Sensor having a plurality of mounting boards on which sensor components are mounted, an electronic apparatus having the sensor, and a moving object having the sensor

• US 9,404,755 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2013
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Columbia Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Jun, Nishio, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): Macchiarolo, Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): Singer, David L
• Application Number:
  US14/138,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20140182376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 735/10, 738/665, 734/88, 734/31, 734/93
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/166 Mechanical, construction or arrangement details of inertial navigation systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 25/00 Manufacturing, calibrating, cleaning, or repairing instruments or devices referred to in the other groups of this subclass testing, calibrating or compensating compasses G01C17/38
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/245 Housings for sensors

Abstract

A sensor includes a plurality of mounting boards with sensor components mounted on amounting surface, and a support member provided with fixation surfaces adapted to fix the plurality of mounting boards, the sensor components are disposed between the mounting boards and the support member, and the mounting boards are connected to each other with a connection member.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising:

a first rigid board having a first mounting surface on which a first sensor component is mounted;

a second rigid board having a second mounting surface on which a second sensor component is mounted, the second rigid board having a first side surface that is continuously formed from the second mounting surface;

a first connection member that connects the first and second rigid boards so that the first side surface of the second rigid board faces the first mounting surface of the first rigid board; and

a support member having first and second fixation surfaces, wherein

the first rigid board is fixed to the first fixation surface via the first sensor component so that the first rigid board and the first fixation surface sandwich the first sensor component therebetween, and

the second rigid board is fixed to the second fixation surface via the second sensor component so that the second rigid board and the second fixation surface sandwich the second sensor component therebetween.

2. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the first and second fixation surfaces intersect with each other.

3. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the support member has a cuboid shape.

4. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the support member is provided with a component housing section, and

the component housing section houses at least a part of the first and second sensor components.

5. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

a metal material is used for the support member.

6. The sensor according to claim 1, further comprising:

a third rigid board having a third mounting surface on which a third sensor component is mounted; and

a second connection member that connects the second and third rigid boards, wherein

the second rigid board has a second side surface that is continuously formed from the second mounting surface,

the second side surface of the second rigid board faces the third mounting surface of the third rigid board,

the support member has a third fixation surface,

the third rigid board is fixed to the third fixation surface via the third sensor component so that the third rigid board and the third fixation surface sandwich the third sensor component therebetween, and

first through third detection axes of the first through third sensor components intersect with each other.

7. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

each of the first and second sensor components is one of an angular velocity sensor and an acceleration sensor.

8. An electronic apparatus comprising:

the sensor according to claim 1.

9. A moving object comprising:

the sensor according to claim 1.

10. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the first rigid board has a insertion hole, and

the first connection member is conductive and inserted into the insertion hole.

11. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the first rigid board has a plurality of insertion holes,

the first connection member is configured with a plurality of metal pins,

the plurality of metal pins are inserted into the plurality of insertion holes, respectively so that ends of the plurality of metal pins align on the second mounting surface in the vicinity of the first side surface of the second rigid board.