Accelerometer with thermal expansion strain protection
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsPaul W. Dwyer, Stephen F. Becka
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An accelerometer includes an enclosure coupled to one or more mechanical interposers. The interposers are configured to couple the enclosure to a magnetic assembly and the magnetic assembly is configured to couple to a proof mass. The accelerometer may include electrical circuitry having a torquer coil coupled to the proof mass, where the electrical circuitry may be configured to generate an electrical signal based on an acceleration of the accelerometer. Orienting the coupling of the of the enclosure to the magnetic assembly, temperature strain on the accelerometer may be relieved.
Claims20
An accelerometer comprising:
- a first enclosure piece having an inner face coupled, using a first mechanical interposer, to an outer face of a first magnetic assembly piece, wherein the first enclosure piece is a monolithic structure;
- a second enclosure piece having an inner face coupled, using a second mechanical interposer, to an outer face of a second magnetic assembly piece, wherein the second enclosure piece is a monolithic structure;
- a proof mass, having a proximal face, coupled to a distal face of the first enclosure piece forming a first joint, wherein the proof mass comprising a distal face coupled to a proximal face of the second enclosure piece forming a second joint;
- a mechanical bond formed across the first joint and the second joint;
- and
- electrical circuitry includes torquer coil coupled to the proof mass, configured to generate an electrical signal based on an acceleration of the accelerometer.
A method of manufacturing an accelerometer, the method comprising:
- coupling, using a first mechanical interposer, an inner face of a first enclosure piece to an outer face of a first magnetic assembly piece, wherein the first enclosure piece is a monolithic structure;
- coupling, using a second mechanical interposer, an inner face of a second enclosure piece to an outer face of a second magnetic assembly piece, wherein the second enclosure piece is a monolithic structure;
- forming, by coupling a proximal face of a proof mass to a distal face of the first enclosure piece, a first joint;
- forming, by coupling a distal face of the proof mass to a proximal face of the second enclosure piece, a second joint;
- forming, across the first joint and the second joint, a mechanical bond;
- wherein the mechanical bond comprises a first bond formed using laser bonding across the first joint, and a second bond formed using laser bonding across the second joint;
- and
- coupling, to a torquer coil of an electrical circuitry, the proof mass configured to induce an electrical signal based on an acceleration of the accelerometer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.