Laminated structure provided with movable portion

• US 8,707,784 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2011
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Akashi, Teruhisa, Nonomura, Yutaka, Fujiyoshi, Motohiro, Funabashi, Hirofumi, Omura, Yoshiteru, Hata, Yoshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Redmann, Gregory J
• Application Number:
  US13/047,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20110232384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,142 Days
• Field of Search: 735/041.2
• US Class Current: 73/504.12
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/574 the devices having two sensing masses in anti-phase motion
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/18 in two or more dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 2015/082 for two degrees of freedom of movement of a single mass

Abstract

A structure having a first movable portion displaced perpendicular to a substrate surface and a second movable portion displaced parallel to the substrate surface is realized by a laminated structure employing a nested structure for the first portion and the second portion. The laminated structure is provided with inner and outer movable portions. A y spring is connected to the outer portion, and the outer portion is supported in a y-axis direction by the y spring at a height apart from an outer substrate. A z spring is connected to the inner portion, and the inner portion is supported in a z-axis direction by the z spring at a height apart from the outer substrate. The outer portion and the z spring are at different heights from the substrate, and the z spring overpasses across the outer portion at a height apart from the outer movable portion.

Claims

1. A laminated structure, when three mutually orthogonal axes are defined as an x-axis, a y-axis and a z-axis, a substrate surface is defined as an x-y plane, and an n-spring is defined as a member having a spring constant in a direction of an n-axis that is smaller than spring constants in other directions, where n is one of either x, y or z, comprising:

an outer movable portion provided with two sides extending in an x-axis direction and two sides extending in a y-axis direction; and

an inner movable portion housed inside the outer movable portion when viewed from a z-axis direction;

wherein

a y-spring is connected to the outer movable portion, and the outer movable portion is displaceably supported in the y-axis direction by the y-spring at a height apart from the substrate,

a z-spring is connected to the inner movable portion, and the inner movable portion is displaceably supported in the z-axis direction by the z-spring at a height apart from the substrate,

the outer movable portion and the z-spring are formed in different layers at different heights from the substrate, and

the z-spring overpasses across the outer movable portion at a height apart from the outer movable portion.

2. The laminated structure according to claim 1, wherein

an x relaying portion is added that is located outside the outer movable portion when viewed from the z-axis direction,

the y-spring and the z-spring are connected to the x relaying portion,

an x-spring connects the x relaying portion to the substrate,

the x relaying portion is displaceably supported in the x-axis direction by the x-spring at a height apart from the substrate,

the outer movable portion is displaceably supported in the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction by the x-spring and they y-spring at a height apart from the substrate, and

the inner movable portion is displaceably supported in the x-axis direction and the z-axis direction by the x-spring and the z-spring at a height apart from the substrate.

3. The laminated structure according to claim 2, wherein

an oscillating portion that reciprocatory oscillates the x relaying portion in the x-axis direction, a y relaying portion, a y displacement detection unit that detects y-axis directional displacement of the y relaying portion, a z relaying portion, and a z displacement detection unit that detects z-axis directional displacement of the z relaying portion are added, and wherein

the z relaying portion, together with being connected to the inner movable portion through a second x-spring, is connected to the substrate through a second z-spring, and is displaceably supported in the z-axis direction at a height apart from the substrate,

the y relaying portion, together with being connected to the outer movable portion through a third x-spring, is connected to the substrate through a second y-spring, and is displaceably supported in the y-axis direction at a height apart from the substrate, and

angular velocities about the y-axis and about the z-axis are detectable.

4. The laminated structure according to claim 2, wherein an x displacement detection unit that detects x-axis directional displacement of the x relaying portion, a y relating portion, a y displacement detection unit that detects y-axis directional displacement of the y relaying portion, a z relaying portion, and a z displacement detection unit that detects z-axis directional displacement of the z relaying portion are added, wherein

the z relaying portion, together with being connected to the inner movable portion through a second x-spring, is connected to the substrate through a second z-spring, and is displaceably supported in the z-axis direction at a height apart from the substrate,

the y relating portion, together with being connected to the outer movable portion through a third x-spring, is connected to the substrate through a second y-spring, and is displaceably supported in the y-axis direction at a height apart from the substrate, and

accelerations in the x-axis direction, the y-axis direction and the z-axis direction are detectable.