Monolithic vibrating rate gyro structure

• US 6,414,416 B1
• Filed: 07/26/2001
• Issued: 07/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Office National D'Etudes et de Recherches Aerospatiales
• Original Assignee: Office National D'Etudes et de Recherches Aerospatiales
• Inventors: Le Corre, Bernard, Muller, Serge, Le Traon, Olivier, Janiaud, Denis
• Primary Examiner(s): Budd, Mark O.
• Application Number:
  US09/912,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20020033653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 341 Days
• Field of Search: 310/321, 310/324, 310/330-332, 310/329, 310/334, 310/323.01, 310/367, 310/368, 735/040.3, 735/041.6, 735/141.5, 735/143.4
• US Class Current: 310/321
• 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

A vibrating rate gyro structure machined in a plate of material and comprising a fixed part, a resonator, and a mechanical system connecting the resonator to the fixed part. The mechanical system comprises a first mobile mass part connected to one end of the resonator, a second mobile mass part (4) connected to the resonator and situated in the vicinity of the other end of the resonator, two flexible arms situated on both sides of the resonator and each connecting the first mobile mass part to the second mobile mass part, and two other flexible arms situated on both sides of the resonator and connecting the second mobile mass part to the fixed part.

Claims

1. A monolithic rate gyro structure machined in a plate of material, comprising a fixed part, a resonator, a first mobile mass part fastened to a first end of said resonator, a second mobile mass part, first connecting means connecting said first mobile mass part to said second mobile mass part, and second connecting means connecting said second mobile mass part to said fixed part, characterized in that said second mobile mass part is not fastened to said resonator and is situated in the vicinity of a second end of the resonator, said first connecting means comprise first two flexible arms which extend along the whole of said resonator on respective opposite sides thereof and said second connecting means comprise second two flexible arms which extend along the first flexible arms and connect said second mobile mass part directly to said fixed part.

2. A monolithic rate gyro structure according to claim 1, wherein said fixed part consists of two parts situated along edges of said second two flexible arms opposite edges of said second flexible arms facing said first two flexible arms.

3. A monolithic rate gyro structure according to claim 1, wherein said resonator is a tuning fork formed of two identical and parallel branches facing each other and each fastened at one end to a common part.

4. A monolithic rate gyro structure according to claim 1, wherein said first mobile mass part and said second mobile mass part each are a parallelepiped-shaped block whose thickness is equal to the thickness of the machined plate, and the height of said second mobile mass part lies between once and three times the height of said first mobile mass part.

5. A monolithic rate gyro structure according to claim 1, wherein each of said first two flexible arms is a parallelepiped-shaped beam whose thickness is equal to the thickness of the machined plate, whose width lies between ⅕

and ¾

said plate thickness, and whose height lies between 5 and 25 times said plate thickness.

6. A monolithic rate gyro structure according to claim 1, wherein each of said second two flexible arms is a parallelepiped-shaped beam whose thickness is equal to the thickness of the machined plate, whose width lies between half and twice said plate thickness, and whose height lies between three and ten times said plate thickness.

7. A monolithic rate gyro structure according to claim 5, wherein said width of each of said second two flexible arms is greater than the width of each of said first two flexible arms and the height of each of said second two flexible arms is less than the height of each of said first two flexible arms.

8. A monolithic rate gyro structure according to claim 1, having an axis of symmetry.

9. A monolithic rate gyro structure according to claim 8, wherein said second mobile mass part has a moment of inertia about said axis of symmetry lying between once and three times that of said first mobile mass part.

10. A monolithic rate gyro structure according to claim 9, wherein the lowest frequency of vibration of resonance of said structure about said axis of symmetry is substantially equal to the lowest frequency of vibration of resonance of said structure, and the resonant frequency of said resonator is equal to approximately ten times said lowest frequency of vibration of resonance of said structure.

11. A monolithic rate gyro structure according to claim 1, wherein said fixed part and resonator, said first mobile mass part, said second mobile mass part, said first two flexible arms and said second two flexible arms have a thickness equal to the thickness of the machined plate.