摘要 |
<p>A pressure sensor (10) includes a housing (11) and a diaphragm (12) that deflects relative to a housing surface (18, 19) under pressure differentials, the movement of the diaphragm (12) being sensed to provide indications of pressure changes. The diaphragm (12) has a central portion (37), an outer peripheral support ring portion (36) that is clamped for supporting the diaphragm (12) in a housing (11), and an integral reduced section web portion (40) joining the central portion (37) and the support ring portion (36). The web portion (40) causes the diaphragm (12) to act as a free-edge diaphragm during deflection. The housing (11) and/or the diaphragm (12) are configured so that at near a rated overpressure stop means (49, 55) support the central portion (37, 37A) at its edge (46) where the web portion (40) joins the central portion (37, 37A) to reduce the maximum stress on the web portion (40) and thus prevent over stressing of the web portion (36) of the diaphragm (12) under maximum overpressures, to reduce hysteresis and inaccuracies.</p> |