Quartz pressure sensor

Claim 1

A device for measuring pressure, comprising: an outer quartz member having an opening therethrough; a pair of quartz elements each having an end wall and a sidewall and disposed in said opening of the outer member with the end walls spaced from and opposing one another and with at least a portion of the sidewalls heat sealed to the outer member; means for subjecting the end walls to the pressure to be measured to flex the end walls; and means for measuring flexure of the end walls and providing an output corresponding to the pressure.

Claim 2

A device for measuring pressure, comprising: an outer quartz member having an opening therethrough; a pair of quartz elements each having an end wall and a sidewall and disposed in said opening of the outer member with the end walls spaced from and opposing one another and with at least a portion of the sidewalls heat sealed to the outer member; means for subjecting the end walls to the pressure to be measured to flex the end walls; and means for measuring flexure of the end walls and providing an output corresponding to the pressure.

Claim 4

A device for measuring pressure, comprising: an outer member having an opening therethrough; a pair of elements each having an end wall and a sidewall and disposed in said opening of the outer member with the end walls spaced from and opposing one another and with at least a portion of the sidewalls secured to the outer member; means for subjecting the end walls to the pressure to be measured to flex the end walls; capacitOr plates formed on opposing surfaces of the end walls to form a capacitor providing an output for measuring flexure of the end walls and corresponding to the pressure; seals formed in the sidewall of each element; and conductors connected to the capacitor plates and extending through the seals.

Claim 5

A device for measuring pressure, comprising: an outer member having an opening therethrough; a pair of elements each having an end wall and a sidewall and disposed in said opening of the outer member with the end walls spaced from and opposing one another and with at least a portion of the sidewalls secured to the outer member; means for subjecting the end walls to the pressure to be measured to flex the end walls; capacitOr plates formed on opposing surfaces of the end walls to form a capacitor providing an output for measuring flexure of the end walls and corresponding to the pressure; seals formed in the sidewall of each element; and conductors connected to the capacitor plates and extending through the seals.

Claim 8

A device for measuring pressure comprising: an outer member having an opening therethrough; a pair of elements each having an end wall and a sidewall and disposed in said opening of the outer member with the end walls spaced from and opposing one another and with at least a portion of the sidewalls secured to the outer member; means for subjecting the opposing surfaces of the end walls to a first pressure including an outwardly extending tube formed on the outer member and having an opening extending therethrough to a space between the opposed surfaces of the end walls, a capillary tube having a first end connected to the outwardly extending tube and the first pressure being applied to a second end of the capillary tube; and a liquid having a stable dielectric constant contained in the space between the elements and in a portion of the capillary tube so that the first pressure is exerted on the opposing surfaces of the end walls through the liquid and the liquid is retained within the device by a meniscus formed in the capillary tube; means for subjecting the other surface of each end wall to a second pressure; and means for measuring flexure of the end walls and providing an output corresponding to the difference between the first and second pressures.

Claim 9

A device for measuring pressure comprising: an outer member having an opening therethrough; a pair of elements each having an end wall and a sidewall and disposed in said opening of the outer member with the end walls spaced from and opposing one another and with at least a portion of the sidewalls secured to the outer member; means for subjecting the opposing surfaces of the end walls to a first pressure including an outwardly extending tube formed on the outer member and having an opening extending therethrough to a space between the opposed surfaces of the end walls, a capillary tube having a first end connected to the outwardly extending tube and the first pressure being applied to a second end of the capillary tube; and a liquid having a stable dielectric constant contained in the space between the elements and in a portion of the capillary tube so that the first pressure is exerted on the opposing surfaces of the end walls through the liquid and the liquid is retained within the device by a meniscus formed in the capillary tube; means for subjecting the other surface of each end wall to a second pressure; and means for measuring flexure of the end walls and providing an output corresponding to the difference between the first and second pressures.

Claim 12

A device for sensing the difference between a first and a second pressure, comprising: a hollow member having at least one flexible wall and an opening to the interior thereof; a capillary tube connected to said opening for applying the first pressure to the interior of the member so that the first pressure is applied to an inner surface of the flexible wall; means for applying the second pressure to an outer surface of the flexible wall so that the wall flexes an amount corresponding to the difference between the first and second pressures; capacitor means having plates mounted within the hollow member for providing an output corresponding to the flexure of the flexible wall which also corresponds to the difference between the first and second pressures; and a liquid having a stable dielectric constant contained within the hollow member and a portion of the tube to maintain a constant dielectric between the plates of the capacitor, the capillary tube being arranged to retain the liquid in the device and providing for expansion and contraction of the liquid and changes in volume of the hollow member caused by flexures of the wall.

Claim 13

A device for sensing the difference between a first and a second pressure, comprising: a hollow member having at least one flexible wall and an opening to the interior thereof; a capillary tube connected to said opening for applying the first pressure to the interior of the member so that the first pressure is applied to an inner surface of the flexible wall; means for applying the second pressure to an outer surface of the flexible wall so that the wall flexes an amount corresponding to the difference between the first and second pressures; capacitor means having plates mounted within the hollow member for providing an output corresponding to the flexure of the flexible wall which also corresponds to the difference between the first and second pressures; and a liquid having a stable dielectric constant contained within the hollow member and a portion of the tube to maintain a constant dielectric between the plates of the capacitor, the capillary tube being arranged to retain the liquid in the device and providing for expansion and contraction of the liquid and changes in volume of the hollow member caused by flexures of the wall.

Claim 18

A device for sensing a differential pressure, Comprising: a pair of elements each having a flexible bottom wall and a sidewall; an outer member having an opening therethrough containing the elements positioned with their bottom walls opposed and spaced from each other, a portion of each side wall is secured to the outer member around the perimeter thereof to define an inner space between the elements and the outer member; a pair of capacitor plates formed on the opposed surfaces of the bottom walls forming a capacitor having a capacitance corresponding to the distance between the bottom walls; an outwardly extending tube formed on the outer member and having an opening extending therethrough to the inner space; a capillary tube connected to said opening for applying a first pressure to the inner space and to the opposed surfaces of the bottom walls; means for applying a second pressure to the other surfaces of the bottom walls so that the bottom walls flex in response to the pressures and the capacitance corresponds to the difference between the first and second pressures; and a liquid having a stable dielectric constant contained in the inner space and in a portion of the capillary tube for maintaining a constant dielectric between the capacitor plates, the capillary tube retains the liquid within the device and provides for changes in volume of the liquid and the inner space.

Claim 19

A device for sensing a differential pressure, Comprising: a pair of elements each having a flexible bottom wall and a sidewall; an outer member having an opening therethrough containing the elements positioned with their bottom walls opposed and spaced from each other, a portion of each side wall is secured to the outer member around the perimeter thereof to define an inner space between the elements and the outer member; a pair of capacitor plates formed on the opposed surfaces of the bottom walls forming a capacitor having a capacitance corresponding to the distance between the bottom walls; an outwardly extending tube formed on the outer member and having an opening extending therethrough to the inner space; a capillary tube connected to said opening for applying a first pressure to the inner space and to the opposed surfaces of the bottom walls; means for applying a second pressure to the other surfaces of the bottom walls so that the bottom walls flex in response to the pressures and the capacitance corresponds to the difference between the first and second pressures; and a liquid having a stable dielectric constant contained in the inner space and in a portion of the capillary tube for maintaining a constant dielectric between the capacitor plates, the capillary tube retains the liquid within the device and provides for changes in volume of the liquid and the inner space.