Angular velocity sensor

• US 6,119,518 A
• Filed: 08/05/1997
• Issued: 09/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc. (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation, Nippon Soken, Inc. (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Itou, Takeshi, Asami, Kazushi, Matsuhiro, Yasushi, Miura, Kazuhiko, Yorinaga, Muneo, Yoshino, Yoshimi
• Primary Examiner(s): Moller, Richard A.
• Application Number:
  US08/906,044
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 73/504.12, 73/504.16, 73/504.14, 73/504.15, 73/504.02, 310/329, 310/321, 310/370, 310/367
• US Class Current: 73/504.16
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5607 using vibrating tuning forks double-ended tuning forks using planar vibrating masses suspended at opposite ends G01C19/5719

Abstract

An angular velocity sensor includes a tuning-fork oscillator having a pair of arms jointed by a trunk, the pair of arms extending in parallel to each other, first and second driving piezoelectric elements arranged only on one surface of the trunk with a gap therebetween in an extending direction of the arms, and angular velocity detecting piezoelectric elements arranged on surfaces of the arms in parallel with the one surface of the trunk on which the first and second piezoelectric elements are arranged.

Claims

1. An angular velocity sensor comprising:

a tuning-fork oscillator having arms extending in parallel to each other and joined to a stationary body through a trunk, said arms and said trunk having respective surfaces substantially coplanar to each other;

first and second driving piezoelectric elements arranged only on said respective surface of said trunk with a gap therebetween, said gap having a width extending in a direction of said arms; and

angular velocity detecting piezoelectric elements arranged on said surfaces of said arms,

wherein said first and second driving piezoelectric elements generate forces for giving said arms predetermined oscillations so that said arms may oscillate on a plane in parallel with said surface on which said angular velocity detecting piezoelectric elements are arranged, and

wherein said first driving piezoelectric element and said second driving piezoelectric element are adjusted in their applied voltages so as to suppress an unnecessary oscillation which is generated in a detected oscillating direction perpendicular to said plane on which said arms oscillate.

2. An angular velocity sensor comprising:

a tuning-fork oscillator having arms extending in parallel to each other and joined to a stationary body through a trunk, said arms and said trunk having respective surfaces substantially coplanar to each other;

first and second driving piezoelectric elements arranged only on said respective surface of said trunk with a gap therebetween, said gap having a width extending in a direction of said arms; and

angular velocity detecting piezoelectric elements arranged on said surfaces of said arms, wherein said first and second driving piezoelectric elements generate forces for giving said arms predetermined oscillations so that said arms may oscillate on a plane in parallel with said surface on which said angular velocity detecting piezoelectric elements are arranged, and

wherein said first driving piezoelectric element and said second driving piezoelectric element are adjusted in their areas so as to suppress an unnecessary oscillation which is generated in a detected oscillating direction perpendicular to said plane on which said arms oscillate.

3. An angular velocity sensor comprising:

a tuning-fork oscillator having arms extending in parallel to each other and joined to a stationary body through a trunk, said arms and said trunk having respective surfaces substantially coplanar to each other;

first and second driving piezoelectric elements arranged only on said respective surface of said trunk with a gap therebetween, said gap having a width extending in a direction of said arms; and

angular velocity detecting piezoelectric elements arranged on said surfaces of said arms, wherein said first and second driving piezoelectric elements generate forces for giving said arms predetermined oscillations so that said arms may oscillate on a plane in parallel with said surface on which said angular velocity detecting piezoelectric elements are arranged, and

wherein there is a plurality of at least said first driving piezoelectric elements along an oscillating direction of said arms, and each of said first driving piezoelectric elements is adjusted in its applied voltage so as to suppress an unnecessary oscillation which is generated in a detected oscillating direction perpendicular to said oscillating direction.

4. An angular velocity sensor comprising:

a tuning-fork oscillator having arms extending in parallel to each other and joined to a stationary body through a trunk, said arms and said trunk having respective surfaces substantially coplanar to each other;

first and second driving piezoelectric elements arranged only on said respective surface of said trunk with a gap therebetween, said gap having a width extending in a direction of said arms; and

angular velocity detecting piezoelectric elements arranged on said surfaces of said arms,

wherein said first and second driving piezoelectric elements generate forces for giving said arms predetermined oscillations so that said arms may oscillate on a plane in parallel with said surface on which said angular velocity detecting piezoelectric elements are arranged, and

wherein there is a plurality of at least said first driving piezoelectric elements along an oscillating direction of said arms, and each of said first driving piezoelectric elements is adjusted in its area so as to suppress an unnecessary oscillation which is generated in a detected oscillating direction perpendicular to said oscillating direction of said arms.

5. An angular velocity sensor comprising:

a tuning-fork oscillator having arms extending in parallel to each other and joined to a stationary body through a trunk;

first and second driving piezoelectric elements having a plural-layer laminated structure and arranged only on said trunk with a gap therebetween, said gap having a width extending in a direction of said arms for driving and oscillator to oscillate in a driven oscillating direction; and

detecting piezoelectric elements having a plural-layer laminated structure and arranged on said arms for detecting oscillations of said oscillator in a detected oscillating direction perpendicular to said driven oscillating direction,

wherein said plural layers of each of said first and second driving piezoelectric elements are laminated along said detected oscillating direction and are elongated along said driven oscillating direction, and said plural layers of said detecting piezoelectric elements are laminated along said detected oscillating direction,

wherein, when one of said first and second driving piezoelectric elements is driven in an expanded state, another of said first and second driving piezoelectric elements is driven in a contracted state,

wherein said first driving piezoelectric element and said second piezoelectric element are adjusted in their applied voltages so as to suppress an unnecessary oscillation which is generated in said detected oscillating direction.

