Kabushiki Kaisha Toyota Chuo Kenkyusho

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Kouji Tsukada

Yutaka Nonomura

Yoshiteru Omura

Masaharu Takeuchi

Takeshi Morikawa

Jiro Sakata

Kentaro Mizuno

Yuji Nishibe

Shoji Hashimoto

Yumi Masuoka

Sadayuki Hayashi

Masayuki Okuwa

Kazuyoshi Kawaguchi

Sanae Tokumitsu

Kazuhiro Sakurai

Nobuyoshi Sugitani

Motohiro Fujiyoshi

Kimitoshi Tsuji

Keiichi Shimaoka

Kenji Harada

Susumu Sugiyama

Takashi Takeuchi

Norio Fujitsuka

Takashi Ozaki

Hiroshi Nakamura

Fumio Matsuoka

Hidekazu Nishigaki

Jun Sugiyama

Masayuki Matsui

Hisayoshi Sugihara

Masanori Miyashita

Yutaka Obuchi

Nobuo Kurata

Shigeru Sakuma

Shin-ichi Ishiyama

Yoshihisa Kanno

Yasuaki Ikeda

Susum Sugiyama

Masaaki Abe

Shigeki Hayashi

A sensor unit has a reference base. An acceleration sensor block and angular velocity sensor support rods are arranged on the reference base, using a bottom face and one side face of the reference base as reference faces. Three acceleration sensors, which detect accelerations that act in the directions in which an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis extend, are fitted to three faces of the acceleration sensor block, respectively. Three angular velocity sensors, which detect angular velocities about the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis, are fitted to boards that are fitted, via rubber bushings serving as vibration-proofing rubber members, to the angular velocity sensor support rods with screws, respectively.

Sensor unit

A force sensing element is provided with a gauge portion and a plurality of electrodes. The gauge portion is formed of an n-type semiconductor substrate whose (100)-face serves as a main face, a p-type semiconductor substrate whose (110)-face serves as a main face, or a p-type semiconductor substrate whose (111)-face serves as a main face, and is pressed in a thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate upon receiving a force. The electrodes are electrically connected to the gauge portion such that a current path extending in a direction corresponding to the thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate is formed in the gauge portion. The force sensing element thus constructed makes it possible to detect a force with high precision.

Force sensing element

Force detection devices may have high detection precision and may prevent current leakage through a strain gageto the outside. For example, a force detection blockmay include a semiconductor substrate, a first insulating layerand a semiconductor layer(strain gage). The strain gagepreferably includes a site where resistance changes in accordance with the stress acting thereon. The strain gagepreferably constitutes at least a portion of a ridgeprojects from the surface of the force detection block. A force transmission blockmay be attached to a top surface of the ridge. The width of the first insulating layeris preferably greater than the width of the semiconductor layer

Piezoresistive transducers

A pressure sensor has a housing having a first block and a second block provided therein. A force to be measured applies upon a upper face of the first block. An upper face of the second block makes contact with a base face of the first block. Piezoresistive elements are formed within the base face of the first block. The resistance values of these piezoresistive elements change as contacting pressure between the first block and the second block changes. A first electrode is formed on an upper face of the first block. A second electrode is formed on a base face of the second block. Electrical characteristics between the first electrode and the second electrode change following change in the contacting pressure between the first block and the second block.

Force sensors

A pressure sensor is realized wherein output error of sensor element can be reduced even in the case where the pressure sensor is utilized in high temperature conditions. A pressure sensor is provided with a housing, a diaphragmthat partitions the interior and the exterior of the housing, a sensor elementprovided within the housing, output value of the sensor elementvarying in accordance with force exerted thereupon, and a force transmitting rodprovided within the housing, the force transmitting rodmoving downwardly when a pressure is exerted upon the diaphragm, the force transmitting rodthereby exerting force upon the sensor element. The diaphragmhas a central regioncontacting with the force transmitting rod, and a surrounding regionsurrounding the periphery of the central regionand connecting the central regionwith the housing. The surrounding region, viewed cross-sectionally along the radius, is V-shaped or U-shaped, and cancels thermal expansion.

