Semiconductor acceleration sensor and its self-diagnosing...

Details Semiconductor acceleration sensor and its self-diagnosing... Semiconductor acceleration sensor and its self-diagnosing...

1999-08-11

2001-05-15

Moller, Richard A. (Department: 2856)

Measuring and testing

Speed, velocity, or acceleration

Acceleration determination utilizing inertial element

C073S001380, C073S514320

Reexamination Certificate

active

06230564

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a semiconductor speed sensor, and its self-diagnosing method, and more particularly to a semiconductor acceleration sensor, and its self-diagnosing method which utilizes a squeezed film effect.
1. Background Art
An example of a conventional acceleration sensor employs a ball (like an iron ball). In the sensor, when an acceleration greater than a predetermined value is applied to the sensor, the ball is moved to operate a switch. In another example of the conventional acceleration sensor, a mercury switch is employed (cf. Japanese Utility Patent Application (OPI) No. 4-136575/1992 and 127574 (the term “OPI” as used herein means an “unexamined published application”). Those conventional sensors are bulky, and are made up of a number of components, and therefore it is necessary to determined a particular position to install them, and they are high in manufacturing cost.
An object of the invention is to provide a semiconductor acceleration sensor which is small in size, light in weight, simple in manufacture, low in manufacturing cost, and high in accuracy, and which, with a switch-on time set to a predetermined value, is stable in operation.
2. Description of the Invention
What is provided by the invention is a semiconductor acceleration sensor in which a central board having a central contact section, and outside boards at least one of which has an outside contact section are stacked; in which the central board has a weight near the central contact section, and the outside board having the outside contact section has a weight confronting section which confronts with the weight.
In the semiconductor acceleration sensor of the invention, the weight provides a squeezed damping effect in cooperation with the weight confronting section.
In the semiconductor acceleration sensor, the weight has a central electrode section, and the weight confronting section has an outside electrode section.
Furthermore, what is provided by the invention is a semiconductor acceleration sensor self-diagnosing method which diagnoses the above-described semiconductor acceleration sensor. In the method, voltage is applied across the central electrode section and the outside electrode section to perform self-diagnosis.
In addition, what is provided is a semiconductor acceleration sensor in which a central board having a central contact section, and outside boards at least one of which has an outside contact section are stacked. In the sensor, the central contact section and the outside contact section are welded together when they are brought into contact with each other.


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