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US5121633A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Semiconductor accelerometer

Assignee: Nissan Motor Co Ltd
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Filing: 1988-12-16
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Granted: 1992-06-16
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Expires: 2008-12-16
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Abstract

Abstract A semiconductor accelerometer including a weight, a support frame surrounding the weight with a gap therebetween, at least one beam for connecting the weight to the support frame, a piezoresistor attached onto the beam for detecting acceleration, and stoppers for restricting the movement of the weight relative to the support frame, in which at least one first projection integrally mounted to the weight and at least one second projection integrally mounted to the support frame cooperate to function as the stoppers. At least one first cross member and at least one second cross member may cooperate with the first and second projections. First and second stopping members may also cooperate with the first and second projections.

Inventors

  • 👤 Koichi Murakami
  • 👤 Hiroyuki Kaneko
  • 👤 Kraisorn Throngnumchai

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-07 19:30
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01P; G01P15/00; G01P15/02; G01P15/08; G01P15/0802; G01P15/12; G01P15/123; G01P2015/0805; G01P2015/0822; G01P2015/0825; G01P2015/0828

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim 107 words
A semiconductor accelerometer, comprising: a weight; a support frame surrounding the weight, with a gap therebetween; at least one beam for connecting the weight to the support frame; means for detecting acceleration attached to the beam; and stopper means for restricting the movement of the weight relative to the support frame, the stopper means comprising: at least one first projection integrally mounted to the weight; and at least one second projection integrally mounted to the support frame, the first and second projections overlapping at least their portions with each other in the moving direction of the weight with a certain gap between the first and second projections.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 107 words
A semiconductor accelerometer, comprising: a weight; a support frame surrounding the weight, with a gap therebetween; at least one beam for connecting the weight to the support frame; means for detecting acceleration attached to the beam; and stopper means for restricting the movement of the weight relative to the support frame, the stopper means comprising: at least one first projection integrally mounted to the weight; and at least one second projection integrally mounted to the support frame, the first and second projections overlapping at least their portions with each other in the moving direction of the weight with a certain gap between the first and second projections.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 13 words
The accelerometer of claim 1, wherein the acceleration detecting means is a piezoresistor.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 158 words
A semiconductor accelerometer, comprising: a weight; a support frame surrounding the weight, with a gap therebetween; at least one beam for connecting the weight to the support frame; means for detecting acceleration attached to the beam; and stopper means for restricting the movement of the weight relative to the support frame, the stopper means comprising: at least two first projections integrally mounted to the weight; at least two second projections integrally mounted to the support frame, the first and second projections alternately aligning in a plane approximately perpendicular to the moving direction of the weight, with a first gap between the first and second projections; at least one first cross member crossing over one of the second projections with a second gap therebetween and connecting adjacent two of the first projections; and at least one second cross member crossing over one of the first projections with the second gap therebetween and connecting adjacent two of the second projections.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 158 words
A semiconductor accelerometer, comprising: a weight; a support frame surrounding the weight, with a gap therebetween; at least one beam for connecting the weight to the support frame; means for detecting acceleration attached to the beam; and stopper means for restricting the movement of the weight relative to the support frame, the stopper means comprising: at least two first projections integrally mounted to the weight; at least two second projections integrally mounted to the support frame, the first and second projections alternately aligning in a plane approximately perpendicular to the moving direction of the weight, with a first gap between the first and second projections; at least one first cross member crossing over one of the second projections with a second gap therebetween and connecting adjacent two of the first projections; and at least one second cross member crossing over one of the first projections with the second gap therebetween and connecting adjacent two of the second projections.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 13 words
The accelerometer of claim 3, wherein the acceleration detecting means is a piezoresistor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 39 words
The semiconductor accelerometer of claim 3, wherein the first and second cross members are flat, and the second and first projections under the first and second cross members are thinner than remaining ones of the second and first projections.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 99 words
A semiconductor accelerometer, comprising: a weight, a support frame surrounding the weight with a gap therebetween; at least one beam for connecting the weight to the support frame; means for detecting acceleration, attached onto the beam; and stopper means for restricting the movement of the weight relative to the support frame, the stopper means comprising: at least one first projection integrally mounted to the weight; and at least one second projectior integrally mounted to the support frame, the first projection extending toward the support frame to interpose between the second projection and the support frame with certain gaps therebetween.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 99 words
