YAW-RATE SENSOR

• US 20130298672A1
• Filed: 05/08/2013
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: KUHLMANN, Burkhard, SCHEBEN, Rolf, MEISEL, Daniel Christoph, SCHMIDT, Benjamin, BALSLINK, Thorsten
• Granted Patent: US 9,651,375 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/504.12
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/56 Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses, e.g. vibratory angular rate sensors based on Coriolis forces
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5747 each sensing mass being connected to a driving mass, e.g. driving frames

Abstract

A yaw-rate sensor, having a substrate which has a main extension plane, for detecting a yaw rate about a first direction extending either parallel to the main extension plane or perpendicular to the main extension plane. The yaw-rate sensor has a drive device, a first Coriolis mass and a second Coriolis mass, the drive device being configured to drive at least one part of the first Coriolis mass and at least one part of the second Coriolis mass in a direction parallel to a drive direction extending perpendicular to the first direction.

Claims

1. A yaw-rate sensor, comprising:

a substrate having a main extension plane to detect a yaw rate about a first direction extending either parallel to the main extension plane or perpendicular to the main extension plane;

a drive device;

a first Coriolis mass, the drive device being configured to drive at least a part of the first Coriolis mass in a direction parallel to a drive direction extending perpendicular to the first direction, wherein in the case of a yaw rate about the first direction, at least the part of the first Coriolis mass undergoing a Coriolis acceleration parallel to a detection direction extending both perpendicular to the drive direction and perpendicular to the first direction; and

a first compensating mass having a coupling with the first Coriolis mass via a first connection to the substrate, such that a deflection of the first Coriolis mass in a direction parallel to the detection direction caused by a Coriolis acceleration leads to a deflection of the first compensating mass in opposite direction.

2. The yaw-rate sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the first Coriolis mass has a first partial mass and a second partial mass, the drive device being configured to drive the first partial mass of the first Coriolis mass in a direction parallel to the drive direction, wherein in the case of a yaw rate about the first direction, the first partial mass of the first Coriolis mass undergoing a Coriolis acceleration parallel to the detection direction and the second partial mass of the first Coriolis mass thereby also deflecting, the first compensating mass having a coupling with the second partial mass of the first Coriolis mass via the first connection to the substrate, such that a deflection of the second partial mass of the first Coriolis mass in a direction parallel to the detection direction caused by a Coriolis acceleration leads to a deflection of the first compensating mass in opposite direction.

3. The yaw-rate sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the first direction and the drive direction run parallel to the main extension plane, the drive device being configured to drive the first Coriolis mass in a direction parallel to the drive direction extending perpendicular to the first direction, the detection direction running perpendicular to the main extension plane.

4. The yaw-rate sensor as recited in claim 3, wherein one of:

along the drive direction, the first Coriolis mass is disposed in a central area of the yaw-rate sensor and the first compensating mass is disposed in an edge area, the first compensating mass being formed by two mass elements;

along the drive direction, the first compensating mass is disposed in the central area of the yaw-rate sensor and the first Coriolis mass is disposed in the edge area;

or

along the first direction, the first Coriolis mass is disposed in the central area of the yaw-rate sensor and the first compensating mass is disposed in the edge area, the first compensating mass being formed by two mass elements.

5. The yaw-rate sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the first Coriolis mass is in the form of a closed frame, and the first compensating mass is disposed within the frame of the first Coriolis mass.

6. The yaw-rate sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the yaw-rate sensor has a second Coriolis mass, the drive device being configured to drive at least one part of the second Coriolis mass in a direction parallel to the drive direction, wherein in the case of a yaw rate about the first direction, at least the part of the second Coriolis mass undergoing a Coriolis acceleration parallel to the detection direction, the yaw-rate sensor having a second compensating mass, the second compensating mass having a coupling with the second Coriolis mass via a second connection to the substrate, such that a deflection of the second Coriolis mass in a direction parallel to the detection direction caused by a Coriolis acceleration leads to a deflection of the second compensating mass in opposite direction.

