Anisotropic Stiffness Displacement Sensor Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing displacement and strain sensors face challenges in achieving a balance between measurement sensitivity and durability, often introducing errors due to off-axis displacements and rotations, and lack effective thermal compensation and easy attachment/detachment capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A displacement and strain sensor assembly with an anisotropic stiffness design, featuring a pedestal and beams with symmetric cutouts and slots, coupled with a temperature sensor, to isolate measurements along the X-axis while minimizing errors from Y- and Z-axis displacements and rotations, and facilitating easy attachment to structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional displacement sensors are designed with high sensitivity, then measurement precision is improved, but package durability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor assembly is divided into separate functional components: a durable anisotropic mounting substrate providing structural support and protection, and a sensitive displacement sensor mounted on the substrate. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the substrate for durability and the sensor for sensitivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The anisotropic mounting substrate acts as an intermediary between the displacement sensor and the application structure. It provides mechanical isolation and protection while transmitting axial displacements to the sensor, thereby protecting the sensitive sensor from environmental damage while maintaining measurement capability.
2Ease of operation
If traditional sensors are mounted without anisotropic support, then ease of installation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to off-axis displacement errors
Solution Approach 1:
The anisotropic mounting substrate is designed with directionally dependent mechanical properties - high stiffness in the axial direction (X-axis) to transmit displacements accurately, and reduced stiffness in off-axis directions (Y and Z axes) to minimize the transmission of off-axis displacements and rotations to the sensor. This local quality differentiation enables automatic rejection of off-axis errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting substrate exhibits asymmetric mechanical response to displacements in different directions. The anisotropic design creates a non-uniform stiffness distribution that is optimized for axial measurement, naturally rejecting off-axis components through the asymmetric structural response.
3Device complexity
If temperature compensation is not included, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates due to thermal effects
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature sensor is integrated into the same anisotropic mounting substrate as the displacement sensor, combining multiple sensing functions into a single assembled unit. This merging allows both sensors to experience identical thermal conditions, enabling accurate temperature compensation while maintaining a compact configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature sensor provides real-time temperature data that can be used to compensate for thermal effects on the displacement sensor measurement. This feedback mechanism allows the system to correct for temperature-induced measurement drift, improving accuracy without requiring complex active thermal control systems.
4Reliability
If the sensor package is designed for rugged durability, then reliability is improved, but ease of attachment and detachment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor assembly uses a modular segmented design where the displacement sensor is mounted on the anisotropic substrate, which can be independently attached to or detached from the application structure. This segmentation enables the durable substrate-sensor unit to be easily installed and removed without compromising the ruggedness of the individual components.
Data Source
AI summary
A displacement, strain, and/or force sensor assembly (10, 110) has a mounting structure (12) with an anisotropic stiffness to facilitate the measurement of displacements, strains, and/or forces along the X-axis, while minimizing errors due to undesired displacements, strains, and/or forces along the Y- and Z-axes, and rotations about the X-, Y-, and Z-axes. A pedestal (30, 130) configured to respond to axial displacements along the X-axis is centrally disposed on the X-axis of the mounting structure (12), and a displacement or strain sensor (38) is coupled to the pedestal (30) to provide a measure of the displacements, strains, and/or forces. Contact pads (14, 114) are formed on opposite ends of the X-axis of the mounting structure, to enable the displacement and/or strain sensor assembly to be secured to an application structure.