INERTIA FORCE SENSOR

• US 20110036167A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mitani, Tomohiro, Ohkoshi, Hideo
• Granted Patent: US 8,646,332 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/504.12
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/025 Inertial sensors not provided for in B81B2201/0235 - B81B2201/0242
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/0058 for protecting against damages due to external chemical or mechanical influences, e.g. shocks or vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/0023 Packaging together an electronic processing unit die and a micromechanical structure die MEMS packages B81B7/0032; MEMS packaging processes B81C1/00261
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5607 using vibrating tuning forks double-ended tuning forks using planar vibrating masses suspended at opposite ends G01C19/5719
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/003 used for damping
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/023 for acceleration measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details

Abstract

An inertial sensor includes oscillating-type angular velocity sensing element, IC for processing signals supplied from angular velocity sensing element, capacitor for processing signals, and package for accommodating angular velocity sensing element, IC, capacitor. Element and IC are housed in package via a vibration isolator, which is formed of TAB tape, plate on which IC is placed, where angular velocity sensing element is layered on IC, and outer frame placed outside and separately from plate and yet coupled to plate via wiring pattern.

Claims

1. An inertial sensor comprising:

an oscillating-type angular velocity sensing element;

an IC for processing signals supplied from the angular velocity sensor; and

a package for accommodating the angular velocity sensing element and the IC via a vibration isolator,

wherein the vibration isolator includes;

a plate on which the IC is placed, where the angular sensing element is layered on the IC,

an outer frame disposed outside and separately from the plate for being coupled to the plate via a wiring pattern,

wherein the plate is held in midair and mounted to the package via the outer frame, and

wherein one of the angular velocity sensing element and the IC is electrically coupled to the wiring pattern.

2. The inertial sensor of claim 1, wherein a center of gravity of the angular velocity sensing element, a center of gravity the IC, and a center of gravity of the plate are aligned on an identical axis.

3. The inertial sensor of claim 1, wherein the angular velocity sensing element includes an element electrode-pad working for input/output of signals, and the IC includes an IC electrode-pad working for inputting and outputting of signals, and the package includes a connection electrode-pad working for coupling itself to one of the element electrode-pad and the IC electrode-pad,

wherein the IC electrode-pad is disposed outside the angular velocity sensing element,

wherein one of the element electrode-pad and the IC electrode-pad is electrically coupled to the wiring pattern,

wherein one of the element electrode-pad, IC electrode-pad and the wiring pattern is electrically coupled to the connection electrode-pad.

4. The inertial sensor of claim 1, wherein the wiring pattern is symmetric in shape with respect to a center of the plate.

5. The inertial sensor of claim 1, wherein the plate and the outer frame are made of insulating film, and the wiring pattern is bonded to the insulating film.

6. An inertial sensor comprising:

an angular velocity sensing element;

a vibration isolator including;

a plate for holding the angular velocity sensing element in midair and on a top face of the plate; and

an outer frame coupled to the plate with a wiring pattern;

an IC for processing signals supplied from the angular velocity sensing element; and

a package for accommodating the angular velocity sensing element, the vibration isolator, and the IC,

wherein the package includes an acceleration sensing section on inner bottom face of the package.

7. An inertial sensor comprising:

an angular velocity sensing element;

a vibration isolator including;

a plate for holding the angular velocity sensing element in midair and on a top face of the plate; and

an outer frame coupled to the plate with a wiring pattern;

an IC for processing signals supplied from the angular velocity sensing element; and

a package for accommodating the angular velocity sensing element, the vibration isolator, and the IC,

wherein an acceleration sensing section is disposed on an underside of the plate of the vibration isolator.