Angular velocity sensor

• US 20060089019A1
• Filed: 10/06/2005
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mitani, Tomohiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,234,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/76.200
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5628 Manufacturing; Trimming; Mounting; Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10151 Sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10757 Bent leads
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10848 Thinned leads
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/308 Adaptations of leads connectors to printed circuits H01R12/00

Abstract

An angular velocity sensor includes a tuning fork unit; a base block provided with a terminal for outputting an output signal from the tuning fork unit to the exterior; a cover for housing the tuning fork unit in a space defined by combination with the base block; a circuit board for fixing the terminal on the base block, the circuit board being provided with a processing circuit for processing the output signal from the tuning fork unit; and a casing for housing the base block, the cover, and the circuit board therein, wherein the terminal on the base block is fixed to the circuit board, with a clearance being defined by the base block and the circuit board, the terminal on the base block in the clearance has a flexure portion, and the flexure portion absorbs a vibration of a high frequency applied from the exterior.

Claims

1. An angular velocity sensor for detecting an angular velocity of an object, the angular velocity sensor comprising:

a tuning fork unit;

a base block provided with a terminal for outputting an output signal from the tuning fork unit to the exterior;

a cover for housing the tuning fork unit in a space defined by combination with the base block;

a circuit board for fixing the terminal on the base block, the circuit board being provided with a processing circuit for processing the output signal from the tuning fork unit; and

a casing for housing the base block, the cover, and the circuit board therein, wherein

the terminal on the base block is fixed to the circuit board, with a clearance being defined by the base block and the circuit board, and the terminal on the base block in the clearance has a flexure portion.

2. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the flexure portion is made of a thin plate having a small thickness in a direction intersecting with a vibrating surface of the tuning fork unit.

3. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 2, wherein

the flexure portion is made of a thin plate produced by plastically deforming a cylindrical lead wire.

4. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein

both ends of the terminal each have a cylindrical shape in cross section, and the flexure portion has a rectangular shape in cross section.

5. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the terminal is formed by bending a cylindrical terminal.

6. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the terminal includes a plurality of terminals, and the each of the terminals has the flexure portion.

7. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 6, wherein

an interval between the adjacent terminals among the plurality of terminals on the side of the circuit board is wider than an interval therebetween on the side of the base block.

8. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 6, wherein

the plurality of terminals extend radially from the base block.

9. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 6, wherein

the plurality of terminals are arranged mirror symmetrically with respect to a longitudinal central axis of the tuning fork unit.

10. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the length of the flexure portion is longer than the length of an end portion of the terminal which extends from the flexure portion toward the base block and which is not fixed to the base block, and the length of an end portion of the terminal which extends from the flexure portion toward the circuit board and which is not fixed to the circuit board.

11. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein

a natural frequency in a state that the tuning fork unit, the base block, and the cover are united to each other is 4 kHz or less.

12. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the circuit board is directly supported by the casing.

13. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 12, further comprising a lid member for closing an opening of the casing, wherein

the circuit board is directly supported by the casing and the lid member.

14. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the processing circuit is provided on a surface of the circuit board opposite to the clearance defined by the base block and the circuit board.