# US 2014/0360265 A1 · Vibration angular velocity sensor

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2014/0360265 A1
- Document ID: US20140360265A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/366,290
- Filed: 2012-12-20
- Published: 2014-12-11
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-23
- Assignees: Denso Corporation
- Applicants: Denso Corporation
- Inventors: Tomoya Jomori; Yoichi Mochida
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140360265A1

## CPC

- G01P 3/14: by exciting one or more mechanical resonance systems
- G01C 19/5747: each sensing mass being connected to a driving mass, e.g. driving frames
- G01P 3/44: for measuring angular speed (G01P3/56 takes precedence)
- 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})
- G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S)

## Abstract

A vibration angular velocity sensor includes a substrate and a vibrator. The vibrator includes support members, linear drive beams, and a plurality of weight portions connected by the drive beams. The vibrator vibrates the plurality of weight portions by bending of the drive beams. The vibrator is fixed to the substrate through the support members at fixed points of the drive beam. A spring property of the support members is smaller than a spring property of the drive beams.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vibration angular velocity sensor comprising:
a substrate;
a vibrator including support members, linear drive beams, and a plurality of weight portions connected by the drive beams, the vibrator vibrating the plurality of weight portions by bending of the drive beams, the vibrator fixed to the substrate through the support members at fixed points of the drive beams;
detection fixed portions formed to one surface side of the substrate and having detection fixed electrodes fixed to the substrate;
detection weights including detection movable electrodes disposed opposite to the detection fixed electrodes and mass portions to which the movable electrodes are provided;
a pair of inner drive weights surrounding the detection weights and connected with the detection weights through detection beams;
a pair of outer drive weights disposed to both sides sandwiching the pair of inner drive weights; and
drive fixed portions generating electrostatic attraction forces that vibrate the inner drive weights and the outer drive weights in opposite directions to each other, wherein
the outer drive weights and the inner drive weights connected with the detection weights form the plurality of weight portions,
the drive beams connect the inner drive weights and the outer drive weights,
the support members support the inner drive weights connected with the outer drive weights and the detection weights to the substrate at the fixed points of the drive beams,
a sensor driving that vibrates the outer drive weights and the inner drive weights is performed by bending the drive beams based on the electrostatic attraction forces generated by the drive fixed portions, when an angular velocity is applied during the sensor driving, the detection weights are moved in a direction perpendicular to a vibration direction of the inner drive weights by bending of the detection beams, and the angular velocity is detected based on changes of capacitances of the detection fixed electrodes and the detection movable electrodes,
the support members include rotation beams that wave and bend during the sensor driving, support beams that support both ends of the rotation beams to the substrate, and connection portions that connect the rotation beams and the drive beams at the fixed points of the drive beams, and
a spring property of the rotation beams is smaller than the spring property of the drive beams.

### Claim 2

(canceled)

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vibration angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein
when a beam width ratio of a width h2 of the rotation beams to a width h1 of the drive beams in the vibration direction of the outer drive weights and the inner drive weights is expressed by R, 1/R is set to be greater than or equal to 2.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The vibration angular velocity sensor according to claim 3, wherein
1/R is set to be greater than or equal to 3.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vibration angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein
the sensor driving is performed when an alternating-current voltage is applied between the drive fixed portions and the inner drive weights and the outer drive weights, a frequency of the alternating-current voltage is set to be a drive resonance frequency fd, and the drive resonance frequency fd is set to be several kHz to several tens of kHz.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The vibration angular velocity sensor according to claim 5, wherein
the drive resonance frequency fd is set to be 5 kHz to 10 kHz.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The vibration angular velocity sensor according to claim 1, wherein
one of the outer drive weights, one of the inner drive weights, the other of the inner drive weights, and the other of the outer drive weights are arranged in order and are connected by the drive beams, and
the support members connect the substrate and the drive beams at positions between the one of the outer drive weights and the one of the inner drive weights, between one of the inner drive weights and the other of the inner drive weights, and between the other of the inner drive weights and the other of the outer drive weights.