Inertial rate sensor tuning fork

• US 6,262,520 B1
• Filed: 09/15/1999
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emcore Corporation
• Original Assignee: BEI Technologies, Incorporated
• Inventors: Knowles, Stuart J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Budd, Mark O.
• Application Number:
  US09/396,996
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 310/367, 310/370, 310/329
• US Class Current: 310/370
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5607 using vibrating tuning forks double-ended tuning forks using planar vibrating masses suspended at opposite ends G01C19/5719
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/215 consisting of quartz

Abstract

Vibratory tuning fork having a body of piezoelectric material with a base and a pair of tapered tines which extend from the base and decrease in lateral dimension from the base toward the tips of the tines. A crotch section at the base of the tines has an inner pair of faces which lie in crystallographic planes of the piezoelectric material and an outer pair of faces which lie in additional crystallographic planes of the material and extend between the inner pair of faces and the tines. An isolation slot is formed in the base adjacent to the crotch, with enlarged cut-outs at the ends of the slot to prevent the formation of facets and membranes across the slot.

Claims

1. A tuning fork for use in an inertial rate sensor, comprising a body of piezoelectric material having a base and a pair of tapered tines which extend from the base and decrease in lateral dimension from the base toward the tips of the tines, weights of increased lateral dimension at the tips of the tines, and untapered neck portions between the tapered tines and the weights.

2. A tuning fork for use in an inertial rate sensor, comprising a body of piezoelectric material having a base and a pair of tapered tines which extend from the base and decrease in lateral dimension from the base toward the tips of the tines, and a crotch section at the base of the tines comprising an inner pair of faces which come together at an angle of about 120 degrees at an axis of symmetry between the tines, and an outer pair of faces which extend between the inner faces and the tines at angles of about 30 degrees to the inner faces.

3. The tuning fork of claim 2 further including an isolation slot formed in the body adjacent to the crotch.

4. The tuning fork of claim 3 wherein the isolation slot has two sections which come together at an angle of about 120 degrees at an axis of symmetry between the tines.

5. The tuning fork of claim 3 wherein the body is fabricated of a crystalline material, and enlarged cut-outs are formed in the body at the ends of the slot to prevent the formation of facets and membranes across the slot.

8. The tuning fork of claim 5 wherein the tines are tapered and decrease in lateral dimension from the base toward the tips of the tines.

9. The tuning fork of claim 8 including portions of increased mass at the tips of the tines.

6. A tuning fork for use in an inertial rate sensor, comprising a body of crystalline material having a base, a pair of tines extending from the base and positioned symmetrically on opposite sides of an axis, and a crotch section at the base of the tines, the crotch section having an inner pair of faces which lie in crystallographic planes of the material and come together at the axis, and an outer pair of faces which lie in additional crystallographic planes of the material and extend between the inner faces and the tines.

7. The tuning fork of claim 6 wherein the crystalline material is quartz, the inner faces extend at angles of about 60 degrees to the axis, and the outer faces extend at angles of about 30 degrees to the axis.

10. The tuning fork of claim 6 further including an isolation slot formed in the base near the tines.

11. The tuning fork of claim 10 wherein the isolation slot has two sections which come together at an angle of about 120 degrees at the axis.

12. The tuning fork of claim 10 wherein enlarged cut-outs are formed in the body at th e ends of the slot to prevent t he formation of facets and membranes across the slot.

13. A double ended tuning fork for use in an inertial rate sensor formed as a unitary structure of quartz, comprising a frame having a central opening, a mounting pad disposed in the opening, relatively thin bridges interconnecting the mounting pad and the frame, a pair of tapered drive tines extending from a first crotch at one end of the frame and decreasing in lateral dimension from the first crotch toward the tips of the tines, a pair of tapered pick-up tines extending from a second crotch at a second end of the frame and decreasing in lateral dimension from the second crotch toward the tips of the tines, and isolation slots formed in the frame between the bridges and the crotches.

14. The tuning fork of claim 13 wherein the bridges and the isolation slots are V-shaped and have sections which extend at angles of about 60 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the tuning fork.

15. The tuning fork of claim 13 wherein each of the crotches has an inner pair of faces which intersect at the longitudinal axis of the tuning fork and extend at angles of about 60 degrees relative to the axis, and an outer pair of faces which extend between the inner faces and the tines at angles of about 30 degrees relative to the axis.

16. The tuning fork of claim 13 wherein enlarged cut-outs are formed in the quartz at the ends of the slots to prevent the formation of facets and membranes across the slots.

17. The tuning fork of claim 13 including sections of increased mass at the tips of the tines.

18. The tuning fork of claim 13 wherein the frame includes side sections which extend longitudinally between the crotches for the drive tines and the pick-up tines and are narrower than the crotches.

19. The tuning fork of claim 13 wherein the pick-up mode oscillation is adjusted to so that the nodal line of the pick-up mode passes through the mounting pad.

20. A tuning fork for use in an inertial rate sensor, comprising a body of piezoelectric material having a base and a pair of tapered tines which extend from the base and decrease in lateral dimension from the base toward the tips of the tines, weights of increased lateral dimension at the tips of the tines, and a crotch section at the base of the tines comprising an inner pair of faces which come together at an angle of about 120 degrees at an axis of symmetry between the tines, and an outer pair of faces which extend between the inner faces and the tines at angles of about 30 degrees to the inner faces.

21. A double ended tuning fork for use in an inertial rate sensor formed as a unitary structure of quartz, comprising a frame having a central opening, a mounting pad disposed in the opening, relatively thin bridges interconnecting the mounting pad and the frame, a pair of tapered drive tines extending from a first crotch at one end of the frame and decreasing in lateral dimension from the first crotch toward the tips of the tines, and a pair of tapered pick-up tines extending from a second crotch at a second end of the frame and decreasing in lateral dimension from the second crotch toward the tips of the tines, the pick-up mode oscillation being adjusted to so that the nodal line of the pick-up mode passes through the mounting pad, the first crotch and the second crotch each comprising an inner pair of faces which come together at an angle of about 120 degrees at an axis of symmetry between the tines, and an outer pair of faces which extend between the inner faces and the tines at angles of about 30 degrees to the inner faces.

22. The tuning fork of claim 21 wherein the body is fabricated of quartz.