US 11,953,399 B2
Pressure sensors with tensioned membranes
Siegmar Schmidt, Simi Valley, CA (US); William A. Dai, Porter Ranch, CA (US); and Boon Khai Ng, La Cresenta, CA (US)
Assigned to THE ALFRED E. MANN FOUNDATION FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, Valencia, CA (US)
Filed by THE ALFRED E. MANN FOUNDATION FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, Santa Clarita, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 7, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/132,331.
Application 18/132,331 is a division of application No. 16/941,463, filed on Jul. 28, 2020, granted, now 11,630,013.
Application 16/941,463 is a division of application No. 15/485,190, filed on Apr. 11, 2017, granted, now 10,739,218, issued on Aug. 11, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/320,889, filed on Apr. 11, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/320,897, filed on Apr. 11, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2023/0243711 A1, Aug. 3, 2023
Int. Cl. G01L 1/14 (2006.01); G01L 7/08 (2006.01); G01L 9/00 (2006.01); G01L 9/12 (2006.01); G01L 19/04 (2006.01); G01L 19/06 (2006.01); G01L 19/14 (2006.01)
CPC G01L 9/0075 (2013.01) [G01L 1/142 (2013.01); G01L 7/082 (2013.01); G01L 9/0016 (2013.01); G01L 9/0042 (2013.01); G01L 9/0044 (2013.01); G01L 9/0047 (2013.01); G01L 9/0048 (2013.01); G01L 9/0072 (2013.01); G01L 9/0073 (2013.01); G01L 9/12 (2013.01); G01L 19/04 (2013.01); G01L 19/0618 (2013.01); G01L 19/14 (2013.01); G01L 19/147 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A pressure sensor comprising:
a housing having an opening;
a membrane coupled to the housing at the opening, the membrane comprising a non-tensioned region bonded to the housing;
a tensioning plate positioned parallel to the membrane with a gap between the tensioning plate and the membrane; and
a bonding ring coupled between the membrane and the tensioning plate, the tensioning plate configured to apply a tensile force to the membrane through the bonding ring,
wherein the non-tensioned region is an area of the membrane outside the bonding ring,
wherein the membrane and the housing to which the membrane is coupled define a hermetically sealed cavity inside the housing; and
wherein the bonding ring comprises an adhesive and a plurality of spherical spacers, each of the plurality of spherical spacers having a single diameter, and each of the plurality of spherical spacers being an electrical insulator.