Angular velocity senor

• US 7,234,352 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2005
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mitani, Tomohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah; Samir M.
• Application Number:
  US11/244,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20060089019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 735/041.6, 734/31, 734/93, 735/140.4, 735/141.2, 439/76.2
• US Class Current: 73/504.16
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5628 Manufacturing; Trimming; Mounting; Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10151 Sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10757 Bent leads
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10848 Thinned leads
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/308 Adaptations of leads connectors to printed circuits H01R12/00

Abstract

An angular velocity sensor includes a tuning fork unit; a base block provided with a terminal for outputting an output signal from the tuning fork unit to the exterior; a cover for housing the tuning fork unit in a space defined by combination with the base block; a circuit board for fixing the terminal on the base block, the circuit board being provided with a processing circuit for processing the output signal from the tuning fork unit; and a casing for housing the base block, the cover, and the circuit board. The terminal on the base block is fixed to the circuit board, with a clearance being defined by the base block and the circuit board. The terminal on the base block in the clearance has a flexure portion, and the flexure portion absorbs a vibration of a high frequency applied from the exterior.

Claims

1. An angular velocity sensor for detecting an angular velocity of an object, the angular velocity sensor comprising:

a tuning fork unit;

a base block provided with a terminal for outputting an output signal from the tuning fork unit to the exterior of the tuning fork unit;

a cover for housing the tuning fork unit in a space defined by the cover and the base block;

a circuit board for fixing the terminal on the base block, the circuit board being provided with a processing circuit for processing the output signal from the tuning fork unit; and

a casing for housing the base block, the cover, and the circuit board therein;

wherein the terminal on the base block is fixed to the circuit board, a clearance is defined between the base block and the circuit board, and the terminal on the base block is in the clearance and has a flexure portion;

wherein the flexure portion is made of a thin plate having a smaller thickness in a direction intersecting with a vibrating surface of the tuning fork unit than a thickness in a direction parallel to the vibrating surface; and

wherein the thin plate is produced by plastically deforming a cylindrical lead wire.

2. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of terminals including the terminal, and comprising a plurality of flexure portions including the flexure portion, and each one of the terminals has a respective one of the flexure portions.

3. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 2, wherein an interval between adjacent terminals among the plurality of terminals on a side of the circuit board is wider than an interval between adjacent terminals on a side of the base block.

4. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of terminals extend radially from the base block.

5. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of terminals are arranged mirror symmetrically with respect to a longitudinal central axis of the tuning fork unit.

6. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein a length of the flexure portion is longer than a length of an end portion of the terminal which extends from the flexure portion toward the base block and which is not fixed to the base block, and the length of the flexure portion is longer than a length of an end portion of the terminal which extends from the flexure portion toward the circuit board and which is not fixed to the circuit board.

7. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein a natural frequency of a unit in which the tuning fork unit, the base block, and the cover are united to each other is 4 kHz or less.

8. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the circuit board is directly supported by the casing.

9. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 8, further comprising a lid member for closing an opening of the casing, wherein the circuit board is directly supported by the casing and the lid member.

10. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is provided on a surface of the circuit board opposite to the clearance defined between the base block and the circuit board.

11. An angular velocity sensor for detecting an angular velocity of an object, the angular velocity sensor comprising:

a tuning fork unit;

a base block provided with a terminal for outputting an output signal from the tuning fork unit to the exterior of the tuning fork unit;

a cover for housing the tuning fork unit in a space defined by the cover and the base block;

a circuit board for fixing the terminal on the base block, the circuit board being provided with a processing circuit for processing the output signal from the tuning fork unit; and

a casing for housing the base block, the cover, and the circuit board therein;

wherein the terminal on the base block is fixed to the circuit board, a clearance is defined between the base block and the circuit board, and the terminal on the base block is in the clearance and has a flexure portion; and

wherein each one of both ends of the terminal has a cylindrical shape in cross section, and the flexure portion has a rectangular shape in cross section.

12. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 11, wherein a length of the flexure portion is longer than a length of an end portion of the terminal which extends from the flexure portion toward the base block and which is not fixed to the base block, and the length of the flexure portion is longer than a length of an end portion of the terminal which extends from the flexure portion toward the circuit board and which is not fixed to the circuit board.

13. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 11, wherein a natural frequency of a unit in which the tuning fork unit, the base block, and the cover are united to each other is 4 kHz or less.

14. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 11, wherein the circuit board is directly supported by the casing.

15. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 11, wherein the processing circuit is provided on a surface of the circuit board opposite to the clearance defined between the base block and the circuit board.

16. An angular velocity sensor for detecting an angular velocity of an object, the angular velocity sensor comprising:

a tuning fork unit;

a base block provided with a terminal for outputting an output signal from the tuning fork unit to the exterior of the tuning fork unit;

a cover for housing the tuning fork unit in a space defined by the cover and the base block;

a circuit board for fixing the terminal on the base block, the circuit board being provided with a processing circuit for processing the output signal from the tuning fork unit; and

a casing for housing the base block, the cover, and the circuit board therein;

wherein the terminal on the base block is fixed to the circuit board, a clearance is defined between the base block and the circuit board, and the terminal on the base block is in the clearance and has a flexure portion; and

wherein the terminal is formed by bending a cylindrical terminal.

17. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 16, wherein a length of the flexure portion is longer than a length of an end portion of the terminal which extends from the flexure portion toward the base block and which is not fixed to the base block, and the length of the flexure portion is longer than a length of an end portion of the terminal which extends from the flexure portion toward the circuit board and which is not fixed to the circuit board.

18. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 16, wherein a natural frequency of a unit in which the tuning fork unit, the base block, and the cover are united to each other is 4 kHz or less.

19. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 16, wherein the circuit board is directly supported by the casing.

20. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 16, wherein the processing circuit is provided on a surface of the circuit board opposite to the clearance defined between the base block and the circuit board.