Vibration sensor
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of Michigan
InventorsAlison Hake, Karl Grosh
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Abstract
A sensor, such as a piezoelectric MEMS vibration sensor, includes a frame, a beam array comprising a plurality of beams, and a plurality of masses. Each beam of the plurality of beams has an anchored end and an unanchored end, with each beam being coupled to the frame at the anchored end. The unanchored end of each beam is coupled to a respective mass of the plurality of masses. Each beam of the plurality of beams can be configured to minimize a variation in a voltage output for a limited frequency range. In some implementations, the resonant frequency of each beam corresponds to a sensitivity peak in a limited frequency range.
Claims13
A sensor, comprising:
- a frame;
- a beam array comprising a plurality of beams, wherein each beam of the plurality of beams has an anchored end and an unanchored end, wherein each beam is coupled to the frame at the anchored end;
- and
- a plurality of masses, wherein the unanchored end of each beam is coupled to a respective mass of the plurality of masses, wherein the beam array has a xylophonic shape, and wherein each mass has a mass thickness, and each mass thickness has a xylophonic variation that corresponds to the xylophonic shape of the beam array.
A sensor, comprising:
- a frame;
- and
- a beam array comprising a plurality of beams, wherein each beam of the plurality of beams has a resonant frequency, wherein the resonant frequency of each beam corresponds to a sensitivity peak in a limited frequency range, wherein each beam of the plurality of beams has an anchored end and an unanchored end, wherein each beam is coupled to the frame at the anchored end and a mass is coupled to each beam of the plurality of beams at the unanchored end, and wherein a size of each mass of the plurality of masses correlates with a length of each beam of the plurality of beams.
A sensor, comprising:
- a frame;
- and
- a beam array comprising a plurality of beams, wherein two or more beams of the plurality of beams have different resonant frequencies, wherein each beam of the plurality of beams has an anchored end and an unanchored end, wherein each beam is coupled to the frame at the anchored end and a mass is coupled to each beam of the plurality of beams at the unanchored end, and wherein a size of each mass of the plurality of masses correlates with a length of each beam of the plurality of beams.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.