Ngk Insulators, Inc.

Seiko Epson Corporation

Takao Soma

Takayuki Kikuchi

Yukihisa Osugi

Shosaku Gouji

Tomonori Takahashi

Shinji Kawasaki

Isao Oda

Minoru Matsui

Manabu Isomura

Katsuki Yoshioka

Kazuhiro Nobori

Ryusuke Ushikoshi

Kazuyo Mori

Yoshihiro Ito

Shinsuke Yano

Nobuo Tsuno

Shigenori Ito

Hirotake Yamada

Hiroaki Sakai

Osamu Kawauchi

Osamu Sakai

Akihiko Yoshida

Yoshizumi Nakasuji

Shinichi Kosaka

Yoshio Morita

Takashi Ando

Yuji Fujiwara

Akiihiko Yoshida

A device for measuring a physical value, such as a vibratory gyroscope, is provided. The device comprises a vibrator; a driving means for exciting a driving vibration in the vibrator; a detecting means for obtaining an output signal based on a detection vibration excited in the vibrator in response with the physical value; and a detection circuit for processing the output signal to provide a detection signal corresponding with the physical value. The vibrator has at least one bending vibration armsA andB vibrating in bending mode along a specified plane (X-Y plane). The bending vibration arm comprises at least a pair of base partsA,B and a connecting partconnecting the base partsA,B. The connecting and base parts define a pair of recessesA,B.

Devices for measuring physical values and vibrators

A vibrator for a vibratory gyroscope including a base part and at least one bending-vibration piece extending from the base part in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the base part and a fixing part for fixing one end of the base part. The base part and bending-vibration piece are formed to extend substantially in a specified plane. At the opposite side to one end of the base part, a projection projecting from the bending-vibration piece is provided, or at least a pair of resonant arms resonating with vibration of the base part, wherein the resonant arms project from the fixing part. With this arrangement, it is possible to detect a turning angular rate with high accuracy.

Vibrator, vibratory gyroscope, and vibration adjusting method

A vibratory gyroscope for detecting a turning angular rate of rotation applied to a vibrator in a predetermined temperature range is disclosed. The vibratory gyroscope has a vibrator, a supporting member for supporting the vibrator and an adhesive portion made of an adhesive provided between the supporting member and the vibrator for bonding the vibrator to the supporting member. The vibratory gyroscope detects a turning angular rate based on a detecting vibration excited in the vibrator according to rotation when a driving vibration is excited in the vibrator. The adhesive has a tan &dgr; not higher than 0.1 within the temperature range.

Vibratory gyroscope, vibrator used in this gyroscope, method for analyzing vibration of the vibrator, method for supporting the vibrator, and method for manufacturing the vibratory gyroscope

A vibratory gyroscope for detecting a turning angular rate in a turning system is provided. The gyroscope comprises a vibrator, an exciting means for exciting driving vibration in the vibrator, and a detecting means for detecting vibration induced in the vibrator. The vibrator comprises a plurality of vibration systems A, B, A and B, which are formed within a specified plane intersecting the turning axis Z. Vibration systems comprises first vibration systems A and B whose vibrations include radial vibration components, in which the center of gravity of first vibration system vibrates in a radial direction in the specified plane with respect to the center of gravity GO of the vibrator. The vibration systems also comprises second vibration systems A and B whose vibrations include circumferential vibration components, in which the center of gravity of vibration of the second vibration system vibrates in the specified plane along a circle with the center of gravity GO as its center.

Vibrators, vibratory gyroscopes, devices for measuring a linear acceleration and a method of measuring a turning angular rate

A vibrator of a vibratory gyroscope comprises a main arm having a base part and at least one bending-vibration piece extending from the base part in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction of the base part and a fixing part for fixing one end of the base part, and the base part and the bending-vibration piece are formed so as to extend substantially in a specified plane. Preferably, at the opposite side to one end of the base part, a projection projecting from the bending-vibration piece is provided, or at least a pair of resonant arms resonating with vibration of the base part, said pair of resonant arms projecting from the fixing part are provided. Thanks to this, it has been possible to detect a turning angular rate in a sufficiently high accuracy without providing a projection which has a certain weight and extends from the vibrator toward the axis of turning even in case of arranging the vibrator so that the vibration arm of the vibrator extends perpendicularly to the axis of turning.

