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US 2003/0205448 A1Published application
Resonant pressure switch
AssigneeXilor, Inc.
InventorsBrian L. Miller, Dorothy H. J. Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pressure sensor integrated onto an electronic circuit substrate. The pressure sensor measures the effect of the ambient air pressure on a characteristic of the pressure sensor that can be translated into a variable pressure measurement. Another embodiment of the pressure sensor is a pressure switch having a set point that can be configured at, or after, the time of installation of the associated circuit substrate.
Claims49
A pressure sensor responsive to an ambient pressure, said pressure sensor comprising:
- a cavity defining a volume, said cavity including:
- an enclosure having an upper opening and a plurality of surfaces including a bottom surface and at least one side surface, one of said plurality of surfaces being formed from a circuit substrate;
- and
- a diaphragm covering said upper opening, said diaphragm forming a fluid-tight seal with said enclosure, said diaphragm responsive to the ambient pressure;
- and
- a sensing element in communication with said cavity, said sensing element having a property that varies with either of said volume and a deflection of said diaphragm, said property being readable by a measurement circuit.
3 more elements
A pressure sensor responsive to an ambient air pressure, said pressure sensor comprising:
- means for enclosing a volume;
- means for varying said volume in response to the ambient air pressure;
- means for sensing a change in said volume;
- and
- means for producing an output corresponding to said change in said volume.
2 more elements
A pressure sensor responsive to an ambient air pressure, said pressure sensor comprising:
- means for enclosing a volume including a means for supporting a circuit;
- means for varying said volume in response to the ambient air pressure;
- means for sensing a change in said volume;
- and
- means for producing an output corresponding to said change in said volume.
2 more elements
A pressure switch responsive to an ambient air pressure, said pressure switch comprising:
- an enclosure defining an internal volume and an upper opening, said enclosure having a plurality of surfaces including a bottom surface and at least one side surface, one of said plurality of surfaces being formed from a circuit substrate;
- a diaphragm covering said upper opening, said diaphragm forming a fluid-tight seal with said enclosure;
- and
- a conductive member adapted to cooperate with said diaphragm to signal when the ambient air pressure reaches a set point, said set point defined by a position of said conductive member relative to said diaphragm at a selected ambient air pressure.
1 more element
A pressure sensor responsive to an ambient pressure, said pressure sensor comprising:
- a cavity defining a volume, said cavity having a resonant frequency, said cavity including:
- an enclosure having an upper opening and a plurality of surfaces including a bottom surface and at least one side surface, one of said plurality of surfaces being formed from a circuit substrate;
- and
- a diaphragm covering said upper opening, said diaphragm forming a fluid-tight seal with said enclosure, said diaphragm responsive to the ambient pressure;
- and
- an oscillator circuit responsive to said resonant frequency, said resonant frequency varying with deflection of said diaphragm, said oscillator circuit producing an output corresponding to said resonant frequency.
3 more elements
A pressure sensor responsive to an ambient pressure, said pressure sensor comprising:
- a cavity defining a volume, said cavity including:
- an enclosure having an upper opening and a plurality of surfaces including a bottom surface and at least one side surface, one of said plurality of surfaces being formed from a circuit substrate;
- and
- a diaphragm covering said upper opening, said diaphragm forming a fluid-tight seal with said enclosure, said diaphragm responsive to the ambient pressure;
- a resonator element disposed within said cavity, said resonator element having a resonant frequency;
- and
- an oscillator circuit responsive to said resonant frequency, said resonant frequency varies as a distance between said diaphragm and said resonator element changes, said oscillator circuit producing an output corresponding to said resonant frequency.
4 more elements
A pressure sensor responsive to an ambient pressure, said pressure sensor comprising:
- a cavity defining a volume, said cavity including:
- an enclosure having an upper opening and a plurality of surfaces including a bottom surface and at least one side surface, one of said plurality of surfaces being formed from a circuit substrate;
- and
- a diaphragm covering said upper opening, said diaphragm forming a fluid-tight seal with said enclosure, said diaphragm responsive to the ambient pressure;
- a dielectric filler substantially filling said volume;
- a plate disposed within said cavity, said plate cooperating with said diaphragm to form a variable capacitor, said capacitance varying as a distance between said diaphragm and said plate changes.
3 more elements
A pressure sensor responsive to an ambient pressure, said pressure sensor comprising:
- a cavity defining a volume, said cavity including:
- an enclosure having an upper opening and a plurality of surfaces including a bottom surface and at least one side surface, one of said plurality of surfaces being formed from a circuit substrate;
- and
- a diaphragm covering said upper opening, said diaphragm forming a fluid-tight seal with said enclosure, said diaphragm responsive to the ambient pressure;
- an inductor disposed within said cavity, said inductance varying as said diaphragm perturbs an inductive field.
2 more elements
A pressure sensor responsive to an ambient pressure, said pressure sensor comprising:
- a cavity defining a volume, said cavity including:
- an enclosure having an upper opening and a plurality of surfaces including a bottom surface and at least one side surface, one of said plurality of surfaces being formed from a circuit substrate;
- and
- a diaphragm covering said upper opening, said diaphragm forming a fluid-tight seal with said enclosure, said diaphragm responsive to the ambient pressure;
- and
- a dielectric filler material substantially filling said cavity, said dielectric filler material having a property that varies with a deflection of said diaphragm, said property being readable by a measurement circuit.
3 more elements
A pressure sensor responsive to an ambient pressure, said pressure sensor comprising:
- a cavity defining a volume, said cavity including:
- an enclosure having an upper opening and a plurality of surfaces including a bottom surface and at least one side surface, one of said plurality of surfaces being formed from a circuit substrate;
- and
- a diaphragm covering said upper opening, said diaphragm forming a fluid-tight seal with said enclosure, said diaphragm responsive to the ambient pressure;
- and
- an optical emitter disposed within said cavity, said optical emitter producing a beam directed at said diaphragm;
- an optical detector disposed within said cavity, said optical detector cooperating with said optical emitter to sensing said beam deflected by said diaphragm, said beam indicating an amount of deflection of said diaphragm by either an angle of deflection of said beam or a measurement of power incident on said optical detector, said optical detector producing an output associated with said amount of deflection which corresponds to the ambient pressure on said pressure sensor.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.