Sensor unit

• US 8,001,839 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2006
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsukada, Kouji, Sugihara, Hisayoshi, Nonomura, Yutaka, Fujiyoshi, Motohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAPMAN JR, JOHN E
• Application Number:
  US11/989,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20100089155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,848 Days
• Field of Search: 734/93, 735/10, 735/040.2, 735/040.3, 735/140.1
• US Class Current: 73/493
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 15/08 with rubber springs grommet- or bushing-type resilient mountings F16F1/3732, F16F1/38; with springs made of rubber and metal arrangement of internal-combustion or jet-propulsion units B60K5/12; mounting of propulsion plants on vessels B63H21/30; mounting of vehicle drivers' cabs B62D33/0604
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/166 Mechanical, construction or arrangement details of inertial navigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/183 Compensation of inertial measurements, e.g. for temperature effects
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/023 for acceleration measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions

Abstract

A sensor unit has a reference base. An acceleration sensor block and angular velocity sensor support rods are arranged on the reference base, using a bottom face and one side face of the reference base as reference faces. Three acceleration sensors, which detect accelerations that act in the directions in which an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis extend, are fitted to three faces of the acceleration sensor block, respectively. Three angular velocity sensors, which detect angular velocities about the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis, are fitted to boards that are fitted, via rubber bushings serving as vibration-proofing rubber members, to the angular velocity sensor support rods with screws, respectively.

Claims

1. A sensor unit, comprising:

a reference base including a bottom face, sides, and side faces;

a block that has a rectangular prism shape, that is positioned using at least the bottom face and one of the side faces of the reference base as reference faces, and that is arranged on the reference base so as to be held upright relative to the reference base, wherein the block has a first face, which is parallel to the bottom face of the reference base, a second face, which has a certain positional relationship with one of the sides of the reference base and which is orthogonal to the bottom face of the reference base, and a third face, which is orthogonal to each of the first face and the second face;

a first acceleration sensor that is fitted to the first face, and that detects an acceleration which acts in a direction in which a Z-axis extends;

a second acceleration sensor that is fitted to the second face, and that detects an acceleration which acts in a direction in which an X-axis extends; and

a third acceleration sensor that is fitted to the third face, and that detects an acceleration which acts in a direction in which a Y-axis extends;

first support members, second support members, and third support members that are arranged on the reference base so as to be held upright relative to the reference base, using the bottom face of the reference base as the reference face;

a first angular velocity sensor that is fixed to a face of a board which is fitted to the first support members via respective vibration-proofing elastic members such that the first angular velocity sensor is parallel to the bottom face of the reference base, and that detects an angular velocity about the X-axis;

a second angular velocity sensor that is fixed to a face of a board which is fitted to the second support members via respective vibration-proofing elastic members such that the second angular velocity sensor is parallel to the bottom face of the reference base, and that detects an angular velocity around the Y-axis; and

a third angular velocity sensor that is fixed to a face of a board which is fitted to the third support members via respective vibration-proofing elastic members such that the third angular velocity sensor is orthogonal to the bottom face and the one side face of the reference base, and that detects an angular velocity about the Z-axis, wherein

the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis are orthogonal to each other.

2. The sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein block is positioned so that the second face is parallel to the one of the sides of the reference base.

3. The sensor unit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature sensor that is fitted to the block, and that is arranged near the acceleration sensors; and

a processor that corrects outputs from the acceleration sensors based on a temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

4. The sensor unit according to claim 1, wherein

the vibration-proofing elastic members are rubber bushings, and

rubber-bushing rests are formed at end portions of the first support members, the second support members and the third support members, the end portions contacting the rubber bushings, such that the rubber bushings are deformed substantially uniformly when the boards, to which the first angular velocity sensor, the second angular velocity sensor and the third angular velocity sensors are fitted, are fitted, via the rubber bushings, to the first support members, the second support members and the third support members with screws, respectively.