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US 9,494,425 B2Granted
Gyroscope and method of fabricating a resonator for a gyroscope
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of Michigan
InventorsKhalil Najafi, Jae Yoong Cho
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Abstract
A gyroscope having a mechanical resonator, a plurality of electrodes located around the resonator, and a thin gap being located between the resonator and the plurality of electrodes. The resonator is axi-symmetric and may be at least partially toroidal in shape or composed of concentric rings. Piezoelectric electrodes or transduction may be used to drive or detect displacements of the resonator. The resonator may be fabricated using a fused silica flowing process.
Claims17
A gyroscope, comprising:
- a substrate;
- an axi-symmetric mechanical resonator having a center portion, an anchor portion, a first axial side, and a second axial side, wherein the first axial side is opposite the substrate and the second axial side is adjacent the substrate, wherein the resonator has a partially toroidal shape that defines an annular channel along the first axial side and the anchor portion is formed on the second axial side of the resonator;
- a plurality of electrodes being located around the resonator;
- and
- a gap being located between the resonator and the plurality of electrodes.
2 more elements
A gyroscope, comprising:
- a resonator;
- a plurality of electrodes being located around the resonator;
- and
- a thin gap being located between the resonator and the plurality of electrodes, wherein the resonator is axi-symmetric and includes a plurality of concentric rings, wherein each concentric ring of the plurality of concentric rings is connected to at least one other concentric ring via an axi-symmetric connecting portion.
1 more element
A gyroscope, comprising:
- a substrate;
- a resonator having an outer surface that is secured to the substrate;
- and
- a plurality of electrodes including at least one piezoelectric electrode;
- wherein the resonator is axi-symmetric and wherein the one or more piezoelectric electrodes are arranged around the outer surface of the resonator and at least partially between the outer surface of the resonator and the substrate to transmit vibratory motion to the resonator, receive vibratory motion from the resonator, or both.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.