Capacitive sensor
AssigneeAnalog Devices, Inc.
InventorsJohn O'Dowd, Damien Joseph McCartney, William Hunt, Eamon Hynes, John M. Wynne, Patrick Crowley, John R. Martin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A capacitive sensor including a housing having a hermetically sealed cavity, a plate in the cavity, a diaphragm forming a part of the cavity and spaced from the plate, a conductive layer on the first diaphragm, and a second conductive layer on the plate, the first and second conductive layers being the electrodes of a capacitor whose capacitance varies with the position of the diaphragm relative to the plate.
Claims88
A capacitive sensor comprising:
- a housing having a hermetically sealed cavity;
- a first plate protruding within said cavity;
- a first diaphragm forming a part of said cavity and spaced from said first plate;
- a first conductive layer on said first diaphragm;
- and
- a second conductive layer on said first plate, said first and second conductive layers being the electrodes of a capacitor whose capacitance varies with the position of said first diaphragm relative to said first plate.
A capacitive sensor comprising:
- a housing having a hermetically sealed cavity;
- a plate protruding within said cavity;
- a conductive diaphragm forming a part of said cavity and spaced from said plate;
- and
- a conductive layer on said plate, said conductive diaphragm and conductive layer on said plate being the electrodes of a capacitor whose capacitance varies with the position of said conductive diaphragm relative to said plate.
A capacitive sensor comprising:
- a housing having a hermetically sealed cavity;
- a conductive plate protruding within said cavity;
- a diaphragm forming a part of said cavity and spaced from said conductive plate;
- and
- a conductive layer on said diaphragm, said conductive layer on said diaphragm and said conductive plate being the electrodes of a capacitor whose capacitance varies with the position of said diaphragm relative to said plate.
A capacitive sensor comprising:
- a housing having a hermetically sealed cavity;
- a conductive plate protruding within said cavity;
- and
- a conductive diaphragm forming a part of said cavity and spaced from said conductive plate;
- said conductive diaphragm and said conductive plate being the electrodes of a capacitor whose capacitance varies with the position of said diaphragm relative to said plate.
A capacitive sensor comprising:
- a housing having a hermetically sealed cavity;
- a plate protruding within said cavity;
- a diaphragm forming a part of said cavity and spaced from said plate;
- a first conductive layer on said diaphragm;
- and
- a second conductive layer on said plate, said first and second conductive layers being the electrodes of a capacitor whose capacitance varies with the position of said diaphragm relative to said plate in response to an external force.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.