VIBRATING MICRO-MECHANICAL SENSOR OF ANGULAR VELOCITY

• US 20100218605A1
• Filed: 03/02/2010
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: VTI Technologies Oy (Murata Manufacturing Co Limited)
• Inventors: Blomqvist, Anssi, Ruohio, Jaakko
• Granted Patent: US 8,904,865 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

Abstract

The invention relates to measuring devices used for measuring angular velocity, and more precisely, to vibrating micro-mechanical sensors of angular velocity. The sensor of angular velocity according to the invention comprises at least two seismic mass structures (1), (2), excitation structures (3), (4) and coupling seesaw type springs (6), (7). The objective of the invention is to provide an improved sensor structure, which enables reliable measuring with good efficiency particularly in small vibrating micro-mechanical angular velocity sensor solutions.

Claims

1. A vibrating micro-mechanical sensor of angular velocity comprising at least two seismic mass structures (1), (2), characterized in, that the sensor of angular velocity further comprises excitation structures (3), (4), and coupling seesaw type springs (6), (7) such, that said at least two seismic mass structures (1), (2) are positioned apart, and they are supported to the excitation structures (3), (4) by means of springs (27-30) in such a way, that said excitation structures (3), (4) are supported at least at one end of them to anchoring points (8-11) by means of the coupling seesaw type springs (6), (7).

2. Sensor of angular velocity according to claim 1, characterized in, that said seesaw type springs (6), (7) are arranged such, that the stiff support structure of a spring is allowed to turn in the surface plane about a fixed axis.

3. Sensor of angular velocity according to claim 1, characterized in, that said seesaw type springs (6), (7) are arranged such, that the springs force the excitation structures (3), (4) comprising said at least two seismic mass structures (1), (2) into opposite phase vibration in the surface plane.

4. Sensor of angular velocity according to claim 1, characterized in, that the paths of motion of the opposite phase vibration of said excitation structures (3), (4) form two parallel arcs in opposite directions.

5. Sensor of angular velocity according to claim 1, characterized in, that the sensor of angular velocity further comprises excitation comb structures (12), (13) positioned between the excitation structures (3), (4) comprising said at least two seismic mass structures (1), (2).

6. Sensor of angular velocity according to claim 1, characterized in, that said excitation comb structures (12), (13) are supported to a centrally located anchoring structure (14).

7. Sensor of angular velocity according to claim 1, characterized in, that the sensor of angular velocity further comprises quadrature motion compensation comb structures (31), (32) positioned between the excitation structures (3), (4) comprising said at least two seismic mass structures (1), (2).

8. Sensor of angular velocity according to claim 1, characterized in, that the sensor of angular velocity further comprises detection comb structures (23-26), which detection comb structures (23-26) are arranged for dual differential detection of the Coriolis forces caused by angular velocity.