Resonator element, resonator, oscillator, and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9252349-B2
Application number	US-201314068126-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2013
Priority date	Feb 25, 2010
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

A resonator element capable of improving impact resistance is provided. A quartz crystal resonator element is a resonator element formed by etching a Z plate which is cut at predetermined angles with respect to the crystal axes of a quartz crystal. The quartz crystal resonator element includes a base, a pair of resonating arms extending from the base in the Y-axis direction, and a positive X-axis notch and a negative X-axis notch formed by notching the base in the X-axis direction. The positive X-axis notch is formed by notching the base from the negative side of the X axis towards the positive side so that the width of the positive X-axis notch increases as it approaches the outer circumference.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A resonator element, comprising:
a base that has:
a notch and a connection section that are provided next to each other in a first direction;
a first base part connected to the connection section at one side of the connection section; and
a second base part connected to the connection section at another side of the connection section;

a resonating arm that extends from the first base part in a second direction intersecting with the first direction; and
a support connected to the second base part, wherein
the notch extends from a side surface of the connection section in the first direction,
a first outer periphery of the first base part and a second outer periphery of the second base part define the notch, and the first and second outer peripheries extend from the side surface of the connection section to an open end of the notch,
the notch has a first space, which has a first notch width between the first and second outer peripheries in the second direction, proximate the side surface of the connection section, a second space, which has a second notch width between the first and second outer peripheries in the second direction, proximate the open end of the notch, and a third space, which has a third notch width between the first and second outer peripheries in the second direction, therebetween, and
a third angle between the first outer periphery located in the third space and a first imaginary line extending in the first direction is smaller than first and second angles respectively between second and third imaginary lines parallel to the first imaginary line and the first outer periphery respectively located in the first and second spaces.

2. The resonator element according to claim 1 , wherein
the first notch width is smaller than the third notch width, and
the third notch width is smaller than the second notch width.

3. The resonator element according to claim 2 , wherein
the resonating arm includes a weight and an intermediate arm portion provided between the base and the weight.

4. The resonator element according to claim 3 , wherein
the support includes a support arm that extends in the second direction and that is located next to the resonating arm.

5. The resonator element according to claim 1 , wherein
the resonator element is a tuning fork quartz crystal resonator element.

6. The resonator element according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a groove extending in the resonating arm in the second direction.

7. The resonator element according to claim 6 , wherein
the resonating arm includes a weight and an intermediate arm portion provided between the base and the weight.

8. The resonator element according to claim 7 , wherein
the support includes a support arm that extends in the second direction and that is located next to the resonating arm.

9. The resonator element according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a groove extending in the resonating arm in the second direction.

10. The resonator element according to claim 9 , wherein
the resonating arm includes a weight and an intermediate arm portion provided between the base and the weight.

11. The resonator element according to claim 10 , wherein
the support includes a support arm that extends in the second direction and that is located next to the resonating arm.

12. The resonator element according to claim 1 , wherein
the resonating arm includes a weight and an intermediate arm portion provided between the base and the weight.

13. The resonator element according to claim 12 , wherein
the support includes a support arm that extends in the second direction and that is located next to the resonating arm.

14. The resonator element according to claim 1 , wherein
the support includes a support arm that extends in the second direction and that is located next to the resonating arm.

15. A resonator comprising:
the resonator element according to claim 1 ; and
a package that accommodates the resonator element.

16. A resonator comprising:
the resonator element according to claim 2 ; and
a package that accommodates the resonator element.

17. An oscillator comprising:
the resonator element according to claim 1 ; and
a circuit element that has an oscillation circuit oscillating the resonator element.

18. An oscillator comprising:
the resonator element according to claim 2 ; and
a circuit element that has an oscillation circuit oscillating the resonator element.

19. An electronic device comprising:
the resonator element according to claim 1 .

20. An electronic device comprising:
the resonator element according to claim 2 .

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Yamada Akinori
• Yoshida Shuhei

Classifications

• A63F2300/204

  the platform being a handheld device · CPC title

• A63F13/92

  Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing · CPC title

• H03H3/02 Primary

  for the manufacture of piezoelectric or electrostrictive resonators or networks (H03H3/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A63F13/08

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• G04F5/06

  using piezoelectric resonators · CPC title