Vibrator, vibratory gyroscope, and vibrator adjusting method

A vibratory gyroscope for detecting a turning angular rate in a turning system is provided. The gyroscope comprises a vibrator, an exciting means for exciting driving vibration in the vibrator, and a detecting means for detecting vibration induced in the vibrator. The vibrator comprises a plurality of vibration systems,A,,B,,A and,B, which are formed within a specified plane intersecting the turning axis Z. Vibration systems comprises first vibration systems,A and,B whose vibrations include radial vibration components, in which the center of gravity of first vibration system vibrates in a radial direction in the specified plane with respect to the center of gravity GO of the vibrator. The vibration systems also comprises second vibration systems,A and,B whose vibrations include circumferential vibration components, in which the center of gravity of vibration of the second vibration system vibrates in the specified plane along a circle with the center of gravity GO as its center.

A vibrator including a loop-shaped vibration system,, another vibration system,A,,A and,B vibrating independently from the system,, and connecting portions,A and,B. Exciting means for exciting driving vibration in the vibrator is provided in one of the loop-shaped vibration system and another vibration system, and detecting means for detecting detection vibration induced in the vibrator, when it is turned, is provided in the other of the systems, to provide a vibratory gyroscope.

Vibrators vibratory gyroscopes a method of detecting a turning angular rate and a linear accelerometer

A vibratory gyroscope for detecting a turning angular rate of rotation applied to a vibrator, which vibratory gyroscope has the vibrator provided with a plurality of vibration pieces and a base part having the plurality of vibration pieces connected with it and is composed so as to obtain the turning angular rate on the basis of a detecting vibration excited in the vibrator according to the turning angular rate when giving a driving vibration to at least one of the vibration pieces, and makes the vibrator being supported in a domain where the detecting vibration is smallest in said vibrator, said domain being in the vicinity of the center of gravity of the vibrator. It is preferable that the vibrator is supported in the vicinity of the center of gravity of a driving vibration of the vibrator and a supporting hole is provided in a domain where the detecting vibration is smallest in a state where no supporting hole is provided in the vibrator and the vibrator is supported on or near the inner wall face of this supporting hole.

A vibrator comprising a base part at least one of whose ends is fixed, a first leg extending in a direction crossing this base part, a second leg extending in a direction crossing the base part and being opposed to said first leg with respect to said base part, a first bending-vibration piece extending in a direction crossing said first leg, a second bending-vibration piece extending in a direction crossing the first leg and being opposite to said first bending-vibration piece with respect to said first leg, a third bending-vibration piece extending in a direction crossing said second leg, and a fourth bending-vibration piece extending in a direction crossing the second leg and being opposite to said third bending-vibration piece with respect to said second leg.

Vibrator, vibratory gyroscope, and linear accelerometer

There is a system for producing high-purity hydrogen by reforming a hydrocarbon and/or an oxygen atom-containing hydrocarbon to form a reformed gas containing hydrogen and separating the hydrogen from said gas. The system includes a hydrocarbon source, a water source, an oxygen source, a vaporization chamber connecting with the hydrocarbon source, the water source and the oxygen source, and a reforming chamber provided with a catalyst for steam reforming and partial oxidation and a hydrogen-separating membrane. The reforming chamber is thermally connected with the vaporization chamber. A process for producing high-purity hydrogen includes heating a reforming chamber provided with a hydrogen-separating membrane, feeding, into the reforming chamber, hydrocarbon, steam and oxygen or air to give rise to steam reforming and partial oxidation therein to produce a reaction gas, and passing the reaction gas through the hydrogen-separating membrane to recover high-purity hydrogen. The heat possessed by the portion of the reaction gas not permeable into the hydrogen-separating membrane and the heat generated by the partial oxidation are utilized for the heating and reforming of the hydrocarbon, water and oxygen or air.

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Nishikamo-gun, Japan

Takao Soma