Thermally balanced differential accelerometer
AssigneeBlue Line Engineering Company
InventorGregory H. Ames
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A single sensing unit having two electrodes with a common thermal reference is positioned near the centroid of the inertial mass of a differential inductive accelerometer. As the mass is displaced a first sensor detects an increase in inductance while a second sensor detects a decrease in inductance. Significantly, the first and second sensors share a common thermal reference eliminating any thermal differential. As the sensor system is closely aligned with the centroid of the inertial mass the sensor system of the present invention reduces or eliminates any systemic error.
Claims22
A method of determining acceleration, comprising:
- configuring a housing to have a sensitivity axis;
- positioning an inertial mass having a first center of mass within the housing wherein the first center of mass is translatable along the sensitivity axis;
- connecting a sensor to the housing wherein the sensor is apart from the inertial mass and includes a second center of mass, and wherein the second center of mass coincides with the sensitivity axis;
- and
- connecting the inertial mass to the housing using a deformable support structure and wherein responsive to the housing moving along the sensitivity axis, detecting by the sensor a change in position of the inertial mass along the sensitivity axis.
A method to measure thermally balanced acceleration, comprising:
- forming a housing;
- positioning an inertial mass, having a center of mass, suspended from the housing for movement along an axis in response to an applied acceleration component;
- connecting a sensor to the housing detect change in position of the inertial mass along the axis wherein the sensor includes a centroid and wherein responsive to the housing being at rest the centroid of the sensor and center of mass of the inertial mass coincide on the axis and wherein responsive to the housing moving along the sensitivity axis the applied acceleration is detected responsive to sensing by the sensor change in position of the internal mass.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.