Abstract: A vibrating gyroscope includes a tuning-fork vibrator having a base and legs. The vibrator is joined to a support plate by conductive adhesive members. The support plate includes an outer frame portion in which a joining portion is provided at a location near a longitudinal end of the outer frame portion. The joining portion is supported by a first support portion in the air gap portion. The width of the first support portion is less than the width of the joining portion. The vibrator is joined to the joining portion of the support plate.

Abstract: A free-fall detector device includes an inertial sensor, a detection circuit associated to the inertial sensor, and a signal source for supplying a read signal to the inertial sensor. The device moreover includes: a storage element, selectively connectable to the detection circuit for storing a feedback signal generated by the detection circuit in response to the read signal supplied to the inertial sensor; and a feedback circuit coupled to the storage element for supplying the feedback signal to the inertial sensor so that the detection circuit generates at least one detection signal in response to the feedback signal supplied to the inertial sensor.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to apparatus and methods for measuring elastic modulus (Young's modulus) of non-solid materials, including honeycomb ceramic materials used in the filtration and/or treatment of exhaust gasses, through a range of temperatures.

Abstract: The invention relates to an accelerometer comprising a moving mass (5) and a fixed part (2), which uses variations in capacitance (3, 4) in order to detect the movement of the mass (5). The inventive accelerometer comprises a first series of electrodes (4) which are solidly connected to the mass (5) and which are interdigitated with a series of electrodes (3, 7) which are solidly connected to the fixed part (2). According to the invention, each moving electrode (4), together with an adjacent fixed electrode (3), forms a capacitance which varies according to the position of the moving mass (5). The accelerometer further comprises an electronic circuit which is used to detect the variation in at least one capacitance between the moving mass (5) and the fixed part (2), in the form of a moving mass displacement indicator.

Abstract: An inertial sensor provided with a detection structure sensitive to a first, a second and a third component of acceleration along respective directions of detection, and generating respective electrical quantities as a function of said components of acceleration. The detection structure supplies at output a resultant electrical quantity obtained as combination of said electrical quantities, and correlated to the value of a resultant acceleration acting on the inertial sensor, given by a vector sum of the components of acceleration. In particular, the detection structure is of a microelectromechanical type, and comprises a mobile portion made of semiconductor material forming with a fixed portion a first, a second and a third detection capacitor, and an electrical-interconnection portion, connecting the detection capacitors in parallel; the resultant electrical quantity being the capacitance obtained from said connection in parallel.

Abstract: A sensor adapted for measuring acceleration, the sensor including a light source for illuminating an optical cavity; the optical cavity oriented for receiving light from the source, the optical cavity comprising a quality factor greater than or equal to about 10,000; and a photodetector for measuring a resonant frequency of light emitted from the optical cavity.

Abstract: A detection device includes a driver circuit and a detection circuit. The detection circuit includes an amplifier circuit which amplifies an output signal from a vibrator, a sensitivity adjustment circuit which performs sensitivity adjustment by variably controlling a gain, and a synchronous detection circuit which performs synchronous detection based on a reference signal. The sensitivity adjustment circuit is provided in the preceding stage of the synchronous detection circuit. The sensitivity adjustment circuit operates as a programmable-gain amplifier and a high-pass filter.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor includes a semiconductor element built in a substrate, a wiring layer formed on the substrate, and a piezoresistor, formed on the substrate and made up of a part of the wiring layer, whose resistivity changes by the action of acceleration.

Abstract: An inertial measurement unit comprises a mounting plate with an opening therethrough, and a sensor assembly disposed in the opening of the mounting plate. Upper and lower support shells having shell flanges are attached to upper and lower surfaces of the mounting plate. The upper and lower support shells surround the sensor assembly. A plurality of gas bearing pads each extends through apertures in the upper and lower support shells. Upper and lower gas plenums have plenum flanges attached to the shell flanges of the upper and lower support shells, with the upper and lower gas plenums surrounding the upper and lower support shells. Pressure relief valves are coupled to the plenum flanges of the upper and lower gas plenums. The gas bearing pads and the sensor assembly are separated by a gap when pressurized gas is fed into the upper and lower gas plenums, thereby creating a gas bearing that allows the sensor assembly to be freely suspended and rotated in all directions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided to identify unacceptable levels of porosity, microcracking or defects attributable to thermal damage. Ultrasonic signals are introduced into the workpiece, such as by means of an ultrasonic transmitter. The ultrasonic signals propagate along a predefined axis of propagation oriented at an offset angle relative to a predefined reference direction oriented normal to the workpiece. Backscattered signals are received, such as by an ultrasonic receiver, from the workpiece. A measure representative of the cumulative energy of the backscattered signals received over a predefined time interval is then determined, such as integration performed by a processing element. An anomalous response may then be detected based upon the measure representative of the cumulative energy of the backscattered signals. This anomalous response may be representative of at least a predefined amount of porosity, microcracking or thermal damage.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optic seismic MEMS sensor. More specifically, a proof mass is supported by a frame having supporting beams. The proof mass is positioned within the frame and has a hinged attachment to the beams. The proof mass has a sensor gap having a first reflector and a second reflector positioned at opposing ends of the sensor gap. An optical fiber injects light into the sensor gap and light is reflected to determine seismic movement of the proof mass with respect to the frame. Stops are provided for limiting the movement of the proof mass to minimize strain on the attachment of the beams and the proof mass.

