Planar inertial sensor
First Claim
1. A planar inertial sensor having an input (Z) axis, comprising a sheet member and associated base member, said base member including means for supporting the peripheral region of said sheet member in a plane perpendicular to said input (Z) axis, said plane including a first (X) reference axis and a second (Y) reference axis, said first and second reference axes being mutually perpendicular and intersecting said input axis at a common point,wherein said sheet member encloses a first pair of opposed C-shaped void regions and said first pair of void regions being disposed symmetrically about said second axis and said common point,wherein the portions of said sheet member between the opposed ends of the void regions of said first pair and the portions of said sheet member interior to said first pair of void regions are spaced apart in the direction of said Y axis from said base member, andwherein the portions of said sheet member between the opposed ends of said void regions of said first pair are flexible, whereby said common point is constrained to be substantially in said plane, and further comprising means for sensing inertial changes in position of said support means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A planar inertial sensor includes a sheet member having one inner planar element adapted for limited angular motion about a (Y) axis perpendicular to an input (Z) axis. In a gyroscope form, the inner planar element is also adapted for limited angular motion about an (X) axis normal to and intersecting with the Y axis. The gyroscope form includes an outer driving planar element which is continuously driven in an oscillatory manner in limited excursions about the Y axis. The driving element is coupled to the inner element so that oscillatory motion of the driving element is coupled to the inner element. Position sensors provide signals representative of the angular position of the inner element relative to the X axis, which in turn are representative of angular rates impressed on the sensor about the input (Z) axis which is orthogonal to the X and Y axes. In an accelerometer form, the inner planar element is characterized by a mass imbalance across the Y axis. Position sensors provide signals representative of the angular position of the inner element, which in turn are representative of the acceleration of the sensor in the direction of the input (Z) axis.
254 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A planar inertial sensor having an input (Z) axis, comprising a sheet member and associated base member, said base member including means for supporting the peripheral region of said sheet member in a plane perpendicular to said input (Z) axis, said plane including a first (X) reference axis and a second (Y) reference axis, said first and second reference axes being mutually perpendicular and intersecting said input axis at a common point,
wherein said sheet member encloses a first pair of opposed C-shaped void regions and said first pair of void regions being disposed symmetrically about said second axis and said common point, wherein the portions of said sheet member between the opposed ends of the void regions of said first pair and the portions of said sheet member interior to said first pair of void regions are spaced apart in the direction of said Y axis from said base member, and wherein the portions of said sheet member between the opposed ends of said void regions of said first pair are flexible, whereby said common point is constrained to be substantially in said plane, and further comprising means for sensing inertial changes in position of said support means.
Specification