Pressure sensor

the present invention provides a force transducer having high compression fracture strength and high detection sensitivity, thus satisfying both detection precision and reliability, and also a method of fabricating such a force transducer. The force transducer is so constructed that a compression force is transferred via a pressure transfer block to narrow strain gages, which protrude from the surface of a silicon substrate and provide a small pressure-bearing area. Therefore, large compression strains act on the strain gages and thus the detection sensitivity is increased. When the compression force exceeds a predetermined value, the pressure transfer block comes into contact with the surface of the silicon crystal, thus improving the fracture strength of the strain gages. These narrow, protruding strain gages can be fabricated easily by a single mesa etching process.

Force transducer and method of fabrication thereof

A bending strain measurement apparatus for an abdomen of an anthropomorphic dummy comprises a band constituted of an elastic thin plate member. The band is arranged in a longitudinal direction of the abdomen, has one end thereof fixed in the vicinity of the abdomen of the dummy, and a plurality of gauges are arranged in a longitudinal direction of the band for detecting a bending strain of the abdomen when an obstacle collides with the abdomen. A measuring device measures time history of the bending strain based on bending strain of the respective portions of the band detected by the gauges arranged on the band, as a time transition of the bending strain of respective portions of the band.

Bending strain measurement apparatus for an abdomen of an

A vibration-sensing device (10) with high sensitivity includes a torsion bar (16) fixed on both ends thereof to a frame, a tuning fork-shaped vibrating member (12) joined with and supported by the torsion bar (16), and first and second torsion vibrating bodies (14,15) symmetrically projected from the torsion bar (16). The torsion bar (16), the tuning fork-shaped vibrating member (12), and the torsion vibrating bodies (14,15) constitute a torsion vibrating system. The application of an angular velocity to the vibration-sensing device (10) under the condition of plane vibrations of first and second vibrating tines (12a, 12b) of the first tuning fork-shaped vibrating member (12) along an X axis generates Coriolis forces to drive torsion vibration of the first tuning fork-shaped vibrating member (12) round the torsion bar (16), thereby driving torsion vibration corresponding to the angular velocity in the torsion vibrating system. The torsion vibration is amplified by the first and second torsion vibrating bodies (14,15) and detected by torsion vibration-detecting piezoelectric elements (20a,20b) attached to the torsion vibrating bodies (14,15). An angular velocity sensor using the vibration-sensing device, and a method of adjusting the sensitivity of the device are also provided.

Vibration-sensing device method of adjusting the same and angular

A vibration-sensing gyro composed of a light alloy such as duralumin includes a base and a first pair of tines projecting parallel to each other from the base. Piezoelectric elements are mounted on the root of the side faces of the first pair of tines to excite the first pair of tines along an X axis. The vibrations of the first pair of tines along the X axis are then propagated to a second pair of tines to vibrate the second pair of tines along the X axis. Piezoelectric elements are mounted on the root of the upper and the lower faces of the second pair of tines to detect vibrations of the second pair of tines along an Y axis. When the second pair of tines receives the Coriolis force based on an angular velocity .omega. around a Z axis and vibrates along the Y axis, the vibrations along the Y axis are detected as electric signals (alternating current voltages) by piezoelectric effects of the piezoelectric elements.

Vibration-sensing gyro

A torque sensor which can detect instantaneous output torque of the engine is disposed on the output shaft of the engine, and the output signal thereof is frequency-analyzed to extract a half synchronous frequency component having a frequency equals to a half of the number of the revolutions of the engine per second and a synchronous frequency component having a frequency equals to the number of the revolutions of the engine per second, the electronic control unit (ECU) of the engine determines the misfiring mode of the engine including the number of the misfiring cylinders and the interval thereof in the firing order of the engine based on the amplitude of the frequency components and the waveform thereof, then the ECU determines the misfiring cylinders based on the determined misfiring mode and the phase angle of the frequency components of the torque sensor relative to a reference crank angle signal.

