Angular velocity sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9702696-B2
Application number	US-201314432755-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 11, 2013
Priority date	Oct 19, 2012
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

An angular velocity sensor includes a fixing section to be fixed to an object, first and second connection beams each having one end connected to the fixing section, first and second double-end-supported beams, first and second driving electrodes to vibrate the supported beams, and first and second sensing electrodes to detect vibrations of the supported beams. The first supported beam has its ends connected to second ends of the first and second connection beams. The first supported beam, the first connection beam, and the second connection beam surround one side surface of the fixing section. The second supported beam has its ends connected to second ends of the first and second connection beams. The second double-end-supported beam, the first connection beam, and the second connection beam surround another side surface of the fixing section opposite the one side surface of the fixing section.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An angular velocity sensor configured to detect an angular velocity applied to an object, comprising:
a fixing section configured to be fixed to the object;
a first connection beam having one end and another end, the one end of the first connection beam being connected to the fixing section;
a second connection beam having one end and another end, the one end of the second beam being connected to the fixing section, the second connection beam extending opposite to the first connection beam;
a first double-end-supported beam having one end and another end, the one end of the first double-end-supported beam being connected to the another end of the first connection beam, the another end of the first double-end-supported beam being connected to the another end of the second connection beam, the first double-end-supported beam extending such that the first double-end-supported beam, the first connection beam, and the second connection beam surround one side surface of the fixing section;
a second double-end-supported beam having one end and another end, the one end of the second double-end-supported beam being connected to the another end of the first connection beam, the another end of the second double-end-supported beam being connected to the another end of the second connection beam, the second double-end-supported beam extending such that the second double-end-supported beam, the first connection beam, and the second connection beam surround another side surface of the fixing section opposite to the one side surface of the fixing section;
a first driving electrode provided on the first double-end-supported beam and configured to vibrate the first double-end-supported beam;
a first sensing electrode provided on the first double-end-supported beam and configured to detect a vibration of the first double-end-supported beam;
a second driving electrode provided on the second double-end-supported beam and configured to vibrate the second double-end-supported beam; and
a second sensing electrode provided on the second double-end-supported beam and configured to detect a vibration of the second double-end-supported beam,
wherein the first double-end-supported beam has a first bent section,
the first sensing electrode is provided on one side of the first bent section across from the first driving electrode located on another side of the first bent section, along the first double-end-supported beam,
the second double-end-supported beam has a second bent section,
the second sensing electrode is provided on one side of the second bent section across from the second driving electrode located on another side of the second bent section, along the second double-end-supported beam.

2. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a third sensing electrode provided at the first double-end-supported beam and configured to detect a vibration of the first double-end-supported beam, and
a fourth sensing electrode provided at the second double-end-supported beam and configured to detect a vibration of the second double-end-supported beam,
wherein the first double-end-supported beam includes:
a first sensing-electrode vibrating segment that has one end and another end, the one end of the first sensing-electrode vibrating segment being coupled to the another end of the first connection beam, the first sensing-electrode vibrating segment extending in a longitudinal direction in which the first connection beam extends, the first sensing-electrode vibrating segment having the first sensing electrode provided at the first sensing-electrode vibrating segment;
a second sensing-electrode vibrating segment having one end and another end, the one end of the second sensing-electrode vibrating segment being coupled to the another end of the second connection beam, the second sensing-electrode vibrating segment extending in a longitudinal direction in which the second connection beam extends, the second sensing-electrode vibrating segment having the third sensing electrode provided at the second sensing-electrode vibrating segment; and
a first driving-electrode vibrating segment having one end and another end, the one end of the first driving-electrode vibrating segment being connected to the another end of the first sensing-electrode vibrating segment, the another end of the first driving-electrode vibrating segment being connected to the another end of the second sensing-electrode vibrating segment, first driving-electrode vibrating segment having the first driving electrode provided at first driving-electrode vibrating segment, and
wherein the second double-end-supported beam includes:
a third sensing-electrode vibrating segment having one end and another end, the one end of the third sensing-electrode vibrating segment being coupled to the another end of the first connection beam, the third sensing-electrode vibrating segment extending in the longitudinal direction in which the first sensing-electrode vibrating segment extends, the third sensing-electrode vibrating segment having the second sensing electrode provided at the third sensing-electrode vibrating segment;
a fourth sensing-electrode vibrating segment having one end and another end, the one end of the sensing-electrode vibrating segment being coupled to the another end of the second connection beam, the sensing-electrode vibrating segment extending in an opposite direction to the longitudinal direction in which the second sensing-electrode vibrating segment extends, the sensing-electrode vibrating segment having the fourth sensing electrode provided at the sensing-electrode vibrating segment; and
a second driving-electrode vibrating segment having one end and another end, the one end of the second driving-electrode vibrating segment being connected to the another end of the third sensing-electrode vibrating segment, the another end of the second driving-electrode vibrating segment being connected to the another end of the third sensing-electrode vibrating segment, the second driving-electrode vibrating segment having the second driving electrode provided at the second driving-electrode vibrating segment.

3. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a first plummet connected to the first driving-electrode vibrating segment; and
a second plummet connected to the second driving-electrode vibrating segment.

4. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 2 ,
wherein the first sensing-electrode vibrating segment, the second sensing-electrode vibrating segment, the third sensing-electrode vibrating segment, and the fourth sensing-electrode vibrating segment are arranged point-symmetrically to one another with respect to the fixing section, and
wherein the one end of the first double-end-supported beam and the one end of the second double-end-supported beam are coupled at the another end of the first connection beam, and the another end of the first double-end-supported beam and the another end of the second double-end-supported beam are coupled at the another end of the second connection beam such that the first double-end-supported beam and the second double-end-supported beam are coupled to constitute a loop shape.

5. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first connection beam and the second connection beam extend slenderly in a longitudinal direction, and
wherein a length of the first connection beam in the longitudinal direction and a cross-sectional shape of the first connection beam perpendicular to the longitudinal direction are substantially identical to a length of the second connection beam in the longitudinal direction and a cross-sectional shape of the second connection beam perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, respectively.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kobayashi Yasunobu

Classifications

• G01C19/574

  the devices having two sensing masses in anti-phase motion · CPC title

• G01C19/5656 Primary

  the devices involving a micromechanical structure · CPC title