Angular velocity sensor utilizing coriolis force

• US 8,104,344 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Fujiyoshi, Motohiro, Nonomura, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwok, Helen C.
• Application Number:
  US12/318,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20090158847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: 735/041.2, 735/041.4, 735/040.4, 735/040.2, 735/041.5
• US Class Current: 73/504.12
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5719 using planar vibrating masses driven in a translation vibration along an axis

Abstract

Beams 70a, 70b, 70c and, 70d of an angular velocity sensor 100 is provided with a folded type beam 73 that has a spring constant which is smaller along the excitation direction (x-axis direction) than along a detecting direction (y-axis direction), and a straight type beam 75 that has a spring constant which is smaller along the detecting direction (y-axis direction) than along the excitation direction (x-axis direction). The folded type beam 73 is arranged closer to the mass portion 40 than the straight type beam 75. The detecting member 60 is disposed on a farther beam portion of the beam 70b, wherein the farther beam portion is arranged farther away from the mass portion 40 than the folded type beam 73.

Claims

1. An angular velocity sensor comprising:

a substrate;

a mass portion;

an excitation member that excites the mass portion along an excitation direction parallel to a surface of the substrate;

a beam supporting the mass portion so that the mass portion is capable of being displaced at least along (1) the excitation direction, (2) a first detecting direction that is orthogonal to the excitation direction and parallel to the surface of the substrate, and (3) a second detecting direction that is orthogonal to the surface of the substrate, the beam including a first portion and a second portion, one end of the beam being connected with the mass portion and another end of the beam being connected with the substrate;

a first detecting member disposed on the beam, the first detecting member detecting a vibration of the beam along the first detecting direction; and

a second detecting member that directly or indirectly detects a vibration of the mass portion along the second detecting direction, wherein

a spring constant of the first portion along the excitation direction is lower than a spring constant of the first portion along the first detecting direction, and a spring constant of the second portion along the first detecting direction is lower than a spring constant of the second portion along the excitation direction,

the first portion is arranged closer to the mass portion than the second portion, and

the first detecting member is disposed on a farther beam portion of the beam, wherein the farther beam portion is arranged farther away from the mass portion than the first portion.

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

the first portion is a folded type beam including a pair of beams extending along the first detecting direction, and

the second portion is a straight type beam including a straight beam extending along the excitation direction.

3. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the second detecting member comprises

a first arm extending from the mass portion and facing a surface of a part of the substrate with a space therebetween, and

a second arm extending from the substrate and facing a surface of a part of the mass portion with a space therebetween, wherein

a first capacitor is configured of the first arm and the part of the substrate,

a second capacitor is configured of the second arm and the part of the mass portion, and

when the mass portion is displaced along the second detecting direction, the space in one of the first capacitor and the second capacitor becomes broader, and the space in the other of the first capacitor and the second capacitor becomes narrower.

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

a spring constant of the first portion along the second detecting direction is higher than a spring constant of the second portion along the second detecting direction, and

the second detecting member is disposed on the farther beam portion.

5. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 4, wherein the second detecting member further comprises

a third arm extending from the farther beam portion and facing the surface of a part of the substrate with a space therebetween, and

a fourth arm extending from the substrate and facing the surface of a part of the farther beam portion with a space therebetween, wherein

a third capacitor is configured of the third arm and the part of the substrate,

a fourth capacitor is configured of the fourth arm and the part of the farther beam portion, and

when the farther beam portion is displaced along the second detecting direction, the space of one of the third capacitor and the fourth capacitor becomes broader, and the space of the other of the third capacitor and the fourth capacitor becomes narrower.

6. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein, in a case where

an excitation frequency of resonance along the excitation direction based on the mass portion and the beam is fx,

a frequency of resonance along the first detecting direction based on the mass portion and the beam is fy, and

a frequency of resonance along the second detecting direction based on the mass portion and the beam is fz,

one of the following relation (1) and (2) is obtained:

fy<

fx<

fz 

 

(1)

fz<

fx<

fy. 

 

(2)

7. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 6, wherein, in a case where

an absolute value of difference between the excitation frequency of resonance fx and the frequency of resonance fy is Δ

fxy, and

an absolute value of difference between the excitation frequency of resonance fx and the frequency of resonance fz is Δ

fxz,

Δ

fxy and Δ

fxz are substantially equal.

8. An angular velocity sensor comprising:

a substrate;

a mass portion;

an excitation member that excites the mass portion along an excitation direction;

a beam supporting the mass portion so that the mass portion is capable of being displaced at least along (1) the excitation direction and (2) a detecting direction that is orthogonal to the excitation direction and a surface of the substrate, the beam including a first portion and a second portion, wherein one end of the beam is connected with the mass portion and another end of the beam is connected with the substrate; and

a detecting member disposed on the beam, the detecting member detecting a vibration of the beam along the detecting direction, wherein

a spring constant of the first portion along the excitation direction is lower than a spring constant of the first portion along the detecting direction, and a spring constant of the second portion along the detecting direction is lower than a spring constant of the second portion along the excitation direction,

the first portion is arranged closer to the mass portion than the second portion, and

the detecting member is disposed on a farther beam portion of the beam, wherein the farther beam portion is arranged farther away from the mass portion than the first portion.