DAMPING DEVICE

• US 20100251819A1
• Filed: 03/15/2010
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: NEUL, Reinhard
• Application Number:
  US12/724,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20100251819A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/504.120
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5726 Signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5755 the devices having a single sensing mass
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/10 Elements for damping the movement of parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/14 using magnetic induction damping
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/006 used for thermal compensation
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/08 with conversion into electric or magnetic values
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/13 by measuring the force required to restore a proofmass subjected to inertial forces to a null position
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/0882 for providing damping of vibrations

Abstract

A device for damping a movement of a seismic mass of a micromechanical inertial sensor, the device being designed to apply a force to the seismic mass damping the movement of the seismic mass as a function of the values of at least one movement parameter of the seismic mass, the damping being produced electrically.

Claims

1. A device for damping a movement of a seismic mass of a micromechanical inertial sensor, comprising:

an arrangement for applying a force to the seismic mass damping the movement of the seismic mass as a function of values of at least one movement parameter of the seismic mass, the damping being produced at least one of electrically, electrostatically, electromagnetically and piezoelectrically.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein a relationship between the force damping the movement of the seismic mass and the values of the at least one movement parameter is provided by a physical mechanism of the damping.

3. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a detection device for detecting the at least one movement parameter of the seismic mass and a damping device which is designed to apply a force to the seismic mass damping the movement of the seismic mass as a function of the detected values of the at least one detected movement parameter.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the seismic mass to be damped is a movement caused by an acceleration to which the inertial sensor is exposed.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein one of the movement parameters of the seismic mass is a deflection of the seismic mass caused by an acceleration of the inertial sensor.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the damping force increases in direct proportion to an increase in the deflection of the seismic mass caused by the acceleration of the inertial sensor.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein the damping force is proportional to the deflection of the seismic mass caused by the acceleration of the inertial sensor.

8. The device according to claim 5, wherein the damping force is proportional to a square of the deflection of the seismic mass caused by the acceleration of the inertial sensor.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein one of the movement parameters of the seismic mass is a speed of a deflection of the seismic mass caused by an acceleration of the inertial sensor.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the damping force increases in direct proportion to an increase in the speed of the deflection of the seismic mass caused by the acceleration of the inertial sensor.

11. The device according to claim 9, wherein the damping force is proportional to the speed of the deflection of the seismic mass caused by the acceleration of the inertial sensor.

12. The device according to claim 9, wherein the damping force is proportional to a square of the speed of the deflection of the seismic mass caused by the acceleration of the inertial sensor.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is functionally coupled to a yaw rate sensor core and an acceleration sensor core.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is functionally coupled to the seismic mass of an acceleration sensor and of a yaw rate sensor.

15. The device according to claim 13, wherein the yaw rate sensor core and the acceleration sensor core are situated together in a micromechanical cavity.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the cavity has substantially no internal pressure, so that substantially no gas damping of sensor elements occurs.