Tuning fork type gyroscope

• US 5,780,739 A
• Filed: 05/24/1996
• Issued: 07/14/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Youn, Sung-kie, Kang, Myung-seok, Cho, Young-ho, Song, Ci-moo
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US08/653,235
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 73/504.16, 73/504.12, 73/514.32, 73/514.16
• US Class Current: 73/504.16
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/574 the devices having two sensing masses in anti-phase motion

Abstract

A tuning fork type gyroscope including plate members spaced apart from each other, vibration elements for vibrating the plate members, suspension members for suspending the plate members, and electrodes arranged in the lower portion of the plate members, wherein the suspension members comprises: main bars connected to the plate members by connection members; fixing members connected to both ends of each of said main bars so as to support the main bars and reduce (a) restoring tensile forces(s) along the length of the main bars; and a supporting member connected to (a) central portion(s) of the main bars so as to support the main bars. The gyroscope reduces the restoring tensile force of the main bars and provides flexibility to the main bars.

Claims

1. A tuning fork type gyroscope comprising plate members spaced apart from each other, vibration means for vibrating said plate members, suspension means for suspending said plate members, and electrodes arranged in the lower portion of said plate members, wherein said suspension means comprises:

main bars;

fixing means connected to both ends of each of said main bars so as to support said main bars and reduce a restoring tensile force along the length of said main bars; and

supporting means connected to a central portion of each of said main bars so as to support said main bars;

wherein

said plate members are connected to said main bars at a portion on said main bars intermediate to the ends of said main bars and said supporting means.

2. A tuning fork type gyroscope according to claim 1, wherein said fixing means comprises a buffer portion connected to the ends of each of said main bars and a first fixing portion connected to said buffer portion so as to support each of said main bars.

3. A tuning fork type gyroscope according to claim 2, wherein said buffer portion extends perpendicularly from the ends of each of said main bars.

4. A tuning fork type gyroscope according to claim 2, wherein said buffer portion is formed in the shape of a rectangular ring.

5. A tuning fork type gyroscope according to claim 4, wherein said buffer portion has at least one U-shaped bending portion formed therein.

6. A tuning fork type gyroscope according to claim 2, wherein said buffer portion is formed in the shape of a square wave.

7. A tuning fork type gyroscope according to claim 1, wherein said supporting means comprises distortion bars extending perpendicularly from at least one side of said central portion of each of said main bars and a fixing portion connected to at least one end of each of said distortion bars so as to support said main bars.

8. A tuning fork type gyroscope according to claim 1, wherein said supporting means comprises connection bars extending perpendicularly from at least one side of said central portion of each of said main bars, a rectangular ring-shaped distortion portion connected to at least one end of each of said connection bars and a fixing portion connected to said distortion portion so as to support said main bars.

9. A tuning fork type gyroscope according to claim 1, wherein said supporting means comprises connection bars extending perpendicularly from at least one side of said central portion of each of said main bars, distortion bars extending perpendicularly from at least one side of at least one end of each of said connection bars and being bent inward at the ends of said connection bars, and a fixing portion connected to at least one end of each of said distortion bars.

10. A tuning fork type gyroscope according to claim 1, wherein said plate members are connected to portions of each of said main bars at points where the displacement of each of said main bars is maximum.

11. A tuning fork type gyroscope according to claim 1, wherein said plate members are connected to said main bars by connection members.

12. A tuning fork type gyroscope according to claim 11, wherein said connection members are connected to portions of each of said main bars at points where the displacement of each of said main bars is maximum.

13. A method of supporting plate members spaced apart from each other in a tuning fork type gyroscope comprising vibration means for vibrating said plate members, suspension means for suspending said plate members, and electrodes arranged in the lower portion of said plate members, wherein said method comprises the steps of:

connecting main bars to fixing means at both ends of each of said main bars to reduce a restoring tensile force along the length of said main bars;

connecting said main bars to supporting means at a central portion of each of said main bars so as to support said main bars; and

connecting said plate members to said main bars at a portion on said main bars intermediate to the ends of said main bars and said supporting means.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of connecting fixing means comprises the steps of:

connecting a buffer portion to the ends of each of said main bars; and

connecting said buffer portion to a first fixing portion so as to support each of said main bars.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of connecting a buffer portion comprises the step of extending said buffer portion perpendicularly from the ends of each of said main bars.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of connecting a buffer portion comprises the step of forming the shape of a rectangular ring with said buffer portion.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of connecting a buffer portion comprises the step of forming at least one U-shaped bending portion in said buffer portion.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of connecting a buffer portion comprises the step of forming the shape of a square wave with said buffer portion.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of connecting supporting means comprises the steps of:

extending said distortion bars perpendicularly from said supporting means from at least one side of central portion of each of said main bars; and

connecting a fixing portion to at least one end of each of said distortion bars so as to support said main bars.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of connecting supporting means comprises the steps of:

extending connection bars perpendicularly from said supporting means from at least one side of said central portion of each of said main bars;

connecting a rectangular ring-shaped distortion portion to at least one end of each of said connection bars; and

connecting a fixing portion to said distortion portion so as to support said main bars.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of connecting supporting means comprises the steps of:

extending connection bars perpendicularly from at least one side of said central portion of each of said main bars;

extending distortion bars perpendicularly from at least one side of at least one end of each of said connection bars;

bending the ends of said connection bars inward; and

connecting a fixing portion to at least one end of each of said distortion bars.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of connecting said plate members further comprises the step of connecting said plate members to portions of each of said main bars at points where the displacement of each of said main bars is maximum.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of connecting said plate members comprises the step of connecting said plate members to said main bars by connection members.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of connecting said plate members further comprises the step of connecting said connection members to portions of each of said main bars at points where the displacement of each of said main bars is maximum.