TODAY’S PATENT – CAPACITIVE GRAVITY SENSOR

The CAPACITIVE GRAVITY SENSOR was invented by Jane E. Anderson (Phoenix, AZ), Harold L. Swartz (Glendale, AZ), Mario DiMarco (Phoenix, AZ) on 24^th February 1987, bearing the patent number US4644662A.

The invention relates to inclination sensing instruments and more particularly, to an instrument that provides variable capacitance as a function of inclination angle. The present invention provides a reliable inclinometer comprised of two capacitors having differential capacitor variations that are linear with tilt angle.

An inclinometer includes two coplanar electrodes positioned within a chamber of a metallic housing containing a high relative dielectric constant fluid and a gas. With the inclinometer positioned on a level surface equal areas of the two electrodes are immersed in the dielectric fluid creating two equal capacitors formed by the electrodes and the metallic housing. When the inclinometer is rotated through an inclination angle, unequal areas of the electrodes are immersed in the fluid causing a capacitance differential that is a measure of the inclination angle.