Abstract: A wheel balancer includes a microprocessor configured to receive data associated with a vehicle wheel rim and tire assembly imbalance from at least one sensor, and to identify optimal correction weight plane locations, as well as to present the operator with the imbalance correction weight arrangement. The microprocessor is further configured to control a projection display system disposed to project a two-dimensional image onto a surface of the vehicle wheel rim and tire assembly, to facilitate completion of a wheel imbalance correction procedure.

Abstract: An active balancer for dynamically balancing a rotating machine is provided. The active balancer has a balancer body which rotates with the rotating machine and at least one controllable position counter weight having a real-time adjustable position relative to the balancer body and the rotating machine inorder to produce an actively adjustable controllable counter weight balance force for dynamically balancing the rotating machine. The active balancer includes a spring with the balancer body mounted to the rotating machine through the spring wherein the balancer body mass resonates on the spring with a torsional vibration canceling frequency which cancels a torsional vibration of the rotating machine.

Abstract: A two-axes rate sensing MEMS system. The system includes two proof masses, two drive components, two drive sense components, two orthogonal sets of substrate electrodes, and a processing device. The processing device is in signal communication with the two proof masses, the two sense components, or the two sets of substrate electrodes. The processing device determines the rate of rotation about two orthogonal axes based on signals received from the two proof masses, the two sense components, or the two substrate electrodes. Rotation about one axis will induce proofmass motion in the plane of the substrate. Rotation about an orthogonal axis will induce proofmass motion out-of-plane of the proofmasses. The sensing scheme independently detects these proof mass motion, which can infer rate of rotation.

Abstract: A phased array ultrasonic probe assembly includes, in an exemplary embodiment, a housing and a phased array transducer supported inside the housing. The housing includes a first side wall and an opposing second side wall, and a first end wall and an opposing second end wall. The first and second side walls and the first and second end walls define a housing cavity in which the phased array transducer is positioned. The first and second side walls each have an inside surface that include a plurality of projections.

Abstract: The ultrasonic probe of the ultrasonic inspection apparatus, which is pushed onto the outer surface of the reactor pressure vessel, transmits and receives an ultrasonic wave to and from a penetration having a welded portion while changing an incident angle of the ultrasonic wave. Based on a result of reception of an echo obtained by the reflection of the ultrasonic wave on the inner surface of the penetration, an inclination angle of the penetration relative to a wall surface of the reactor pressure vessel is measured. A circumferential direction position of the penetration, which corresponds to the inclination angle, is calculated based on the relationship of an inclination angle and a circumferential direction position, which have been calculated in advance. Then, the circumferential direction position can be obtained as information on the inspection position.

Abstract: A three-axis inertial sensor and a process for its fabrication using an silicon-on-oxide (SOI) wafer as a starting material. The SOI wafer has a first conductive layer separated from a second conductive layer by an insulative buried oxide (BOX) layer. The SOI wafer is fabricated to partially define in its first conductive layer at least portions of proof masses for z, x, and y-axis sensing devices of the sensor. After a conductive deposited layer is deposited and patterned to form a suspension spring for the proof mass of the z-axis sensing device, the SOI wafer is bonded to a substrate that preferably carries interface circuitry for the z, x, and y-axis devices, with the SOI wafer being oriented so that its first conductive layer faces the substrate. Portions of the BOX layer are then etched to fully release the proof masses.

Abstract: A system for ultrasonic profiling of a weld sample includes a carriage movable in opposite first and second directions. An ultrasonic sensor is coupled to the carriage to move over the sample as the carriage moves. An encoder determines the position of the carriage to determine the position of the sensor. A spring is connected at one end of the carriage. Upon the carriage being moved in the first direction toward the spring such that the carriage and the sensor are at a beginning position and the spring is compressed the spring decompresses to push the carriage back along the second direction to move the carriage and the sensor from the beginning position to an ending position. The encoder triggers the sensor to take the ultrasonic measurements of the sample when the sensor is at predetermined positions while the sensor moves over the sample between the beginning and positions.

Abstract: The present invention provides a multi-mode calibration target operable to calibrate multiple optical sensors. One embodiment has multiple planar surfaces, wherein the multiple planar surfaces are able to be distinguished by visual sensors based on their color, hue, shade, tint, or tone. Additionally, these planar surfaces may be raised or recessed from one another to provide depth contrast as well as visual contrast. Other embodiments may include narrow band emitters such as laser diodes located at predetermined locations within the multi-mode target. These targets may then be used to calibrate various sensors, such as optical sensors, within an inspection system such as a laser ultrasonic inspection system.

Abstract: An angular velocity sensor unit judging whether there is a failure in both of two angular velocity sensors. The angular velocity sensor unit includes a first angular velocity sensor (12) and a second angular velocity sensor (13), each including an oscillator having a shaft portion and an oscillatory portion. Each of the angular velocity sensors (12, 13) is arranged such that its shaft portion is not in parallel with an XY-plane defined by an X-axis and a Y-axis of three orthogonal axes. The failure of the second angular velocity sensor is judged based on whether or not a detection value of an angular velocity about a Z-axis lies outside a tolerance range of a detection value of the angular velocity about the Z-axis by the other angular velocity sensor, and the failure of the first angular velocity sensor is judged by comparison with a pseudo-calculated angular velocity.