# US 11,307,216 B2 · Acceleration sensor and electronic apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,307,216 B2 - Document ID: US11307216B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/007,267 - Filed: 2020-08-31 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2011-08-17 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Mitsuhiro Yoda - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11307216B2 ## CPC - G01P 15/125: by capacitive pick-up - G01P 2015/0831: {the mass being of the paddle type having the pivot axis between the longitudinal ends of the mass, e.g. see-saw configuration} - G01P: MEASURING LINEAR OR ANGULAR SPEED, ACCELERATION, DECELERATION, OR SHOCK; INDICATING PRESENCE, ABSENCE, OR DIRECTION, OF MOVEMENT (measuring or recording blood flow A61B5/02, A61B8/06; monitoring speed or deceleration of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; vehicle lighting systems adapted to indicate speed B60Q1/54; determining position or course in navigation, measuring ground distance in geodesy or surveying G01C; combined measuring devices for measuring two or more variables of movement G01C23/00; measuring velocity of sound G01H; measuring velocity of light G01J7/00; measuring direction or velocity of solid objects by reception or emission of radiowaves or other waves and based on propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effect, propagation time, direction of propagation, G01S; measuring speed of nuclear radiation G01T; measuring acceleration of gravity G01V; {measuring or recording the speed of trains B61L23/00; speed indicators incorporated in motor vehicles B60K35/00; measuring frequency or phase G01R; traffic control G08G}) ## Abstract An acceleration sensor includes a base substrate provided with a first recess part, and a sensor part located on the first recess part and swingably supported in a depth direction of the first recess part by a support part, wherein the sensor part is sectioned into a first part and a second part by the support part, includes a movable electrode part in the first part and the second part, a through hole is provided at least at an end side in the second part larger in mass than the first part, and the base substrate includes a fixed electrode part in a position opposed to the movable electrode part in the first recessed part, and a second recess part deeper than the first recess part is provided in a position opposed to the end side of the sensor part. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A physical quantity sensor comprising: three mutually orthogonal axes being defined as an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis; a base substrate including a first surface and a second surface in a front-back relationship orthogonal to the Z axis, a first fixed electrode and a second fixed electrode provided on the first surface along the X axis, a sensor member, the sensor member being configured with: a first member facing the first fixed electrode via a first gap along the Z-axis; a second member facing the second fixed electrode via a second gap along the Z-axis, the second member having a larger mass than the first member; and a swing axis that extends along the Y-axis, the swing axis dividing the sensor member into the first member and the second member, the sensor member being swingable about the swing axis, and in a state in which the sensor member is undergoing no swinging about the swing axis, the first member is spaced apart from the first fixed electrode in a Z-axis direction by: a first distance proximal to the swing axis; a second distance distal from the swing axis; and the first distance is smaller than the second distance; and the second member is spaced apart from the second fixed electrode in the Z-axis direction by: a third distance proximal to the swing axis; a fourth distance distal from the swing axis; and the third distance is smaller than the fourth distance. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1, in a cross-sectional view along the Y axis, the first surface of the base substrate facing the sensor member is formed in a step shape. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1, the first fixed electrode is provided in a plurality of adjacent steps having different heights along the Z-axis, and the second fixed electrode is provided in a plurality of adjacent steps having different heights along the Z-axis. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first fixed electrode is configured to detect a first electrostatic capacitance between the first member of the sensor member and the first fixed electrode, and the second fixed electrode is configured to detect a second electrostatic capacitance between the second member of the sensor member and the second fixed electrode. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The acceleration sensor according to claim 1, further comprising: first and second supports that support the sensor member, the first and second supports extending along a Y-axis direction, wherein the swing axis passes through the first and second supports in a plan view. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein in a plan view, the first fixed electrode is wider than the first member in both a positive and a negative Y-axis direction, and the second fixed electrode is wider than the second member in both the positive and the negative Y-axis directions. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The physical quantity sensor according to claim 1, a recess is provided in the first surface of the base substrate, a conductive part is provided on an inner bottom surface of the recess. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The physical quantity sensor according to claim 7, in a plan view, a tip end portion of the second member overlaps with the conductive part. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The physical quantity sensor according to claim 7, the conductive part is electrically connected to the sensor member. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The acceleration sensor according to claim 7, the conductive part is electrically independent of the first fixed electrode and the second fixed electrode. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) An electronic apparatus comprising the acceleration sensor according to claim 1.