Parallel plate capacitor-based inclinometer and method

A sensor assembly for determining a tilt angle, the sensor assembly comprising:

• a housing that defines a chamber;
• a parallel plate capacitor having a moving plate located inside the chamber, wherein the moving plate is configured to freely rotate inside the chamber;
• an electronic interface attached to an outside of the housing;
• a processor and a memory attached to the electronic interface and configured to calculate the tilt angle between a longitudinal axis of the moving plate and an axis of the housing;
• a communication device configured to transmit the tilt angle to an external device in a wireless manner;
• and
• a power source attached to the electronic interface and configured to power the processor, the memory and the communication device.

A method for assembling a sensor system for measuring a tilt angle, the method comprising:

• placing a first electrical terminal on a first side of an opened box so that the first electrical terminal extends inside of a chamber defined by the opened box;
• hanging a moving plate from an end of the first electrical terminal inside the chamber so that the moving plate rotates freely about the end of the first electrical terminal;
• closing the open box with a lid so that the chamber is fully closed;
• placing a fixed plate on an external surface of the lid, so that the moving plate and the fixed plate form a parallel plate capacitor, and the moving plate is inside the chamber and the fixed plate is outside the chamber;
• attaching a processor and a memory to the lid or the open box;
• attaching a communication device to the lid or the open box, the communication device being configured to transmit the tilt angle to an external device in a wireless manner;
• and
• providing a power source to power the processor, the memory and the communication device.