Angular velocity sensor

• US 5,559,291 A
• Filed: 08/29/1994
• Issued: 09/24/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Tomoyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOLLER, RICHARD ALAN
• Application Number:
  US08/284,611
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 73/517 A, 73/517 AV, 73/505, 73/504, 73/517 R, 73/510, 73/504.02, 73/504.12
• 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 19/5719 using planar vibrating masses driven in a translation vibration along an axis

Abstract

An angular velocity sensor arranged to minimize the influence of viscous resistance of gases in association with a vibratory member, and to enhance the sensitivity of angular velocity detection through reduction of noises. The angular velocity sensor includes a first vibratory member supported on a first support beam for vibration in horizontally lateral direction perpendicular to the support axis, a second vibratory member horiztonally supported through a second support beam at a position on the support axis and inward of the first vibratory member for vibrations in the horizontally lateral direction and at the same time in the vertical direction to the face of an upper substrate, and a vibration generating means for imparting vibrations to the first and second vibratory members in the horizontally lateral direction. With these arrangements, when a turning moment about the support axis is applied, the second vibratory member is displaced in the vertical direction under the influence of Coriolis force, and an angular velocity signal indicative of this displacement is produced by a displacement detector.

Claims

1. A semiconductor angular velocity sensor, comprising:

a substrate;

a first vibratory member supported on said substrate and parallel thereto through a first support beam for vibration in a lateral direction relative to said substrate;

a second vibratory member supported in axial alignment with the support axis of said first support beam and supported on said first vibratory member and parallel thereto through a second support beam for vibrating in the lateral direction and also in a perpendicular direction relative to the face of said substrate;

a vibration generating means vibrating said first vibratory member and second vibratory member in the lateral direction relative to said substrate; and

a displacement detection means detecting the extent of displacement of said second vibratory member in the perpendicular direction while the second vibratory member is vibrated by the vibration generating means.

2. An angular velocity sensor as defined in claim 1, wherein said vibration generating means is constituted by movable conducting sections located at opposite lateral sides of said first support beam and stationary conducting sections provided on the part of said substrate in face to face relation with said movable conducting sections, and vibrates said first vibratory member together with said second vibratory member upon application of a frequency signal to the respective conducting sections.

3. An angular velocity sensor as defined in claim 1, wherein said displacement detection means is constituted by a bridge circuit containing a pair of piezoresistance elements located on said second support beam in spaced positions in the transverse direction thereof and a pair of piezoresistance elements located on said first vibratory member.

4. An angular velocity sensor as defined in claim 1, wherein said displacement detection means is constituted by a conducting section provided on said second vibratory member and another conducting section provided on said substrate in confronting relation with said first-mentioned conducting section, and adapted to detect a displacement of said second vibratory member in said perpendicular direction by way of a variation in capacitance between said two conducting sections.

5. An angular velocity sensor as defined in claim 1, wherein said vibratory member is a cantilever frame having a central opening supported on said first support beam, and said second vibratory member is a cantilever plate supported on said second support beam in said central opening.

6. An angular velocity sensor as defined in claim 1, wherein said first vibratory memory is a frame having a central opening and the opposite ends thereof supported by a pair of said first support beams aligned with each other on a common support axis, and said second vibratory member is a cantilever plate supported on said second support beam in said central opening.

7. An angular velocity sensor as defined in claim 1, wherein said substrate is composed of a lower substrate and an upper substrate joined with each other through an insulation layer, said first and second vibratory members being integrally formed in said upper substrate in a shaping process for said upper substrate.

8. An angular velocity sensor as defined in claim 7, wherein said lower substrate includes a recess so that said first and second vibratory members can freely vibrate.

9. An angular velocity sensor as defined in claim 1, wherein said first vibratory member, said second vibratory member, said first support beam and said second support beam lie in the same plane.

10. An angular velocity sensor as defined in claim 1, wherein said displacement detection means is a diffused resistance element located on said second support beam which is formed by diffusing an impurity and said substrate is formed of a silicon material.

11. A semiconductor angular velocity sensor, comprising:

a substrate;

a first vibratory member in the shape of a frame having a central opening, supported on said substrate and parallel thereto through a first support beam for vibration in a lateral direction relative to said substrate;

a second vibratory member supported in axial alignment with the support axis of said first support beam and supported within the frame of said first vibratory member and parallel thereto through a second support beam for vibration in the lateral direction and also in a perpendicular direction relative to the face of said substrate;

a vibration generating means vibrating said first vibratory member and said second vibratory member in the lateral direction relative to said substrate; and

a displacement detection means detecting the extent of displacement of said second vibratory member in the perpendicular direction while the second vibratory member is vibrated by the vibration generating means.