Dual axis rate sensor

A rate sensor for detecting rotation about first and second mutually perpendicular axes, comprising a generally planar substrate, first and second gimbals mounted on the substrate and constrained for in-plane torsional drive mode oscillation of equal amplitude and opposite phase about drive axes which are perpendicular to the first and second axes, first and second generally planar masses, torsionally flexible beams mounting the first mass in the first gimbal and constraining the first mass for in-plane drive mode oscillation with the first gimbal and for out-of-plane rotation about the first axis in response to Coriolis forces produced by rotation about the second axis, and torsionally flexible beams mounting the second mass in the second gimbal and constraining the second mass for in-plane drive mode oscillation with the second gimbal and for out-of-plane rotation about the second axis in response to Coriolis forces produced by rotation about the first axis.

A device for monitoring rate of rotation about mutually perpendicular first and second axes which lie in a plane and acceleration along a third axis perpendicular to the plane and along an axis in the plane, comprising:

• a substrate, first and second generally planar masses mounted side-by-side on the substrate and coupled together for in-plane torsional drive mode oscillation of equal amplitude and opposite phase about drive axes which are perpendicular to the plane, the first mass being mounted for out-of-plane rotational movement about the second axis in response to Coriolis forces produced by rotation about the first axis, and the second mass being mounted for out-of-plane torsional movement about the first axis in response to Coriolis forces produced by rotation about the second axis, a pair of accelerometer masses mounted on the substrate beside the first and second masses and connected together for in-plane rotation of equal amplitude and opposite phase about axes perpendicular to the plane in response to acceleration along an axis in the plane and for out-of-plane rotation of equal amplitude and opposite phase about pivot axes in the plane in response to acceleration along the third axis.

A device for monitoring acceleration along a first axis which lies in a plane and a second axis which is perpendicular to the plane, comprising:

• a substrate, a pair of generally planar masses which are disposed in the plane, means mounting the masses on the substrate for in-plane torsional movement of equal amplitude and opposite phase about the second axis in response to acceleration along the first axis and for out-of-plane torsional movement of equal amplitude and opposite phase about pivot axes which lie in the plane in response to acceleration along the second axis.