Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080229818 | THERMAL FLOWMETER - To reduce power consumption by a thermal flowmeter while good flow-rate detection sensitivity is maintained, it is only necessary to reduce power consumption by a heat resistor under predetermined conditions. Specifically, provided that a width Wh of the heat resistor is between 100 micrometers and 400 micrometers inclusive (100≦Wh≦400), it is only necessary that a relationship among the length Lh of the heat resistor, a temperature increase ΔTh for the heat resistor, and a maximum permissible power Phmax to be supplied to the heat resistor be set so as to satisfy a formula 1.4≦ΔTh·Lh/Phmax≦2.8 in order to maintain good flow-rate detection sensitivity. Accordingly, the length of the heat resistor and the temperature increase in the heat resistor are set so that the maximum power consumption can be reduced within a range in which the formula is satisfied. | 09-25-2008 |
20080282791 | Thermal Flowmeter - A simply configured thermal flowmeter can provide high measurement accuracy over a long period of time by suppressing the characteristics degradation due to adhering contaminants. On the surface of a diaphragm part, a heater resistor is formed. Temperature difference sensors through are disposed on the two sides of the heater resistor (upstream and downstream sides in the flow direction of an air stream). The temperature difference sensors are disposed upstream of the heater resistor while the temperature difference sensors are disposed downstream of the heater resistor. Outside the temperature difference sensors, heating temperature sensors are formed. Control is performed so that the temperature of the heating temperature sensors is set higher than the air stream temperature by a certain degree. Therefore, even if contaminants adhere to the sensor device, the temperature of the heating temperature sensors is held constant. Since the temperature difference sensors to detect the flow rate is located between the heating temperature sensors, the temperature change due to the contamination is small. This suppresses the characteristics degradation, making it possible to provide high measurement accuracy over a long period of time. | 11-20-2008 |
20090000372 | Thermal Flow Measurement Device - Conventional thermal flow measurement devices lack consideration for automobiles in severe environments. A detection element of the thermal flow measurement device according to the present invention is structured by the provision of a planar substrate made of a material having good thermal conductivity, such as silicon or ceramic, with a thin-walled portion (diaphragm). On the surface of the thin-walled portion, the detection element comprises a heat element as a heater heated to a temperature being different to a predetermined extent from the temperature of the air flow to be measured, temperature-detecting resistors as temperature-detecting means on both sides of the heat element, wiring portions formed of electrical conductors that draw signal lines from the heat element and the temperature-detecting resistors and that have a melting point of 2000° C. or higher, and pads. | 01-01-2009 |
20090049909 | Hydraulic Controller - A hydraulic controller including a cabinet, a hydraulic pipe block having a passage, a linearly driving actuator having a piston to open and close the passage in the hydraulic pipe block, a printed wiring board having a circuit for driving the linearly driving actuator, and a vibrating angular velocity sensor having two vibrators which can move in a Coriolis force detection direction orthogonal to vibration directions, wherein
| 02-26-2009 |
20090235742 | ANGULAR VELOCITY MEASURING DEVICE - An oscillator is oscillated at a predetermined oscillation frequency. A detecting unit exerts Coriolis force on the oscillator. A repetitive control system applies an external force to the oscillator so as to cancel out the Coriolis force to achieve an angular velocity measuring operation at a high sensitivity and a high S/N ratio. | 09-24-2009 |
20090241660 | THERMAL TYPE FLOWMETER - In the thermal type flowmeter for measuring the flow rate by a measuring element with an exothermic resistor and a temperature measuring resistor being shaped in the side of the surface of a substrate, a facing wall facing the surface of the measuring element is arranged, cantilever plate parts protruding from the facing wall toward the measuring element side are arranged, a gap is provided between the tip of the cantilever plate parts and the measuring element, and the cantilever plate parts are extended from the upper stream to the down stream of the measuring element. | 10-01-2009 |
20100095769 | Angular Velocity Measuring Device - Disclosed herein is an angular velocity measuring device including: first and second oscillators elastically supported on a substrate; an elastic connecting beam elastically connecting the first and the second oscillator; and an oscillating means for oscillating the first and the second oscillator for differential oscillation, wherein a viscous force generating means for suppressing in-phase oscillation of the first and the second oscillator is incorporated into the elastic connecting beam. | 04-22-2010 |
