Appeal No. 1997-4050
Application 08/535,317
Appellants’ Invention
Figure 1 shows a transducer 10, useful as an accelerometer
and the like, which includes a top platen 20 having cover 22 and a
conductive surface 24 and a bottom platen 30 consisting of a cover
32, a conductive surface 34, and an insulating layer 35. A
movable member 40 covered by underlying and overlying conductive
layers 42
is supported on an elastically deformable spring structure 50.
The spring structure is connected to the covers 22 and 32. A
feedback position controller circuit 60 controls the voltage
applied to the top cover conductive surface 24 so as to hold the
movable member 40 at a selected equilibrium height between the top
and bottom platens 20,30. Circuit 60 senses changes in
capacitance between the conductive surfaces 24, 42 on the top
platen 20 and movable member
40 to determine displacement of the movable member from its
equilibrium height. It then changes the voltage applied to the
cover conductive surface 24 so as to exert a compensating force
tending to return the movable member 40 to its equilibrium height.
For a caging function, battery 100 is connected directly to
3
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