US 9,315,377 B2Granted

Acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration in three directions

AssigneeMurata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

InventorToshihisa Suzuki

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A first sensor section installed in an acceleration sensor employs a first elastic member which is elastically movable according to acceleration in the first and third directions and is stiff against acceleration in second direction so as to restrict elasticity in second direction. Thereby, the first sensor section is provided as a biaxial acceleration sensor which detects the first and third directional acceleration according to a change of electrostatic capacity between a first weight (i.e. the first movable electrode) made movable according to acceleration and the first fixed electrode. A second sensor section installed in the acceleration sensor is structurally identical with the first sensor section and configured to detect acceleration in second and third directions. Thereby, such combination of the first sensor section and the second sensor section constitutes a three-dimensional acceleration sensor.

Claims11

Dependent claims

An acceleration sensor comprising:

a planar substrate;
a first weight;
a first set of one or more elastic members, each of the elastic members of the first set extending from the first weight and elastically supporting the first weight in a spaced relationship with the substrate while allowing the first weight to move in both (a) a first direction parallel to the plane of the substrate and (b) a second direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate;
a second weight;
a second set of one or more elastic members, each of the elastic members of the second set extending from the second weight and elastically supporting the second weight in a spaced relationship with the substrate while allowing the second weight to move in both (a) a third direction which is both parallel to the plane of the substrate and perpendicular to the first direction and (b) the second direction;
and
a sensor circuit for detecting acceleration in the first, second and third directions as a function of the movement of the first weight in the first and second directions and the movement of the second weight in the second and third directions.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/044,085Filed 2 Oct 2013
Priority: JP 2012-2202282 Oct 2012
Published: US 2014/0091404 A13 Apr 2014
Granted: 19 Apr 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

B81B 3/0078
Mechanical properties: constitution or structural means for improving mechanical properties not provided for in B81B3/007 - B81B3/0075
B81B 3/0018
Devices comprising flexible or deformable elements, e.g. comprising elastic tongues or membranes: structures acting upon the moving or flexible…
G01P 15/0802
With conversion into electric or magnetic values: details
G01P 15/125
With conversion into electric or magnetic values: by capacitive pick-up