20100132462 | Angular Velocity Detecting Apparatus - An angular velocity detecting apparatus including one synchronous detection unit alternately detecting synchronously a displacement signal from a vibrating body with a plurality of synchronous detection signals; one integral calculation unit alternately carrying out integral calculations of a plurality of outputs of the synchronous detection unit; a unit alternately multiplying a plurality of AC signals with two outputs obtained with the synchronous detection unit; a unit adding the two multiplied outputs; and a unit feeding back the output of the addition unit to vibrating body. | 06-03-2010 |
20100170335 | THERMAL TYPE FLOW SENSOR - A thermal type flow sensor measures a flow rate of a fluid by means of a heat resistive element having a temperature dependency. The sensor is comprised of: plural heat resistive elements used for a flow rate measurement; and a driver circuit for controlling a current applied to these heat resistive elements to cause their heating. The driver circuit is configured to sense a resistance change of a lower-temperature side heat resistive element among the plural heat resistive elements and to control the current to be applied to the plural heat resistive elements in accordance with a sensed value of the lower-resistance's variation. | 07-08-2010 |
20100242591 | Thermal-Type Flowmeter - The present invention provides a highly-sensitive thermal-type flow-rate sensor with enhanced reliability. Provided is a thermal-type flow-rate sensor including: a passage into which a measurement-target fluid is introduced; and a sensor element which is provided in the passage and which measures the flow rate of the measurement-target fluid. The sensor element | 09-30-2010 |
20110048127 | Thermal Humidity Sensor - Provided is a high-precision, mechanically robust thermal humidity sensor. A detecting element | 03-03-2011 |
20110056291 | Angular Velocity Detecting Apparatus - An angular-velocity detecting apparatus including a synchronous-detection unit for performing the synchronous detection of a displacement signal from a vibrator, a unit for changing a voltage value so that the output of the synchronous-detection unit always becomes equal to its maximum value, the voltage value being applied to a resonant-frequency adjusting electrode, and a unit for feeding back the output of the voltage-value changing unit to the resonant-frequency adjusting electrode in a detection-axis direction. | 03-10-2011 |
20110154885 | Thermal Gas Sensor - The present invention provides a high-responsiveness and high-accuracy thermal gas sensor configured to enable gas to be analyzed based on a variation in heat conductivity. The thermal gas sensor includes a substrate | 06-30-2011 |
20110238363 | Apparatus for Detecting Angular Velocity and Acceleration - An apparatus for detecting angular velocity and acceleration having diagnosing units for diagnosing the function of detecting angular velocity; diagnosing units for diagnosing the function of detecting acceleration; a diagnosing unit for a DSP or a MPU; multiple ROMs storing the same data; a diagnosing unit for the ROMs; a diagnosing unit for a RAM; a unit for outputting the outputs of the angular velocity sensor, the acceleration sensor and the results of diagnoses all together in response to an output command from an external device; and a unit for sending error detection codes along with the sensor outputs and the result of diagnoses when the sensor outputs and the results of diagnoses are outputted together. | 09-29-2011 |
20110252886 | Angular Velocity Sensor - Failures can be detected with high accuracy even the ambient temperature changes or background vibration is applied. An angular velocity sensor is composed of a vibrator which is elastically and displaceably supported on a substrate; a driving means which vibrates the vibrator in the drive axis direction horizontal to the substrate surface; a displacement detecting means in the detection axis direction, which detects a displacement of the vibrator in the detection axis direction horizontal to the substrate surface and perpendicular to the drive axis direction; an angular velocity detecting means which detects an angular velocity based on the displacement of the vibrator in the detection axis direction; a self-vibration detecting means that detects self-vibration of the vibrator, which is generated due to leakage in the detection axis direction of the vibration of the vibrator in the drive axis direction; a self-vibration feedback circuit which completely cancels the self-vibration of the vibrator; and an abnormality determining means which determines abnormality using an output from the self-vibration detecting means. | 10-20-2011 |
20110260740 | Angular Velocity Detection Device - The present invention aims to provide an angular velocity detection device which is capable of reducing the effect of coupling between a drive electrode and a first displacement detection electrode by a floating capacity, and is low in cost. In the angular velocity detection device, an oscillating body | 10-27-2011 |
20120105080 | Electrostatic Capacitance Type Physical Quantity Sensor and Angular Velocity Sensor - The present invention provides a high-accuracy electrostatic capacitance type physical quantity sensor and angular velocity sensor configured so as to be capable of suppressing noise derived from internal noise while maintaining resistance to externally-incoming noise. A detection element | 05-03-2012 |
