Rotation rate sensor

• US 6,705,164 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2003
• Issued: 03/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Lutz, Markus, Fehrenbach, Michael, Hauer, Joerg, Funk, Karsten, Bauer, Wolfram, Willig, Rainer, Kuhlmann, Burkhard, Neul, Reinhard, Doering, Christian, Gomez, Udo-Martin, Wucher, Gerhard, Bischof, Udo, Franz, Jochen, Goetz, Siegbert, Thomae, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): MOLLER, RICHARD ALAN
• Application Number:
  US10/258,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20030154788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 735/040.2, 735/040.3, 735/040.4, 735/041.2, 735/041.6, 735/143.2, 735/143.8
• US Class Current: 73/504.12
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5747 each sensing mass being connected to a driving mass, e.g. driving frames

Abstract

A yaw-rate sensor including a first and a second Coriolis element that are arranged side-by-side above a surface of a substrate. The Coriolis elements are induced to oscillate parallel to a first axis Y. Due to a Coriolis force, the Coriolis elements are deflected in a second axis X which is perpendicular to the first axis Y. The oscillations of the first and second Coriolis elements occur in phase opposition to each other on paths which, without the effect of a Coriolis force, are two straight lines parallel to each other.

Claims

1. A yaw-rate sensor comprising:

a first Coriolis element;

a second Coriolis element;

an excitation arrangement to induce the first Coriolis element and the second Coriolis element to oscillate parallel to a first axis;

a substrate; and

a detection arrangement to verify a deflection of the first Coriolis element and the second Coriolis element based on a Coriolis force in a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis, the first axis and the second axis being parallel to a surface of the substrate;

wherein the first Coriolis element and the second Coriolis element are arranged side-by-side above a surface of a substrate, and the first Coriolis element and the second Coriolis element oscillate in phase opposition to each other on a first path and a second path that, without an effect of the Coriolis force, are a first straight line and a second straight line that are parallel.

2. The yaw-rate sensor of claim 1, wherein the first Coriolis element includes a first gravitational center and the second Coriolis element includes a second gravitational center, and the first straight line and the second straight line are perpendicular to a third straight line that extends through the first gravitational center and the second gravitational center.

3. The yaw-rate sensor of claim 1, wherein the first Coriolis element includes a first drive element connected by a first plurality of springs and the second Coriolis element includes a second drive element connected by a second plurality of springs, the first plurality of springs and the second plurality of springs being stiff in the first axis and yielding in the second axis.

4. The yaw-rate sensor of claim 1, wherein the first drive element and the second drive element are connected to the substrate by a third plurality of springs that are yielding in the first axis and stiff in the second axis X, and the excitation arrangement is connected to the first drive element and the second drive element.

5. The yaw-rate sensor of claim 4, wherein the excitation arrangement includes a plurality of electrostatic comb drives.

6. The yaw-rate sensor of claim 1, wherein the detection arrangement includes a plurality of movable electrodes connected to the first Coriolis element and the second Coriolis element, the plurality of movable electrodes being arranged opposite a plurality of stationary electrodes connected to the substrate.

7. The yaw-rate sensor of claim 1, wherein for the detection arrangement includes a first verification element and a second verification element that are connected to the first Coriolis element and the second Coriolis element by a first plurality of springs that are yielding in the first axis and stiff in the second axis.

8. The yaw-rate sensor of claim 7, wherein the first verification element and the second verification element include a plurality of movable electrodes that are arranged opposite a plurality of stationary electrodes that are connected to the substrate.

9. The yaw-rate sensor of claim 7, wherein the first verification element and the second verification element are connected to the substrate by a second plurality of springs that are stiff in the first axis and yielding in the second axis.

10. The yaw-rate sensor of claim 2, wherein the first drive element and the second drive element are interconnected by a coupling spring.

11. The yaw-rate sensor of claim 1, wherein the first Coriolis element and the second Coriolis element are interconnected by a plurality of coupling springs.

12. The yaw-rate sensor of claim 2, wherein the detection arrangement includes a first verification element and a second verification element that are connected to the first Coriolis element and the second Coriolis element by a third plurality of springs that are yielding in the first axis and stiff in the second axis.

13. The yaw-rate sensor of claim 12, wherein the first drive element and the second drive element are interconnected by a plurality of coupling springs, and the first verification element and the second verification element are interconnected by a second plurality of coupling springs.