Abstract: An acceleration sensor element including a weight, a support having a hollow part, which is disposed around the weight as a center, and a flexible plate having piezoelectric elements including a piezoelectric body sandwiched by at least one set of electrodes and disposed horizontally across the support to suspend the weight at the hollow part of the support. Acceleration applied from the exterior is converted into deflection of the flexible plate based on movement of the weight corresponding to the acceleration, and the direction and rate of the acceleration are three-dimensionally determined from the electric charges generated from the piezoelectric body corresponding to deflection of the flexible plate. The piezoelectric elements are disposed to be continuously constructed over the flexible parts of the flexible plate from the upper part of the weight and/or the support at the plane of projection seen from the upper part of the flexible plate.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ultrasonic probe and method for making the same is provided which has an advantageous construction and method of assembly. The ultrasonic probe has a segmented ultrasonic transducer having a plurality of individual independent transducers, a plurality of piezoelectric transducers connected to a first end of a respective individual independent transducer; and a plurality of electrical connections electrically communicating each the piezoelectric transducer with a power source.

Abstract: An acceleration threshold sensor includes a supporting device, a seismic mass, and a connecting device with the aid of which the seismic mass is attached to the supporting device. The connecting device is provided with a predetermined breaking point interrupting the connection between the seismic mass and the supporting device when said seismic mass is subjected to an acceleration exceeding a predetermined acceleration. This sensor has a simple structural design, can be produced at a reasonable price and is always ready to carry out a measurement. Additionally, this sensor is able to store, without any auxiliary power, that it has been subjected to an acceleration exceeding a predetermined acceleration.

Abstract: A center mass and a pair of outer masses are connected to each other via supporting beams displaceable in the X-axial direction. When an angular velocity sensor is operated, a vibration generator causes masses to vibrate substantially at opposite phases to each other with respect to the X-axial direction. In this state, if an angular velocity on the Y-axis is added, the displacements of the masses, caused when the masses are displaced in the Z-axial direction, are detected as the angular velocity. Moreover, fixing portions, formed on a substrate, support the nodes of the supporting beams corresponding to the nodes to suppress vibration of the masses from being transmitted to the substrate.

Abstract: The invention provides a capacitive micro sensor that suppresses electric noise generated around the electrodes and enhances the S/N ratio to thereby enhance the detection sensitivity. The gyroscope of the invention includes a tuning fork having three legs, driving electrodes and detecting electrodes provided on two glass substrates, driving field-throughs that supply the driving electrodes with a drive signal, and detecting fields-through that extract a detecting signal from the detecting electrodes. And, a shield member between the detecting and the driving, shield members between the detecting and the detecting, and shield members between the driving and the driving are provided, which makes electrostatic shielding between the adjacent field-throughs of the areas where the driving field-throughs and the detecting field-throughs are arrayed.

Abstract: An ultrasonic image process and system for accurately evaluating the quality of a weld using ultrasonic responses and operator entered data to enhance the quality of weld inspection. Ultrasonic responses useful in accurately indicating the actual location of the weldment, detecting the actual component thickness and the location and characteristic of any other relevant ultrasonic reflectors located in or near the weld heat effected zone are input to a composite image of a weldment for the purpose of enhancing the quality and the ease of detecting, evaluating and sizing of weld defects. Through the superposition of ultrasonic image data from additional complimentary sensors and operator inputs based on prior known data, useful images can be formed to improve the decision making in weldment inspection and evaluation.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an imaging system for harmonic imaging of an object in a medium. The system comprises a transducer formed of a single crystal of a piezoelectric material, a transmitter for transmitting waves into the medium, a receiver for receiving echoed waves from the medium, and a control system electrically connected to the transmitter and the receiver which is used control the operation of the transmitter and interpret signals received by the receiver. In a preferred embodiment, the single crystal of piezoelectric material comprises a PMN-PT material or a PZN-PT material. Through use of this material, −6 dB bandwidths of at least approximately 95% are obtainable.

Abstract: The present invention is an acceleration sensor chip comprising a support frame part and a sensor structure. The sensor structure includes a displaceable weight part with a magnetic thin film formed on the surface and at least one beam part for connecting the weight part to the frame part. The support frame part and sensor structure are formed on a silicon substrate through an insulating layer. The insulating layer between the sensor structure and the silicon substrate is removed and a coil is formed to surround the weight part on the support frame part at the periphery of the weight part. In some embodiments, the accelerator sensor chip comprises a plurality of such sensor structures.

Abstract: An apparatus and method monitors the condition of a bearing/shaft assembly by forming diagnostics based on spectral analysis of assembly's vibration. Baseline parameters are determined by a microprocessor analysis of the vibration spectra, comparing actual peaks to the peaks predicted by a model. The microprocessor estimates rotation rate and preferably number of rolling elements by attempting to fit the model to the actual vibrational spectrum, by varying the assumptions. Baseline profiles are formed from one or more selected tones and preferably also harmonics thereof, to characterize the bearing/shaft assembly. The baseline profiles and parameters are compared against later acquired vibrational characteristics, and the comparison is used to diagnose bearing and/or shaft conditions.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for determining the damage on at least one cyclically moving machine component, whereby a signal caused by the motion of the component is picked up by a sensor. At least one portion of the signal with an adjustable period is separated, and the remaining or separated part of the signal is subjected to damage analysis. In addition, a process and apparatus for separating periodic signal portions from a signal is provided, whereby the signal is supplied as an input signal to a rotating ring storage which is formed by cyclically arranged storage elements which are supplied in succession with the input signal currently at the input of the ring storage. A rotation frequency is synchronized with the period duration of the desired signal portions, and the desired signal portions are obtained as the output signal of the ring storage.

