Mounting structure of angular rate sensor

• US 7,546,768 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Issued: 06/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Mase, Shunji, Ogino, Mutsuhito
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwok, Helen C.
• Application Number:
  US11/907,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20080060437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 734/93, 734/31, 738/665, 735/041.2, 735/040.4, 735/040.2, 735/041.4
• US Class Current: 73/493
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5719 using planar vibrating masses driven in a translation vibration along an axis

Abstract

An angular rate sensor includes: a substrate; a drive-purpose vibrator capable of vibrating in a first direction; and an angular velocity detection-purpose vibrator capable of vibrating in a second direction. The sensor detects an angular velocity on the basis of vibration of the angular velocity detection-purpose vibrator in the second direction caused by a Coriolis force, when the drive-purpose vibrator is vibrated in the first direction, and the angular velocity is applied to the sensor in a third direction. The angular velocity detection-purpose vibrator has a length along with the second direction and a width along with the first direction. A ratio between the width and the length is equal to or larger than 0.1.

Claims

1. A mounting structure comprising:

a sensor; and

a mounting board for mounting the sensor thereon, wherein

the sensor includes a pair of vibrators capable of vibrating in a first direction,

each sensor detects an angular velocity on the basis of vibration of the vibrator in a second direction in a case where the vibrator is vibrated in the first direction, and where the angular velocity is applied to the sensor in a third direction so that the third direction provides a rotation axis of the angular velocity,

the vibrators of the pair of vibrators vibrate in phases that are opposite to one another;

the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction,

the third direction is perpendicular to both of the first and the second directions,

the third direction is in parallel to a horizontal plane perpendicular to a gravitational direction, and

the first direction is in parallel to the horizontal plane.

2. The mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the sensor and the board are used in an automotive vehicle.

3. The mounting structure according to claim 2, wherein the third direction is in parallel to a front-and-back direction of the vehicle.

4. The mounting structure according to claim 2, wherein the third direction is perpendicular to a front-and-back direction of the vehicle.

5. The mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein

each vibrator is an electrostatic capacitance type gyroscope, and

a sine wave voltage is applied to each vibrator so that the vibrator vibrates in the first direction.

6. The mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is an angular rate sensor, which includes:

a support substrate;

a drive-purpose vibrator supported on the substrate through a drive beam in such a manner that the vibrator is capable of vibrating in a first direction; and

an angular velocity detection-purpose vibrator supported on the substrate through a detection beam in such a manner that the vibrator is capable of vibrating in a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction,

the angular velocity detection-purpose vibrator extends in the second direction,

the detection beam is deformable in the second direction,

the drive beam is deformable in the first direction,

the sensor detects an angular velocity on the basis of vibration of the angular velocity detection-purpose vibrator in the second direction, the vibration which is caused by a Coriolis force applied to the drive-purpose vibrator in a case where the drive-purpose vibrator is vibrated in the first direction, and where the angular velocity is applied to the sensor in a third direction so that the third direction provides a rotation axis of the angular velocity,

the third direction is perpendicular to both of the first and the second directions,

the angular velocity detection-purpose vibrator has a length along with the second direction and a width along with the first direction, and

a ratio between the width and the length of the angular velocity detection-purpose vibrator is equal to or larger than 0.1.

7. The mounting structure according to claim 6, wherein

the ratio between the width and the length of the angular velocity detection-purpose vibrator is defined as X,

the angular velocity detection-purpose vibrator has a displacement amount in the second direction when the drive-purpose vibrator is vibrated in the first direction,

the displacement amount of the angular velocity detection-purpose vibrator is defined as Y in millimeters, and

the ratio and the displacement amount have the following relationship:

Y=0.0148X⁴−

0.0076X³+0.0015X²−

0.0001X+6×

10<sup>−

6</sup>.