Inertia sensors with multi-directional shock protection

• US 8,646,334 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2011
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnitek Partners LLC
• Original Assignee: Omnitek Partners LLC
• Inventors: Rastegar, Jahangir S.
• Primary Examiner(s): KWOK, HELEN C
• Application Number:
  US13/180,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20120174670A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 735/143.6, 735/143.8, 73/120.1, 73/120.4, 736/52
• US Class Current: 73/514.38
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5769 Manufacturing; Mounting; Housings
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0871 using stopper structures for limiting the travel of the seismic mass

Abstract

A sensor including: a base; at least one component which moves relative to the base; and one or more locking mechanisms for locking the at least one component in a predetermined stationary position in response to external stimuli exceeding predetermined thresholds in at least first and second directions, where the first direction is different from the second direction.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising:

a base;

at least one component which moves relative to the base; and

one or more locking mechanisms for locking the at least one component in a predetermined stationary position in response to external stimuli exceeding predetermined thresholds in at least first and second directions, where the first direction is different from the second direction.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensor is selected from a group consisting of an accelerometer and an inertial gyro.

3. The sensor of claim 2, wherein the external stimuli are first and second accelerations of the sensor, the first acceleration being a setback acceleration in the first direction and the second acceleration being a set forward acceleration in the second direction.

4. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the at least one component is a proof mass mounted to a deformable member.

5. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the one or more locking mechanisms comprise a first sub-mechanism for locking the at least one component in the predetermined stationary position in response to the external stimuli exceeding a first predetermined threshold in the first direction and a second sub-mechanism for locking the at least one component in the predetermined stationary position in response to the external stimulus exceeding a second predetermined threshold in the second direction.

6. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the one or more locking mechanisms comprise a single mechanism for locking the at least one component in the predetermined stationary position in response to the external stimuli exceeding the predetermined thresholds in both the first and second directions.

7. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the one or more locking mechanisms engage the at least one component in rotation to lock the at least one component in the predetermined stationary position.

8. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the one or more locking mechanisms engage the at least one component in translation to lock the at least one component in the predetermined stationary position.

9. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the one or more locking mechanisms is a first locking mechanism and the sensor further comprises a second locking mechanism for one of locking or unlocking the first locking mechanism upon the occurrence of a predetermined external stimulus.

10. The sensor of claim 1, wherein at least one of the external stimuli is a rotational acceleration.

11. A sensor comprising:

a base;

at least one component which moves relative to the base; and

one or more locking means for locking the at least one component in a predetermined stationary position in response to external stimuli exceeding predetermined thresholds in at least first and second directions, where the first direction is different from the second direction.

12. A method for passively hardening a sensor from external stimuli greater than predetermined thresholds, the method comprising:

protecting one or more of a moving part and mechanism of the sensor from a first external stimulus in a first direction or minimizing residual vibration of the one or more moving part and mechanism from the first stimulus in the first direction; and

protecting the one or more of a moving part and mechanism of the sensor from a second external stimulus in a second direction or minimizing residual vibration of the one or more moving part and mechanism from the second stimulus in the second direction;

wherein one or more of the first and second stimuli or first and second directions are different.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the protecting of the one or more of a moving part and mechanism of the sensor from a first external stimulus in a first direction or minimizing residual vibration of the one or more moving part and mechanism from the first stimulus in the first direction and the protecting of the one or more of a moving part and mechanism of the sensor from a second external stimulus in a second direction or minimizing residual vibration of the one or more moving part and mechanism from the second stimulus in the second direction comprises one or more of locking the one or more of the moving part and mechanism to a base structure of the sensor or minimizing elastic deformation of the moving part and mechanism.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the external stimuli are acceleration of the sensor and the first stimulus is a setback acceleration in the first direction and the second stimulus is a set forward acceleration in the second direction.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the protecting of the one or more of a moving part and mechanism of the sensor from a first external stimulus in a first direction or minimizing residual vibration of the one or more moving part and mechanism from the first stimulus in the first direction and the protecting of the one or more of a moving part and mechanism of the sensor from a second external stimulus in a second direction or minimizing residual vibration of the one or more moving part and mechanism from the second stimulus in the second direction comprises are carried out by separate mechanisms.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein one or more of the separate mechanisms engage the moving part or mechanism in rotation to lock the moving part or mechanism in a predetermined stationary position.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein one or more of the separate mechanisms engage the moving part or mechanism in translation to lock the moving part or mechanism in a predetermined stationary position.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the protecting of the one or more of a moving part and mechanism of the sensor from a first external stimulus in a first direction or minimizing residual vibration of the one or more moving part and mechanism from the first stimulus in the first direction and the protecting of the one or more of a moving part and mechanism of the sensor from a second external stimulus in a second direction or minimizing residual vibration of the one or more moving part and mechanism from the second stimulus in the second direction comprises are carried out by a same mechanism.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the same mechanism engages the moving part or mechanism in rotation to lock the moving part or mechanism in a predetermined stationary position.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the same mechanism engages the moving part or mechanism in translation to lock the moving part or mechanism in a predetermined stationary position.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the protecting of the one or more of a moving part and mechanism of the sensor from a first external stimulus in a first direction or minimizing residual vibration of the one or more moving part and mechanism from the first stimulus in the first direction and the protecting of the one or more of a moving part and mechanism of the sensor from a second external stimulus in a second direction or minimizing residual vibration of the one or more moving part and mechanism from the second stimulus in the second direction comprises are carried out by one or more first locking mechanisms and the method further comprises providing a second locking mechanism for one of locking or unlocking the one or more of the first locking mechanisms upon the occurrence of a predetermined external stimulus.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first external stimulus and second external stimulus is a rotational acceleration.