Angular velocity sensor

• US 9,448,068 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2015
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Uchida, Takashi, Yamazaki, Toshio, Mitani, Tomohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Chapman, Jr., John
• Application Number:
  US14/745,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20150300820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/0242 Gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/0016 Protection against shocks or vibrations, e.g. vibration damping
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5607 using vibrating tuning forks double-ended tuning forks using planar vibrating masses suspended at opposite ends G01C19/5719
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5628 Manufacturing; Trimming; Mounting; Housings
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/574 the devices having two sensing masses in anti-phase motion
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5769 Manufacturing; Mounting; Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/16195 Flat cap [not enclosing an internal cavity]

Abstract

A placing member is configured to be supported from an outside by a terminal electrically connected to a terminal electrode, and an X-axis-direction extended portion, a Y-axis-direction extended portion, and a Z-axis-direction extended portion are provided in the terminal. This configuration provides an angular velocity sensor, in which a problem such that Y-axis-direction and Z-axis-direction vibrations applied from the outside cannot be damped is eliminated, and all the vibrations in three axis directions can be damped.

Claims

1. An angular velocity sensor comprising:

a tuning-fork type vibrator in which a driving electrode, a detection electrode, and a support portion are provided;

an IC that processes an output signal outputted from the detection electrode of the vibrator;

a placing member that supports the support portion of the vibrator; and

a case that accommodates the vibrator, the IC, and the placing member therein, a plurality of terminal electrodes being provided in a step portion of the case, a supply electrode, a GND electrode, and an output electrode being provided in an outer bottom surface of the case, a wiring pattern that electrically connects the plurality of terminal electrodes and the supply electrode, the GND electrode, and the output electrode being provided in the case, respectively, wherein

the placing member is configured to be supported from an outside by a plurality of terminals electrically connected to the plurality of terminal electrodes, respectively,

an X-axis-direction extended portion, a Y-axis-direction extended portion, and a Z-axis-direction extended portion are provided in each of the plurality of terminals, and

the X-axis-direction extended portions of the plurality of terminals are alternately extended in directions opposite to each other, whereby barycenters of the plurality of terminals are substantially matched with a barycenter of the placing member.

2. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of terminals connected to the plurality of terminal electrodes of the case, respectively, are buried in the case.

3. An angular velocity sensor comprising:

a tuning-fork type vibrator having a driving electrode, a detection electrode, and a support portion;

an IC that processes an output signal outputted from the detection electrode of the vibrator;

a placing member that supports the support portion of the vibrator;

a case that accommodates the vibrator, the IC, and the placing member therein, and includes;

a step portion provided with a plurality of terminal electrodes;

a supply electrode, a GND electrode, and an output electrode provided in an outer bottom surface of the case; and

a wiring pattern electrically connecting the plurality of terminal electrodes to the supply electrode, the GND electrode, and the output electrode, respectively; and

a plurality of terminals electrically connected to the plurality of terminal electrodes, respectively, and supporting the placing member from surroundings of the placing member, wherein

each of the plurality of terminals is substantially U-shaped and includes;

a first Y-axis-direction extended portion having a first end connected to one of the plurality of terminal electrodes;

a first Z-axis-direction extended portion having a first end connected to a second end of the first Y-axis-direction extended portion;

a first X-axis-direction extended portion having a first end connected to a second end of the first Z-axis-direction extended portion;

a second Z-axis-direction extended portion having a first end connected to a second end of the first X-axis-direction extended portion;

a second Y-axis-direction extended portion having a first end connected to a second end of the second Z-axis-direction extended portion;

a third Z-axis-direction extended portion having a first end connected to a second end of the second Y-axis-direction extended portion;

a second X-axis-direction extended portion having a first end connected to a second end of the third Z-axis-direction extended portion;

a fourth Z-axis-direction extended portion having a first end connected to a second end of the second X-axis-direction extended portion; and

a third Y-axis-direction extended portion having a first end connected to a second end of the fourth Z-axis-direction extended portion and a second end fixed to the placing member.

4. The angular velocity sensor according to claim 3, wherein

pairs of the first and second X-axis-direction extended portions of the plurality of terminals are alternately extended in directions opposite to each other, whereby barycenters of the plurality of terminals are substantially matched with a barycenter of the placing member.