The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 12, 1996
Filed:
Jul. 11, 1994
Motohiro Kinoshita, Kyoto, JP;
Fumitoshi Masuda, Kyoto, JP;
Masanori Oshima, Kyoto, JP;
Hiromu Okunishi, Kyoto, JP;
Kiminori Yamauchi, Kyoto, JP;
Abstract
First and second fixed electrodes are fixedly provided on a housing which is mounted on a surface whose inclination angle is to be detected. A rotatable electrode is inserted between these fixed electrodes, and this rotatable electrode is mounted on a shaft which is rotatably provided on the housing. The rotatable electrode is made to regularly face a constant direction with respect to the gravitational direction. The first fixed electrode has a central angle of 180.degree., for example, and is split into a first fixed split electrode member having a central angle of 60.degree. and a second fixed split electrode member having a central angle of 120.degree.. Wires are connected to the fixed split electrode members respectively, thereby taking out two series-connected capacitances which are formed by the respective ones of the first and second fixed split electrode members and the rotatable electrode. The second fixed electrode is structured similarly to the first fixed electrode. Thus, it is possible to detect the inclination angle of the surface to be measured on the basis of the capacitances.