High-output MEMS accelerometer
First Claim
1. A MEMS acceleration sensor comprising:
- a frame;
a first proofmass located within the frame, the first proofmass including a left side, a right side, a top, and a bottom;
an axis running from the left side to the right side at about a median point between the top and the bottom;
a first flexure running along the axis and coupling the left side to the frame;
a second flexure running along the axis and coupling the right side to the frame;
a first channel that extends from the bottom up past the axis to a first channel end;
a second channel that extends from the top down past the axis to a second channel end;
a second proofmass located within the first channel and coupled to the first proofmass via a first hinge and a first gauge at the first channel end and coupled to the frame at the bottom via a second hinge and a second gauge; and
,a third proofmass located within the second channel and coupled to the first proofmass via a third hinge and a third gauge at the second channel end and coupled to the frame at the top via a fourth hinge and a fourth gauge.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A MEMS acceleration sensor is provided. In one embodiment, the MEMS acceleration sensor comprises: a frame; a first proofmass located within the frame, the first proofmass including a left side, right side, top, and bottom; an axis running from the left side to the right side at about a median point between the top and bottom; a first flexure running along the axis and coupling the left side to the frame; a second flexure running along the axis and coupling the right side to the frame; a first channel that extends from the bottom up past the axis to a first channel end; a second channel that extends from the top down past the axis to a second channel end; a second proofmass located within the first channel and coupled to the first proofmass via a first hinge and a first gauge at the first channel end and coupled to the frame at the bottom via a second hinge and a second gauge; and a third proofmass located within the second channel and coupled to the first proofmass via a third hinge and a third gauge at the second channel end and coupled to the frame at the top via a fourth hinge and a fourth gauge.
26 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A MEMS acceleration sensor comprising:
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a frame; a first proofmass located within the frame, the first proofmass including a left side, a right side, a top, and a bottom; an axis running from the left side to the right side at about a median point between the top and the bottom; a first flexure running along the axis and coupling the left side to the frame; a second flexure running along the axis and coupling the right side to the frame; a first channel that extends from the bottom up past the axis to a first channel end; a second channel that extends from the top down past the axis to a second channel end; a second proofmass located within the first channel and coupled to the first proofmass via a first hinge and a first gauge at the first channel end and coupled to the frame at the bottom via a second hinge and a second gauge; and
,a third proofmass located within the second channel and coupled to the first proofmass via a third hinge and a third gauge at the second channel end and coupled to the frame at the top via a fourth hinge and a fourth gauge. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A MEMS acceleration sensor comprising:
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a frame; an S-shaped proofmass located within the frame;
wherein the S-shaped proofmass includes a top horizontal piece, a center horizontal piece, a bottom horizontal piece, a left side piece that connects the top horizontal piece to the center horizontal piece, and a right side piece that connects the center horizontal piece to the bottom horizontal piece;
wherein the S-shaped proofmass forms a first channel that exists between the top horizontal piece and the center horizontal piece and extends from the frame to the left side piece; and
wherein the S-shaped proofmass forms a second channel that exists between the center horizontal piece and the bottom horizontal piece and extends from the frame to the right side piece;a first flexure coupling the top horizontal piece to the frame; a second flexure coupling the bottom horizontal piece to the frame; a first rectangular cuboid proofmass located within the first channel and coupled to the left side piece of the S-shaped proofmass via a first hinge and a first gauge and coupled to the frame via a second hinge and a second gauge at an opposite end of the first rectangular cuboid proofmass from the first hinge; and a second rectangular cuboid proofmass located within the second channel and coupled to the right side piece of the S-shaped proofmass via a third hinge and a third gauge and coupled to the frame via a fourth hinge and a fourth gauge at an opposite end of the second rectangular cuboid proofmass from the third hinge. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A MEMS acceleration sensor comprising:
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a frame; a proofmass located within the frame, the proofmass including at least three vertical blocks and at least two horizontal blocks coupling alternate vertical blocks to form a single proofmass, wherein the proofmass has a left side, a right side, a top, and a bottom; a first flexure coupling the left side of the proofmass to the frame; a second flexure coupling the right side of the proofmass to the frame, wherein the first flexure and the second flexure define a pivot axis for the proofmass with respect to the frame; a first vertical channel that extends from a bottom of the frame up into the proofmass past the pivot axis between two vertical blocks to a first of the at least two horizontal blocks; a second vertical channel that extends from a top of the frame down into the proofmass past the pivot axis between two vertical blocks to a second of the at least two horizontal blocks; a first elongated proofmass located within the first vertical channel and coupled to the proofmass via a first hinge and coupled to the frame via a second hinge; a second elongated proofmass located within the second vertical channel and coupled to the proofmass via a third hinge and coupled to the frame via a fourth hinge; and at least two gauges wherein the two gauges are located above any two of the four hinges and each gauge is coupled to the same elements as the respective hinge each gauge is located above. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification