Sensor device

• US 10,001,375 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2016
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Kanazawa, Takeru, Sakai, Minekazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Fitzgerald, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huang, David Z
• Application Number:
  US15/203,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20170016727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5719 using planar vibrating masses driven in a translation vibration along an axis
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/574 the devices having two sensing masses in anti-phase motion
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5783 Mountings or housings not specific to any of the devices covered by groups G01C19/5607 - G01C19/5719
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0814 for translational movement of the mass, e.g. shuttle type

Abstract

A sensor device has a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor. The gyro sensor has a fixed base portion formed in a rectangular frame shape. The acceleration sensor is formed in an inside space of the fixed base portion of the rectangular frame shape. The gyro sensor is formed in an outside space formed between the fixed base portion and an outer frame portion of a sensor base plate. The gyro sensor and the acceleration sensor are formed in one chip. As a result, the sensor device can be made smaller in size.

Claims

1. A sensor device comprising;

a supporting plate; and

a sensor base plate,

wherein the sensor base plate comprises;

an oscillation type angular velocity sensor; and

an outer frame portion surrounding the oscillation type angular velocity sensor and fixed to the supporting plate,

wherein the oscillation type angular velocity sensor comprises;

a fixed base portion fixed to the supporting plate;

a movable portion having a driving weight and a detecting weight; and

a beam portion having a driving beam and a detecting beam, the driving beam connecting the driving weight to the fixed base portion and supporting the driving weight in such a way that the driving weight is movable on a plane parallel to a surface of the supporting plate, and the detecting beam connecting the detecting weight to the fixed base portion and supporting the detecting weight in such a way that the detecting weight is movable on the plane parallel to the surface of the supporting plate, and

wherein the fixed base portion is formed in a frame shape so as to form an inner frame portion and a dynamic quantity sensor is formed in the sensor base plate at a position inside of the inner frame portion.

2. The sensor device according to claim 1,

wherein a width of the fixed base portion is made to be larger than a width of the detecting beam.

3. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein

each of the supporting plate and the sensor base plate is made of an independent substrate from each other, and

the sensor base plate is connected to the supporting plate via a first plate connecting portion.

4. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein

the supporting plate and the sensor base plate are made in a single semiconductor substrate.

5. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein

the dynamic quantity sensor is composed of an acceleration sensor.

6. The sensor device according to claim 5, wherein

the acceleration sensor comprises;

a movable electrode movable in a moving direction on the plane parallel to the surface of the supporting plate; and

a fixed electrode fixed to the supporting plate and located at a position opposing to the movable electrode in the moving direction,

wherein a distance between the fixed electrode and the movable electrode in the moving direction is changed when an acceleration is applied to the sensor device, so that the acceleration sensor detects the acceleration based on a change of a capacitance between the fixed electrode and the movable electrode.

7. The sensor device according to claim 6, wherein

the acceleration sensor is connected to an inner peripheral wall of the fixed base portion and comprises;

a flexible portion being capable of deforming in the moving direction; and

a weight portion connected to the flexible portion,

wherein the movable electrode is connected to the weight portion so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction.

8. The sensor device according to claim 5, wherein

a cap layer arranged on a side of the sensor base plate opposite to the supporting plate and connected to the outer frame portion, and

an air breathing hole is formed in the cap layer at a location corresponding to the acceleration sensor.

9. The sensor device according to claim 1, further comprising;

a cap layer arranged on a side of the sensor base plate opposite to the supporting plate,

wherein the cap layer is connected to the cuter frame portion via a second plate connecting portion.

10. The sensor device according to claim 9, wherein

the second plate connecting portion is made of metal material,

a through-hole is formed in the cap layer and connected to the second plate connecting portion, and

a ground pad portion is formed on the cap layer for connecting the second plate connecting portion to the ground via the through-hole.