Angular velocity detection device

• US 10,001,372 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2016
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Inventors: Yasumoto, Kensei
• Primary Examiner(s): West, Paul
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shabman, Mark A
• Application Number:
  US15/066,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20160187135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5607 using vibrating tuning forks double-ended tuning forks using planar vibrating masses suspended at opposite ends G01C19/5719
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5733 Structural details or topology

Abstract

An angular velocity detection device vibrates a vibration body and detects vibrations generated by angular velocity. The vibration body includes a center base portion, first detection beam sections extending from the center base section in a T shape and connected to each other at four corners, second detection-cum-drive beam sections extending from the first detection beam sections toward the center base portion side along diagonal lines of the vibration body, and mass bodies connected to both ends of each of the second detection-cum-drive beam portions. The second detection-cum-drive beam sections each perform flexural vibration within a plate surface in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the diagonal line of the vibration body.

Claims

1. An angular velocity detection device comprising:

a vibration body including an outer periphery;

a driver that vibrates the vibration body; and

a detector that detects vibrations generated in the vibration body due to action of an angular velocity and outputs an output signal in accordance with the angular velocity;

wherein

the vibration body includes;

a center base portion fixedly provided at a center of the outer periphery;

four first detection beam sections that extend from the center base portion in parallel or substantially in parallel with corresponding ones of four sides defining the outer periphery, fork into two branches extending in two side directions along each side of the outer periphery, and are connected to each other at four corners of the outer periphery;

four second detection-cum-drive beam sections that extend from the first detection beam sections toward the center base portion side along a respective diagonal line of the outer periphery, and fork into two branches extending in two side directions along the center base portion and the first detection beam sections; and

eight mass bodies connected to both ends of each of the second detection-cum-drive beam sections extending along the first detection beam sections;

wherein

each diagonal line extends from one of the four corners of the outer periphery to another one of the four corners of the outer periphery that is opposite to the one of the four corners of the outer periphery;

the driver causes each of the second detection-cum-drive beam sections to perform flexural vibration in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the respective diagonal line; and

the vibration body has a square or substantially square shape as a whole when the vibration body is viewed from a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a plate surface of the vibration body.

2. The angular velocity detection device according to claim 1, wherein the center base portion has a square or substantially square shape when the vibration body is viewed from the direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the plate surface of the vibration body, and each side of the center base portion is arranged at an angle of 45 degrees relative to a corresponding one of the four sides defining the outer periphery.

3. The angular velocity detection device according to claim 1, wherein the driver includes a piezoelectric element that performs driving that is attached to the vibration body and vibrates the vibration body.

4. The angular velocity detection device according to claim 3, wherein

the piezoelectric element that performs driving includes one or more piezoelectric elements that perform driving;

and

the one or more piezoelectric elements that perform driving are each attached to either a position where stress by action of the vibration body due to vibrations of the second detection-cum-drive beam section bending in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the diagonal line of the outer periphery has a positive polarity or a position where the stress by action of the vibration body has a negative polarity.

5. The angular velocity detection device according to claim 4, wherein the piezoelectric element that performs driving provided at the position where the stress by action of the vibration body has a positive polarity and the piezoelectric element that performs driving provided at the position where the stress by action of the vibration body has a negative polarity.

6. The angular velocity detection device according to claim 1, wherein the detector includes a piezoelectric element that performs detecting that is attached to the vibration body and detects vibrations of the vibration body.

7. The angular velocity detection device according to claim 6, further comprising one or more of the piezoelectric elements that perform detecting, wherein the piezoelectric elements that perform detecting are each attached to either a position where stress by action of the vibration body due to vibrations generated in the vibration body by action of an angular velocity has a positive polarity or a position where the stress by action of the vibration body has a negative polarity.

8. The angular velocity detection device according to claim 7, wherein the piezoelectric element that performs detecting provided at the position where the stress by action of the vibration body has a positive polarity and the piezoelectric element that performs detecting provided at the position where the stress by action of the vibration body has a negative polarity.

9. The angular velocity detection device according claim 1, wherein the driver includes a piezoelectric element that performs monitoring that is attached to the vibration body and detects vibrations of the second detection-cum-drive beam section bending in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the respective diagonal line within the outer periphery.

10. The angular velocity detection device according to claim 9, further comprising one or more of the piezoelectric elements that perform monitoring, wherein the piezoelectric elements that perform monitoring are each attached to either a position where stress by action of the vibration body due to vibrations of the second detection-cum-drive beam section bending in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the respective diagonal line within the plate surface has a positive polarity or a position where the stress by action of the vibration body has a negative polarity.

11. The angular velocity detection device according to claim 1, wherein the vibration body includes a single base material defined by a semiconductor wafer.

12. The angular velocity detection device according to claim 1, wherein the center base portion has one of a circular or substantially circular shape, a square or substantially square shape, and a polygonal shape.

13. The angular velocity detection device according to claim 1, wherein each of the four first detection beam sections has a T-shape.

14. The angular velocity detection device according to claim 1, wherein each of the four second detection-cum-drive beam sections has a T-shape.

15. The angular velocity detection device according to claim 1, wherein the vibration body vibrates in each of first, second and third detection vibration modes that is independent of a drive vibration.

16. The angular velocity detection device according to claim 1, wherein the four second detection-cum-drive beam sections include slits extending along the diagonal lines.