Patent · US Expired

Field-based movement sensor

US5016481A · kind A · utility

7Cited by
1References
6Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 11, 1990
Grant dateMay 21, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 11, 2010

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01L1/2293
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A field-based movement sensor adapted for measuring strain along a certain axis in an object on which the sensor is attached. The sensor includes a substrate having a working surface and formed with a pair of fingers projecting from a first direction, and a third finger projecting from a direction opposite the first direction, to a position between the pair of fingers. The pair of fingers and third finger extend generally perpendicular to the axis along which strain is to be measured, with the pair of fingers being moveable with respect to the third finger along the axis when the strain occurs. An electrically charged element for producing an electric field is disposed on the working surface of the third finger, and a pair of field-effect transistors (FETS) are each disposed on a working surface of a different one of the pair of fingers. As the object is subjected to strain causing the pair of fingers to move relative to the third finger, the variation in the strength of the electric field from the charged elements to the FETS is determined and this provides a measure of the variation in distance between the third finger and the pair of fingers and this, in turn, provides a measure…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.