Angular velocity sensor

• US 7,127,945 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2005
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ookoshi, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): KWOK, HELEN C
• Application Number:
  US11/078,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20050199062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 734/93, 735/040.4, 735/041.2, 735/041.6
• US Class Current: 73/493
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5628 Manufacturing; Trimming; Mounting; Housings
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5783 Mountings or housings not specific to any of the devices covered by groups G01C19/5607 - G01C19/5719

Abstract

An angular velocity sensor comprises a receiving member receiving therein a case containing a vibration element and an IC, and having a hole usable in soldering one end of a terminal strip to a case electrode, whereby, after this soldering operation, a condition of a soldered region in a mounting portion can be checked through the hole. This prevents deficiency in a solder amount required for soldering between the case and the receiving member to ensure accuracy in an output signal of the angular velocity sensor.

Claims

1. An angular velocity sensor comprising:

a vibration element having a drive electrode and a detection electrode, and adapted to generate an output signal from said detection electrode;

an IC for processing the output signal when generated by said detection electrode;

a case containing said IC and said vibration element, and having an outer bottom surface provided with a case electrode;

a receiving member including a mounting portion which has a case-mounting surface mounting said case thereon;

a terminal strip having

(i) a first end portion including a soldering region, and

(ii) a second, opposite, end portion which includes a region embedded in said receiving member, and a distal end region protruding from said receiving member to serve as an electrode; and

a cover sandwiching said case in cooperation with said receiving member,

wherein said mounting portion of said receiving member includes a hole penetratingly extending from said case-mounting surface to an opposite surface of said mounting portion, and

wherein said soldering region of said first end portion of said terminal strip is disposed within said hole and soldered to said case electrode such that said first end portion is electrically connected to said case electrode.

2. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein said outer bottom surface of said case is provided with at least two additional case electrodes, and further comprising:

at least two additional terminal strips, each of said at least two additional terminal strips having

(i) a first end portion including a soldering region, and

(ii) a second, opposite, end portion which includes a region embedded in said receiving member, and a distal end region protruding from said receiving member to serve as an electrode,

wherein said soldering region of said first end portion of said each of said at least two additional terminal strips is disposed within said hole and soldered to a respective one of said at least two additional case electrodes such that said first end portion of said each of said at least two additional terminal strips is electrically connected to said respective one of said at least two additional case electrodes,

with said terminal strip and said at least two additional terminal strips being designed to support said case.

3. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 2, wherein

said soldering region of said first end portion of said terminal strip, and said soldering region of said first end portion of said each of said at least two additional terminal strips, are each approximately parallel to said case-mounting surface of said mounting portion of said receiving member.

4. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 3, wherein

said first end portion of said terminal strip, and said first end portion of said each of said at least two additional terminal strips, each also include a fillet-forming region extending from a respective said soldering region in a direction approximately perpendicular to said respective said soldering region.

5. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 4, wherein

said distal end region of said second end portion of said terminal strip, and said distal end region of said second end portion of said each of said at least two additional terminal strips, are each vertically displaceable.

6. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 5, wherein

said receiving member is made of a material having a linear expansion coefficient greater than a linear expansion coefficient of said terminal strip and said each of said at least two additional terminal strips.

7. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 6, wherein

said vibration element has a tuning fork-like shape.

8. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 2, wherein

said distal end region of said second end portion of said terminal strip, and said distal end region of said second end portion of said each of said at least two additional terminal strips, are each vertically displaceable.

9. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 2, wherein

said receiving member is made of a material having a linear expansion coefficient greater than a linear expansion coefficient of said terminal strip and said each of said at least two additional terminal strips.

10. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 2, wherein

said vibration element has a tuning fork-like shape.

11. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 2, wherein

said first end portion of said terminal strip, and said first end portion of said each of said at least two additional terminal strips, each also include a fillet-forming region extending from a respective said soldering region in a direction approximately perpendicular to said respective said soldering region.

12. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein

said soldering region of said first end portion of said terminal strip is approximately parallel to said case-mounting surface of said mounting portion of said receiving member.

13. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 12, wherein

said first end portion of said terminal strip also includes a fillet-forming region extending from said soldering region in a direction approximately perpendicular to said soldering region.

14. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 13, wherein

said distal end region of said second end portion of said terminal strip is vertically displaceable.

15. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 14, wherein

said receiving member is made of a material having a linear expansion coefficient greater than a linear expansion coefficient of said terminal strip.

16. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 15, wherein

said vibration element has a tuning fork-like shape.

17. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein

said distal end region of said second end portion of said terminal strip is vertically displaceable.

18. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein

said receiving member is made of a material having a linear expansion coefficient greater than a linear expansion coefficient of said terminal strip.

19. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein

said vibration element has a tuning fork-like shape.

20. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein

said first end portion of said terminal strip also includes a fillet-forming region extending from said soldering region in a direction approximately perpendicular to said soldering region.