20120160024 | INTAKE TEMPERATURE SENSOR - An intake temperature sensor capable of precisely detecting the temperature of intake at high speed even in a low air mass flow zone is provided. In an intake temperature sensor having a temperature detecting element | 06-28-2012 |
20120192632 | Intake Air Temperature Sensor and Thermal Airflow Meter Including the Same - An intake air temperature sensor capable of detecting an intake air temperature highly accurately and at high speed. The intake air temperature sensor of the present invention includes: a secondary passage | 08-02-2012 |
20120192644 | Thermal Flow Sensor - A thermal flow sensor includes a heater temperature controller that realizes stable startup characteristics and prevents degradation of a sensor element and can also accommodate a smaller heater. The sensor also includes a semiconductor substrate; a cavity portion provided in the semiconductor substrate; a dielectric film provided on the semiconductor substrate; a thin layer area formed as a result of the dielectric film covering the cavity portion; a heating resistor provided in the thin layer area on the dielectric film; a first temperature-sensitive resistor provided in the thin layer area on the dielectric film; a heating controller; a second temperature-sensitive resistor provided near the heating resistor; and a flow rate detector that detects a flow rate of a fluid on the basis of temperature of the second temperature-sensitive resistor. The heating controller controls the temperature of the heating resistor on the basis of first and second reference temperatures. | 08-02-2012 |
20120279294 | THERMAL TYPE FLOW SENSOR - A thermal type flow sensor measures a flow rate of a fluid by means of a heat resistive element having a temperature dependency. The sensor is comprised of: plural heat resistive elements used for a flow rate measurement; and a driver circuit for controlling a current applied to these heat resistive elements to cause their heating. The driver circuit is configured to sense a resistance change of a lower-temperature side heat resistive element among the plural heat resistive elements and to control the current to be applied to the plural heat resistive elements in accordance with a sensed value of the lower-resistance's variation. | 11-08-2012 |
20130093432 | Disconnection Detection Circuit for Bridge Circuit and System Including Disconnection Detecting Means - In an existing disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit, consideration is not taken into the fact that an offset voltage or temperature characteristic of a bridge output is degraded. Provided is a disconnection detection circuit for a bridge circuit capable of suppressing a change in a characteristic of a sensor to a minimal extent. A disconnection detection circuit | 04-18-2013 |
20130145840 | THERMAL FLOWMETER - Measuring flow rate of gas based on amount of heat transfer from gas to temperature-sensing resistors, comprises: substrate having hollow space formed therethrough; an insulating film deposited on the substrate so as to cover the hollow space; a heat-generating resistor formed on the insulating film; temperature-sensing resistors arranged adjacent to the heat-generating resistor; electrodes arranged at an edge of the semiconductor substrate so electrodes are parallel to the edge; and wiring connecting the electrodes and heat-generating resistors. Thermal resistance of a first area is made almost equal to thermal resistance of a second area, first area is defined by the side of the heat-generating resistor closer to the electrodes and by the side of the hollow space closer to the electrodes, and the second area is defined by the opposite side of the heat-generating resistor and by the opposite side of the hollow space. | 06-13-2013 |
20130199280 | Thermal Flow Meter - An object of the present invention is to provide a thermal type flow rate sensor that offers high sensitivity and improved reliability. A sensor element according to the present invention includes a semiconductor substrate, a cavity portion formed on the semiconductor substrate, a heating resistor formed on the cavity portion via an electrically insulating film, a heating temperature sensor for detecting heating temperature of the heating resistor, and a driving circuit for controlling the heating temperature of the heating resistor using the temperature detected by the heating temperature sensor. The heating temperature sensor comprises temperature-sensitive resistors having resistance values varying according to temperature and disposed upstream and downstream of a direction of flow of a fluid to be measured relative to the heating resistor and on upper and lower sides in a direction perpendicular to the direction of flow of the fluid to be measured relative to the heating resistor. | 08-08-2013 |
20130313675 | Thermal Type Flowmeter - Provided is a compact thermal type flowmeter that can perform a partial thermal treatment on a sensor element portion without affecting other elements and can improve the reliability of a sensor element while improving the sensitivity of the sensor element. | 11-28-2013 |