Sensor

• US 8,631,703 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagai, Nobuyuki, Kato, Yusaku
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAPMAN JR, JOHN E
• Application Number:
  US13/017,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20110192228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 735/10, 735/140.2, 735/141.6, 735/143.4
• US Class Current: 73/514.16
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/00 Gyroscopes; Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses; Turn-sensitive devices without moving masses; Measuring angular rate using gyroscopic effects
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0888 for indicating angular acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/12 by alteration of electrical resistance G01P15/0897, G01P15/105 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions

Abstract

A sensor includes: a first polymer sensor element generating a first voltage corresponding to a deformation thereof; a second polymer sensor element generating a second voltage corresponding to a deformation thereof; a fixing member fixing a first end of each of the first and the second polymer sensor elements while electrically insulating the first ends from each other; and a detector detecting an acceleration and an angular acceleration based on the first voltage derived from the first polymer sensor element and the second voltage derived from the second polymer sensor element.

Claims

1. A sensor, comprising:

a first polymer sensor element configured to generate a first voltage in response to a deformation thereof;

a second polymer sensor element configured to generate a second voltage in response to a deformation thereof;

a fixing member fixing a first end of each of the first and the second polymer sensor elements while electrically insulating the first polymer sensor element from the second polymer sensor element, wherein the fixing member includes a first insulating section provided between a first upper fixed electrode and a second upper fixed electrode each being connected to a front side of the first and the second polymer sensor elements, respectively, and a second insulating section provided between a first lower fixed electrode and a second lower fixed electrode each being connected to a back side of the first and the second polymer sensor elements, respectively;

a weight attached to a second end of each of the first and the second polymer sensor elements; and

a detector detecting an acceleration and an angular acceleration based on the first voltage derived from the first polymer sensor element and the second voltage derived from the second polymer sensor element.

2. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the detector detects the acceleration based on a sum of the first voltage and the second voltage, and detects the angular acceleration based on a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage.

3. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of element pairs, each including the first and the second polymer sensor elements, are so fixed by the common fixing member that the plurality of element pairs form a cross configuration, and

the detector detects the accelerations and the angular accelerations in each of triaxial directions which are orthogonal to one another, based on the first voltages and the second voltages derived from the plurality of element pairs.

4. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the weight is configured of a resin material containing a heavy metal.

5. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and the second polymer sensor elements includes:

a pair of electrode films; and

a polymer film inserted between the pair of electrode films.

6. The sensor according to claim 5, wherein the polymer film comprises an ion-conductive highly-polymerized compound film impregnated with a cation substance.