Micro-machined mechanical structure and device incorporating the structure
AssigneesCommissariat a l'Energie Atomique, Thomson-CSF
InventorsElisabeth Orsier, Bernard Diem, Hélène Wehbe-Alause, Olivier Lefort
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mechanical structure (100) comprises a moving mass (3) suspended by beams (4, 5, 6, 7) from a fixed frame (2). The structure (100) comprises elongation means (23-26) mechanically connected to each of the beams (4, 5, 6, 7). The elongation means is designed such that the stiffness of the beams (4, 5, 6, 7) varies only little during movement of the moving mass. The structure is characterized in that the response of an elongation means is asymmetric when acting in tension and in compression. The structure is thus made insensitive to accelerations along a direction parallel to the suspension direction.
Claims15
Mechanical structure comprising:
- at least a moving mass moving along an OY axis;
- and
- suspension elements suspending said moving mass and mechanically connected firstly to the moving mass and secondly to a fixed part of the mechanical structure, at least one of the suspension elements including,
- an elongation mechanism inserted between the fixed part and an end of a suspension element opposite the moving mass, connected to the suspension element, co-operating with the suspension element to improve suspension of the moving mass, mechanically connected to the fixed part, and connected through said end of the suspension element to the moving mass,
- wherein the elongation mechanism is deformable in an XOY plane, a direction OX in the XOY plane being a direction along an axis of the suspension element, a stiffness of the elongation mechanism is asymmetric in that an applied force causes a lower apparent stiffness variation when exerted in one direction along the direction OX than when the same force is applied in an opposite direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.