6. An angular velocity sensor comprising:

a tuning-fork oscillator having arms extending in parallel to each other and joined to a stationary body through a trunk;

first and second driving piezoelectric elements having a plural-layer laminated structure and arranged only on said trunk with a gap therebetween, said gap having a width extending in a direction of said arms for driving and oscillator to oscillate in a driven oscillating direction; and

detecting piezoelectric elements having a plural-layer laminated structure and arranged on said arms for detecting oscillations of said oscillator in a detected oscillating direction perpendicular to said driven oscillating direction,

wherein said plural layers of each of said first and second driving piezoelectric elements are laminated along said detected oscillating direction and are elongated along said driven oscillating direction, and said plural layers of said detecting piezoelectric elements are laminated along said detected oscillating direction,

wherein, when one of said first and second driving piezoelectric elements is driven in an expanded state, another of said first and second driving piezoelectric elements is driven in a contracted state,

wherein said first driving piezoelectric element and said second piezoelectric element are adjusted in their areas so as to suppress an unnecessary oscillation which is generated in said detected oscillating direction.

7. An angular velocity sensor comprising:

a tuning-fork oscillator having arms extending in parallel to each other and joined to a stationary body through a trunk;

first and second driving piezoelectric element having a plural-layer laminated structure and arranged only on said trunk with a gap therebetween, said gap having a width extending in a direction of said arms for driving said oscillator to oscillate in a driven oscillating direction; and

detecting piezoelectric elements having a plural-layer laminated structure and arranged on said arms for detecting oscillations of said oscillator in a detected oscillating direction perpendicular to said driven oscillating direction,

wherein said plural layers of each of said first and second driving piezoelectric elements are laminated along said detected oscillating direction and are elongated along said driven oscillating direction, and said plural layers of said detecting piezoelectric elements are laminated along said detected oscillating direction, and

wherein when one of said first and second driving piezoelectric elements is driven in an expanded state, another of said first and second driving piezoelectric elements is driven in a contracted state, and

wherein there is a plurality of at least said first driving piezoelectric elements along said driven oscillating direction, and each of said first driving piezoelectric elements is adjusted in its applied voltage so as to suppress an unnecessary oscillation which is generated in said detected oscillating direction of said arms.

9. An angular velocity sensor according to claim 7 or 8, wherein said oscillator is made of a semiconductor substrate, and each of said driving and detecting piezoelectric elements is formed by laminating a thin film electrode material and a thin film piezoelectric material.

10. An angular velocity sensor according to claim 7 or 8, wherein each of said driving and detecting piezoelectric elements is formed by sandwiching a piezoelectric material between electrode materials.

11. An angular velocity sensor according to claim 7 or 8, wherein said oscillator is made of a semiconductor substrate, and at least a plurality of electrode wiring lines connected with said first and second driving piezoelectric elements and electrode wiring lines connected with said angular velocity detecting piezoelectric elements are covered on their surfaces with a shield film so that they are shielded from another electrode wiring lines.

12. An angular velocity sensor according to claim 11, wherein said electrode wiring lines to be shielded are covered on their surfaces with a conductive film through an insulating film, and said conductive film is electrically connected with said semiconductor substrate to serve as said shield film.

13. An angular velocity sensor according to claim 7 or 8, wherein said first and second driving piezoelectric elements are arranged only on said surface of said trunk so that they are positioned between respective center lines of said arms.

14. An angular velocity sensor according to claim 7 or 8, wherein each of said arms includes a wide arm portion extending from said trunk, a narrow arm portion extending from said wide arm portion and made narrower than said wide arm portion, and a mass portion jointed to said narrow arm portion, and said detecting piezoelectric elements are mounted on said wide arm portions.

8. An angular velocity sensor comprising:

a tuning-fork oscillator having arms extending in parallel to each other and joined to a stationary body through a trunk;

first and second driving piezoelectric elements having a plural-layer laminated structure and arranged only on said trunk with a gap therebetween, said gap having a width extending in a direction of said arms for driving said oscillator to oscillate in a driven oscillating direction; and

detecting piezoelectric elements having a plural-layer laminated structure and arranged on said arms for detecting oscillations of said oscillator in a detected oscillating direction perpendicular to said driven oscillating direction,

wherein said plural layers of each of said first and second driving piezoelectric elements are laminated along said detected oscillating direction and are elongated along said driven oscillating direction, and said plural layers of said detecting piezoelectric elements are laminated along said detected oscillating direction,

wherein when one of said first and second driving piezoelectric elements is driven in an expanded state, another of said first and second driving piezoelectric elements is driven in a contracted state,

wherein there is a plurality of at least said first driving piezoelectric elements along said driven oscillating direction, and each of said first driving piezoelectric elements is adjusted in its area so as to suppress an unnecessary oscillation which is generated in said detected oscillating direction of said arms.