A semiconductor accelerometer, comprising: a weight, a support frame surrounding the weight with a gap therebetween; at least one beam for connecting the weight to the support frame; means for detecting acceleration, attached onto the beam; and stopper means for restricting the movement of the weight relative to the support frame, the stopper means comprising: at least one first projection integrally mounted to the weight; and at least one second projectior integrally mounted to the support frame, the first projection extending toward the support frame to interpose between the second projection and the support frame with certain gaps therebetween.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 13 words
The accelerometer of claim 6, wherein the acceleration detecting means is a piezoresistor.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 97 words
A semiconductor accelerometer, comprising: a weight; a support frame surrounding the weight with a gap therebetween; at least one beam for connecting the weight to the support frame; means for detecting acceleration, attached onto the beam; and stopper means for restricting the movement of the weight relative to the support frame, the stopper means comprising: at least one first projection integrally mounted to the weight; and at least one second projection integrally mounted to the support frame, the second projection extending toward the weight to interpose between the first projection and the weight with certain gaps therebetween.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 97 words
A semiconductor accelerometer, comprising: a weight; a support frame surrounding the weight with a gap therebetween; at least one beam for connecting the weight to the support frame; means for detecting acceleration, attached onto the beam; and stopper means for restricting the movement of the weight relative to the support frame, the stopper means comprising: at least one first projection integrally mounted to the weight; and at least one second projection integrally mounted to the support frame, the second projection extending toward the weight to interpose between the first projection and the weight with certain gaps therebetween.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 13 words
The accelerometer of claim 8, wherein the acceleration detecting means is a piezoresistor.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 123 words
A semiconductor accelerometer, comprising: a weight; a support frame surrounding the weight, with a gap therebetween; at least one beam for connecting the weight to the support frame; means for detecting acceleration attached to the beam; and stopper means for restricting the movement of the weight relative to the support frame, the stopper means comprising: at least two first projections extending from the weight to overlap with the support frame with a certain gap therebetween; and at least two second projections extending from the support to overlap with the weight with the certain gap therebetween, the first and second projections alternately aligning in a plane approximately perpendicular to the moving direction of the weight with a gap between the first and second projections.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 123 words
A semiconductor accelerometer, comprising: a weight; a support frame surrounding the weight, with a gap therebetween; at least one beam for connecting the weight to the support frame; means for detecting acceleration attached to the beam; and stopper means for restricting the movement of the weight relative to the support frame, the stopper means comprising: at least two first projections extending from the weight to overlap with the support frame with a certain gap therebetween; and at least two second projections extending from the support to overlap with the weight with the certain gap therebetween, the first and second projections alternately aligning in a plane approximately perpendicular to the moving direction of the weight with a gap between the first and second projections.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 13 words
The accelerometer of claim 10, wherein the acceleration detecting means is a piezoresistor.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 144 words
A semiconductor accelerometer, comprising: a weight; a support frame surrounding the weight, with a gap therebetween; at least one beam for connecting the weight to the support frame; means for detecting acceleration, attached onto the beam; and stopper means for restricting the movement of the weight relative to the support frame, the stopper means comprising: a first stopping member disposed on the support frame; a second stopping member disposed on the weight; at least two first projections extending from the weight to position under the first stopping member with a certain gap therebetween; and at least two second projections extending from the support frame to position under the second stopping member with the certain gap therebetween, the first and second projections alternately aligning in a plane approximately perpendicular to the moving direction of the weight with a gap between the first and second projections.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 144 words
A semiconductor accelerometer, comprising: a weight; a support frame surrounding the weight, with a gap therebetween; at least one beam for connecting the weight to the support frame; means for detecting acceleration, attached onto the beam; and stopper means for restricting the movement of the weight relative to the support frame, the stopper means comprising: a first stopping member disposed on the support frame; a second stopping member disposed on the weight; at least two first projections extending from the weight to position under the first stopping member with a certain gap therebetween; and at least two second projections extending from the support frame to position under the second stopping member with the certain gap therebetween, the first and second projections alternately aligning in a plane approximately perpendicular to the moving direction of the weight with a gap between the first and second projections.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 13 words
The accelerometer of claim 12, wherein the acceleration detecting means is a piezoresistor.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

JPS48102988A Cited
JPS6197572A Cited
JPS61144576A Cited
US4891985A Cited
US4829822A Cited
GB2207758A Cited
JPS6469366A Cited
US4882933A Cited
US4901570A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1995-06-16 1995-12-16 1996-06-16 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1999-06-16 1999-12-16 2000-06-16 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2003-06-16 2003-12-16 2004-06-16 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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