Acceleration sensor and acceleration apparatus using acceleration sensor

• US 6,382,026 B1
• Filed: 04/12/2000
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tomita, Yoshihiro, Nomura, Koji, Tajika, Hirofumi, Nishihara, Kazunari, Taji, Motoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAPMAN JR, JOHN E
• Application Number:
  US09/463,140
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 735/143.4, 736/51, 310/329, 310/331, 310/332, 310/367
• US Class Current: 73/514.34
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/02 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/023 for acceleration measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0922 of the bending or flexing mode type

Abstract

An acceleration sensor having a well controlled dispersion in the detection, characteristics and improved detection characteristics in the low frequency detection comprises a first piezoelectric plate (11), a second piezoelectric plate (12) bonded to the first piezoelectric plate (11) by direct bonding, a first external electrode (13) provided on the main surface of the first piezoelectric plate (11) and a second external electrode (14) provided on the main surface of the second piezoelectric plate (12). The first piezoelectric plate (11) and the second piezoelectric plate (12) are bonded together with their polarization axes reversed to each other. Appearance of the acceleration sensor resembles to a letter “L” in the cross section; thickness of the supporting section (15) is greater than that of the rest part (free vibration section).

Claims

1. An acceleration sensor comprising:

a first pizoelectric plate;

a second pizeoelectric plate in contact with the first pizoelectric plate and having a polarization axis reversed to, or in parallel with, a polarization axis of the first pizoelectric plate, wherein at least one end in a length direction is thicker than an opposite end;

a first external electrode provided on a main surface of the first piezoelectric plate, said main surface being opposite to a surface in contact with the second piezoelectric plate, wherein the first external electrode is provided with a notch; and

a second external electrode provided on a main surface of the second piezoelectric plate, said main surface being opposite to a surface in contact with the first pizoelectric plate.

2. The acceleration sensor claim 1, wherein a cross sectional shape of the second piezoelectric plate along a plane parallel to the length direction is a substantially “

L”

shape.

3. The acceleration sensor of claim 1, wherein the first piezoelectric plate and the second piezoelectric plate are bonded together by direct bonding.

4. The acceleration sensor of claim 1, wherein said at least one end is at least four times thicker than said opposite end.