PIEZOELECTRIC VIBRATION TYPE YAW RATE SENSOR

• US 20120103095A1
• Filed: 10/19/2011
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Original Assignee: TDK Corporation
• Inventors: WADA, Takeshi, UNNO, Ken
• Application Number:
  US13/276,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20120103095A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/514.34
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5607 using vibrating tuning forks double-ended tuning forks using planar vibrating masses suspended at opposite ends G01C19/5719

Abstract

A piezoelectric vibration type yaw rate sensor including driving arms and detection arms. A detection sensitivity spectrum of the detection arms has a first peak with a first resonance frequency in a first detection vibration mode, in which the driving and detection arms vibrate in opposite phases, and a second peak with a second resonance frequency in a second detection vibration mode, in which the driving and detection arms vibrate in the same phase. A detection sensitivity at a frequency higher by Δf than one smaller resonance frequency of the first and second resonance frequency is larger than a detection sensitivity at a frequency lower by Δf than the one resonance frequency. A detection sensitivity at a frequency lower by Δf than other larger resonance frequency of the first and second resonance frequency is larger than a detection sensitivity at a frequency higher by Δf than the other resonance frequency.

Claims

1. A piezoelectric vibration type yaw rate sensor comprising:

at least one pair of driving arms and at least one pair of detection arms, the at least one pair of detection arms detecting a Coriolis force generated in the at least one pair of driving arms,

wherein a detection sensitivity spectrum of the at least one pair of detection arms has a first peak with, as a peak frequency, a first resonance frequency in a first detection vibration mode, in which the at least one pair of driving arms and the at least one pair of detection arms vibrate in opposite phases, and a second peak with, as a peak frequency, a second resonance frequency in a second detection vibration mode, in which the at least one pair of driving arms and the at least one pair of detection arms vibrate in the same phase, and

wherein, in the detection sensitivity spectrum, a detection sensitivity at a frequency higher by Δ

f than one smaller resonance frequency of the first resonance frequency and the second resonance frequency is larger than a detection sensitivity at a frequency lower by Δ

f than the one resonance frequency, and a detection sensitivity at a frequency lower by Δ

f than other larger resonance frequency of the first resonance frequency and the second resonance frequency is larger than a detection sensitivity at a frequency higher by Δ

f than the other resonance frequency.

2. The piezoelectric vibration type yaw rate sensor according to claim 1, wherein the detection sensitivity spectrum is a total of a detection sensitivity spectrum in the first detection vibration mode and a detection sensitivity spectrum in the second detection vibration mode.

3. The piezoelectric vibration type yaw rate sensor according to claim 1, wherein a driving vibration resonance frequency of the driving arms is set between the first resonance frequency in the first detection vibration mode and the second resonance frequency in the second detection vibration mode.

4. The piezoelectric vibration type yaw rate sensor according to claim 1, comprising a base member that includes:

a frame to which the at least one pair of driving arms and the at least one pair of detection arms are connected;

a connection island part that is formed inside the frame;

a plurality of bridge parts that extends in a direction parallel to an extending direction of the at least one pair of driving arms and/or the at least one pair of detection arms and is provided across the frame; and

a plurality of auxiliary bridge parts that connects the connection island part and the plurality of bridge parts.

7. The piezoelectric vibration type yaw rate sensor according to claim 2, wherein a driving vibration resonance frequency of the driving arms is set between the first resonance frequency in the first detection vibration mode and the second resonance frequency in the second detection vibration mode.

8. The piezoelectric vibration type yaw rate sensor according to claim 2, comprising a base member that includes:

a frame to which the at least one pair of driving arms and the at least one pair of detection arms are connected;

a connection island part that is formed inside the frame;

a plurality of bridge parts that extends in a direction parallel to an extending direction of the at least one pair of driving arms and/or the at least one pair of detection arms and is provided across the frame; and

a plurality of auxiliary bridge parts that connects the connection island part and the plurality of bridge parts.

9. The piezoelectric vibration type yaw rate sensor according to claim 3, comprising a base member that includes:

a frame to which the at least one pair of driving arms and the at least one pair of detection arms are connected;

a connection island part that is formed inside the frame;

a plurality of bridge parts that extends in a direction parallel to an extending direction of the at least one pair of driving arms and/or the at least one pair of detection arms and is provided across the frame; and

a plurality of auxiliary bridge parts that connects the connection island part and the plurality of bridge parts.

10. The piezoelectric vibration type yaw rate sensor according to claim 7, comprising a base member that includes:

a frame to which the at least one pair of driving arms and the at least one pair of detection arms are connected;

a connection island part that is formed inside the frame;

a plurality of bridge parts that extends in a direction parallel to an extending direction of the at least one pair of driving arms and/or the at least one pair of detection arms and is provided across the frame; and

a plurality of auxiliary bridge parts that connects the connection island part and the plurality of bridge parts.

5. A method of detecting an angular velocity of a piezoelectric vibration type yaw rate sensor by detecting, by at least one pair of detection arms in the piezoelectric vibration type yaw rate sensor, a Coriolis force generated in at least one pair of driving arms in the piezoelectric vibration type yaw rate sensor, the method comprising:

configuring or controlling the piezoelectric vibration type yaw rate sensor such that a detection sensitivity spectrum of the at least one pair of detection arms has a first peak with, as a peak frequency, a first resonance frequency in a first detection vibration mode, in which the at least one pair of driving arms and the at least one pair of detection arms vibrate in opposite phases, and a second peak with, as a peak frequency, a second resonance frequency in a second detection vibration mode, in which the at least one pair of driving arms and the at least one pair of detection arms vibrate in the same phase, and such that in the detection sensitivity spectrum, a detection sensitivity at a frequency higher by Δ

f than one smaller resonance frequency of the first resonance frequency and the second resonance frequency is larger than a detection sensitivity at a frequency lower by Δ

f than the one resonance frequency, and a detection sensitivity at a frequency lower by Δ

f than other larger resonance frequency of the first resonance frequency and the second resonance frequency is larger than a detection sensitivity at a frequency higher by Δ

f than the other resonance frequency.

6. The angular velocity detection method according to claim 5, wherein a driving vibration resonance frequency of the driving arms is set between the first resonance frequency in the first detection vibration mode and the second resonance frequency in the second detection vibration mode.