1. A pressure sensor comprising:
a spring having first and second coiled sections offset by a coiled center section in a middle that is used to make offset contact between two electrical contact pads.
2. The pressure sensor of claim 1 further comprising:
first and second housing interlocking components where the first coiled section is contained within a bore of the first housing interlocking component and the second coiled section is contained in a bore of the second housing interlocking component, the first and second housing interlocking components joined at the coiled center section of the spring.
3. The pressure sensor of claim 1 wherein the offset comprises an approximate offset amount determined by subtracting an active coil diameter of the first and second coiled sections from a diameter of the coiled center section.
3. The pressure sensor of claim 2 wherein the first housing interlocking component is designed such that a force generated when the spring is compressed is supported in a normal direction by a mating force of the second housing interlocking.
4. The pressure sensor of claim 2 wherein the bores in the first and second housing interlocking components comprise feed-in features to aid in spring loading and accommodate positional tolerance between the first and second coiled sections.
5. The pressure sensor of claim 2 wherein the bore in the first housing interlocking component comprises a counterbored feature to accept the center coiled section to rotationally align the spring prior to installation of the second interlocking component.
6. The pressure sensor of claim 5 wherein the first housing interlocking component further comprises a keyed alignment guide with deformable crush ribs regions to accept crush ribs from the second interlocking component to provide positioning and anti-rotation to prevent damage or binding of the spring.
7. The pressure sensor of claim 2 wherein the first and second housing interlocking components are injection molded plastic.
8. The pressure sensor of claim 1 wherein the spring is stainless steel.
9. The pressure sensor of claim 8 wherein the stainless steel in silver plated for high conductivity.
10. The pressure sensor of claim 6 wherein friction between the crush ribs of first housing interlocking component and a surface of the second housing interlocking component enable the first housing interlocking component and the second housing interlocking component to retain the spring during manufacturing.
11. The pressure sensor of claim 2 wherein the center section enables spring retention by the first housing interlocking component and the second housing interlocking component.
12. The pressure sensor of claim 2 further comprising an electronics module assembly adapted to snap fit to the first and second housing interlocking components.
13. The pressure sensor of claim 12 wherein the electronics module assembly comprises:
a support ring; and
a printed circuit board.
14. The pressure sensor of claim 13 wherein the support ring comprises one or more strain gages coupled to a sense element.
15. The pressure sensor of claim 1 wherein the center section of the spring is circular.
16. The pressure sensor of claim 1 wherein the center section of the spring is a single direction winding.
17. The pressure sensor of claim 1 wherein the center section of the spring is a full wind.
18. The pressure sensor of claim 1 wherein the center section of the spring is designed to eliminate dual diameters.
19. The pressure sensor of claim 12 further comprising an EMC shield positioned between the electronics module assembly and the first and second housing interlocking components, the EMC shield grounded by bent metal features.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. Basic cobalt(II) carbonate, agglomerated from fine primary particles and of general composition Co(OH)2aCO31-a, where 0.1a0.9, characterised in that the agglomerates have a spheroidal habit and the average agglomerate diameter is 3 to 50 m.
2. Basic cobalt(II) carbonate agglomerates according to claim 1, characterised in that the agglomerate diameter is 5-20 m.
3. Basic cobalt(II) carbonate agglomerates according to either one of claims 1 or 2, characterised in that they have tap densities of 1.6 gcm3 and bulk densities of 1.2 gcm3.
4. A process for producing basic cobalt(II) carbonate agglomerates, according to one or more of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that aqueous solutions of cobalt salts of general formula CoX2, where X represents Cl, NO3 andor SO42-, are reacted with aqueous solutions or suspensions of alkali andor ammonium carbonates andor hydrogen carbonates at temperatures between 40 and 100 C., preferably 60 to 90 C., and the resulting basic cobalt(II) carbonate agglomerates are subsequently filtered off and washed until they are neutral and free from salts.
5. A process for producing agglomerated cobalt(II) hydroxide, characterised in that basic cobalt(II) carbonate agglomerates according to one or more of claims 1 to 4 are reacted in suspension with aqueous alkaline liquors andor ammonia.
6. Cobalt(II) hydroxide, obtainable according to one or more of claims 4 or 5, characterised in that it consists of spheroidally agglomerated, polygonal, lamellar primary particles which have average diameters of 0.3 m to 1.5 m and diameter to thickness ratios between 3 and 15.
7. Cobalt(II) hydroxide according to claim 6, characterised in that the spheroidal agglomerates have an average diameter of 3-50 m, preferably 5-20 m.
8. Cobalt(II) hydroxide according to either one of claims 6 or 7, characterised in that it has tap densities of 1 gcm3.
9. Use of the basic cobalt(II) carbonate agglomerates according to one or more of claims 1 to 4 for the production of spheroidal, free-flowing cobalt(II) oxide and higher oxides.
10. Use of the basic cobalt(II) carbonate agglomerates according to one or more of claims 1 to 4 for the production of pure cobalt(II) salts for use in catalyst technology or in bonding agents.
11. Use of cobalt(II) hydroxides according to one or more of claims 5 to 8 as components of the nickel oxide electrode in alkaline secondary cells.
12. Use of cobalt(II) hydroxide according to one or more of claims 5 to 8 for the production of pure cobalt(II) salts for use in bonding agents and catalysts.
13. Use of cobalt(II) hydroxide according to one or more of claims 5 to 8 for the production of spheroidal, free-flowing cobalt(II) oxide or higher oxides by calcination.
14. Use of basic cobalt(II) carbonate agglomerates according to ore or more of claims 1 to 4 andor cobalt(II) hydroxide according to one or more of claims 5 to 8 for the production of cobalt pigments.