# US 5,703,295 A · Vibration sensing method and apparatus therefor

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- Number: US 5,703,295 A
- Document ID: US5703295A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/563,581
- Filed: 1995-11-28
- Granted: 1997-12-30
- Earliest claimed: 1994-11-28
- Assignees: NKK Corporation; Fuji Ceramics Corporation
- Inventors: Naruo Ishida; Yoshio Saijyo; Shingo Arakawa; Kimiaki Watanabe; Hidehiro Inaba
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5703295A

## CPC

- G01M 13/045: Acoustic or vibration analysis
- G01H 1/003: {of rotating machines (G01H1/10 takes precedence)}
- Y10S 73/04: Piezoelectric
- G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G01H: MEASUREMENT OF MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OR ULTRASONIC, SONIC OR INFRASONIC WAVES
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A vibration sensing apparatus including an acceleration sensor 2 for outputting a sensing signal corresponding to a vibrating acceleration, a level discriminator 3 for generating an output when the output level of the signal from the acceleration sensor 2 exceeds a preset reference level, a display unit 4 for displaying the output of the level discriminator 3, a piezoelectric ceramic power generating unit 5 using piezoelectric ceramics for generating a charge when it is subjected to vibration, and a conversion unit 6 for converting the charge generated by the piezoelectric ceramic power generating unit 5 into DC power, the DC power being supplied to the level discriminator and to the display unit as power to be consumed by them.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vibration sensing method comprising the steps of:
(a) sensing a signal corresponding to a vibrating acceleration, and outputting the signal;
(b) discriminating, usual a level discriminator, a level of the signal which is outputted in step (a) to generate an output when the level exceeds a preset reference level;
(c) displaying the output generated in step (b) on a display unit;
(d) providing a power generating unit having sheet-shaped piezoelectric ceramic elements arranged as a bimorph structure, one end of each of said piezoelectric ceramic elements being fixed, and a deadweight attached to another end of said piezoelectric ceramic elements, wherein the charge is generated by a bending vibration of said piezoelectric ceramic elements;
(e) generating a charge by the power generating unit when vibration is applied thereto;
(f) converting the charge generated by the power generating unit into DC power; and
(g) supplying the converted DC power to the level discriminator and to the display unit as spontaneously generated power.

### Claim 2

A vibration sensing apparatus, comprising:
(a) an acceleration sensor for sensing a signal corresponding to a vibrating acceleration, and outputting the signal;
(b) a level discriminator for discriminating a level of the signal outputted from said acceleration sensor and generating an output when said level exceeds a preset reference level;
(c) a display unit for displaying the output of the level discriminator;
(d) power generating unit which generates a charge when vibration is applied thereto, said power generating unit comprising:
sheet-shaped piezoelectric ceramic elements arranged as a bimorph structure, one end of each of said piezoelectric ceramic elements being fixed, and
a deadweight attached to another end of said piezoelectric ceramic elements, wherein the charge is generated by a bending vibration of said piezoelectric ceramic elements;
(e) means for converting the charge generated by said power generating unit into DC power; and
(f) means for supplying the converted DC power to said level discriminator and to said display unit as spontaneously generated power.