Module and electronic apparatus

• US 10,072,954 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2015
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Sakuma, Masayasu, Kobayashi, Yoshihiro, Kitamura, Shojiro, Chino, Taketo, Ogami, Michiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): West, Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/971,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20160097660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• 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: G01D 11/245 Housings for sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/30 Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/00 Details of instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/02 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/023 for acceleration measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/026 for speed measuring devices, e.g. pulse generator
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions

Abstract

A module includes a sensor device, a mounting substrate that has a plurality of mounting faces, a portion between the mounting faces adjacent to each other being foldable, a supporting member having fixing faces, wherein the sensor device is mounted on at least one of the mounting faces, each of the mounting faces is disposed along each of the fixing faces, and the sensor device is disposed on the supporting member side.

Claims

1. A module comprising:

a first substrate that includes a first sensor device and an analog circuit;

a second substrate that includes a digital circuit;

a third substrate that includes a second sensor device;

a fourth substrate that includes a third sensor device;

a first connecting portion having a first end and a second end that connects the first substrate on the first end and the second substrate on the second end so as to electrically connect the analog circuit and the digital circuit, and wherein the first connecting portion has flexibility throughout its length;

a second connecting portion different from the first connecting portion and having a first end and a second end that connects the first substrate on the first end and the third substrate on the second end so as to electrically connect the analog circuit and the second sensor device, and wherein the second connecting portion has flexibility throughout its length;

a third connecting portion different from the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion and having a first end and a second end that connects the first substrate on the first end and the fourth substrate on the second end, or the third substrate on the first end and the fourth substrate on the second end so as to electrically connect the analog circuit and the third sensor device, wherein the third connecting portion has flexibility throughout its length;

wherein the first connecting portion, the second connecting portion, and the third connecting portion can be bent such that the second substrate, third substrate, and fourth substrate are orthogonal to each other;

wherein the first sensor device is electrically connected to the analog circuit;

wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are opposite to each other; and

wherein the first sensor device is positioned on a face of the first substrate that is opposite to the second substrate.

2. The module according to claim 1,

wherein the first substrate, the third substrate, and the fourth substrate are disposed to be orthogonal to each other.

3. The module according to claim 1,

wherein each of the first sensor device, the second sensor device, and the third sensor device is an acceleration sensor or an angular velocity sensor.

4. The module according to claim 3,

wherein detection axes of the first sensor device, the second sensor device, and the third sensor device are orthogonal to each other.

5. The module according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fifth substrate that includes a connector for an interface; and

a fourth connecting portion that connects the second substrate and the fifth substrate so as to electrically connect the digital circuit and the connector.

6. The module according to claim 1,

wherein at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate has a cut-out portion, and

at least one of the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion extends from the cut-out portion.

7. The module according to claim 1,

wherein the analog circuit includes at least one of a power supply circuit, an amplifying circuit, and an analog/digital converting circuit, and

the digital circuit includes a microcontroller.

8. The module according to claim 1, further comprising:

a supporting member that has a plurality of fixing faces,

wherein the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate are disposed along the fixing faces, respectively.

9. An electronic apparatus comprising:

the module according to claim 1.

10. A module comprising:

a first sensor device;

an electronic component;

a mounting substrate that has a first rigid substrate, a second rigid substrate and a first flexible substrate connecting between the first rigid substrate and the second rigid substrate; and

a supporting member having a first fixing face provided with a first notched portion extending into the supporting member and a second fixing face provided with a second notched portion extending into the supporting member;

wherein the first rigid substrate is fixed to the first fixing face;

the second rigid substrate is fixed to the second fixing face;

the first sensor device is mounted on the first rigid substrate and bonded to the first fixing face, and at least a part of the first sensor device is accommodated in the first notched portion; and

the electronic component is mounted on the second rigid substrate and bonded to the second fixing face, and at least a part of the electronic component is accommodated in the second notched portion.

11. The module according to claim 10,

wherein the supporting member is a rectangular parallelepiped.

12. The module according to claim 10, further comprising:

a second sensor device;

wherein the mounting substrate has a third rigid substrate and a second flexible substrate connecting between the first rigid substrate and the third rigid substrate;

the supporting member has a third fixing face provided with a third notched portion;

the third rigid substrate is fixed to the third fixing face; and

the second sensor device is mounted on the third rigid substrate and bonded to the third fixing face, and at least a part of the second sensor device is accommodated in the third notched portion.

13. The module according to claim 12,

wherein a normal line of the first fixing face and a normal line of the third fixing face are orthogonal to each other.

14. The module according to claim 12, further comprising:

a third sensor device;

wherein the mounting substrate has a fourth rigid substrate and a third flexible substrate connecting between the first rigid substrate and the third rigid substrate,

the supporting member has a fourth fixing face provided with a fourth notched portion,

the fourth rigid substrate is fixed to the fourth fixing face, and

the third sensor device is mounted on the fourth rigid substrate and bonded to the fourth fixing face, and at least a part of the third sensor device is accommodated in the fourth notched portion.

15. The module according to claim 10,

wherein the first notched portion is provided as a penetration hole.

16. The module according to claim 10,

wherein a metallic material is used for the supporting member.

17. An electronic apparatus comprising:

the module according to claim 10.