Microstrain, Inc.

Lord Corporation

Micro Strain Company

Steven Ward Mundell

Steven Willard Arms

David Lawrence Churchill

Christopher P Townsend

Christoper P Townsend

Michael John Hamel

Christophor Pruyn Townsend

A system includes a structure and a component. The component including an energy providing device and a protective cover. The structure has a structure surface. The protective cover has a protective cover attachment surface mounted on the structure surface. The energy providing device is located within the protective cover. The protective cover has a protective cover outer surface. The protective cover outer surface is oriented to face a first direction from which an impact load may strike the protective cover outer surface and shear the protective cover from the structure surface. The protective cover outer surface has an outer surface shape facing the first direction. At least a portion of an impact load striking any region of the protective cover outer surface facing the first direction is transferred by the outer surface shape into a compression load.

Cover for protecting component from shear force

A device for mounting on a structure surface includes a component, a circuit, a moisture barrier, and a protective cover. The moisture barrier is within the protective cover. The component and the circuit are within the moisture barrier. The component is for bonding to the structure surface with a bond susceptible to damage from moisture. The circuit includes a radio frequency transmitter. The circuit is for providing data derived from the component to the radio frequency transmitter for external transmission.

Component and circuit with moisture barrier, transmitter, and protective cover

Strain gauge with moisture barrier

A device includes a structure, a strain sensor and a light curable adhesive. The structure has a structure surface. The light curable adhesive bonds the strain sensor to the structure surface.

Strain sensor mounted with light curable adhesive

A device for providing displacement information includes a housing holding a displacement sensor. The displacement sensor includes a coil and a captive core. An electrical measurement of the coil provides information about displacement of the core. The coil has an axis extending in a first direction, wherein the housing has a minimum outside dimension that is less than 3.00 mm when measured perpendicular to that first direction. The housing has an inner surface having a housing inside dimension. The housing is for holding a displacement sensor and a guidance mechanism. The displacement sensor includes a coil and a captive core having a core outside dimension. The guidance mechanism includes a first part and a second part for guiding the core. The first part includes a bearing connected to the housing. The bearing has an axial hole having a hole dimension about equal to the core outside dimension. The core slidably extends through this axial hole. The second part has a second part outside dimension about equal to the housing inside dimension. The guidance mechanism is for resisting lateral movement and lateral rotation of the core while allowing axial movement of the core into and out of the coil.

Microminiature gauging displacement sensor

A structure includes a structure surface and a protective cover. The protective cover includes a circuit having a component, a moisture detector, and a radio frequency transmitter. The component is adhesively connected to the structure surface with an adhesive connection. The moisture detector is positioned to provide information about moisture in the protective cover. The circuit is for providing data derived from the component and from the moisture detector to the radio frequency transmitter for external transmission. The component may be a strain sensor. The moisture detector may be a capacitor. A moisture barrier may also be provided.

Strain gauge with moisture barrier and self-testing circuit

Improved coils and clamps for variable reluctance sensors are disclosed. A method of fabricating a discrete coil involves providing a conductor wound in a coil on a tube. The coil has a coil outer surface that has insulation. A window is opened in the insulation on the coil outer surface to expose conductor of the coil for a contact. A movable core is provided within the tube for adjusting inductance of the coil. In one embodiment, the coil and tube are diced into small coils after the windows for each coil are opened. Another aspect the invention is a clamp comprising an elastic material, a shape memory alloy, and an apparatus for activating the shape memory alloy. The clamp holds the moveable core in its peak position. When the alloy is activated it changes shape and provides a force on the elastic material to change clamping state for resetting the transducer. The coils and clamps can be used for a variety of purposes in addition to the variable reluctance sensors.

Method of fabricating a coil and clamp for variable reluctance transducer

Miniaturized pressure equalized displacement sensor assembly

The novel inclined plate 360 degree absolute angle sensor is designed to measure the absolute angle created by a base and a rotating surface. The assembly contains a metal inclined plate positioned above four coils so that coils one and two are at the minimum and maximum distance from the plate respectively, while at the same time, coils three and four are equidistant from the inclined plate. Rotation of the plate around a centerline, changes the distance that all four coils with respect to the inclined plate which, in turn, creates a change of the inductance of the coils. This change in inductance may be measured with alternating current bridge technologies in order to provide a measure of absolute angular position of a rotating surface with respect to the base.

Growing community of inventors

Richmond, VT, United States of America

Steven Ward Mundell