MEMS resonant accelerometer

• US 9,470,708 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microinfinity, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Microinfinity, Inc.
• Inventors: Jeong, Hyeong-Gyun, Song, Jin-Woo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kwok, Helen
• Application Number:
  US14/348,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20140238132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,845 Days
• Field of Search: 735/142.9, 735/141.6, 735/041.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/0802 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/097 by vibratory elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up

Abstract

Provided is a micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) resonating accelerometer. The MEMS resonating accelerometer according to the present invention comprises: a first inertial mass; a second inertial mass which is spaced at a predetermined distance from the first inertial mass on a first axis; an elastic body which is provided between the first and second inertial masses so as to apply elasticity; and a tuning fork which is connected to the elastic body and measures the change of frequency according to acceleration, wherein the longitudinal direction of the tuning fork is parallel to a second axis which is perpendicular to the first axis, the elastic body has an opening portion being in a circular shape with a portion thereof removed, and one end of the tuning fork penetrates the opening portion and is connected to the inner surface of the elastic body.

Claims

1. A micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) resonating accelerometer, comprising

a first inertial mass;

a second inertial mass which is spaced a predetermined distance apart from the first inertial mass on a first axis;

an elastic body which is provided between the first and second inertial masses to apply elasticity; and

a tuning fork which is connected to the elastic body and measures a change of frequency according to acceleration,

wherein a longitudinal direction of the tuning fork is parallel to a second axis which is perpendicular to the first axis, the elastic body has an opening portion being in a circular shape with a portion removed, and one end of the tuning fork penetrates the opening portion and is connected to an inner surface of the elastic body.

2. The MEMS resonating accelerometer of claim 1, wherein the elastic body is in a semi-circular shape, and the one end of the tuning fork penetrates a center of an inside of the semi-circular shape of the elastic body to then be connected to the inner surface of the elastic body.

3. The MEMS resonating accelerometer of claim 2, wherein the tuning fork is connected to a central portion of the inner surface of the elastic body.

4. The MEMS resonating accelerometer of claim 1, wherein the first and second inertial masses and the elastic body have the same thermal expansion coefficient.

5. The MEMS resonating accelerometer of claim 1, wherein one end of each of the first and second inertial masses is fixed such that the first and second inertial masses undergo thermal expansion in a such direction as the first and second inertial masses get closer to each other or distant from each other, and one end of the tuning fork is fixed such that the tuning fork undergoes thermal expansion in a such direction as the tuning fork gets closer to or distant from the first and second inertial masses.

6. The MEMS resonating accelerometer of claim 1, wherein during thermal expansion, a vector sum of a displacement of the elastic body resulting from first-axis directional thermal expansion of the first inertial mass and the second inertial mass, and displacements of the first inertial mass and the second inertial mass resulting from second-axis directional thermal expansion is equal to a displacement of the tuning fork in a direction of the second axis perpendicular to the first axis.