Vibrating element, electronic apparatus, and moving object

• US 9,803,980 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2015
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crystal Leap Zrt
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Takizawa, Teruo
• Primary Examiner(s): Chapman, Jr., John
• Application Number:
  US14/662,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20150268046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 7350412
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 19/5747 each sensing mass being connected to a driving mass, e.g. driving frames

Abstract

An oscillator has a first axis and a second axis as two axes perpendicular to each other and a third axis perpendicular to a plane containing the first axis and the second axis and includes a mass part including a support and a first displacement portion and a second displacement portion that are connected rotatably around the first axis to the support via beams and extend along the direction of the second axis. The first displacement portion is provided on one side of the mass part and the second displacement portion is provided on the other side of the mass part, and free ends of the first displacement portion and the second displacement portion face each other and are connected to each other via a connection portion.

Claims

1. A vibrating element having a first axis and a second axis perpendicular to each other and a third axis perpendicular to a plane containing the first axis and the second axis, the vibrating element comprising:

a mass including;

a support;

a first displacement portion that is connected rotatably around the first axis to the support via a first beam and that extends on the plane containing the first axis and the second axis; and

a second displacement portion that is connected rotatably around the first axis to the support via a second beam and that extends on the plane containing the first axis and the second axis,

wherein the first displacement portion is provided on one side of the mass and the second displacement portion is provided on the other side of the mass, and free ends of the first displacement portion and the second displacement portion face each other and are connected to each other via a connection portion, and

wherein a variable part that varies a natural oscillation frequency of one of the first displacement portion or the second displacement portion is provided in one of the support, the first displacement portion, or the second displacement portion, to which on e of the first beam or the second beam is connected.

2. The vibrating element according to claim 1, wherein the mass is formed of a first mass part and a second mass part, and

the first mass part and the second mass part are connected to each other via an elastic part that is displaceable in a first direction along the first axis.

3. An electronic apparatus comprising:

the vibrating element according to claim 2; and

a housing that has a display,

wherein the vibrating element is located inside of the housing.

4. A moving object comprising:

the vibrating element according to claim 2; and

a movable body,

wherein the vibrating element is located inside of the movable body.

5. The vibrating element according to claim 1,

wherein the connection portion is flexible in a second direction along the second axis.

6. An electronic apparatus comprising:

the vibrating element according to claim 5; and

a housing that has a display,

wherein the vibrating element is located inside of the housing.

7. A moving object comprising:

the vibrating element according to claim 5; and

wherein the vibrating element is located inside of the movable body.

8. The vibrating element according to claim 1,

wherein the connection portion has a plurality of connection points in one of the first displacement portion or the second displacement portion.

9. An electronic apparatus comprising:

the vibrating element according to claim 8; and

a housing that has a display,

wherein the vibrating element is located inside of the housing.

10. A moving object comprising:

the vibrating element according to claim 8; and

a movable body,

wherein the vibrating element is located inside of the movable body.

11. The vibrating element according to claim 1,

wherein each of the free end of the first displacement portion and the free end of the second displacement portion is provided with a recess that is open in the second direction, and

the connection portion is connected to the recesses.

12. An electronic apparatus comprising:

the vibrating element according to claim 11; and

a housing that has a display,

wherein the vibrating element is located inside of the housing.

13. A moving object comprising:

the vibrating element according to claim 11; and

a movable body,

wherein the vibrating element is located inside of the movable body.

14. The vibrating element according to claim 1,

wherein the first and second beams have a rotation axis in the first direction, and

rigidity of the connection portion in of a third direction along the third axis is higher than the rigidity thereof in the second direction and higher than rigidity of the first and second beams in a rotational direction of the first and second displacement portions with respect to the first axis.

15. An electronic apparatus comprising:

the vibrating element according to claim 1; and

a housing that has a display,

wherein the vibrating element is located inside of the housing.

16. A moving object comprising:

the vibrating element according to claim 1; and

a movable body,

wherein the vibrating element is located inside of the movable body.