Tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece and mounting method thereof

• US 20050062368A1
• Filed: 08/12/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Hirasawa, Kazuya, Ogura, Seiichiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,015,631 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/370
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/09 Elastic or damping supports
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 9/21 Crystal tuning forks

Abstract

Aspects of the invention can provide a tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece, whose package, in which the tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece is mounted, is protected from colliding with oscillating arms even though a physical shock is given onto the tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece, and a mounting method thereof. The tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece can include a tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece main body equipped with a plurality of oscillating arms, a short side part formed along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece main body and connected to the tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece main body, and a long side part formed along the longitudinal direction of the tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece main body, while starting from the short side part, and equipped with a shock-absorbing part.

Claims

1. A tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece, comprising:

a tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece main body having a plurality of oscillating arms;

a short side part that extends along a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece main body, and that is connected to the tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece main body; and

a long side part that extends from the short side part and along the longitudinal direction of the tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece main body, and that includes a shock-absorbing part.

2. The tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece according to claim 1, further including:

a mounting part that is formed at a position in the long side part which is located to be closer to a tip side of the plurality of oscillating arms than a center position of total gravity of the tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece main body, the short side part and the long side part.

3. The tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece according to claim 2,

the long side part being elongated from the mounting part toward the tip side of the plurality of oscillating arms to be formed along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece main body so that a supporting part connected to the long side part is formed.

4. The tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece according to claim 1,

at least one of a width and a thickness of the shock-absorbing part being formed so as to be thinner than a width and a thickness of the long side part.

5. The tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece according to claim 1,

the shock-absorbing part being formed by providing the long side part with a hole part or an concave part.

6. The tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece according to claim 1, further including:

a tip of the long side part that is elongated along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece main body to form a short side part on the tip side of the plurality of oscillating arms and to have a mounting part at a bottom surface of the short side part.

7. The tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece according to claim 1,

a clearance between the plurality of oscillating arms and the long side part being wider than an amplitude with which the plurality of oscillating arms oscillate when a physical shock is given onto the tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece.

8. A method of mounting a tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece, comprising:

mounting a long side part at a position according to a center position of gravity of the tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece including a tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece main body and a shock-absorbing part that includes a short side part and a long side part.

9. The method of mounting a tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece according to claim 8,

the long side part being further provided with mounting at at least one more location.

10. A method of mounting a tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece, comprising:

mounting a long side part at a position, which is located to be closer to a side of a plurality of oscillating arms than a center position of gravity of the tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece including a tuning-fork type piezo-oscillator piece main body that includes a base part and the plurality of oscillating arms, a shock-absorbing part, and a supporting part; and

mounting the supporting part as well.