Abstract: The invention has been developed to find out a blemish on the surface of a disk (in particular, a stroke mark in the CSS area) without opening up a hard disk. Furthermore, the invention is intended not to cause extra labor or cost in fabrication of hard disks, and to be applicable to hard disk already in widespread use. To this end, with an acoustic inspection method of the invention, inspection of whether or not a blemish has been inflicted on the surface of a disk (in particular, a blemish in the CSS area) can be conducted without opening up the hard disk by detecting vibration occurring when a head of the hard drive comes into collision with the blemish on the disk from vibration propagating to a housing of the hard disk.

Abstract: A wheel inspection system based on electromagnetic acoustic signals and having improved inspection by the use of a noise removing system and/or a pivotal mounting system. The invention also includes an improved detection head and data analysis.

Abstract: Matching multiple wheel rims and tires based upon runout and force variation measurements using balancing equipment. Centering errors and mounting errors are also reduced or eliminated. The method includes adjusting the rotational positions of the tires with respect to the wheel rims to compensate for wheel rim run-out and wheel/tire assembly force variations.

Abstract: The advisory speed meter is used to determine the advisory speed for a highway curve or to provide data for use in determining the advisory speed for a highway curve. The meter determines and records the maximum lateral horizontal acceleration experienced by a vehicle and occupants while traversing a highway curve. The meter has been extensively tested on rural curves and on entrance and exit and connecting ramps between all types of highways. The process for determining an advisory speed for a curve is described. The advisory speed meter provides accurate, reproducible data for use in determining advisory speeds for highway curves.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to improve the efficiency of a driving operation of an angular rate sensor employing a tuning fork oscillator made of single crystalline piezoelectric material such as quartz. In order to achieve the object of the present invention, a tuning fork oscillator assembled directly has driver electrodes and detector electrodes provided on a first main surface, a second main surface, an outer surface, and an inner surface of a arm, respectively. The oscillator also has a driver electrode, a monitor electrode, and detector electrodes provided on a first main surface, a second main surface, an inner surface, and an outer surface of the other arm thereof, respectively. A driving voltage is supplied from a driving power source so that the two driver electrodes may be equal in the polarity while the polarity of the driver electrode is opposite to that of the driver electrodes.

Abstract: Diapason type gyrometers using a micro-mechanical structure of vibrating beams. The gyrometer includes a micro-machined sensitive element with at least two symmetrically positioned excitation beams on each side of and parallel to a sensitive Oy axis of the gyrometer. The two beams are connected at their ends through at least one transverse element fixed in its central part to the sensitive Oy axis, to a frame through an elastic torsion return element acting in opposition to the rotation of the transverse element about the Oy axis. The elastic return elements are sized such that the variation of their resonant natural frequency in torsion with temperature is similar to the variation of the resonant natural frequency in bending of the beams with temperature. Such a device may find particular application in the measurement of the angular velocity of a mobile.

Abstract: An ultrasonic aligning device for laterally aligning a rail testing device with respect to a rail has an ultrasonic transducer formed of an array of closely spaced ultrasonic elements, with center to center distances between elements being selected to determine incremental lateral positions of the array relative to the rail. The ultrasonic elements are selectively actuated to cause the generation of ultrasonic beams towards the base portion of the rail. Reflections from the base portion are detected to produce reflection signals representative of the incidence of the ultrasonic beam onto said base portion. The reflection signals are processed by a reflection analyzer for a determination of the lateral offset of the ultrasonic array relative to the rail. A position signal indicative thereof is produced and used to laterally displace the array to achieve a desired lateral alignment of the rail testing device with the rail.

Abstract: A vibration coupling stud for use in a vibration monitoring system includes digital memory and temperature sensing devices. Data is transferred between the vibration coupling stud and a vibration monitor. Data stored in the stud may include asset identification code, measuring point identification, prior measurement data, machine or bearing part numbers, and alarm limits.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an acceleration sensor which can be provided in a place with extreme ambient temperature variations, for example, near a vehicle engine, and an acceleration detecting system having the acceleration sensor, which are used to control an occupant protection device such as an airbag. In an acceleration sensor (1, 40, 50, 160), gain of an amplifier circuit (4, 5, 6, 41, 42, 43, 51) which differentially amplifies outputs of a piezo-electric element (3) is adjusted by temperature compensation means (9), and thereby an output-temperature characteristic of the piezo-electric element (3) is compensated. Also, a capacitor (8) is inserted in parallel with the piezo-electric element (3), and thereby a composite capacity is increased. By this, a lower cut-off frequency is set to a lower frequency without increasing resistor values of a bias resistor circuit (7).

Abstract: A small-sized, high detection sensitivity and high performance acceleration sensor having directional or non-directional sensitivity is disclosed. The acceleration sensor is provided with a vibrator having uni-directional polarization and a weight connected to the vibrator. The weight is supported at the position different from the center of gravity of the total body of the vibrator and the weight itself. The vibrator is disposed so that its direction of polarization axis is either consistent or inconsistent with an axis of the torsion of the vibrator.