Apparatus having a movable body

• US 8,365,597 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2010
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nonomura, Yutaka, Fujiyoshi, Motohiro, Funabashi, Hirofumi, Akashi, Teruhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Macchiarolo, Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah, Samir M
• Application Number:
  US12/723,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20100236328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 735/041.2, 734/93, 735/10, 735/142.4, 735/143.2, 735/143.8
• US Class Current: 73/514.38
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5719 using planar vibrating masses driven in a translation vibration along an axis
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/082 for two degrees of freedom of movement of a single mass

Abstract

An apparatus with a second movable portion that moves along an x-axis direction and a z-axis direction and a first movable portion that only moves along the z-axis direction is disclosed. The apparatus is provided with a fixed portion fixed to a support portion, a plurality of first spring portions connected to the fixed portion, a first movable portion connected to the plurality of first spring portions, a second spring portion connected to the first movable portion, and a second movable portion connected to the second spring portion. A spring constant of each of the plurality of first spring portions in the z-axis direction is lower than spring constants of each of the plurality of first spring portions in the x-axis and a y-axis directions respectively, and a spring constant of the second spring portion in the x-axis direction is lower than spring constants of the second spring portion in the y-axis and the z-axis directions respectively. The first movable portion is configured to move along the z-axis but not to move along the x-axis and the y-axis nor to rotate around the z-axis, and the second movable portion is configured to move along the x-axis and the z-axis with respect to the support portion.

Claims

1. An apparatus having a movable body, the apparatus comprising:

a first layer comprising a support portion;

a second layer partially stacked on the first layer; and

a third layer stacked on the first layer via the second layer, the third layer extending along an x-axis and a y-axis that are perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to a z-axis respectively, wherein

the third layer comprises a fixed portion fixed to the support portion via the second layer, and a separate portion separated from the support portion,

the separate portion comprises a plurality of first spring portions connected to the fixed portion, a first movable portion connected to the plurality of first spring portions, a second spring portion connected to the first movable portion, and a second movable portion connected to the second spring portion,

the second movable portion comprises a rectangular frame having two sides extending along the x-axis and two sides extending along the y-axis,

the first movable portion is enclosed within the rectangular frame,

the plurality of first spring portions is distributed at least at four positions between the first movable portion and the second movable portion,

the four positions are distributed at four symmetric positions about the x-axis and the y-axis that pass through a center of the first movable portion,

a spring constant of each of the plurality of first spring portions in a z-axis direction is lower than spring constants of each of the plurality of first spring portions in an x-axis direction and a y-axis direction, respectively respectively,

a spring constant of the second spring portion in the x-axis direction is lower than spring constants of the second spring portion in the y-axis direction and the z-axis direction, respectively,

the first movable portion is configured, by the plurality of first spring portions, to move along the z-axis but not to move along the x-axis and the y-axis nor to rotate around the z-axis with respect to the support portion, and

the second movable portion is configured, by the plurality of first spring portions and the second spring portion, to only move along the x-axis and the z-axis with respect to the support portion.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

the plurality of first spring portions is arranged at four positions, and

the plurality of first spring portions comprises a first group extending along the x-axis and a second group extending along the y-axis.

3. The apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising:

an oscillator that reciprocates the second movable portion along the x-axis; and

a displacement detector that changes its output depending on a displacement of the first movable portion along the z-axis.

4. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

the first layer is divided into an inside portion and an outside portion by a groove penetrating the first layer,

the outside portion forms the support portion,

the inside portion is configured to move with respect to the outside portion,

the fixed portion is fixed to the outside portion via the second layer, and

the first movable portion is fixed to the inside portion via the second layer.

5. The apparatus as in claim 4, wherein the third layer further comprises:

a detection portion extending from a portion fixed to the outside portion to a portion facing the inside portion via a gap.

6. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the third layer further comprises:

a third spring portion connected to the second movable portion, and

a second fixed portion connected to the third spring portion and fixed to the support portion via the second layer,

wherein each of spring constants of the third spring portion in the x-axis and the z-axis directions is lower than a spring constant of the third spring portion in the y-axis direction.

7. The apparatus as in claim 6, wherein

the third spring portion comprises a movable side spring portion connected to the second movable portion and a fixed side spring portion connected to the second fixed portion,

a spring constant of the movable side spring portion in the z-axis direction is lower than spring constants of the movable side spring portion in the x-axis and the y-axis directions respectively, and

a spring constant of the fixed side spring portion in the x-axis direction is lower than spring constants of the fixed side spring portion in the y-axis and the z-axis directions respectively.

8. The apparatus as in claim 7, further comprising:

a third movable portion arranged between the movable side spring portion and the fixed side spring portion.

9. The apparatus as in claim 8, further comprising:

an oscillator that reciprocates the third movable portion along the x-axis; and

a displacement detector that changes its output depending on a displacement of the first movable portion along the z-axis.

10. The apparatus as in claim 8, further comprising:

a first displacement detector that changes its output depending on a displacement of the first movable portion along the z-axis, and

a second displacement detector that changes its output depending on a displacement of the third movable portion along the x-axis.

11. The apparatus as in claim 6, wherein

a plurality of third spring portions is connected to the second movable portion,

the plurality of third spring portions is distributed at four positions, and the four positions are distributed at four symmetric positions about the x-axis and the y-axis that pass through a center of the first movable portion.

12. The apparatus as in claim 11, wherein

a plurality of third movable portions is provided at two positions, and the two positions are distributed at symmetric positions about the y-axis that pass through a center of the first movable portion.

13. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

each of the plurality of first spring portions is connected to each of a plurality of fixed portions distributed at four positions between the first movable portion and the second movable portion, and the four positions are distributed at four symmetric positions about the x-axis and the y-axis that pass through a center of the first movable portion.

14. The apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

the first movable portion and the second movable portion are connected by a plurality of second spring portions distributed at four positions between the first movable portion and the second movable portion, and the four positions are distributed at four symmetric positions about the x-axis and the y-axis that pass through a center of the first movable portion.

15. An apparatus having a movable body, the apparatus comprising:

a first layer comprising a support portion;

a second layer partially stacked on the first layer; and

a third layer stacked on the first layer via the second layer, the third layer extending along an x-axis and a y-axis that are perpendicular to each other and perpendicular to a z-axis respectively, wherein

the third layer comprises a fixed portion fixed to the support portion via the second layer, and a separate portion separated from the support portion,

the separate portion comprises a plurality of first spring portions connected to the fixed portion, a first movable portion connected to the plurality of first spring portions, a second spring portion connected to the first movable portion, and a second movable portion connected to the second spring portion,

the second movable portion comprises a rectangular frame having two sides extending along the x-axis and two sides extending along the y-axis,

the first movable portion is enclosed within the rectangular frame,

the plurality of first spring portions is distributed at least at four positions between the first movable portion and the second movable portion,

the four positions are distributed at four symmetric positions about the x-axis and the y-axis that pass through a center of the first movable portion,

a spring constant of each of the plurality of first spring portions in an x-axis direction is lower than spring constants of each of the plurality of first spring portions in a y-axis direction and a z-axis direction, respectively,

a spring constant of the second spring portion in the z-axis direction is lower than spring constants of the second spring portion in the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction, respectively,

the first movable portion is configured, by the plurality of first spring portions, to move along the x-axis but not to move along the y-axis and the z-axis nor to rotate around the z-axis with respect to the support portion, and

the second movable portion is configured, by the plurality of first spring portions and the second spring portion, to only move along the x-axis and the z-axis with respect to the support portion.