Shear accelerometer
AssigneeKistler Instrumente AG
InventorsJohn M. Kubler, Michael D. Insalaco
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An accelerometer having a pair of piezoplates and masses compressed to a center post by a bolt through bores in the center post, piezoplates and masses without mechanical or electrical contacting the piezoplates or the center post. A symmetrical arrangement includes opposed pairs of piezoplates separated by the center post or two pairs of piezoplates separated from each other by center post. Two bolts through orthogonal bores in a single center post or two perpendicular center post provide two and three axis of force sensing. Either linear or angular acceleration can be sensed. Two orthogonal mounting bores in the housing allows adjustment of the sensing axis.
Claims26
An accelerometer comprising:
- a body including a center post having a first bore therein;
- at least one first piezoplate and at least one first mass each having a first bore;
- a first bolt in said first bores, clamping said mass and said piezoplate to said center post without contacting said center post;
- means for aiding alignment of said first bores;
- and
- means for aligning said first bolt in said first bores to maintain non contact between said first bolt and said center post.
A symmetrical accelerometer comprising:
- a body including a center post having a first bore therein;
- a pair of piezoplates and a pair of masses each having a bore;
- and
- a bolt means, in said bores and sufficiently spaced from said first bore, for compressing said masses and said piezoplates to said center post only with evenly distributed clamping force parallel to the axis of said first bore even in the presence of forces transverse to said axis of said first bore.
A shear type accelerometer for sensing force in an X, Y and Z axis comprising:
- a housing having a center post including a first and second bar perpendicular to each other and extending parallel to said Z axis;
- a first bore in said first bar extending parallel to said Y axis and a second bore in said second bar extending parallel to said X axis;
- first, second and third pairs of shear type piezoplates for sensing forces in said X, Y and Z axis respectively;
- first, second and third masses;
- a first bolt in said first bore for mounting said first and third pairs of piezoplates and a respective mass to opposite sides of said first bar;
- and
- a second bolt in said second bore for mounting said second pair of piezoplates and said second mass to said second bar.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.