Device for determining misfiring of cylinders in multi-cylinder engines

A force transducer comprising: a silicon semiconductor having a crystal face of (110); a pair of input-output shared electrodes mounted on the crystal face of the silicon semiconductor in mutual confronting relationship in a direction of &lt;110&gt; of the crystal or a direction equivalent to the direction of &lt;110&gt;; a force transmission block connected to the crystal face of the silicon semiconductor for transmitting a force W perpendicularly to the crystal face; and a support bed supporting the silicon semiconductor and connected to the silicon semiconductor at a face opposite to the crystal face to which the force transmission block is connected, whereby a voltage corresponding to the force W and to be measured is output from the input-output shared electrodes when the force W is applied perpendicularly to the crystal face of the silicon semiconductor via the force transmission block while a current flows in the silicon semiconductor via the input-output shared electrodes.

Force transducer and pressure detecting circuit using the same

A force transducer comprises: an N-type silicon single crystal having a crystal face of (110) on which a force is applied; a pair of first electrodes and a pair of second electrodes mounted on the crystal face of (110) of the N-type silicon single crystal, the first electrodes facing in a direction angularly spaced by 135 degrees from a direction of &lt;001&gt; of the crystal, and the second electrodes being angularly spaced by 90 degrees from the first electrodes, one of the pairs of first and second electrodes being adapted to serve as input electrodes and the other being adapted to serve as output electrodes; a force transmission block connected to the crystal face of (110) of the N-type silicon single crystal for transmitting the force perpendicularly to the crystal face; and a support bed supporting the N-type silicon single crystal and connected to the N-type silicon single crystal at a face opposite to the crystal face to which the force transmission block is connected, the support bed being in the form of a planar structure having a horizontal cross-sectional shape with a short axis and a long axis.

Force transducer

A physical quantity detecting apparatus for detecting a physical quantity of an object of measurement. The position of movement of an object of measurement is divided into a given number of segments in advance. The output of a physical quantity sensor for detecting a physical quantity of the object of measurement is calculated on the basis of a correction operation expression which has an independent coefficient group for each segment so as to correct the offset component and the sensitivity. Thus, a physical quantity such as a transmitted torque is detected with high accuracy at real time without being influenced by the fluctuations of the offset output and the sensitivity depending on the position of rotation. The correction operation may also be performed using the temperature dependence function of the offset signal and the temperature dependence function of the sensitivity, thereby enabling the accurate measurement of the physical quantity without the influence of the temperature change.

Torque detecting apparatus

A semiconductor pressure transducer for detecting a pressure applied to a diaphragm. The pressure transducer comprises a diaphragm and a pressure detector including an Si single crystal which is so formed as to have a crystal face of {110 } as the surface to which a compression force is applied, and which is attached to the pressure detector such that the crystal face is parallel to the diaphragm, a first pair of opposing electrodes provided on the Si single crystal in the direction having an angle of 45 degrees with the direction of &lt;001&gt; on the crystal face of {110 } and a second pair of opposing electrodes provided on the Si single crystal in the direction having an angle of 45 degrees with the direction of &lt;110&gt; of the Si single crystal, either of the first or second pair of electrodes serving as output electrodes and the other pair serving as input electrodes and composite seat with one end thereof bonded to the crystal face of {110 } of the Si single crystal so as to transmit the pressure applied to the diaphragm perpendicularly to the crystal face of the Si single crystal as a compression force. The pressure applied to the diaphragm acts perpendicularly to the crystal face of the Si single crystal as a compression force and the output electrodes output a voltage corresponding to the compression force.

Semiconductor pressure transducer

A force transducer for detecting compression. The force transducer comprises an Si single crystal so formed as to have a crystal face of {110} as the surface to which compression is applied; a first pair of opposing electrodes provided on the Si single crystal in the direction having an angle of 45 degrees with the direction of &lt;001&gt; of the Si single crystal and a second pair of opposing electrodes provided on the Si single crystal in the direction having an angle of 45 degrees with the direction of &lt;110&gt; of the Si single crystal; a seat which is bonded to the crystal face of {110} of the Si single crystal and which transmits the compression substantially uniformly to the crystal face; and a base which is bonded to the surface of the Si single crystal opposite to the surface bonded with the seat and which supports the Si single crystal. The force transducer has a simple structure as a whole and is capable of detecting compression with accuracy.

Growing community of inventors

Seto, Japan

Kouji Tsukada