Measuring and testing – Speed – velocity – or acceleration – Acceleration determination utilizing inertial element
Patent
1996-02-28
1998-10-06
Williams, Hezron E.
Measuring and testing
Speed, velocity, or acceleration
Acceleration determination utilizing inertial element
7351417, 7351435, 361280, G01P 1500
Patent
active
058179429
ABSTRACT:
An accelerometer having one or more flexure stops for increasing the stiffness of the flexures when the accelerometer is subjected to relatively high acceleration. A wrap-around proof mass is suspended over a substrate by anchor posts and a plurality of flexures. In one embodiment, the proof mass has a rectangular frame including top and bottom beams extending between left and right beams and a central crossbeam extending between the left and right beams. Proof mass sense electrodes are cantilevered from the top, bottom and central beams and are interleaved with excitation electrodes extending from adjacent excitation electrode supports. Each of the flexure stops includes a pair of members extending along a portion of a respective flexure. Also described is a three axis accelerometer triad device and a dissolved wafer process for fabricating the devices described herein.
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Moller Richard A.
The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc.
Williams Hezron E.
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