Patent ID: 8397551
Filing Date: 2013-03-19
Classification: G01L

Abstract:
1. A blast pressure sensor for detecting blast overpressures of at least a predetermined minimum threshold pressure, said blast pressure sensor comprising: a base with a strike surface; a cylinder barrel having a cylinder bore with a first bore end open to a blast event monitored medium and a second bore end bounded by the strike surface; a piston movably guided in the cylinder bore and having a first piston end with a detection surface exposed to the blast event monitored medium via the first bore end, and a second piston end with a striker surface adjacent the second bore end, wherein a ratio of an effective cross-sectional area of the detection surface of the first piston end to an effective cross-sectional area of the striker surface of the second piston end defines an amplification factor; and a contact stress sensitive film positioned between the strike surface of the base and the striker surface of the second piston end and which changes color in response to at least a predetermined minimum contact stress defined as a product of the predetermined minimum threshold pressure and the amplification factor, whereby a blast event which accelerates the piston to impact the film against the strike surface with at least the predetermined minimum contact stress induces a color change in the film providing visual indication that a blast overpressure encountered from the blast event was not less than the predetermined minimum threshold pressure.