Measuring and testing – Speed – velocity – or acceleration – Liquid surface is or moves reading means
Patent
1992-05-26
1994-10-04
Chapman, John E.
Measuring and testing
Speed, velocity, or acceleration
Liquid surface is or moves reading means
73516LM, 33366, G01P 1512, G01C 906
Patent
active
053515390
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a sensor for measuring tilt with a bubble level.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION HEINTZ, KONIG & PACHNER/BOSCH, publ. 24 Sep.
1987,
A sensor of this type is already known from WO 87/05569, HEINTZ, KONIG & PACHNER/BOSCH, publ. 24 Sep. 1987, where an optical method based on diffraction and reflection is used for detecting the acceleration and the inclination of a motor vehicle. In this method, a beam of light emanating from an emitter is diffracted or reflected at the surface separating a liquid and a gas bubble that falls on a receiver if the gas bubble contained in the housing is in its initial position. However if, because of acceleration or inclination of the motor vehicle, the gas bubble is deflected from its initial position, the light beam is diffracted or reflected in a different direction at the surface separating a liquid and the gas bubble, and no longer falls on the receiver, so that a signal is triggered by the optical device.
This sensor has the disadvantage that the means required for realizing the optical method (emitter, receiver, etc.) entail a relatively high expenditure of mechanical, optical and electric parts.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In contrast thereto, the sensor in accordance with the invention a temperature-sensitive element producing an output signal which is a function of degree of coverage of the element by a bubble floating in a liquid-filled chamber of the sensor.
DRAWINGS
The invention will be described in detail by means of the drawings.
They show:
FIG. 1, a schematic cross section of an exemplary embodiment of a sensor in accordance with the invention having a bubble level,
FIG. 2, the electrical block diagram of a possible evaluation circuit of the sensor in accordance with claim 1,
FIG. 3, a plan view of the cover plate of the housing for the bubble level in accordance with FIG. 1, formed as a hybrid plate, together with the circuit elements of the evaluation circuit installed thereupon,
FIG. 4 in section, an electrically heatable, temperature-sensitive, electric circuit element formed according to bubble technology perpendicular to the surface of the cover plate formed as a hybrid plate.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT
The structure of an exemplary embodiment of an acceleration and inclination sensor in accordance with the invention is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1.
A bubble level 11 is secured on a movable object 10, for example a motor vehicle, the acceleration and inclination of which is intended to be detected. It comprises a housing 12, consisting of a lower housing body 13 and a cover plate 14. The cover plate 14 has been fixed on the lower housing body 13 in such a way that the housing 12 is completely sealed. The housing 12 encloses a rotation-symmetrically hollow chamber 15 which tapers conically in the direction of the cover plate 14. In this case, the upper portion of the hollow chamber 15 has the shape of a truncated cone, where the gradient of slope of the truncated cone is preferably 21.degree.. A liquid 16 and an air bubble 17 are contained in the hollow chamber 15 enclosed by the housing 12, the liquid 16 and the air bubble 17 together completely filling up the hollow chamber 15. In its initial position shown in FIG. 1, the air bubble 17 rests against the cover plate 14 and extends concentrically around the axis A of the rotation-symmetrically shaped hollow chamber 15.
The cover plate 14 is formed as a hybrid plate and is equipped on one side with electronic components.
As shown in the sectional view of FIG. 1, an electrical circuit element RS in the form of an ohmic resistance element has been installed on the side of the surface of the cover plate 14 oriented towards the lower body housing 13.
As shown in FIG. 2, the electric circuit element RS in the form of an ohmic resistance element is a part of a Wheatstone bridge circuit with resistors RS, RT.sub.1, RT.sub.2, D.sub.1, D.sub.2 and D.sub.3, forming the evaluation circuit of the sensor in accordance with FIG. 1. A constan
REFERENCES:
patent: 3114209 (1963-12-01), Foody
patent: 4359717 (1982-11-01), Huber
patent: 4583296 (1986-04-01), Dell'Acqua
patent: 4771271 (1988-09-01), Zainini-Fisher
patent: 5153556 (1992-10-01), Hecht et al.
Foell Uwe
Kippelt Ulrich
Ziegenbein Botho
Chapman John E.
Robert & Bosch GmbH
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