7. The yaw-rate sensor as recited in claim 6, wherein the second Coriolis mass has a third partial mass and a fourth partial mass, the drive device being configured to drive the third partial mass of the second Coriolis mass in a direction parallel to the drive direction, wherein in the case of a yaw rate about the first direction, the third partial mass of the second Coriolis mass undergoing a Coriolis acceleration parallel to the detection direction and the fourth partial mass of the second Coriolis mass thereby also deflecting, the second compensating mass having a coupling with the fourth partial mass of the second Coriolis mass via the second connection to the substrate, such that a deflection of the fourth partial mass of the second Coriolis mass in a direction parallel to the detection direction caused by a Coriolis acceleration leads to a deflection of the second compensating mass in opposite direction.

8. The yaw-rate sensor as recited in claim 6, wherein the first direction runs perpendicular to the main extension plane, the drive device being configured to drive the first Coriolis mass and the second Coriolis mass in a direction parallel to the drive direction extending perpendicular to the first direction, wherein in the case of a yaw rate about the first direction, the first Coriolis mass and the second Coriolis mass undergoing a Coriolis acceleration parallel to the detection direction, the first compensating mass also being coupled with the second Coriolis mass and the second compensating mass being coupled with the first Coriolis mass via the first connection and via the second connection.

9. The yaw-rate sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the first direction runs perpendicular to the main extension plane, the drive device being configured to drive the first Coriolis mass and the second Coriolis mass in a direction parallel to the drive direction extending perpendicular to the first direction, wherein in the case of a yaw rate about the first direction, the first Coriolis mass and the second Coriolis mass undergoing a Coriolis acceleration parallel to the detection direction, at least one of:

i) the first and second Coriolis masses being coupled via a third connection to the substrate, and ii) the first and second compensating masses being coupled via a fourth connection to the substrate.

10. The yaw-rate sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein one of:

i) the drive device is configured to drive the first Coriolis mass and the second Coriolis mass in drive direction, each in opposite direction relative to each other, or ii) the drive device is configured to drive the first partial mass of the first Coriolis mass and the third partial mass of the second Coriolis mass in drive direction, each in opposite direction relative to each other.

11. The yaw-rate sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the drive device has a drive frame, the drive frame having four angular elements which, in corners of the frame, are connected to the substrate in a manner allowing them to deflect in rotatory manner, in each case two of the angular elements being joined to each other via U-shaped spring elements.

12. A yaw-rate sensor, comprising:

a substrate having a main extension plane to detect a first yaw rate about a first direction extending parallel to the main extension plane and to detect a second yaw rate about a second direction extending parallel to the main extension plane, the first direction and the second direction extending perpendicular to each other;

a drive device and a first Coriolis mass, the drive device being configured to drive the first Coriolis mass to a rotary oscillation about a direction extending perpendicular to the main extension plane, wherein in the case of a yaw rate about the first direction, a first partial area of the first Coriolis mass undergoing a Coriolis acceleration parallel to a detection direction extending perpendicular to the first direction and perpendicular to the main extension plane, a second partial area of the first Coriolis mass in the case of a yaw rate about the second direction undergoing a Coriolis acceleration parallel to the detection direction;

a first compensating mass and a second compensating mass, the first compensating mass having a coupling with a first partial area of the first Coriolis mass via a first connection to the substrate and the second compensating mass having a coupling with a second partial area of the first Coriolis mass via a second connection to the substrate, such that a deflection of the first partial area of the first Coriolis mass in a direction parallel to the detection direction caused by a Coriolis acceleration leads to a deflection of the first compensating mass in opposite direction and a deflection of the second partial area of the first Coriolis mass in a direction parallel to the detection direction caused by a Coriolis acceleration leads to a deflection of the second compensating mass in opposite direction.

13. The yaw-rate sensor as recited in claim 12, wherein the yaw-rate sensor is configured to detect a third yaw rate about a third direction extending perpendicular to the main extension plane, the yaw-rate sensor having at least one additional Coriolis mass, the at least one additional Coriolis mass being driven by movement of the first Coriolis mass.