Force sensor with an increased operating range
AssigneeCommissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives
InventorsTheo Miani, Loic Joet
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A microelectromechanical accelerometer includes a support, at least one mass suspended by suspension means relative to the support and configured to move in the plane of the accelerometer, means for measuring the displacement of the seismic mass including at least one first vibrating beam of nanometric cross-section, and first electrostatic coupling means between the seismic mass and said at least one first vibrating beam configured to ensure a mechanical decoupling between the first vibrating beam and the seismic mass. At rest, the first electrostatic coupling means generates traction on the first vibrating beam, so that under the effect of acceleration the state of strain of the first vibrating beam is modified.
Claims15
A force sensor comprising:
- a support,
- at least one test body which is suspended by suspension means relative to the support and configured to move in a plane parallel to the support,
- means for measuring displacement of the at least one test body including at least one first strain gauge provided with a vibrating beam, and
- first electrostatic coupling means between the test body and the at least one first strain gauge configured to provide mechanical decoupling between said first strain gauge and the test body, wherein at rest the first electrostatic coupling means generates traction on the first strain gauge and, under an effect of an external force, a state of strain of the first strain gauge is modified,
- wherein the vibrating beam has a nanometric cross-section, between several tens of nanometers and 1 μm, the vibrating beam is suspended at one end from the support and at another end from a suspension beam, the suspension beam has a cross-section at least ten times greater than a cross-section of the vibrating beam, and the suspension beam has a micrometric cross-section of between 1 μm and several hundred hundreds of micrometers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.