US 5,710,376 A · Charged mass thin film condenser accelerometer

Abstract

An accelerometer having a pair of spaced apart planar electrodes in a housing wherein one of the planar electrodes is made of a thin film and has a mass attached to one side such that acceleration causes the thin film to flex. A solid state amplifier is located in the housing attached to one of the planar electrodes to measure the change in capacitance caused by the flexing of the thin film. The solid state amplifier may be an NPN transistor. The mass may be a 4.5 mm steel airgun shot, and the thin film may be 1 mil polyester aluminized metallic film. The output of the accelerometer is connected to one input of a operational amplifier, and the other input of the operational amplifier is connected to a transducer measuring ambient noise such that the ambient noise is removed from the signal from the accelerometer.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A charged mass thin film condenser transducer comprising:

a housing;
spaced apart planar electrodes in said housing forming a condenser whose capacitance changes when a first one of the planar electrodes is flexed, said first electrode being a thin film;
a spherical mass located in said housing connected to and flexing said first planar electrode responsive to acceleration;
and
an electrical amplifier having an input terminal connected to a second one of said planar electrodes for sensing changes of capacitance of said condenser, and an output terminal for providing an electrical output which changes according to the change of capacitance of said condenser.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Charged mass thin film condenser accelerometer

Life of this patent

Charged mass thin film condenser accelerometer

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12