/279, 361/287, 361/290
• US Class Current: 361/278
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/033 Comb drives
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 3/0086 Electrical characteristics, e.g. reducing driving voltage, improving resistance to peak voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/56 Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses, e.g. vibratory angular rate sensors based on Coriolis forces
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0814 for translational movement of the mass, e.g. shuttle type
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 5/16 using variation of distance between electrodes

Abstract

A capacitive device comprising at least one first and one second comb, respectively provided with interdigital fingers, adapted to be mobile relative to each other depending on the closing-spacing apart of the axes of the fingers, at least one finger of the first comb including a face opposite a face of a finger of the second comb wherein the axis of the finger of the first comb and the axis of the finger of the second comb are inclined relative to a plane orthogonal to the first direction of displacement of the combs, the plane being defined by the second and third directions perpendicular to the direction, and perpendicular to each other.

Claims

1. Capacitive device comprising at least first and second combs, equipped respectively with interdigital fingers, said combs able to be mobile in relation to one another according to at least one first determined direction depending on the closing-spacing apart of the axes of the fingers, at least one finger of the first comb including a face opposite a face of a finger of the second comb wherein the axis of the finger of the first comb and the axis of the finger of the second comb are inclined relative to a plane orthogonal to the first direction of displacement of the combs, the plane being defined by second and third directions perpendicular to the first direction, and perpendicular between themselves.

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the faces of fingers extend according to planes parallel to a plane containing the third direction.

3. Device, according to claim 1, wherein the faces of the fingers extend according to planes parallel to a plane containing the second direction.

4. Device according to claim 1, wherein the faces of the fingers are inclined relative to the second and third directions.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein the faces of the fingers opposite are parallel to each other.

6. Device as according to claim 1, wherein the fingers have a substantially rectangular section according to a plane parallel to a plane defined by first and second directions.

7. Device as according to claim 1, wherein the fingers have a substantially trapezoidal section according to a plane parallel to a plane defined by first and second directions.

8. Device as according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second combs comprises a main body to which are connected by one end the fingers of the first and of the second combs respectively.

9. Device according to the preceding claim, wherein the bodies extend at least in part substantially according to an axis parallel to the first direction of displacement.

17. Device as according to claim 1, 10 or 15, wherein at rest the second comb is decentred in relation to the first comb.

18. Device as according to claim 1, 10 or 15, wherein combs have a relative displacement in the second direction.

19. Device as according to claim 1, 10 or 15, comprising guiding means authorising the displacement of the second comb in relation to the first comb according to the first direction of displacement.

20. Device as according to claim 1, 10 or 15, wherein fingers extend according to two planes so as to form chevrons.

21. Device as according to claim 1, 10 or 15, wherein the first comb is fixed and the second comb is mobile in relation to the first comb.

22. Device as according to claim 1, 10 or 15, wherein the first comb is electrically insulated from the second comb.

23. Device according to the preceding claim, wherein the first and second combs are assembled with an insulating substrate.

10. Capacitive device comprising at least first and second combs, equipped respectively with interdigital fingers, said combs able to be mobile in relation to one another according to at least one first determined direction depending on the closing-spacing apart of the axes of the fingers, at least one finger of the first comb including a face opposite a face of a finger of the second comb wherein the axis of the finger of the first comb and the axis of the finger of the second comb are inclined relative to a plane orthogonal to the first direction of displacement of the combs, the plane being defined by second and third directions perpendicular to the first direction, and perpendicular between themselves, and wherein the first comb comprises a substantially rectangular frame comprising fingers extending at an angle towards the interior of the frame and wherein the second comb comprises a main arm extending according to the first direction, the fingers of the second comb extending at an angle from the main arm.

11. Device according to the preceding claim, wherein the second comb also comprises a secondary arm perpendicular to main arm and extending substantially according to the second direction, the fingers of the second comb extending also at an angle from secondary arm.

12. Device according to the preceding claim, comprising a plane of symmetry containing the first direction and a plane of symmetry containing a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

13. Device as according to claim 10, comprising guiding means authorising the displacement of the second comb in relation to the first comb according to the first direction of displacement, and wherein guiding means connect ends of the main arm of the second comb to the frame of the first comb.

14. Device according to claim 10, 11, 12 or 13, wherein the frame comprises on the central portion of the large sides therein, a finger having the form of a triangle, and wherein the secondary arm of the second comb comprises at each end therein two fingers inclined in relation to each other so as to define a space to receive the finger of triangular form of the frame, opposite.

15. Capacitive device comprising at least first and second combs, equipped respectively with interdigital fingers, said combs able to be mobile in relation to one another according to at least one first determined direction depending on the closing-spacing apart of the axes of the fingers, at least one finger of the first comb including a face opposite a face of a finger of the second comb wherein the axis of the finger of the first comb and the axis of the finger of the second comb are inclined relative to a plane orthogonal to the first direction of displacement of the combs, the plane being defined by second and third directions perpendicular to the first direction, and perpendicular between themselves, and wherein the second comb comprises fingers extending from both sides of the main body, the fingers of the second comb being interdigital with fingers of the first combs, arranged on both sides of the body.

16. Device according to the preceding claim, comprising electrostatic mirrors disposed between fingers of the first comb and fingers of the second comb so as to allow for a displacement of the second comb in relation to the first comb according to a direction and the opposite direction thereof.