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US 6,883,374 B2Granted
Vibratory gyroscopic rate sensor
AssigneeBAE SYSTEMS plc
InventorsChristopher P Fell, Rebecka Eley, Colin H. J. Fox, Stewart McWilliam
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AssigneeBAE SYSTEMS plc
InventorsChristopher P Fell, Rebecka Eley, Colin H. J. Fox, Stewart McWilliam
Estimating the term…
A three axis rate sensor includes a substantially planar vibratory resonator having a substantially ring or hoop-like structure with inner and outer peripheries extending around a common axis, drive means for causing the resonator to vibrate in a Cos 2θ vibration mode, carrier mode pick-off means for sensing movement of the resonator in response to the applied drive z-axis response mode, pick-off means for detecting movement of the resonator in response to rotation about the z-axis, z-axis response mode drive means for nulling said motion, x-axis response mode pick-off mean for detecting movement of the resonator in response to rotation about the x-axis, x-axis response mode drive means for nulling said motion, y-axis response mode pick-off mean for detecting movement of the resonator in response to rotation about the y-axis, y-axis response mode drive means for nulling said motion, and support means for flexibly supporting the resonator and for allowing the resonator to vibrate relative to the support means in response to the drive means and the applied rotation wherein the support means comprises only L support beams, where L≠2K, and K=0, 1, 2 or 3. For example there may be three, five, six or seven support beams.
A three axis rate sensor including a substantially planar vibratory resonator having a substantially ring or hoop-like structure with inner and outer peripheries extending around a common axis, drive means for causing the resonator to vibrate in a Cos 2θ vibration mode, carrier mode pick-off means for sensing movement of the resonator in response to the applied drive means, z-axis response mode pick-off means for detecting movement of the resonator in response to rotation about the z-axis, z-axis response mode drive means for nulling said motion, x-axis response mode pick-off means for detecting movement of the resonator in response to rotation about the x-axis, x-axis response mode drive means for nulling said motion, y-axis response mode pick-off means for detecting movement of the resonator in response to rotation about the y-axis, y-axis response mode drive means for nulling said motion, and support means for flexibly supporting the resonator and for allowing the resonator to vibrate relative to the support means in response to the drive means and to applied rotation, characterised in that the support means comprises only L support beams, where L≠2K, K=0, 1, 2 or 3, and L<8.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.