Vibration device

• US 10,541,671 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2017
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ikehashi, Tamio, Maeda, Shunta, Gando, Ryunosuke, Tomizawa, Yasushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Judy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parco, Jr., Ruben C
• Application Number:
  US15/705,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20180167053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 859 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5621 the devices involving a micromechanical structure
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/574 the devices having two sensing masses in anti-phase motion
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/2468 Tuning fork resonators

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a vibration device includes a first movable unit including first and second movable portions arranged in a direction parallel to a first axis and enabled to vibrate in the direction parallel to the first axis, a second movable unit enabled to vibrate in a direction parallel to a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and a connection unit configured to connect the first and second movable units together, wherein the following relationship is satisfied
fi>(1+1/(2Qa))fa
where a resonant frequency of the first movable unit in an in-phase mode is denoted by fi, a resonant frequency of the first movable unit in an anti-phase mode is denoted by fa, and a Q factor of resonance of the first movable unit in the anti-phase mode is denoted by Qa.

Claims

1. A vibration device comprising:

a first movable unit including a first movable portion and a second movable portion arranged in a direction parallel to a first axis and enabled to vibrate in the direction parallel to the first axis;

a second movable unit enabled to vibrate in a direction parallel to a second axis perpendicular to the first axis;

a connection unit configured to connect the first movable unit and the second movable unit together, wherein

the following relationship is satisfied;

fi>

(1+1/(2Qa))fa

where a resonant frequency of the first movable unit in an in-phase mode is denoted by fi, a resonant frequency of the first movable unit in an anti-phase mode is denoted by fa, and a Q factor of resonance of the first movable unit in the anti-phase mode is denoted by Qa, and

wherein the following relationship is satisfied;

fi>

(1+1/(2Qs))fs

where a resonant frequency of sense vibration of the first movable unit for detecting a Coriolis force applied to the first movable unit and a Q factor of resonance are denoted by fs and Qs, respectively.

2. The vibration device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a catch and release mechanism configured to catch the first movable unit which is vibrating and to release the caught first movable unit to allow vibration, wherein

the first movable unit is released to allow the first and second movable portions to vibrate in the direction parallel to the first axis so as to have anti-phase vibration.

3. The vibration device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a detection portion configured to detect a predetermined physical quantity varying according to vibration of the first movable unit based on a Coriolis force applied to the first movable unit.

4. The vibration device according to claim 1, wherein

the second movable unit includes a third movable portion enabled to vibrate in the direction parallel to the second axis, and

the connection unit includes a first connection portion connecting the first movable portion and the third movable portion together and a second connection portion connecting the second movable portion and the third movable portion together.

5. The vibration device according to claim 4, wherein

each of the first and second connection portions has an invariable length.

6. The vibration device according to claim 4, wherein

each of the first and second connection portions is rotatable around a support thereof.

7. The vibration device according to claim 1, wherein

the second movable unit comprises a third movable portion and a fourth movable portion arranged in the direction parallel to the second axis and enabled to vibrate in the direction parallel to the second axis, and

the connection unit includes a first connection portion connecting the first movable portion and the third movable portion together, a second connection portion connecting the second movable portion and the third movable portion together, a third connection portion connecting the first movable portion and the fourth movable portion together, and a fourth connection portion connecting the second movable portion and the fourth movable portion together.

8. The vibration device according to claim 7, further comprising:

a catch and release mechanism configured to catch at least one of the first and second movable units which are vibrating and to release the at least one of the first and second movable units which has been caught to allow vibration, wherein

the at least one of the first and second movable units is released to allow the first and second movable portions to vibrate in the direction parallel to the first axis so as to have anti-phase vibration, and to allow the third and fourth movable portions to vibrate in the direction parallel to the second axis so as to have anti-phase vibration, and

when the first and second movable portions move closer to each other, the third and fourth movable portions move away from each other, and when the first and second movable portions move away from each other, the third and fourth movable portions move closer to each other.

9. The vibration device according to claim 8, wherein

the catch and release mechanism catches the at least one of the first and second movable units such that the first and second movable portions are located close to each other while the third and fourth movable portions are located away from each other.

10. The vibration device according to claim 7, wherein

the following relationship is satisfied:

fi>

(1+1/(2Qsmax))fsmax

where an axis perpendicular to both the first axis and the second axis is designated as a third axis, a resonant frequency of sense vibration for detecting a Coriolis force exerted on the first and second movable units by a first rotation component around the first axis is denoted by fs1, a resonant frequency of sense vibration for detecting a Coriolis force exerted on the first and second movable units by a second rotation component around the second axis is denoted by fs2, a resonant frequency of sense vibration for detecting a Coriolis force exerted on the first and second movable units by a third rotation component around the third axis is denoted by fs3, a highest resonant frequency among the resonant frequencies fs1, fs2, and fs3 is denoted by fsmax, and a Q factor at the highest resonant frequency fsmax is denoted by Qsmax.

11. The vibration device according to claim 7, further comprising:

a first detection portion configured to detect a predetermined physical quantity varying according to vibration based on a Coriolis force exerted on the first and second movable units by a first rotation component around the first axis;

a second detection portion configured to detect a predetermined physical quantity varying according to vibration based on a Coriolis force exerted on the first and second movable units by a second rotation component around the second axis; and

a third detection portion configured to detect a predetermined physical quantity varying according to vibration based on a Coriolis force exerted on the first and second movable units by a third rotation component around a third axis which is an axis perpendicular to both the first axis and the second axis.

12. The vibration device according to claim 11, wherein

the first detection portion includes a mechanism configured to enable detection of displacement of the third and fourth movable portions in a direction parallel to the third axis,

the second detection portion includes a mechanism configured to enable detection of displacement of the first and second movable portions in the direction parallel to the third axis, and

the third detection portion includes a mechanism configured to enable detection of displacement of the first and second movable portions in the direction parallel to the second axis and a mechanism configured to enable detection of displacement of the third and fourth movable portions in the direction parallel to the first axis.

13. The vibration device according to claim 11, wherein

the first detection portion includes a first electrode portion facing at least one of an upper surface of the third movable portion, a lower surface of the third movable portion, an upper surface of the fourth movable portion, and a lower surface of the fourth movable portion, and

the second detection portion includes a second electrode portion facing at least one of an upper surface of the first movable portion, a lower surface of the first movable portion, an upper surface of the second movable portion, and a lower surface of the second movable portion.