Angular velocity sensor

• US 9,038,464 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2013
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Jong Woon, Lim, Jun, Lee, Jae Chang
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, Laura
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah, Samir M
• Application Number:
  US14/140,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20140182375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 734/93, 735/033, 735/040.2, 735/040.8, 735/041.1, 735/041.4, 735/041.8
• US Class Current: 73/504.12
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/56 Turn-sensitive devices using vibrating masses, e.g. vibratory angular rate sensors based on Coriolis forces
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5712 the devices involving a micromechanical structure

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an angular velocity sensor including: first and second mass bodies; a first frame provided at an outer side of the first and second mass bodies; a first flexible part connecting the first and second mass bodies to the first frame in a Y axis direction, respectively; a second flexible part connecting the first and second mass bodies to the first frame in an X axis direction, respectively; a second frame provided at an outer side of the first frame; a third flexible part connecting the first and second frames to each other in the X axis direction; and a fourth flexible part connecting the first and second frames to each other in the Y axis direction, wherein the first frame has a thickness in a Z axis direction thinner than that of the second frame.

Claims

1. An angular velocity sensor comprising:

first and second mass bodies;

a first frame provided at an outer side of the first and second mass bodies so as to be spaced apart from the first and second mass bodies;

a first flexible part respectively connecting the first and second mass bodies to the first frame;

a second flexible part respectively connecting the first and second mass bodies to the first frame;

a second frame provided at an outer side of the first frame so as to be spaced apart from the first frame;

a third flexible part connecting the first and second frames to each other; and

a fourth flexible part connecting the first and second frames to each other,

wherein the first and second mass bodies are respectively disposed at both sides of the fourth flexible part, the first frame has a thickness thinner than that of the second frame, in a thickness direction thereof, and

the first frame has a thickness thinner than the first and second mass bodies, in the thickness direction thereof.

2. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first and second mass bodies are rotatably connected to the first frame by the first flexible part or the second flexible part, and the first frame is rotatably connected to the second frame by the third flexible part or the fourth flexible part.

3. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second flexible part respectively connects the first and second mass bodies to the first frame in an X axis direction, and the fourth flexible part connects the first and second frames to each other in the Y axis direction.

4. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first flexible part respectively connects the first and second mass bodies to the first frame in a Y axis direction, and the third flexible part connects the first and second frames to each other in an X axis direction.

5. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first flexible part respectively connects the first and second mass bodies to the first frame in a Y axis direction,

the second flexible part respectively connects the first and second mass bodies to the first frame in an X axis direction,

the third flexible part connects the first and second frames to each other in the X axis direction, and

the fourth flexible part connects the first and second frames to each other in the Y axis direction.

6. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first and second mass bodies include first step parts formed at connection parts at which they are connected to the second flexible part and depressed so as to be stepped inwardly.

7. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 6, wherein the first step parts are formed to be symmetrical to each other in one direction and another direction of the first and second mass bodies.

8. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first and second mass bodies include second step parts formed at connection part sides at which they are connected to the first flexible part.

9. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 8, wherein the second step parts are formed to be symmetrical to each other in one direction and another direction of the first and second mass bodies.

10. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first flexible part has a width in a X axis direction larger than a thickness in a Z axis direction,

the second flexible part has a thickness in the Z axis direction larger than a width in a Y axis direction,

the third flexible part has a width in the Y axis direction larger than a thickness in the Z axis direction, and

the fourth flexible part has a thickness in the Z axis direction larger than a width in the X axis direction.

11. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 10, wherein bending stress is generated in the third flexible part, and twisting stress is generated in the fourth flexible part.

12. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 10, further comprising a first sensing unit provided on the first flexible part to sense displacement of the first and second mass bodies,

wherein the first sensing unit senses the displacement generated when the first and second mass bodies are rotated based on an X axis.

13. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 10, further comprising a first driving unit provided on the third flexible part to drive the first frame,

wherein the first driving unit drives the first frame so as to be rotated based on a Y axis.

14. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first and second mass bodies are rotated based on an X axis with respect to the first frame.

15. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first frame is rotated based on a Y axis with respect to the second frame.

16. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein bending stress is generated in the first flexible part, and twisting stress is generated in the second flexible part.

17. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second flexible part is disposed over a center of gravity of the first and second mass bodies based on a Z axis direction.

18. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second flexible part is disposed at a position corresponding to a center of gravity of the first and second mass bodies based on an X axis direction.

19. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a first support part provided between the first and second mass bodies so as to transverse the first frame in a Y axis direction,

wherein the first support part has a thickness in a Z axis direction that is the same as that of the first frame.

20. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the second flexible part is formed in a torsion bar shape, and

the fourth flexible part is formed in a torsion bar shape.

21. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first and second mass bodies are disposed to be in parallel with each other.

22. An angular velocity sensor, comprising:

first and second mass bodies;

a first frame provided at an outer side of the first and second mass bodies so as to be spaced apart from the first and second mass bodies;

a first flexible part respectively connects the first and second mass bodies to the first frame;

a second flexible part respectively connects the first and second mass bodies to the first frame;

a second frame provided at an outer side of the first frame so as to be spaced apart from the first frame;

a third flexible part connects the first and second frames to each other; and

a fourth flexible part connects the first and second frames to each other;

third and fourth mass bodies respectively disposed to be perpendicular to the first and second mass bodies;

a third frame provided at an outer side of the third and fourth mass bodies so as to be spaced apart from the third and fourth mass bodies;

a fifth flexible part respectively connects the third and fourth mass bodies to the third frame;

a sixth flexible part respectively connects the third and fourth mass bodies to the third frame;

a fourth frame provided at an outer side of the third frame so as to be spaced apart from the third frame;

a seventh flexible part connects the third and fourth frames to each other; and

an eighth flexible part connects the third and fourth frames to each other,

wherein the first and second mass bodies are respectively disposed at both sides of the fourth flexible part,

the first frame has a thickness thinner than that of the second frame, in a thickness direction thereof, the third and fourth mass bodies are respectively disposed at both sides of the eighth flexible part, the fourth frame is disposed at a side of the second frame, and the third frame has a thickness thinner than that of the fourth frame, in the thickness direction thereof.

23. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 22, wherein the third and fourth mass bodies include first step parts formed at connection parts at which they are connected to the sixth flexible part and depressed so as to be stepped inwardly.

24. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 23, wherein the first step parts are formed to be symmetrical to each other in one direction and the other direction of the third and fourth mass bodies.

25. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 22, wherein the third and fourth mass bodies include second step parts formed at connection part sides at which they are connected to the fifth flexible part.

26. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 25, wherein the second step parts are formed to be symmetrical to each other in one direction and another direction of the third and fourth mass bodies.

27. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 22, wherein the third frame is formed to have a thickness in a Z axis direction thinner than those of the third and fourth mass bodies.

28. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 22, wherein the fifth flexible part has a width in a Y axis direction larger than a thickness in a Z axis direction,

the sixth flexible part has a thickness in the Z axis direction larger than a width in an X axis direction,

the seventh flexible part has a width in the X axis direction larger than a thickness in the Z axis direction, and

the eighth flexible part has a thickness in the Z axis direction larger than a width in the Y axis direction.

29. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 28, wherein bending stress is generated in the fifth flexible part, and twisting stress is generated in the sixth flexible part.

30. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 28, wherein bending stress is generated in the seventh flexible part, and twisting stress is generated in the eighth flexible part.

31. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 28, wherein the sixth flexible part is disposed over the center of gravity of the third and fourth mass bodies based on the Z axis direction.

32. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 28, wherein the sixth flexible part is disposed at a position corresponding to the center of gravity of the third and fourth mass bodies based on the Y axis direction.

33. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 28, further comprising a second sensing unit provided on the fifth flexible part to sense displacement of the third and fourth mass bodies,

wherein the second sensing unit senses the displacement generated when the third and fourth mass bodies are rotated based on a Y axis.

34. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 28, further comprising a second driving unit provided on the seventh flexible part to drive the third frame,

wherein the second driving unit drives the third frame so as to be rotated based on an X axis.

35. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 28, wherein the sixth flexible part is formed in a torsion bar shape, and

the eighth flexible part is formed in a torsion bar shape.

36. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 22, wherein the third and fourth mass bodies are rotated based on a Y axis with respect to the third frame.

37. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 22, wherein the third frame is rotated based on an X axis with respect to the fourth frame.

38. The angular velocity sensor as set forth in claim 22, further comprising a second support part provided between the third and fourth mass bodies so as to transverse the third frame in an X axis direction,

wherein the second support part has a thickness in a Z axis direction that is the same as that of the third frame.