# US 9,753,056 B2 · Acceleration sensor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,753,056 B2 - Document ID: US9753056B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/501,109 - Filed: 2014-09-30 - Published: 2015-01-15 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-04-27 - Assignees: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Takuo Hada; Katsumi Fujimoto; Hideya Horiuchi; Toshimaro Yoneda - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9753056B2 ## CPC - G01P 15/097: by vibratory elements - G01P 15/09: by piezoelectric pick-up - G01P 15/10: by vibratory strings - G01P 2015/0814: {for translational movement of the mass, e.g. shuttle type} - 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}) ## Abstract A weight member includes two sides opposite to each other in an X-axis direction when looked at in a plan view. A vibrating beam includes one end portion connected at one location to a fixation member and the other end portion connected at one location to one of the two sides of the weight member in the X-axis direction when looked at in a plan view. The vibrating beam supports the weight member to be displaceable in the X-axis direction. A holding beam includes one end portion connected at one location to the fixation member and the other end portion connected at one location to the other of the two sides of the weight member opposing to each other in the X-axis direction when looked at in a plan view. The holding beam supports the weight member to be displaceable in the X-axis direction. A driver is disposed on the vibrating beam and vibrates the vibrating beam. A detector is disposed on the vibrating beam and configured to output a detection signal changes according to deformation of the vibrating beam. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An acceleration sensor comprising: a fixation member; a weight member including two sides opposite to each other in a first direction when looked at in a plan view; a vibrating beam including a first end portion connected at one location to the fixation member and a second end portion connected at one location to one of the two sides of the weight member opposite to each other in the first direction when looked at in a plan view, the vibrating beam supporting the weight member to be displaceable in the first direction; a holding beam including a first end portion connected at one location to the fixation member and a second end portion connected at one location to the other of the two sides of the weight member opposing to each other in the first direction when looked at in a plan view, the holding beam supporting the weight member to be displaceable in the first direction; a driver disposed on the vibrating beam and vibrating the vibrating beam; and a detector disposed on the vibrating beam and configured to output a detection signal that changes according to deformation of the vibrating beam; wherein at the one of the two sides of the weight member opposite to each other in the first direction when looked at in a plan view, the weight member is connected to the fixation member by only the vibrating beam and the weight member is supported at only one location; at the other of the two sides of the weight member opposite to each other in the first direction when looked at in a plan view, the weight member is connected to the fixation member by only the holding beam and the weight member is supported at only one location; and the weight member is supported at a total of only two locations. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein the vibrating beam is vibrated by the driver in a point-symmetric vibration mode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein the vibrating beam has a meander shape zigzagging with respect to the first direction and a point-symmetric shape with a center point thereof being a reference, the vibrating beam including a weight member-side connecting portion that extends in the first direction from a connected position between the vibrating beam and the weight member, a fixation member-side connecting portion that extends in the first direction from a connected position between the vibrating beam and the fixation member, and a vibrating portion connected between the weight member-side connecting portion and the fixation member-side connecting portion and that extends in a second direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first direction; the holding beam includes a weight member-side connecting portion that extends in the first direction from a connected position between the holding beam and the weight member, a fixation member-side connecting portion that extends in the first direction from a connected position between the holding beam and the fixation member, and a vibrating portion connected between the weight member-side connecting portion and the fixation member-side connecting portion and that extends in the second direction; and the vibrating portion connected to the weight member-side connecting portion in the holding beam and the vibrating portion connected to the weight member-side connecting portion in the vibrating beam extend in opposite directions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein the vibrating beam includes a fixation member-side connecting portion that extends in the first direction from a connected position between the vibrating beam and the fixation member; and a center position of the fixation member-side connecting portion of the vibrating beam in the second direction is coincident with a center position of the weight member in the second direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein the vibrating beam includes a weight member-side connecting portion that extends in the first direction from a connected position between the vibrating beam and the weight member, a fixation member-side connecting portion that extends in the first direction from a connected position between the vibrating beam and the fixation member, and a vibrating portion connected between the weight member-side connecting portion and the fixation member-side connecting portion and that extends in a second direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the first direction; and a center position of the weight member-side connecting portion of the vibrating beam in the second direction is offset from a center position of the weight member in a direction in which a size of the vibrating portion of the vibrating beam connected to the weight member-side connecting portion of the vibrating beam in the second direction is increased. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein the vibrating beam includes a plurality of vibrating portions, and a spacing between two adjacent ones of the plurality of vibrating portions in the first direction is smaller than a width of each of the plurality of vibrating portions in the first direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein the vibrating beam includes a fixation member-side connecting portion that extends in the first direction from a connected position between the vibrating beam and the fixation member, a weight member-side connecting portion that extends in the first direction from a connected position between the vibrating beam and the weight member, and a plurality of vibrating portions; and in the vibrating beam, a width of each of the fixation member-side connecting portion and the weight member-side connecting portion in the second direction is equal or substantially equal to a width of each of the plurality of vibrating portions in the first direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein the fixation member has an external shape that is a rectangular or substantially rectangular frame. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein the weight member includes a substantially quadrangular plate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein respective centers of the fixation member, the vibrating beam, the weight member, and the holding beam in an X-Y plane are arranged to lie on an X-axis. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein each of the vibrating beam and the holding beam has resiliency and is configured to expand and contract in an X-axis direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein each of the driver and the detector includes a lower electrode layer provided on the vibrating beam at an upper surface side, a piezoelectric layer provided on the lower electrode layer, and an upper electrode layer provided on the piezoelectric layer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein the driver includes a plurality of band-shaped portions and a plurality of connecting portions. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The acceleration sensor according to claim 13, wherein the band-shaped portions are one of L-shaped, substantially L-shaped, C-shaped and substantially C-shaped. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The acceleration sensor according to claim 1, wherein each of the vibrating beam, the driver and the detector has a point-symmetric shape with a center point thereof being a reference.