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US 7,360,419 B2Granted
Gravity gradiometer
AssigneeGedex Inc.
InventorsJohn Barry French, Kieran A. Carroll, Steven J. Thorpe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gravity gradiometer having quadrupole responders in which a mass quadrupole is supported by a torsional spring forming a flexure allowing rotation of the mass quadrupole about its center of mass. The flexure can be a pair of spaced apart posts. The flexure can be made from glassy metal having at room temperature a high elastic limit, high stiffness, high strength and low internal damping. The flexure can alternatively be a web made of glassy metal.
Claims46
A quadrupole responder for an OQR type gravity gradiometer comprising:
- a) a housing;
- b) a mass quadrupole positioned within the housing and having a center of mass;
- c) a torsional spring comprising a flexure attaching said mass quadrupole to said housing and allowing rotation of the mass quadrupole about said center of mass;
- d) the flexure comprising at least two spaced apart posts.
1 more element
A quadrupole responder for an OQR type gravity gradiometer comprising:
- a) a housing;
- b) a mass quadrupole positioned within the housing and having a center of mass;
- c) a torsional spring comprising a flexure attaching said mass quadrupole to said housing and allowing rotation of the mass quadrupole about said center of mass;
- d) said flexure being formed of a material which is a glassy metal or a nanocrystalline material such that the flexure will undergo low loss elastic deformation during said rotation.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.