Micromechanical Rotational Speed Sensor

• US 20090031806A1
• Filed: 03/12/2007
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Conti Temic Microelectronic GmbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Guenthner, Stefan, Hartmann, Bernhard
• Granted Patent: US 8,342,022 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/504.120
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5747 each sensing mass being connected to a driving mass, e.g. driving frames
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5762 the sensing mass being connected to a driving mass, e.g. driving frames

Abstract

The present invention relates to a micromechanical rotational rate sensor with a substrate (9), at least one base element (1) that is suspended by at least one spring element (11, 11′) on the substrate (9), which base element comprises at least one seismic or inertial mass (3), an excitation means (8) and with a read-out arrangement (15). According to the invention, the spring element (11, 11′) is movable perpendicularly to the motion direction (X, Y) of the base element (1).

Claims

1. Micromechanical rotational rate sensor with a substrate (9), at least one base element (1) suspended by at least one spring elements (11, 11′

) on the substrate (9), which base element comprises at least one seismic mass (3), an excitation means (8) and a read-out arrangement (15), characterized in that the spring element (11, 11′

) is movable perpendicularly to the motion direction (X, Y) of the base element (1).

2. Micromechanical rotational rate sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that the spring element (11, 11′

) comprises at least two spring sections.

3. Micromechanical rotational rate sensor according to claim 2, characterized in that the spring element (11, 11′

) is embodied U-shaped, V-shaped or S-shaped.

7. Micromechanical rotational rate sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that a base element (1) comprises a frame (2), a seismic mass (3) and at least one suspension (4, 5) of the seismic mass on the frame (2).

11. Micromechanical rotational rate sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that a base element (1) is suspended on four spring elements (11, 11′

).

12. Micromechanical rotational rate sensor according to claim 11, characterized in that the spring elements (11, 11′

) are arranged mirror symmetrically on the base element (1).

13. Micromechanical rotational rate sensor according to claim 11, characterized in that spring elements (11, 11′

) of neighboring base elements (1) are couplable by means of a coupling spring (14).

14. Micromechanical rotational rate sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotational rate sensor is embodied as an X-axis sensor, which can sense rotational motions about the X-axis.

15. Micromechanical rotational rate sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotational rate sensor is embodied as a Z-axis sensor, which can sense rotational motions about the Z-axis.

16. Micromechanical rotational rate sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotational rate sensor is embodied as an XZ-axis sensor, that can sense both rotational motions about the X-axis as well as rotational motions about the Z-axis.

4-6. -6. (canceled)

8-10. -10. (canceled)