Vibrating beam rotation sensor
First Claim
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1. A rotation sensor comprising:
- a single crystal support structure having an axis of rotation;
an integral cantilever beam supported from said support structure for vibration only in a predetermined plane relative to said support structure and parallel to said axis of rotation, said cantilever beam having a base end attached to said support structure and a free end;
means for vibrating the free end of said cantilever beam in said predetermined plane; and
first sensor means for detecting transverse stresses at said base resisting rotation of said vibrating cantilever beam about said axis to generate a signal having a value corresponding to the rotational velocity of said support structure about said axis of rotation.
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Abstract
A rotation sensor having a vibrating cantilever beam is disclosed herein. The sensor comprises an integral single crystal silicon cantilever beam and support structure, an oscillator circuit for generating an electrical signal vibrating the cantilever beam at or near its natural resonant frequency and a piezoresistive element formed at the base of the base of the vibrating beam. The piezoresistive element is only sensitive to the stresses induced in the beam due to the rotation of the beam about an axis parallel to its length.
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Citations
43 Claims
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1. A rotation sensor comprising:
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a single crystal support structure having an axis of rotation; an integral cantilever beam supported from said support structure for vibration only in a predetermined plane relative to said support structure and parallel to said axis of rotation, said cantilever beam having a base end attached to said support structure and a free end; means for vibrating the free end of said cantilever beam in said predetermined plane; and first sensor means for detecting transverse stresses at said base resisting rotation of said vibrating cantilever beam about said axis to generate a signal having a value corresponding to the rotational velocity of said support structure about said axis of rotation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A micromechanical angular rate sensor comprising:
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an integral single crystal support structure and cantilever beam, said cantilever beam supported from said support structure parallel to an axis of rotation; means for vibrating said cantilever beam in a plane parallel to said axis of rotation; and first sensor means for detecting the stresses at the base of said cantilever beam in a plane normal to said axis of rotation to generate a rate signal indicative of the rotation of said support structure about said axis of rotation. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for sensing a rotation comprising the steps of:
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vibrating a single crystal silicon cantilever beam in a predetermined plane relative to a support structure; and detecting the stress induced in said cantilever beam resisting the displacement of said vibrating beam from said predetermined plane due to a rotation of said support structure to generate a rate signal having a value proportional to the rate of rotation. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification