Inclination sensor with optoelectronic level

US7818891B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Sartorius AG · DE

Inventors

• Dieter Roemhild · Erfurt, DE
• Gerd Freydank · Oettingen, DE
• Herbert Rink · Oettingen, DE
• Olaf Brodersen · Erfurt, DE
• Ralf Mueller · Germersheim, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 28, 2009
• Grant date: Oct 26, 2010
• Expiry date: May 28, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01C2009/066
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An inclination sensor is provided having a level that has a liquid and a gas bubble under a covering glass in a housing. A light source is arranged above the covering glass. The inclination sensor can be used to determine a direction and degree of an inclination with high accuracy and which is suitable for automatically aligning an apparatus provided with the inclination sensor. An arrangement is provided that has at least two light receivers arranged above the covering glass such that the light that is emitted from the light source and, in the case of a centered gas bubble, is scattered on the surface of the covering glass coming in contact with the gas bubble can be detected by the at least two light receivers. Different quantities of light can be detected by the light receivers when the gas bubble is not centered, and the light source and the light receivers are arranged on a chip substrate.